by Syarif
Hidayat
The Hajj (Arabic: حج Ḥaǧǧ "pilgrimage")
is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is the largest pilgrimage in the
world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried
out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford
to do so. The state of being physically and financially capable of performing
the Hajj is called istita'ah and a Muslim who fulfils this condition is called
a mustati.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent,
the Merciful. Allah SWT says in Al Qur’an: "In it are manifest signs (for
example), the Maqâm (place) of Ibrâhim (Abraham); whosoever enters it, he
attains security. And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka'bah) is a
duty that mankind owes to Allâh, those who can afford the expenses (for one's
conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves [i.e. denies Hajj
(pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a disbeliever of Allâh], then Allâh stands
not in need of any of the 'Alamîn (mankind and jinn and all that
exsists)." (Al Qur'an, Surah Al Imran, Verse:97)
The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity
of the Muslim people, and their submission to Allah (god in Arabic is 'ilāh,
Allah means "the one holy god"). The fifth and last Pillar of Islam
is the Hajj. It is explicitly stated in the Holy Qur'an that every physically
and financially able Muslim should make the Hajj to the Holy City of Makkah
once in his or her lifetime.
The Hajj is considered the culmination of
each Muslim's religious duties and aspiration. Muslims from all over the world
seek to make the Hajj to the Holy City of Makkah, which occurs between the
eighth and thirteenth days of the last month of the Islamic calendar -
Dhu'l-Hijjah - of each year. Muslims travel thousands of miles to reach the
Holy City of Makkah for the Hajj and perform the rituals in the same manner as
the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) almost fourteen centuries ago.
The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th Dhu
al-Hijjah, the 12th and last month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic
calendar is a lunar calendar, eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar
used in the Western world, the Gregorian date of the Hajj changes from year to
year.
Ihram is the name given to the special
spiritual state in which Muslims live while on the pilgrimage. The calendar is
from 8th to 12th because that's the calendar of the Muslims.
The Hajj is associated with the life of the
Islamic Prophet Muhammad from the 7th century, but the ritual of pilgrimage to
Mecca is considered by Muslims to stretch back thousands of years to the time
of Abraham (Ibrahim).
The God Almighty Allah says in Al
Qur’an: “And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you
on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant
(wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj). That they may witness things that
are of benefit to them (i.e. reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some
worldly gain from trade), and mention the Name of Allâh on appointed days (i.e.
10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th day of Dhul-Hijjâh), over the beast of cattle that
He has provided for them (for sacrifice) (at the time of their slaughtering by
saying: Bismillah, Wallâhu-Akbar, Allâhumma Minka wa Ilaik). Then eat thereof
and feed therewith the poor who have a very hard time.” (Al Qur'an,
Surah Al Hajj, Verses 27-28)
Pilgrims join processions of hundreds
of thousands of people, who simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of
the Hajj, and perform a series of rituals: Each person walks counter-clockwise
seven times around the Ka'aba, the cube-shaped building which acts as the
Muslim direction of prayer, runs back and forth between the hills of Al-Safa
and Al-Marwah, drinks from the Zamzam Well, goes to the plains of Mount Arafat
to stand in vigil, and throws stones in a ritual Stoning of the Devil. The
pilgrims then shave their heads, perform a ritual of animal sacrifice, and
celebrate the three day global festival of Eid al-Adha.
The ultimate destination
Shaykh
Mokhtar Maghraoui
in his article titled “The internal dimensions of Hajj”
published in www.duai.co.za writes “You are the
luckiest person in the world. Allah has invited you personally to His House.”
What is Hajj? Hajj in the Arabic
language means aim, destination or purpose (qasd). The reason is clear: Hajj is
the ultimate journey of loving submission (‘ubudiyah) and conscious surrender
(riq) to Allah. Its ultimate destination is your encounter with the House of
Allah (Bayt al-Allah) – the Ka`bah – with both your physical body and, more
importantly, your heart (qalb).
Ibn al-Jawzi (rahimahullah) relates a
story of an old, blind woman who was journeying to Hajj years ago with a
caravan. Throughout the journey, she keeps asking: “Are we at the house of my
Lord?” Time and again, she is told, “No, mother, we are not there yet.” As the
caravan nears Makkah, she is informed that they are almost there. Finally, they
enter Masjid al-haram. She is led to the Ka’bah. Touching the Ka’bah, she
cries, “Baytu rabbi!” (“The House of my Lord!”). Weeping, she clings to the
cloth of the Ka’bah – and dies.
