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In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent,
The Most Merciful




Al-Hajj Al-Mabrûr

By
Sheik Muhammad Mitwaly Ash-Sha‘râwy

[Hajj performed in accordance with the Prophet’s tradition and
is accepted by Allah]


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Here I am at Your service O Allah,
Here I am.


Here I am at Your service, You have no partner,


Here I am.
Yours alone is All Praise and All Bounty,
And Yours alone is The Sovereignty.
You have no partner

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Table of Contents
Chapter One ............................................................................. 8
HERE I AM AT YOUR SERVICE, O ALLAH ....................8
Hajj is well-known months........................................... 11
Ibrâhîm proclaims the Hajj ........................................... 13
The perfection of the Blessing of Allah....................... 16
Reverence shown to the species of the universe ....... 19
Tears shed at the Sacred House ................................... 21
Glorification of the Ka‘bah ........................................... 22
Chapter Two .......................................................................... 25
THE MAQÂM OF IBRÂHÎM..........................................25
The Ka‘bah…the sign of the Sacred House................ 27
Benison is in the Sacred House .................................... 28
What are the manifest signs? ....................................... 30
Whoever enters it is safe ............................................... 32
Free choice and specific enjoined duties .................... 38
Chapter Three ........................................................................ 43
TO THE ‘ARAFÂT OF ALLAH .......................................43
Theophany in ‘Arafah ................................................... 45
The Day of forgiving sins ............................................. 46
Reason of naming .......................................................... 49
Pouring down from ‘Arafât.......................................... 54
Abrogating the privileges of the Quraish................... 56

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Chapter Four .......................................................................... 59
STONING THE DEVIL ...................................................59
The moral of stoning the devil ..................................... 63
Obedience and reasoning ............................................. 69
Chapter Five ........................................................................... 73
THE IJTIHÂD OF THE RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS ..........73
Acting upon the more reliable course......................... 76
Slaughtering the sacrificial animal .............................. 77
The Major and Minor Ending of Ihrâm ...................... 79
Offering Prayers outside Al-Masjidul-Haram........... 86
Chapter Six ............................................................................. 92
VISITING THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH......................92
The visit is not a cornerstone, but…............................ 94
Medina is a Sanctuary ................................................... 96
In the Holy Garden ...................................................... 103
Here the Noble Qur’an was revealed ....................... 104
GLOSSARY...................................................................109

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Dedication


In the Name of Allah
The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful

Al-Hajj Al-Mabrûr

After praising Allah and praying for
the bestowal of blessings and peace
upon our master, the Messenger of
Allah, Muhammad, I beg Allah that
these issuing books from my library
be a step taken on the path of
guidance and a light that may
illumine the way towards Faith and
we pray for guidance and success
from Allah.

Muhammad Mitwaly Ash-Sha‘râwy

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Introduction

The Islamic library of the venerable Sheik Ash-Sha‘râwy
Al-Hajj Al-Mabrûr

This book…
In the journey of ever continuous giving of the venerable
Imam, Sheik Muhammad Mitwaly Al-Sha‘râwy, are
shining lights and inspirations that illumine the way of the
seekers, guide the astray and teach humanity the religious
matters that have been kept hidden from it.

Done for the Love of Allah, the Prophet Muhammad (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) and Islam by
Abdullah translation group and as homage paid to our
venerable Imam, Sheik Muhammad Mitwaly Ash-
Sha‘râwy.






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Hajj…that sublime fifth Pillar of Islam, rich with far-
reaching shoreless meanings, wisdoms, morals, philosophies
and symbols; a rehearsal to the Day of Crowding, a great
scene of equality where all privileges melt into thin air. In
Hajj there is a reenactment of Prophet’s Ibrâhîm (peace and
blessings be upon him) firm stand against the black whispers
of Satan. He stoned him seven times, a physical matter that
agrees with our corporality, for us to learn that we should
always stone the devil within ourselves in a nonphysical
sense, barring all his gateways to us, by our defiance to yield
to his satanic temptations until he recedes and leaves us
dispossessed of all power over us.

All hajjis came answering the call of The Great Summoner –
His Majesty, Allah, all praise and glory be to Him. All are
standing before Allah just with a seamless piece of cloth on
body like the shroud you shall come out of this world
wrapped in.

Tawâf, Sa‘y, Standing at ‘Arafat, offering sacrifice,
Zamzam…. and other Hajj rites, all have a wisdom and a
moral, all teach a lesson that we should live by. Hajj with it
majesty and the magnificence of worship in it is the hope of
every Muslim to establish the Fifth Pillar of his Islam; hope
of becoming a hajji, a traveler whose destination is the
Sacred House of Allah and visiting His Messenger
Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

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Chapter One
Here I am at Your Service, O Allah

Each year by the advent of the Hajj season yearnings fill the hearts
for visiting the Sacred House of Allah to perform the enjoined duty
of Hajj and visit the grave of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace), for the matchless spiritual joy it
offers; feeling ever so close to Allah, and being wholeheartedly
engaged with The Almighty; unmindful of all His other creatures,
whether they are one’s family, relatives, folks or other kindred.

The traveler to perform the enjoined duty of Hajj leaves everything
behind and devotes himself to worshipping Allah. He leaves his
family, his property, his friends and authority. He divests himself
of his usual life to draw near Allah in Salah [offering Prayers],
Tawâf [The devotional act of circumambulating (i.e., walking around)
the Ka‘bah seven times while reciting prayers and supplications.
Tawâf should begin and end at the Black Stone], uttering Talbiyah
[A formula of answering Allah’s Call for Hajj by saying: Labbaik
Allahumma Labbaik. Labbaik, La Shareek Laka, Labbaik. Innal Hamdah,
Wan Nematah, Laka wal Mulk, La Shareek Laka Labbaik: Here I am at
Your service O Allah, here I am. Here I am at Your service, You have no
partner, here I am. Yours alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and Yours
alone is The Sovereignty. You have no partner], Dhikr [Remembrance
of Allah through verbal or mental repetition of His Divine Attributes or
various religious formulas, such as ‘Subhân Allah,’ meaning ‘All Glory
be to Allah’] and by celebrating His Praises.

He neither becomes tired nor bored, and he submits to Allah body
and soul. His obedience to his Lord deepens day after day,
whereby mercies are sent down upon the hearts, tears run down
and man feels that the whole world and whatever in it has
dwindled in front of drawing closer to The Almighty and winning
His Good Pleasure.

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Hajj is the fifth of the five Pillars of Islam, which Allah has
enjoined on the able one; who has sufficient means (i.e., can afford
the expenses for one’s conveyance, provision and residence),
health and power to perform it.

“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).” (Âl-'Imrân, 3: 97)

Hajj, same as all the prerequisites of faith, is a bestowment of
Godship not Lordship, for The Exalted and Ever-Majestic, blesses
all His creatures with the provision that ensures their survival
from food, water and shelter. But when it comes to faith The
Almighty imposes duties only on those who believe in him, who
pledged themselves to a faith commitment with Allah, all praise
and glory be to Him, and said, ‘O Allah! I believe in You, the One
and Only creating God, so please show me how to worship You.
Just command and I obey and forbid so that I dare not approach
what You have forbidden.’

The pilgrim starts his journey by pronouncing Talbiyah (Labbaik
Allahuma Labbaik, Here I am at your service, O Allah, here I am at
your service). The essence of Talbiyah is answering the call of your
Summoner – His Majesty, Allah, all praise and glory be to Him –
who enabled you to go on a pilgrimage to His House and helped
you with the expenses and power to do it. With Talbiyah you
announce traveling in submission to the Command of Allah, Who
graced you with the highest and greatest blessing, going on a
pilgrimage to His Ancient House (the Ka‘bah at Mecca).