The woman realized with her heart
(qalb) the true significance of visiting the House of her Lord. Allah has
invited you to His House, which He has called the al-Bayt al-‘Atiq – the
ancient, liberated and liberating house. Your journey is one of freedom and
liberation. For as your body leaves its material house to journey to Allah’s
House, your heart is meant to disengage from the lower self (nafs), the
shaytan, and the world (dunya) and journey to Allah.
The ultimate reward for a Hajj mabrur
is to return home with the purity of a newborn child. What could be a greater
incentive? But beware, for Hajj is a selective process. Only a few will attain
a Hajj mabrur, which is a Hajj performed correctly, without any disobedience to
Allah and without indulging in any argumentation. Be prepared. Be vigilant. Be
focused. This will be one of the greatest – and sweetest – struggles of your
life. And though you will long and dream for the rest of your life to come
back, you may never return again.
May Allah allow our bodies to journey to
His House; may He permit our hearts to find Him, the Lord of the House. Ameen.
The most sacred space
You will be journeying from your earthly
house to Makkah, your spiritual home, the most beloved place to Allah in all of
space and time. Allah himself has decreed it to be so since the beginning of
creation. There is no place more blessed, more beautiful, more virtuous, more
exalted than Makkah. Every inch and every corner of Makkah is a haram, a
sanctuary made sacred by Allah. The more you revere Makkah, the more you will
be ennobled by Allah. We must take the greatest of care to never think casually
of our sojourn in Makkah or live within its precincts in disobedience or
negligence.
Some reports teach that it was in
Makkah that our father Adam (‘alayhi al-salam) longed to go back to paradise
and be in the presence of Allah. To console his loneliness, Allah commanded him
to do tawaf around the space of the current Ka‘bah. And Adam did, and felt
whole again.
Other texts teach that Nuh (’alayhi
al-salam), Ibrahim (’alayhi al-salam), and many Prophets before them (’alayhim
al-salam), all did tawaf around Allah’s sacred House. Their spiritual energy and
legacy fills the air. You will be walking in the footsteps and the heart-steps
of Rasulullah (sallalahu ’alayhi wasallam) and his noble companions.
Shelter, solace and sight
Hajj and its rites are described in
various and powerful ways by Allah and his Rasul (sallalahu ’alayhi wasallam).
Through these descriptions, we gain insight into the deeper meanings of Hajj.
The rites of hajj are described, for example, as manasik, masha‘ir and
mashahid.
Mansak (plural manasik), usually
translated as ritual, connotes shelter (maskan) and tranquility (sukun). The
rites of Hajj are residences of shelter and tranquility for the heart.
Mash‘ar (plural masha‘ir) connotes
feeling and experience. The rites of Hajj cause the heart to feel and
experience the sweetness of nearness to Allah.
Mashad (plural mashahid) is to
witness with the heart the blessings of Allah at every station – to see, with
one’s inner sight, Allah’s will as the Decreer of decrees and the Causer of
causes.
Each word connotes a different inner
dimension of Hajj, as the movement, not only of your body or limbs, but of your
heart. For as your body journeys from one place to another, so too must your
heart travel through various stations (maqamat), each of which will provide it
with shelter, solace and inner sight.
Become angelic
Hajj is your chance to become an angel
and to live with the delight of an angel. In tawaf, you will be mirroring the
worship of the angels, the mala’ikah, those heavenly creatures created of pure
light and enveloped in the worship of Allah. Texts teach that the Ka‘bah is
connected in an imperceptible way to the Bayt al-Ma‘mur, the heavenly Ka‘bah of
the angels, around which they are constantly in tawaf. Seventy thousand angels
perform tawaf around this house and are replaced with others, never to return.
Around the Ka‘bah, we are in a
heavenly dimension. Near the Ka‘bah are the Hajar Aswad, or black stone (a
stone set into one of its corners), and the Maqam Ibrahim , both gems from
Jannah. We are taught that the hajar was darkened by the sins and
transgressions of man. Its heavenly light is now folded from us.
The hajar will be rendered into a
person in the afterlife by Allah and will witness on behalf of those who
approached it with truth and sincerity. The hajar can be said to take a picture
recording of your heart as you stand before it. Kissing the hajar is the most
profound renewal of your covenant with Allah and a pledge of love, dedicated
obedience and soulful allegiance to Him.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
Entering
into ihram
As you near the miqat, your heart will
tremble and tremor. Is this really happening? Is my heart getting closer and
closer to His House? Soon you will enter Allah’s haram. It is only fitting that
you enter into a state, both externally and internally, that justly corresponds
to this honour. Beyond the miqat, there
is only talbiyah.
The essence of Hajj is the journey of
our hearts away from the house of our lower selves (nufus) with its passions
(shahawat), inclinations (ahwa’) and attachment to the created world (khalq) to
the haram and, ultimately, the House of Allah. We must leave our attachments to
receive the greatest connection. We must leave to arrive.
Ihram is from haram. Both meanings, to
be sacred and to be forbidden, are carried in it. Through the ihram, the heart
is meant to leave the temporary and the finite – to make it, in a sense,
“forbidden” – and to prepare for the sacred audience of Allah’s presence.
The muhrim has disengaged from
everything and anything that distracts him or her from Allah and, consequently,
focuses on remembrance, peace and stillness. The muhrim has left his or her
home taking taqwa or Allah-consciousness, the best sustenance, as a provision.
Beginning talbiyah
One enters into ihram with talbiyah.
talbiyah is the heart’s most profound surrender to the invitation and call of
Allah: Here I come to You, my Lord, here I come – fully and forever.
Talbiyah Du'a:
"Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik. Labbaik, La Shareek Laka,
Labbaik. Innal Hamdah, Wan Nematah, Laka wal Mulk, La Shareek Laka"
("Here I am at Thy service O Lord, here I
am. Here I am at Thy service and Thou hast no partners. Thine alone is All
Praise and All Bounty, and Thine alone is The Sovereignty. Thou hast no
partners.")
With the talbiyah, we proclaim that no
associate (sharik) or attachment will distract us from seeking Allah. Our
hearts will not see, hear, obey, or be lured to another, besides Him. The
recitation of this talbiyah is to be said with constancy and conviction, and
not intermittently and infrequently.talbiyah is essential to focusing our
hearts.
It will remind us of the purpose of our
journey; it will facilitate us in foregoing our rights, demands and
expectations while yet rendering fully the major and minor rights of others; it
will dispel distractions; and it will make all obstacles easy, even
pleasurable.
There is no praise (hamd) and no
dominion and power (mulk) except that Allah owns it. Everything, whether
tangible or intangible, belongs to Him. In fact, we are in praise of Him by
Him.
Mina
Mina, or Muna, means desire, hope,
longing. Some texts teach that it was in Muna that Adam ( ‘alayhi al-salam)
longed and desired to journey back home to paradise and to be, once again, in
Allah’s presence.
It is in Muna that the journey begins.
The day spent in Muna, termed the day of tarwiyah (meaning, in part, to quench,
to drink to one’s fill), is meant for our heart to focus on the aim of their
journey, to gather in resolution and focus, and to begin our inner momentum
towards the House of Allah.
‘Arafat means to know, to understand.
Another verb scale conveys the meaning of perfuming, making fragrant, scenting.
‘Arafat is the essential pillar (rukn), of Hajj; without ‘Arafat there is no
Hajj.
‘Arafat is the cleansing station
outside the haram where we stand and seek forgiveness for all that we’ve
committed in our lives. We beg and implore Allah to make us worthy of entering
into His haram, visiting His House and being in His presence.
Here, on ‘Arafat, we learn two things.
As we acknowledge our disobedience, our sins, our rebelliousness and our
forgetfulness, we know our unworthiness as true servants. We reveal everything
to Allah, minor or major, Who knows already but simply wants us to admit with
true transparency and sincerity what we are inside of our selves.
Moreover, we begin to know the
all-enveloping knowledge, the inestimable mercy, the boundless generosity and
the limitless grace of Alah in forgiving and effacing our sins. Who is it,
beside Him, that can forgive and that does forgive? There is no refuge or
flight from Allah except to Him.
Allah celebrates, in the presence of
the angels, the hujjaj (pilgrims) on ‘Arafat asking for forgiveness. And He
affirms to the angels that, yes, He has forgiven them.
Now, as the sun begins to set, you
continue, perfumed and scented with the purity of Allah’s grace and
forgiveness, ever closer to His haram.