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After assuming the state of Ihrâm [The sacred state of practicing great
self-denial into which a Muslim must enter before performing Hajj or
‘Umrah, during which certain actions are forbidden (like having
conjugal relations, shaving, cutting one’s nails, and several other
actions) nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly. In this sacred state the
dress of Muslim pilgrims consists of two lengths of white cotton, one
wrapped around the loins, the other thrown over the left shoulder.
Ihrâm clothes for women should fully cover the body except the face,
hands and feet] for performing Hajj, the pilgrim says, ‘Labbaik
Allahuma (Here I am at your service, O Allah),’ meaning, ‘Here I
am at the service of He Who imposed on me this ritual.’ It conveys
how far the soul welcomes the assigned duty and the serenity it
now enjoys; a confession of cherishing and clinging to every duty
enjoined by Allah.

Usually, duty weighs heavy on the soul because it confines the
action of man by ordering him to do a certain act or forbid him
from it, whether he accepts or dislikes the duty. Submission to the
Command of Allah is a proof of the strength of faith, for the
believer receives the duties enjoined by Allah with love, whether it
is an order to do or a prohibition not to do.

The pilgrim leaves everything he is acquainted with: leaves his
home, his country, his family, his children, his property, even the
clothes he loves and many other things that Allah has made lawful
for him. During his journey he divests himself of many things and
show respect to the whole universe: inanimate beings, plants,
animals and the rest of creatures.

He honors plants, never lays his hand on a tree to cut its branches.
Birds he should not hunt any. The same with his fellow creatures,
never to jeopardize his pilgrimage by disputing, as the noble
Qur’anic verse instructs us:


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“The Hajj (pilgrimage) is (in) the well-known (lunar year)
months (i.e. the 10th month, the 11th month and the first ten
days of the 12th month of the Islâmic calendar, i.e. two months
and ten days). So whosoever intends to perform Hajj therein by
assuming Ihrâm), then he should not have sexual relations (with
his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj.”
(Al-Baqarah; 2: 197)

Hajj is well-known months

Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, has restricted the free choice
of man in the duties He enjoined, whether by time or place. There
are acts of worship that Allah has not restricted either by time or
place as the Shahâdah [The testimony of Faith: Lâ ilâh illâ Allah wanâ
Muhammadan rasûl Allah, There is no God but Allah and Muhammad
is the Messenger of Allah], you swear once in your life and then
repeat nighttime, daytime or in the forenoon, in your house, your
work or on the road. It is unrestricted either by time or place.

As-Salah (offering Prayers), for instance, is an act of worship that
Allah has restricted only by time and not by place. You can offer
Prayers in any Masjid, in a factory, a house or a field. You are free
to choose the place, but Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, has
bound it by time. Every Salah (offered Prayer) has an assigned
time, which makes its performance invalid except at the arrival of
its prescribed time.

As for Saum (Fasting), Allah has prescribed its observance each
year during the month of Ramadan but left a free choice of place.
You can fast wherever you please and in any place on earth you
choose.




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As for the Zakâh (obligatory charity), Allah has restricted its time
and amount but has not restricted its place. For instance, Zakatul-
Fitr [The Zakah of Fast-breaking, which is a certain amount of wheat,
flour, fruits, barely or money to be paid to the poor at the end of
Ramadan but before the Eid (Feast) Prayer] should be paid at the end
of Ramadan, whereas the Zakâh upon crops and fruits should be
paid at harvest time, when the crops are still in the field and have
not yet been transmitted for storage as verified by the Qur’anic
Statement of The Most Exalted, saying (what means):

“And it is He Who produces gardens trellised and untrellised,
and datepalms, and crops of different shape and taste (its fruits
and its seeds) and olives, and pomegranates, similar (in kind)
and different (in taste). Eat of their fruit when they ripen, but
pay the due thereof (its Zakât, according to Allâh's Orders 1/10th
or 1/20th) on the day of its harvest, and waste not by
extravagance. Verily, He likes not Al-Musrifûn (those who waste
by extravagance).” (Al-An‘âm, 6: 141)

As for the Zakâh upon money, it should be paid upon the money
that reached the Nisâb [Minimum amount of property liable to the
payment of the Zakâh] from year-end to year-end, meaning after the
passage of a whole year on its acquisition; besides other types of
the Zakâh that are restricted by time but unrestricted by place,
because you have to pay the Zakâh wherever you are,
unconditioned by any land or country.

As for Hajj, it differs from the rest of the acts of worship for being
restricted by both time and place. You cannot perform Hajj while
at home or in your country, but you have to go on a pilgrimage to
the Sacred House of Allah in Mecca. Also, on the Day of ‘Arafah
you cannot stand anywhere, but you have to go to ‘Arafah [The area
that surrounds Mount Rahmah, southeast of Mecca] on the ninth of
Dhu’l–Hijjah [The 12th month of the year in the Muslim calendar] and
stand at the specified place for standing, not to overstep it.

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Further, you cannot perform the Hajj rituals at any month of the
year but it must be on Dhu’l–Hijjah.

We thus learn that Hajj is the only enjoined duty restricted by both
time and place. Therefore, its reward is the forgiveness of sins, for
being one of the hardest enjoined duties on the believing soul.
Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, says in His Noble Book
(what means):

“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).” (Âl-
‘Imrân, 3: 97)

We shall Inshaallah (by the Will of Allah) discuss this topic in detail
in the next chapters.

Ibrâhîm proclaims the Hajj

Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, asked the Prophet Ibrâhîm
(Abraham, peace be upon him) to proclaim the Hajj to mankind.
The Almighty says (what means):

“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).” (Al-Hajj, 22: 27)

Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him) stood amidst this barren wasteland,
wherein there is neither water nor plant, and none to hear him;
nevertheless he proclaimed the Hajj in obedience to Allah, all
praise and glory be to Him, Who said to him, ‘Your duty is the
proclamation and Ours is the conveyance.’


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By the Infinite Power of Allah this call reached the hearing of all
those destined to perform that sublime duty, since the
proclamation of Ibrâhîm till the Day of Resurrection arrives. They
heard the call of our father Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him) while still
in the loins of their forefathers and answered Him.

Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, chose His Sacred House to be
the Qiblah [Direction faced in Prayers] of the believers, which they
face five times daily in each offered prayer. Thus, Allah willed that
the believer’s heart remains engaged with the Sacred House,
though away from it, until he performs the enjoined duty of Hajj,
whereby the blessing of having belief in Allah is perfected.

As though Allah psychologically prepares every Muslim to
perform Hajj before doing it years ahead. Man may die without
going on a pilgrimage but his heart keeps intimately attached to
the Sacred House, turning to it five times a day.

Hajj is an enjoined duty whose fulfillment depends on many
aspects of life; it demands effort, energy and Help from Allah by
giving us power, ability and health. It also necessitates action,
because man must work more to earn what exceeds his livelihood
to be able to save the Hajj expenses. If he worked as hard as
needed to suffice his daily living only he would save nothing for
the Hajj. Therefore, the believer begs Allah for a working power
that will suffice him and his family and cover his Hajj expenses as
well.

All these arrangements related to health, work or energy, offer
more than the actual need; all are certainly Blessings from Allah.
When blessed by such grace, you should express gratitude to Allah
by saying, ‘Here I am at your service, O Allah, here I am. Yours
alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and Yours alone is The
Sovereignty. You have no partner’. All Praise is due to You for

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providing me with the energy, the power and the means. Provided
me with the money needed to cover my Hajj expenses and the
maintenance of my family during my absence. All Praise is due to
You for favoring me with all these blessings that I will never be
fully able to pay You back for them in praises and thanks, no
matter how endless thanks I give.