Muzdalifa
Muzdalifa, from the Arabic root
izdilaf, means to approach, to get closer. Muzdalifa is a second station of
cleansing and purification. The pilgrim is now closer to the Ka‘bah. We remain
in supplication (du‘a’) after Fajr, imploring Allah again for pardon and guidance.
Some scholars have said that in
Muzdalifa, Allah also forgives our violations against the rights of others.
Such violations are not usually forgiven unless, in addition to seeking
forgiveness, we remedy what has been violated.
Muna and the casting of the pebbles
During the Hajj of Ibrahim (‘alayhi
al-salam), he was commanded to sacrifice his son. Allah, of course, never
intended that the slaughter take place. Allah wanted, instead, to purify and
free Ibrahim (‘alayhi al-salam) from every love and every attachment besides
Him.
It was in Muna that the shaytan
attempted to waylay Ibrahim (‘alayhi al-salam) from sacrificing his son.
Ibrahim (’alayhi al-salam) casted pebbles at the shaytan to reject his designs
and prompting.
In
casting the pebbles, the pilgrim affirms Allah’s greatness over everything and
covenants with Allah that he or she will never regress to anything which
displeases Him.
Casting the pebbles is the casting
away of shaytan, the lower self (nafs) with its desires, inclinations and evil,
and, ultimately, casting away everything besides Allah. The pebble is meant,
not to hit the pillar, but to fall inside the container, or majmar, where it
will remain. The fire of the nafs, its impetus to evil, must be cast out,
contained and confined. Our nafs must be jailed for us to become free.
After the nafs is jailed by the
casting of the pebbles, it is slaughtered. The sacrifice of the animal
signifies the slaughter of the nafs by Ibrahim (‘alayhi al-salam). Ibrahim’s
(‘alayhi al-salam) sacrifice was momentous: he sacrificed his very will.
Ibrahim was named the Khalil (cherished friend) of Allah because his love for
Allah pierced and consumed his entire heart.
The hair – signifying status, station,
and pride – is now shaved. Whatever remaining trace and residue of the
disobedient nafs is now completely cleansed.
Now, the pilgrim is welcomed by Allah
to visit His haram and His House. He or she is now freed from ihram, but not
completely. Washing and the use of perfume are now permitted; intimate
relations are not. Approaching one’s spouse is unbefitting considering that now
the pilgrim is going to visit the Host.
Ifadah means to flood, to rush, to
move. The movement from ‘Arafat to the haram is called ifadah. The rite of
tawaf that takes place after the casting of the pebbles, the sacrifice and the
shaving of the head is likewise termed Tawaaf al-Ifadah.
The heart (qalb), cleansed and
purified from its attachments, inundated with love, desire and longing, floods
to the haram, to the House, and to its Lord. There, it circumambulates the
House and renews its pledge of complete and loving submission.
Sa‘i between Safa and Marwa
Sa‘i means to work, to strive, to act.
We remember in Sa‘i the actions of Hajar (‘alayha al-salam) as she climbed,
walked and ran up both Safa and Marwa looking for sustenance for her starving
child. The miracle of Zam-zam was gifted to Hajar for her efforts and sincere
reliance.
Rasulullah (sallalahu ‘alayhi wasallam)
teaches that if we drink Zam-zam with firm faith and certainty, Allah will most
definitely answer our supplication.
As servants of Allah, we are embedded
in time and space. We must act, all the while cognizant that it is Allah who
creates both cause and effect. To see waves upon waves of pilgrims walking and
running between Safa and Marwa is to recognize that the reality of our life is
constant Sa‘i between struggle and reward, struggle and reward.
On the hills of Safa and Marwa, where
the pilgrim alights in reflection and supplication, the heart exalts, seeing
Allah’s power in all matters, yours and others, large or small.
The days and nights of Muna
During our stay in Muna, we re-affirm
and re-declare our desire and hope for spiritual freedom by casting pebbles for
three days. Each casting of the pebbles cements our resolution to contain and
confine both the lower self (nafs) and shaytan.
You remain in Muna as Allah’s guest.
Here, we must eat and drink with the consciousness of a guest in front of a
Most-Magnanimous Host. The greatest nourishment during these days, as Allah
himself indicates, is His dhikr, or remembrance.
We
are destined to leave but Allah intends we leave gradually, in gratitude to
Him, remembrance of Him and gathering a firm resolution for permanent change
when we depart. Then the last pebble is cast. Our final farewell is imminent.