We have to carefully observe the accuracy of expression in the
chant of Hajj, the pilgrim says, ‘Here I am at your service, O Allah,
here I am. Yours alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and Yours
alone is The Sovereignty. You have no partner’. The context would
have dictated saying, ‘Yours alone is All Bounty and All Praise’,
for praises are only expressed for an offered bounty. But here the
praise precedes the bounty, why? Because your thanksgiving is
expressed for an already bestowed blessing, as Allah, all praise
and glory be to Him, has graced you with all these blessings that
enabled you to start your Hajj journey. So, you thank Allah for an
already conferred blessing and for a coming one, that of belief,
which made you fulfill that enjoined duty. Thus, blessings are
continuously bestowed and gratitude is continuously expressed;
we thank Allah for past and future blessings. Indeed, how endless
and inexhaustible are the Blessings of Allah as substantiated by the
noble Qur’anic verse saying (what means):

“Whatever is with you, will be exhausted, and whatever with
Allâh (of good deeds) will remain. And those who are patient,
We will certainly pay them a reward in proportion to the best of
what they used to do.” (An-Nahl, 16: 96)

When reciting ‘Talbiyah’, the pilgrim says, ‘Yours alone is All
Praise and All Bounty, and Yours alone is The Sovereignty,’ and as
long as the Dominion and Sovereignty belong only to Allah, all
praise and glory be to Him, and will always be, man should fear
nothing in this world.


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Allah says in the Sanctified Hadith:

“O son of Adam! Fear not those vested with power as long as My
Sovereignty and kingdom never ends. Fear not the expiration of
provision as long as My treasures are full never to empty. I have
created everything for you and I have created you for My Sake, so
proceed in My Obedience to have everything submitting to you.
You owe Me dutifulness in what I have enjoined upon you, and I
owe you sustenance, but if you disobey me in what I have
enjoined, I will not deny you your sustenance. If you are
contended with what I have ordained for you, I will relieve your
heart, but if you are discontented with what I have ordained for
you, by My Might and Majesty, I will empower this world against
you, wherein you will run as beasts in the wilderness and you will
not have of it except what I have ordained for you and you will be
disparaged in My Eyes.”

In Talbiyah, the words ‘You have no partner’ settle in the heart of
the believer the relief of knowing that Allah is the One and Only
God. Allah wants to relieve and assure us that He is the One God
with no other partner to oppose Him in His Will. This Oneness is a
great blessing indeed for which we should heartily thank Allah.
Surely, had there been a partner with Him, the earth would have
been full of mischief and people’s needs would have been wasted
between a god that wants and another that denies.

The perfection of the Blessing of Allah

We have to observe that the Hajj is the only ritual that confers on
the believer a special title. You neither call the one who observes
Salah (offering Prayers) ‘The prayer,’ nor the one who pays the
Zakâh (obligatory charity), ‘The Zakâh-giver,’ but we call the one
who performed Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah, ‘The hajji.’



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The Hajj is the declaration of the perfection of the Blessings
bestowed by Allah on man. The perfection of Allah’s Blessings is
in having the bestowments of Godship together with that of
Lordship, because you did not perform the Hajj except by the
power Allah has given you, through the blessings of Lordship.
When people call out, ‘The hajji so and so,’ we learn that Allah has
greatly graced him. The Almighty graced him with the blessing of
belief in Him, which is the supreme blessing, and belief in the last
of all the Prophets, Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace). Since man decided to make a pilgrimage he must be
observant of all the other duties enjoined on him: Salah (offering
prayers), paying the Zakâh (obligatory charity) and observing Saum
(Fasting). By performing the Hajj he wishes to fulfill the Five
Pillars of Islam, to be among those to whom Allah has addressed
this noble Qur’anic verse, revealed in the Farewell Hajj [The first
and the last Hajj performed by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace] saying (what means):

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My
Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your
religion.” (Al-Mâ‘idah, 5: 3)

Meaning, I have perfected and fulfilled all the Pillars of Islam;
fulfilled the Salah (offering Prayers) by visiting the Sacred House
to perform prayers therein. Zakâh, for Hajj includes it, being an act
of worship relying on both financial means and physical ability,
where you spend your money for the Sake of Allah. Saum
(Fasting), for Hajj includes a sort of fasting because you forbear
from bodily desires while assuming the state of Ihrâm. First and
foremost, the Hajj embraces the Shahâdah [The testimony of Faith:
‘Ashadu anâ Lâ ilâh illâ Allah wanâ Muhammad rasûl Allah’ I testify
that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allah].


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You come on a pilgrimage in servile compliance with the
Command of Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, and out of
showing obedience to Him, and you perform the Hajj rituals as the
Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has
taught us.

The worship of Allah dictates avoidance of assuming superiority
over one another. On going to the Masjid to offer prayers equality
dictates that whoever arrives first sits first, regardless of his rank,
wealth, poverty or his status in this world, as you may find the
doorman in the first row and the building owner in the last row.

Such equality in worshipping Allah, The Most Exalted, purges the
soul from superiority and causes it to humble itself. It makes us all
feel that we are standing in front of God, Who neither looks at our
shapes nor appearances, but at our hearts; the criterion between a
human and another whatever be our mentalities or living
standards.

In each Congregational Prayer performed in one of the Masjids of
Allah, equality, submission and humility shown to Allah is done in
a limited medium. But Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, willed
that such equality and submission be shown not only in a limited
medium but in a global one; in a universal environment gathering
all the races of the earth; the strong and weak nations, people of
power and wealth together with those owning nothing. Each
should humble himself as becomes the solemnity of the Hajj.

Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, wants to inculcate in us the
rudiments of such a standing: that we all differ in our outfits,
appearances and garments according to the living standards of
each and our different tastes in choosing the fabrics we wear and
their designs. In Hajj, Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, wants
none to be distinguished, neither in appearance nor dress.

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We may differ as we please in our own countries among our folk,
but here and on arriving to the Sacred House of Allah we have to
stand as equals before Him, as He created us, and as we shall
stand before Him on the Day of Resurrection.

He wants us servants of His, wearing the same dress none
differing from the other. To divest ourselves of worldly comforts
and give up our posts the time we reach the borders of the Sacred
House, where all privileges melt into thin air. The seamless Ihrâm
garments are worn and all abide by the same dress and fabric.
With such abidance imposed by Allah vanishes the first sign of
distinction and superiority in worn clothes and assumed posts.

Reverence shown to the species of the universe

As Almighty Allah has taken man away from his family, children
and property he is attached to and the luxury and the lifestyle he is
used to, and as He detached him from special clothes, He obliged
him to honor all the species of the universe. With inanimate
beings, he is to kiss Al-Hajarul-Aswad [‘The Black Stone’ is a stone
from Paradise. It was set into one corner of the Ka‘bah in Mecca by
Prophet Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him). The Black Stone was personally
installed in the wall of the Ka`bah by the Prophet Muhammad (peace
and blessings be upon him) himself during its reconstruction following
its destruction by a flash flood. The Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) also kissed it during his Farewell Hajj. Thus, touching and
kissing Al-Hajarul-Aswad during `Umrah and Hajj is considered
Sunnah and an act of obedience. Muslims do not worship the Black
Stone. The only reason to kiss the Black Stone is that our beloved
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) kissed it] or
point towards it; with plants, not to cut a tree; with animals, not to
hunt any; and with humans, he neither quarrels nor disputes. Thus
Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, teaches man to treat with
deference all the species of the universe.