Most
have waited their entire lives for the encounter with the House of Allah. Many
will never return. In truth, there is no certainty that any of us will ever
gaze on the Ka‘bah again.
Whether we return or not, we will
never forget. It is said – and it is true – that the Ka‘bah beckons you from
afar, then leaves you yearning forever.
It is related that Ibn ‘Abbas prayed
this as his final farewell, clinging with his entire being to the multazam, the
wall of the Ka‘bah between the hajar and the door:
“O
Allah This House is Your House And this servant is Your servant, and the son of
Your servants You have carried me here on what You have made accessible to me
of Your creation Until You have made me reach, by Your grace, Your House And
You have helped me fulfill my rites of Hajj (O Allah) If You have been pleased
with me, then be more pleased with me And if You are not pleased with me, then
I implore you to be generous to me now – Before my house becomes distant from
Your house For now it is time for my departure, if You permit me – Never to
exchange You for anything else, nor Your House for any other house Not being
desirous of others instead of You, nor of any other house besides Your House O
Allah, Grant me safety and good health in my body, protection in my religion
and allow me a beautiful return And provide me with deeds and acts of Your
obedience for as long as You grant me life And gather for me the best of this
world and the next For truly You have power over all things.”
A
mother once told her son that the Ka‘bah says: “The one who does not see me will never rest; and the one who sees me
will never rest.”
Hajj for human dignity and unity
Dr.
Aslam Abdullah*
in his article titled: “Hajj for human dignity and unity” published
in www.Islamicity.com writes Abu Uthman
al-Sabani al-Shafii (d 449) in his book Kitab ul Maitain narrates Prophet
Muhammad as saying, “towards the end of the time, four main groups of people
will flock around the Kaaba to perform Hajj: The powerful rulers to have fun or
to enjoy the occasion, the rich people to promote their businesses, the poor to
seek financial support and the reciters (or scholars) to demonstrate their
skills.”
Al-Sabuni was not an ordinary scholar.
He narrated the Hadith after ensuring that the matan or text and isnad or
chains are sound. He once said “I never narrated a Hadith nor a non-Prophetic
report in a gathering except if I possessed its chain of transmission; nor did
I ever enter the library except in a state of ritual purity; nor did I ever
narrate Hadith, nor hold a gathering, nor teach, except in a state of ritual
purity.”
Are we living in that period that was
predicted by the Prophet? Has Hajj really become a type of ritual devoid of any
meaning? Is Hajj an individual ibada (worship) that requires a believer to
spend time and resources to get closer to an omni-potent and omni-present God?
Has the Hajj become a business in our times? Or has it become a vacation?
There was a time when people would
spend months and months preparing themselves financially and spiritually to
live the real meaning of Hajj. However now a days Hajj is offered as a holiday
package. Many Hajj agencies all over the world offer value packages with super
programs, deluxe programs and short executive program.
These programs offer the best and
closest accommodation in Makkah and Medinah, best available food and best
possible position in the House of Allah. Depending how much you pay, you can
get the finest place in Makkah and Medinah.
If you happen to be the guest of
royalty, then probably, no one can ever compete with your placement in the two
mosques. When the Prophet performed his only Hajj, the only provision that he
had with him was no more than four dirham as narrated in several books of a hadith.
Hajj was meant to teach the pilgrims
endurance and perseverance for higher causes, yet it has been turned into an
exercise in convenience. Hajj was meant to express the utmost humility in the
presence of the rest of humanity by declaring that “Here I am, Here I am, I will not make anyone Allah’s partner. Allah is
the one who is in control of everything and He alone is the one who is the
source of all blessings and praise.”
Yet, today, Hajj, for many has become,
a badge, a symbol of spiritual arrogance. Hajj is an institution that is
supposed to reassure the people that ethnic, cultural, linguistic,
geographical, wealth-based, race and color differences that humans have imposed
upon themselves have no reality in the presence of God.
All are one and the purpose of all is
to follow the divine guidance to create a universal humanity to the well being
of everyone. Hajj is meant to be a pledge to live example of Hajj beyond the
Hajj. It is an occasion to create a personality without a dimension and space.
Yet, through social engineering and
manipulation of resources, Hajj is rapidly adapting social elements that
distinguish the rich from the poor, the very institution that it is supposed to
demolish. Divisions among Hujjaj on the basis of their ethnicity and money are
visible throughout the Hajj journey.