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During this blessed journey, man learns how to waive his pride
and mastery in this universe before its humblest species –
inanimate beings – and kisses it or jostles against the others to kiss
it. None is great by selfhood but true greatness is achieved when
making your free will harmonious, concordant and agreeing with
the Will of Allah and His Set Law.

Through this ultimate Pillar of the Five Pillars of Islam Allah tells
His servant to respect all the species of the universe, for mastery is
not self-given to man but attained by virtue of the preference Allah
gave him above others species.

You must carefully consider what this ritual demands from you
and to deeply muse upon it in order to know what Allah wants
you to do. To grasp that the purport lies in Command, belief and
submission, for Allah is the One Who commanded us to kiss that
stone and to stone another! Neither in kissing or stoning is a
preference for this or that stone, but it is an obedience shown to the
Command of Allah. Therefore, it does not submit to the
philosophies of the mind but rather to the obedience of Faith.

As aforesaid, the Hajj journey starts with Talbiyah, which is a
response to the call of the Prophet Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him)
when he proclaimed the Hajj to mankind. After it you must divest
yourself of pride. To take off your rich clothes and forsake the
home specially prepared to give you comfort. Children, friends,
relatives, power and property, you leave all behind and go to the
Sacred House of Allah, practicing self-denial and assuming Ihrâm.
Leaving the world behind you, just with a seamless piece of cloth
on your body like the shroud you shall come out of this world
wrapped in.




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Tears shed at the Sacred House

When you enter
the Sacred House of Allah and you
circumambulate it tears fill your eyes, why?

Many people do not know the reason, but crying before such a
scene is an expression of waiving the pride that accompanied you
for long. The more tears you shed, the more pride you rid yourself
of. If crying is a sign of weakness and grief, in the Hajj it is not so.
It is a sense of submission and servility, a sense that you gave up
all and realized your true humble rank. You come to this sacred
place hoping to express your regret for your misdeeds and
supplicate Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, that He may
forgive your past and future sins.

Being so close to The Almighty and experiencing a sense of His
Presence every second is what imparts to the shed tears a
spirituality that surpasses joy. The joy of being purged from sins;
the joy of winning the Good Pleasure of Allah deeply felt and
realized; the joy of confessing sins, which means having the
strength of will never to relapse again by holding fast to
repentance.

It is the power of faith that prompts man to abandon all
wrongdoing and perversity that may taint his creed and behavior.
Renouncing pride is a show of strength, and begging for mercy
and forgiveness is also a show of strength.

Everyone who experienced such overwhelming feelings knows
well that his soul is relieved after crying. As though the tears that
flowed from his eyes cleansed his heart. Everyone cries as bitterly
as he transgressed against himself (by committing evil deeds and
sins) and as bitterly as he disobeyed.


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What arouses wonder is that after your soul obtained relief you
yearn again to return to what draws your tears. You come back to
the Hajj for a second and a third time, but never would you cry as
you did the first time. In the first time, you shed bitter violent
tears, but less in the second, and lesser in the third, why?

Because in every time you grow more serene and more upright in
the adopted course of your life; the moment you enter the Sacred
Masjid and see the Ka‘bah you become preoccupied with yourself
alone, forgetting about anything else. Preoccupied with how you
will offer Prayers, perform Tawâf and Sa‘y [The devotional act of
walking seven times between the knolls of As-Safâ and Al-Marwah
which are located some distance from the Ka‘bah inside Al-Masjidul-
Haram; starting at As-Safâ and ending at Al-Marwa]. What will you
beg for and what invocations will you utter. You are totally taken
by Allah from whatever surrounds you and as long as you are
preoccupied with The Creator, Whose Majesty reigns supreme,
there will be no room in your heart for anything else besides Him.
Even your children will not cross your mind except at the end of
the rituals, which arouses people’s wonder, though there is
nothing to wonder about.

Glorification of the Ka‘bah

Some people say that Islam has forbidden intermingling between
men and women, so why is not it forbidden in Tawâf? We see men
and women performing Tawâf where hardly anyone passes
without exerting a tremendous effort, due to the overcrowding. To
those people we say that every circumambulator (performer of
Tawâf) is preoccupied with what he/she is deeply in.





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There, desires retreat and evil insinuations (whispered by the
devil) vanish; each is no longer aware of those around him, each is
preoccupied with Allah, preoccupied with worshipping Him,
preoccupied with himself.

When offering prayers in the Sacred House of Allah, you find that
all the directions faced in Salah have mixed, how? When offering
Prayers in the Masjids located in our countries some of us may
turn eastward, others westward, northward or southward
governed by our position from the Ka‘bah. But on arriving at the
Sacred House of Allah we no longer abide by these directions.

Is it permissible for me, inside a Masjid in Egypt, to offer Prayers
while facing the Yamani Corner [The southern corner of the Ka‘bah]?
Do I observe that when I go to the Ka‘bah, to look for the Yamani
Corner and offer prayers facing it? No, I can offer Prayers while
facing any of the corners of the Ka‘bah and bear in my mind the
Qur’anic verse saying (what means):

“And to Allâh belong the east and the west, so wherever you
turn yourselves or your faces there is the Face of Allâh (and He is
High above, over His Throne).” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 115)

That is the magnificence of worship.

While in the Sacred House of Allah, you have the entire Ka‘bah
before you, and you must glorify every place in it and every part
of it, which will not be done except by circumambulating it.

An opinion says that it is enough to perform Tawâf once to fulfill
that purpose, but the Ka‘bah is parable to Al-Baitul-Ma‘mûr (The
Oft-frequented House) [The house in the seventh firmament directly
above the Ka‘bah at Mecca; everyday it is visited by seventy thousands
angels, who never revisit it until the Day of Judgment]. If you keep
ascending the sky of the Ka‘bah you will end at Al-Baitul-Ma‘mûr.

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Those offering prayers at the third floor in the Meccan Sanctuary
are higher than the altitude of the Ka‘bah itself but they face its
atmosphere. The air expanse above the Ka‘bah represents the
Ka‘bah up to Al-Baitul-Ma‘mûr in the seventh heaven.

If you are boarding a plane heading for the Ka‘bah you will offer
Prayer in it while having your face turned to the sky of the Ka‘bah.
The heavens are seven, and to those who believe that by
circumambulating the Ka‘bah once you glorify all its parts we say:
Follow the example of Al-Mi‘râj (Ascension) [The miraculous
ascension of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
from Jerusalem up to the Heavens to meet his Lord]. If you complete
seven ashwaat [One complete circuit around the Ka‘bah constitutes a
shawt (pl. ashwaat), and seven ashwaat complete one Tawâf] around
the Ka‘bah, as though you have ascended the seven heavens
provided that serenity and light fill your heart.

That is the Grace of Allah, He bestows on whom He wills. Indeed,
endless is the Grace of Allah, The Bestower, Whose Blessings cover
all creatures.




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Chapter Two
The Maqâm of Ibrâhîm

The Maqâm (Station) of Ibrâhîm (Abraham, peace be upon him):
[The step-stone used by Prophet Ibrâhîm during the original
construction of the Ka‘bah. The stone carries the imprints of his feet,
and is housed in a glass enclosure on the north side of the Ka‘bah].

Before discussing Hajj, we have to give a glimpse at the history of
the Sacred House. Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, says in
His Noble Book (what means):

“Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was
that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-
‘Alamîn (the mankind and jinns).” (Âl-‘Imrân, 3: 96)

The history of establishment is depicted as follows: the House was
placed for mankind (to worship Allah) since the time of Âdam
(peace be upon him) till the Last Hour befalls. Its Author is Allah,
all praise and glory be to Him; He is the One Who established it
and appointed its place. Since it was placed to mankind, then it
must have existed before people were brought into being. It was
placed at the creation of the universe, for Allah, all praise and
glory be to Him, willed to make a House of His, whereto Âdam
(peace be upon him) and his offspring would go on a pilgrimage,
and Âdam (peace be upon him) complied.

Some people ascribe the establishment of the House to the Prophet
Ibrâhîm (Abraham, peace be upon him); that he built it by the
Command of Allah. We ask those people to carefully understand
the Words of Allah. The House was placed for mankind means
that the Sacred House existed before Âdam (peace be upon him).
Ibrâhîm was assigned the duty of raising the foundations effaced
after the flood that drowned the earth during the era of Nûh.

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But Allah commanded Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him) to take his
wife, Hâjar (peace be upon her), and his son, Ismâ‘îl (Ishmael,
peace be upon him), to a barren arid valley near the Sacred House.

Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, says in His Noble Book (what
means):

“And (remember) when We showed Ibrâhim (Abraham) the site
of the (Sacred) House (the Ka'bah at Makkah) (saying):
‘Associate not anything (in worship) with Me, [Lâ ilâha ill-Allâh
(none has the right to be worshipped but Allâh Islâmic
Monotheism], and sanctify My House for
those who
circumambulate it, and those who stand up for prayer, and those
who bow (submit themselves with humility and obedience to
Allâh), and make prostration (in prayer, etc.).’” (Al-Hajj, 22: 26)

The location of the House was shown and specified to Ibrâhîm
(peace be upon him). Regarding the Sacred House, Allah, all praise
and glory be to Him, says when recounting the invocation of
Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him) what means:

“O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an
uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Ka'bah at
Makkah); in order, O our Lord, that they may perform As-Salât
(Iqâmat-as-Salât), so fill some hearts among men with love
towards them, and (O Allâh) provide them with fruits so that
they may give thanks.” (Ibrahîm, 14: 37)

Ibrâhîm took his wife Hâjar and their son Ismâ‘îl, who was still an
infant, and left them near the Sacred House appointed by Allah, all
praise and glory be to Him, since the beginning of creation. But
what was the role of Ibrâhîm and what did he do?




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Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, ordered Ibrâhîm to raise the
foundations of the House (the Ka‘bah at Mecca); to raise a
construction high on the earth to guide people to the place of the
House, so that people know that this is the Sacred House of Allah
and that is its whereabouts.

The Ka‘bah…the sign of the Sacred House

People should know that the Sanctified Ka‘bah is not the Sacred
House of Allah, but the sign indicating that in this place stands the
Sacred House of Allah, as established by the Qur’anic verse in
which The Most Exalted says (what means):

“And (remember) when Ibrâhim (Abraham) and (his son) Ismâ'il
(Ishmael) were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka‘bah
at Makkah).” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 127)

Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, made Ismâ‘îl help his father,
Ibrâhîm, in raising the foundations of the House. Thus, Ibrâhîm
only built up the foundations when Ismâ‘îl grew up, to be a
helping hand to his father.

Some people believe that the Sacred House is the Ka’bah, which is
incorrect. The Sacred House is the place where the Ka‘bah was
built. There is a difference between the place and the sign
indicating it, a sign firmly established. Every space has length,
width, and then comes the third dimension, the height. What
Ibrâhîm did was to raise the foundations, i.e., to establish the
height. At the place of the Sacred House, Ibrâhîm made his wife
Hâjar and their infant son, Ismâ‘îl, dwell.





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Benison is in the Sacred House

Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, describes His House as
blessed, and the blessing lies when a thing offers more than
expected.

For instance, when man cultivates wheat, where the acre usually
yields five Irdabbs [A standard measure that equals 25128 grams], but
it gives him fifteen Irdabbs, we say it is a blessing. So, there are
bounties and there is what surpasses bounties.

The Sacred House is full of blessings: the blessing of winning the
Good Pleasure of Allah, the blessing of refraining from harming
people, the blessing of having your soul filled with faith, the
blessing of fearing Allah and the blessing of killing pride in the
soul. Without regard to social status, every human being in the
Sacred House of Allah is equal to his fellow humans. Only in that
House is the blessing that every Salah (offered Prayer) is worth the
reward of a hundred thousand offered prayers and the blessing of
multiplying the good deeds. Moreover, if the Salah is worth a
hundred thousand offered prayers, a good deed is also worth a
hundred thousand good deeds, whereas in places other than the
Sacred House of Allah, it is worth tenfold the like thereof.

From amongst the blessings also is the hospitality of people;
millions of Muslims visit Mecca to perform Hajj and no matter
how highly prepared Mecca was,
it would not have
accommodated all those people who come from the five continents
of the world and from every deep distant mountain pass to
perform Hajj, if it were not for that blessing. The hearts show
magnanimity and places as well, so we may find ten people
sleeping comfortably in a single room, whereas outside Mecca if
two people slept in the same room they would feel discomforted.


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The blessing of the Hajj is that you avoid all sins. Indeed, every
moment passing on you without sinning is itself a blessing. In the
Hajj, Allah blesses all your times, you do nothing but kind acts,
and the performance of good deeds therein is endlessly and
infinitely multiplied.

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) said: “The reward of Hajj Mabrûr (the one accepted by
Allah) is nothing other than Paradise.”

An endless blessing extending from worldly life to the hereafter,
for Allah wants man to abide by His Divine Law and no time man
lives abiding by His Law as that of Hajj. Before hearing the Azân
[The Muslim summons to prayer, called by the muezzin from a minaret
of a Masjid five times a day] the Muslim hurries to the Sacred House
of Allah and keeps offering prayers, glorifying the Praises of Allah
and reciting the Noble Qur’an. He shies away from any sin or
missing the Congregational Prayers or failing to dedicate himself
to the obedience of Allah.

The Truth [Al-Haqq: one of the Beautiful Names of Allah], Blessed
and Exalted be He, says (what means):

“Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was
that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-
‘Alamîn (the mankind and jinns).” (Âl-‘Imrân, 3: 96)

Al-‘Alamîn is the plural of (the Arabic word) ‘Âlam (world),
indicating all, except Allah. It includes different species as the
world of the angels, that of the jinn, that of mankind and so forth.
The aimed at meaning is that faith is strewn throughout the entire
universe among all the species of the earth, and during the Hajj
season all these species gather in the Sacred House of Allah. The
Truth, Whose Majesty reigns supreme, says (what means):


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“In it are manifest signs (for example), the Maqâm (place) of
Ibrâhim (Abraham); whosoever enters it, he attains security.”
(Âl-‘Imrân, 3: 96)

What are the manifest signs?

What are the manifest signs present in the House? The only stated
in the Noble Qur’an is the verse in which The Most Exalted says
(what means), ‘The Maqâm (place) of Ibrâhim (Abraham).’ Allah,
all praise and glory be to Him, wants to direct our attention to that
Maqâm, which is a stone on which Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him)
used to stand while raising the foundations of the Ka‘bah. Ibrâhîm
could have raised the foundations of the Ka‘bah in the height of
his body, but his love of the religion and the duty assigned to him
by Allah made him bring a stone so as to elevate the foundations
higher.