While the hujjaj coming from poorer
regions of the world may find accommodation miles away from the Haram, those
who are rich can find accommodation within the vicinity of the Kaaba.
The Quran describes Kaaba as a center
of guidance to humanity. “Indeed the first House of Worship open to all was
established in the Noble Makkah. Indeed this House is the center of guidance to
all humanity.” (3:96) The place was not only a place for bringing together all
the people but it is a center for promoting peace. (2:145). It was a place that
was meant to help humanity realize its universality rather than divisions
(5:97)
For this great purpose of helping
humanity realize its dream of removing all the differences and divisions among
themselves the institution Hajj come up with the clear example of making us
understand and observe that unity of humanity is possible. For this the Quran
asked Prophet Ibrahim to invite people to Hajj, so that they may witness the
beauty and magnificence of the guidance of Allah.
A united nations in its real sense
Hajj is like a united nations in its
real sense without five elitist powers. With no hidden agenda and security
council privileges, each nation and community comes to Makkah with the single
purpose of serving God and reiterating their covenant with Him.
Hajj provides the opportunity to
everyone to witness the common bonds among people regardless of their
differences. Hajj promotes the idea of dignity of human beings, male or female,
young or old and rich and poor.
Hajj also
creates space for intellectual ideas among people so that they could all remain
focused on their main agenda of serving humanity through following the guidance
of God.
It is this spirit of Hajj that was
prevalent at the time of the Prophet and his trusted companions. It is this
spirit of Hajj is now being challenged by the modern business-dominated society
and hierarchy of rich and poor culture. However, among all this razzmatazz,
still there are people who come to the Hajj to take the inspiration to
transform themselves for a better future both for them and for others.
They are the ones who do not care
about big hotels or better facilities. They are the ones who spend their days and
nights in Mina, Arafat, Muzdalfa, Makkah and Medina. Here they remember the
covenant that Allah made with Prophet Abraham, the builder of Kaaba.
Prophet Abraham was told by God,
Almighty, “I am making you the source of balance and inspiration (The Quran uses
the word Imam, that literally means the instrument that a construction worker
uses to level the construction) for all people,” (2:124). Encouraged by
this honor, the Prophet asked: “Is this covenant for my progeny too,” No”
said Allah, “Those who deviate from my path would not qualify for this honor,”
(2:124)
In these simple words thus was
described the real intent and purpose of the Hajj and all other faith based
institutions. The dignity and honor does not come with buying this or that
package. It comes through dedication and commitment to the divine values and
living up to them.
Some day, the Hajj will be restored to
its original intent by those un-known and un-recognized faces who come from all
over the world quietly without any fanfare and who spend every moment of their
presence in the noble sanctuaries and the pilgrimage path with the
determination to follow their real leaders: Prophets Ibrahim, Prophet Ismail
and Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon them, in every aspect of this great
institution.
The re-enactment of acts performed
during the Hajj are attributed to Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail and Mother Hagar.
The are primarily meant for the purpose of reminding the humanity that in order
to bring people together, God’s guidance is received, acknowledged, accepted
and followed by a small group of people who may not be present physically to
see the fruits of their efforts. Prophet Ibrahim created that nucleus for
perpetual change in human behavior and for that he was honored by God who
declared him as an Imam (role model) for humanity.
The guidance that inspired Prophet
Ibrahim to put the dream of one people under God in reality is there in its
most clear, puritan, crystal form in the Quran. How ironic it is that despite
the guidance, many remain misguided including those who claim to have
understood and mastered the divine guidance.
*(Dr Aslam Abdullah is director of the Islamic
Society of Nevada, Vice president of the Muslim Council of America (MCA) and the
President elect of the Nevada Interfaith Council. He has authored several books
and published more than 400 papers on issues related with Islam and
contemporary issues. He has taught at colleges in India as well as in the US).
May our
hearts find their ultimate rest by journeying to Allah long after our bodies
have returned from Hajj!
May we
always be in Hajj. Hajj mabrur, my beloved brothers and sisters!
Amien! (HSH)
This article has also been published in the Mi'raj News Agency (MINA) website:HAJJ IS THE LARGEST PILGRIMAGE IN THE WORLD FOR HUMAN DIGNITY AND UNITY
(The writer can be contacted via email: alhajsyarif@yahoo.com)
Sources:
1.http://www.muslimvillage.com
2.http://www.duai.co.za
3.http:// www.Islamicity.com
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