Allah, glory be to Him, says that in the House are, ‘Manifest signs,’
which is plural, whereas ‘The Maqâm (place) of Ibrâhim
(Abraham),’ came singular. Through a profound comprehension of
the meaning, you will find many signs in Maqâm Ibrâhim, because
on contemplating any blessing endless blessings are revealed. The
Truth, Blessed and Exalted be He, says (what means):

“And if you count the Bounty of Allâh, never will you be able to
reckon it.” (Ibrâhîm, 14: 34)

The Almighty says (in the aforementioned verse) Bounty and has
not said Bounties, because a bounty embosoms many blessings.
Similarly, in Maqâm Ibrâhim are many signs; first that Ibrâhîm
fulfilled the enjoined duty with profound adoration and love,
shown in his strong desire to elevate the House, enhance it and
perfect it. He saved no effort for accomplishing that end.

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Certainly, carrying out one’s work with perfection is a sign
bespeaking your love of it, which is one of the secrets behind the
magnificence of the universe. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) said, “Allah loves when any of you
performs a work to perfect it.”

If Allah, The Most Exalted, says (what means), “In it are manifest
signs (for example), the Maqâm (place) of Ibrâhim (Abraham),”
(Âl-‘Imrân, 3: 96) we have to see through it the signs exiting in
Maqâm Ibrâhim. Ibrâhîm was a nation, having of good righteous
attributes what may only gather in a nation. For goodness cannot
gather in a single person but only in a nation: one is trustworthy,
another is honest and a third is generous. Yet, all the good
righteous attributes gathered in the Prophet Ibrâhim (peace be
upon him).

Because Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him) loved the enjoined duty, he
endured the trials Allah had put him through; he succeeded and
fulfilled the duty the best that can ever be. Recite the Qur’anic
verse in which Allah, praise be to Him, says (what means):

“And (remember) when the Lord of Ibrâhim (Abraham) [i.e.,
Allah] tried him with (certain) Commands, which he fulfilled.”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:124)

What are the Commands that Allah tried Ibrâhîm with? Allah, all
praise and glory be to Him, commanded him to slaughter his son
Ismâ‘îl, his sole son, who attained adulthood. How did Ibrâhîm
respond to the Divine Command? Did he slacken in executing it?
Did he invoke Allah to mercy his old age and pardon his only son?
No, despite the severity of the trial he started execution. This
presents a sign for you to fulfill the enjoined duty and endure the
trial with utmost complacence.


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Another sign is unveiled at the construction of the Ka‘bah: Ibrâhîm
wanted to fulfill the Decree of Allah in raising the foundations of
the Ka‘bah not as his capability allows him – as aforesaid – but he
contrived to boost his capability and brought a stone so that the
foundations may tower as high as that stone. If you look at the
stone, that lies few meters away for the Ka‘bah, you will find
footprints. They say that when Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him) stood
upon the stone it humbled itself and softened, imprinting on it
surface his footprints. Another view suggests that Ibrâhîm
contrived to secure a foothold, so that when he stands upon the
stone he remains stable and does not lose his balance.

All are signs showing that we should accept the duties Allah
enjoins on us and perform them perfectly and lovingly, why?
Because perfection and high fidelity spread the Blessings of Allah
in existence; when you see something done perfectly it will inspire
you as well as others to exclaim in admiration, ‘Allah.’ Certainly,
those who do not perfect their work have deprived existence from
the perception of beauty in this world. Allah, praise be to Him, is
the Source of beauty, He, praise be to Him, is Beautiful, loves
beauty.

Whoever enters it is safe

The Truth, Blessed and Exalted be He, says (what means), “In it
are manifest signs (for example), the Maqâm (place) of Ibrâhim
(Abraham); whosoever enters it, he attains security.” (Âl-‘Imrân,
3: 96) Meaning, none should be attacked, which represents a
universal as well as a judicial issue.
Some skeptics say that during the time of the Qarâmitah
[Karmathians. At first this was a revolutionary deviant movement of
early Isma‘ili inspiration, deriving its name from an Isma‘ili leader
called Hamdan Qarmat. There were groups of Qaramitah in the Syrian
Desert, Al-Kufa and Bahrain.

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Their most audacious and sacrilegious act, from a theological
perspective, was to seize Black Stone from the Ka‘bah, only returning it
some 22 years later] some people entered the House seeking refuge
and asking for security, but in spite of that Ibn Qarmat entered the
House and killed the people therein.
The incident also recurred years ago from Al-Jahmiyah [A deviant
sect attributed to Jahm bin Safwân], then what is the meant security
and why was not it fulfilled in these two examples?
The Qur’anic verse saying (what means), “Whosoever enters it, he
attains security” (Âl-‘Imrân, 3: 96), is an enjoined Divine
Command, liable to be obeyed or disobeyed. Whoever obeys the
enjoined Divine Command will grant security to those who enter
the Sacred House of Allah, and whoever disobeys it will deny
granting security to those who enter it. The incident does not
contradict the stated Qur’anic verse because we are confronted
with a universal issue that happened, as well as a judicial one,
having to do with obedience and violation.

Just as Allah orders His servants to offer prayers, pay the Zakâh
(obligatory charity) and observe Saum (Fasting), He orders them to
secure whoever enters His Sacred House. It is a judicial issue,
obeyed by those who follow the Law of Allah and disobeyed by
those who violate it. The obeying should guard the safety of those
present inside the Sanctuary just as Allah has ordered, which
necessitates that each person should show leniency; neither
quarrels nor argues, nor commits whatever may cause dissension
or provoke conflicts.

“Whosoever enters it, he attains security,” a command to secure
whoever enters it. There is a group assigned to assure the security
of whoever enters the Sacred House of Allah.


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But it is not an individual responsibility but a general one assumed
by guards who prevent the spread of chaos, disorder, riot or
propagation of a foreign doctrine inside the Sanctuary. Allah, all
praise and glory be to Him, says regarding the Sacred House
(what means):

“And whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong (i.e.
practise polytheism and leave Islâmic Monotheism), him We
shall cause to taste a painful torment.” (Al-Hajj, 22: 25)

Meaning whoever fights in the Sanctuary must be seized with a
painful torment in the life of this world and in the hereafter. In
worldly life, he must receive the painful torment of being killed
not fought. His surrender is not accepted, but he must be killed for
abusing the safety of the Sanctuary he is obliged to guard and
respect as Allah has commanded. Whereas in the hereafter Allah
will punish him with a painful torment that meets the atrocity of
his crime. The Truth, all praise and glory be to Him, says (what
means):

“And (remember) when We made the House (the Ka‘bah at
Makkah) a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety. And
take you (people) the Maqâm (place) of Ibrâhim (Abraham) [or
the stone on which Ibrâhim (Abraham) stood while he was
building the Ka'bah] as a place of prayer (for some of your
prayers, e.g. two Rak'at after the Tawâf of the Ka'bah at
Makkah).” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 125)

The House was made a resort; means a place people turn to as
recourse, where they turn to Allah in repentance. As long as the
servant returns to Allah and keeps practicing the Rituals and Laws
of Allah throughout a period of time, his soul will get used to
obedience, and when it does he will continue abiding by it. Back in
his country he will shy away from ever sinning.

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Among the rituals Allah prescribed in Hajj and ‘Umrah are matters
connected with issues governing the entire universe. After Tawâf
[The devotional act of circumambulating (i.e. walking around) the
Ka‘bah seven times while reciting prayers and supplications. Tawâf
should begin and end at the Black Stone] you perform Sa‘y [The
devotional act of walking seven times between the knolls of As-Safâ
and Al-Marwah, which are located some distance from the Ka‘bah
inside Al-Masjidul-Haram; starting at As-Safâ and ending at Al-
Marwa]. Sa‘y is done between As-Safâ and Al-Marwah, the two
knolls between which you walk for seven ashwaat [One complete
circuit around the Kabah constitutes a shawt (pl. ashwaat), and seven
ashwaat complete one Tawaf], as in Tawâf.

Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, wants us during the
performance of this ritual to summon in our minds an issue of
faith, namely that Allah has created this universe and made it
work through causes. Whoever adopts the causes of living –
whether a believer or a nonbeliever – and masters them, causes
will give him. But at the same time The Almighty wants to invite
our attention that The Originator of causes, glory be to Him, is
above all causes. Allah gives (of His Bounties, Blessings, Favors,
Honors, etc.) to whomever He wills without end. He, glory be to
Him, guides you to the causes and means of obtaining provision; if
you succeed in adopting them, they will give you and if you do
not, they will not. But never believe that causes alone are the
givers. You adopt the causes and if Allah wills they will give you,
meanwhile your heart should wholly be with the Creator of the
causes.

There is a difference between the Bounties Allah gives through
causes and those directly bestowed. In Hajj Allah draws our
attention to that.




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He made us perform Sa‘y between As-Safâ and Al-Marwah to
remind us of the story of Hâjar (may Allah be pleased with her)
and her son Ismâ‘îl (Ishmael, peace be upon him), when Ibrâhîm
(Abraham, peace be upon him) brought them to this place wherein
there is neither plant, nor water, nor any means of survival.

In this place bare of survival means, Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him)
left his wife and his infant son to direct our attention to a principle
governing this universe. When Ibrâhîm hurried back Hâjar (may
Allah be pleased with her) laid hold of the reins of his riding
animal and said, ‘To whom are you leaving us?’ but Ibrâhîm did
not answer back. Then Hâjar said, ‘Allah ordered you so?’ and he
beckoned to her affirmatively, so she said, ‘Then He will never
leave us be lost.’

That is the first principle of faith: if Allah settled you in a place, He
will never let you be lost, however powerless are all causes and
means to offer you anything.

What did Hâjar do? She submitted to the Decree of Allah and
contented herself with it. Then what happened? Her baby thirsted
and she wanted to water him. She must adopt means and look for
a spring, or a well, or a walking caravan that has water. She must
exert utmost effort and ascends Al-Marwah knoll to get a better
view of her surroundings, perhaps she might find a tree, or a bird,
or some people. Hâjar hurried to As-Safâ knoll but she neither
found water nor a trace of life, so she returned again to Al-Marwah
knoll but she found nothing. Then she returned to As-Safâ then to
Al-Marwah and she kept running between them until she repeated
the act seven times, but she found nothing. Her runs between As-
Safâ and Al-Marwah were the utmost effort she could exert and she
could do no more, so she sat beside her infant after her own means
ran out, but behold the little infant’s leg struck the ground and
water gushed forth!!

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Hâjar adopted the causes but they offered her nothing, whereas
the weak infant struck the ground gently with his little foot and
the water sprouted. If she had found a caravan passing by, or a
nearby spring, the parable would not have been completed.

Allah wanted to have all the acts of that event be completed to call
our attention to this universal issue, that is, if earthly means ended,
do not despair, Allah, praise be to Him, will never abandon you.
He is The Sayer and His Statement is the absolute truth (the
Qur’anic verse that means):

“Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the
distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil,
and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations after
generations.” (An-Naml, 27: 62)

This serves to strengthen the believer and make him never lose
hope, because he has a Mighty Support to shelter himself under,
but the nonbeliever – Allah forbid – when he despairs, he commits
suicide. When the believer despairs, he knows for sure that he has
with him the Lord Who will never abandon him. Every pilgrim
returns having this principle settled in his heart: the parable of
Hâjar and her infant son Ismâ‘îl, causes and The Originator of
causes, so a believer receives all the hardships of life firmly,
resolutely and hopefully.

Truly, Allah loves from amongst His servants the trusting, who
would never let go the Hand of Allah stretched out to him with
means and causes. Whenever they fail to give, The Lord of all
means and causes surely will.




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Free choice and specific enjoined duties

We have to pay attention that in Hajj man steps outside the scope
of general free choice to that of specific enjoined duties, so he
cannot overpass any of the places The Legislator has specified to
him without being in a state of Ihrâm [The sacred state of practicing
great self-denial into which a Muslim must enter before performing
Hajj or ‘Umrah, during which certain actions are forbidden (like having
conjugal relations, shaving, cutting one’s nails, and several other
actions) nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly. In this sacred state the
dress of Muslim pilgrims consists of two lengths of white cotton, one
wrapped around the loins, the other thrown over the left shoulder.
Ihrâm clothes for women should fully cover the body except the face,
hands and feet.] The essence of Ihrâm is the abandonment of vain
choices to an abidance by the faith commitments dictated by Allah.

For instance, there is the Mîqat [The place where pilgrims declare
their intentions to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah and assume the state of
Ihrâm], which is the place separating between the sacred precincts
of Mecca and the land outside them. Outside the Mîqat you are not
governed by special rules that restrict your movement, but inside
it you are within the sacred precincts, which you cannot enter
except in a state of Ihrâm.

In the Hajj man submits to new enjoined duties. A fact arousing
wonder is that the locations of the Mîqat are not geometrically
specified in a way that makes their dimensions equally separated
from the Ka‘bah. The distance of the Mîqat for the people of Hejaz,
wherein is the Sacred House, is the longest among all Mîqats.
Whoever enters from Medina to perform Hajj must assume Ihrâm
from the location called Abar ‘Ali. The distance from Abar ‘Ali to
Mecca is 450 km. On the other hand, the Mîqat of Râbigh is 204 km,
Al-Juhfa 187 km, Al-Irâq 94 km and Yalamlam 54 km.


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Therefore, the specification of the Mîqats is not a geometrical
process for you to learn that it is not a matter of calculations but a
matter that wholly submits to the absolute dispensation of the
Divine Will. It is hard for the mind to grasp the wisdom behind the
enjoined duties. For instance, we perform Wudu’ (Ablution) to
offer Salah (Prayers). Some people believe that Wudu’ is cleanliness
or purity. To them we say it is not a matter of cleanliness or purity,
because in case you do not find water you perform Tayammum [To
put or strike lightly the hands over clean earth and then pass the palm
of each on the back of the other, blow off the dust and then pass them
on the face. This is performed instead of Wudu’ (ablution) in the
absence of water or when one is unable to use water because of illness]
with clean dust. So, do not judge that Wudu’ is cleanliness because
Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, has a wisdom we are
ignorant of.

If we step inside the Mîqat we move from the place of choice to
that of abidance, where we no longer wear sewn clothes,
perfumes, neither shave our beards nor heads, nor dispute. All
these commands are addressed to those who have crossed the
Mîqat. Whoever has crossed it, has committed himself.

Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, The Enjoiner, has prescribed
a special conduct for the pilgrim. You are the one who engaged
yourself in these enjoined duties, which constitutes a practice on
self-restraint and the choice you made to win the Good Pleasure of
Allah. In return, Allah bestows on you endless forgiveness and
grace, especially if you approached the Hajj rituals out of faith;
meaning that you do not first ask for knowledge of the wisdom
behind every deed enjoined on you, but you perform the deed
because it is simply enjoined by Allah. If performed, it would fill
your heart with tranquility, relief and contentment. That is the
difference between the duty imposed by humans on humans and
the duty imposed by The Truth on His creatures.


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If a compeer assigned to you a duty, you would wonder why
should I do that thing? But with Allah, you receive the assigned
duty with the obedience that tantamount to your trust in His
Knowledge and your love to Him. You do not ask why should I do
that? But rather you ask if Allah is the One Who judged so. For
Allah wants nothing for us but goodness and decree nothing but
good. Goodness, the more your reasoning power was incapable to
grasp it, the greater and grander it is, because goodness in that
case surpasses your power of comprehending it.

When Allah, be ever gloried His Majesty and Might, addresses His
creatures, He addresses them not with enjoined duties. Allah does
not say do that and do not do that, but says, ‘O mankind believe,’
and whosoever believes among them, He enjoins on him duties.
Therefore, you find every enjoined duty in the Noble Qur’an
preceded with His Statement (that means), ‘O you who believe.’
For as long as you have engaged yourself in a faith commitment
with Allah, you have believed that to Allah belongs the attributes
of absolute perfection, enfolding endless ideals. If you received a
command of faith that you do not understand but you honored it
and performed it, it would inspire relief in your heart and serenity
in your soul and you would find your willingness to obey The
Almighty overwhelms your whole being. Addressing judgments
to the believers and their performing them is an acknowledgement
of your belief in The All-Wise God, Who orders you with nothing
but brings you absolute prosperity.

Faculties in the soul that we know and others we do not respond
to the Law of Allah. The Most Exalted legislates based on the
realties He alone sees. Nothing whatsoever escapes His
Knowledge, and you never have a whole picture.




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A vivid example of compliance is Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased
with him), after the return of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) from the miracle of Al-Isrâ’ (the
Night Journey) [The miraculous night journey during which the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was taken from Al-
Masjid Al-Harâm (at Mecca) to the farthest masjid (in Jerusalem)] and
Al-Mi‘râj (the Ascension to Heaven) [The miraculous ascension of
the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from Jerusalem
to the Heavens to meet his Lord]. On hearing about the journey of
the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
to Baitul-Maqdas (Jerusalem) and his ascension to the seventh
heaven people disagreed and listeners wavered between a believer
and a belier, but what did Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with
him) say? Did he discuss the matter? Did he subject it to his
reasoning power?


And discussed it as the nonbelievers who said to the Messenger of
Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), ‘Claim you that
you reached it in a night and we mount on camels back for a
month to reach there.’

They reckoned it materialistically, though they are unseen matters
unsubjected to such sort of estimations.

Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) did not pursue that
manner of judgment, he simply said, ‘If he said so, he has told the
truth.’ He priorly ranked truth for being told by the Messenger of
Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and did not base
it on the credibility of the story. Abu Bakr said, ‘If I believe him in
the news coming to him from heaven, will not I believe him that
he moved from Mecca to Baitul-Maqdas (Jerusalem) and returned
in a night?’


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Also Al-Fârûq [The one who distinguishes truth from falsehood]
‘Umar bin Al-Khattâb (may Allah be pleased with him), on seeing
people kissing the Black Stone, a matter that bewilders the minds,
what did he say? He said, ‘By Allah, I know that you are a stone
that neither harms nor avails and had I not seen the Messenger of
Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) kissing you I
would not have kissed you.’ This is absolute submission. He does
not measure the judicial matters by rational standards but receive
them by the Command of The Legislator, Allah, all praise and
glory be to Him.

Among the rituals that cause the mind to pause meditatively for
long is ‘Arafât. That is the topic we shall discuss in the next
chapter.


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Chapter Three
To The ‘Arafât Of Allah

After entering Mecca in a state of Ihrâm, the pilgrims perform
Tawâf and Sa‘y, and on the eighth day of Dhu’l–Hijjah [The 12th
month of the year in the Muslim calendar] they head for Minâ [An
area close to Mecca on the road to ‘Arafah where pilgrims spend the
Tashreeq days. It is the place of throwing pebbles at Jamarat and ritual
slaughter of the sacrifice] where they spend the night. Then, on the
ninth day of Dhu’l–Hijjah they proceed towards ‘Arafah [The area
that surrounds Mount Rahmah, southeast of Mecca; Standing at ‘Arafah
on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah and staying there from mid-day to sunset is
the essence of the Hajj] or directly proceed from Mecca towards
‘Arafah.

As well known amidst the rituals, ‘Arafah is not located inside the
Sanctuary but outside it. Therefore, the mind paused meditatively
before it for long. Whenever Allah reveals a secret to a faithful
mind, He causes it to pause before another so that the Unseen
remains non-submitting to the mechanism of legislation but to the
absolute power of The Legislator.

Hajj involves many stages beginning first with the choice of having
faith and pronouncing the Testimony of Faith (As-Shahadah) [Lâ
ilâh illâ Allah wanâ Muhammadan rasûl Allah There is no God but
Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah]. By choosing
belief man enters into the sphere of being assigned duties shared
by all the believers in Allah and His Messenger (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace), which include performing the daily
prayers (Salah), fasting during the month of Ramadan (Saum),
paying the alms tax (Zakâh), and performing the major pilgrimage
to Mecca by whoever can afford the expenses (for one’s
conveyance, provision and residence).



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We have aforesaid that the Hajj rituals moves us outside the
sphere of general free choice to that of special assignments, so
none should pass beyond the Mîqat [The place where pilgrims
declare their intentions to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah and assume the state
of Ihrâm] at the bordering limits of the Sanctuary without being in
a state of Ihrâm, nor enters the Ka‘bah without performing the rites
enjoined on him from Tawâf and Sa‘y and when the time of
Standing at ‘Arafât is due he must set out from Mecca towards
Mount ‘Arafât.

By embracing Islam man commits himself to duties and when he
wants to perform Hajj he commits himself to another enjoined
duties peculiar to Hajj. If he wants to complete the Hajj – and Hajj
is ‘Arafah – he should move out of the Meccan Sanctuary to an area
lying outside its borders.

If we want to specify the sacred precincts of Hajj we will find them
four places: Al-Masjid-al-Harâm (the Sacred Meccan Masjid), Al-
Baitul-Harâm (the Sacred House, i.e., the Ka‘bah), Al-Baladul-Harâm
(the Sacred City), Al-Mash‘ar Al-Haram (the Sacred Monument)
[The hill in Muzdalifah where pilgrims should supplicate Allah after
they have spent the night at Muzdalifah, and after which they should
go to Mecca to throw Jamarat Al-‘Aqabah (the closest stone pillar to
Mecca) on the morning of the tenth of Dhu’l–Hijjah] – Al-Muzdalifah –
the place between ‘Arafât and Minâ where pilgrims stop on their
return from ‘Arafât to collect the pebbles with which they will
stone the devil. There they offer the Maghrib (Sunset) and ‘Ishâ’
(Evening) prayers together in the time of the latter (‘Ishâ’ Prayer),
before proceeding towards Minâ for spending the night and
preparing themselves for throwing the pebbles. Then they go to
Mecca to perform Ifadah Tawâf [Pilgrims’ circumambulation of the
Ka‘bah upon their return from Muzdalifah].




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Theophany in ‘Arafah

In Arafât many Bestowments of Allah on His servants are divinely
manifested. They are endless, countless bestowments, for Divine
Manifestation with forgiveness to all people happens in that place,
why? To mind that when Allah manifests Himself with
forgiveness in a place other than the Sanctuary, then such a Divine
manifestation has its reasons. In ‘Arafah you have restricted your
choice completely; you have no choice neither in time nor place.
All those present in ‘Arafah on that day, standing in that vast
domain are bound to be in that place at a set time. The sun must go
down on them while in ‘Arafât.

Allah wants to invite our attention that the greater the restriction
imposed on man the higher the reward. As aforesaid, all the acts of
worship have been restricted timewise, as offering Salah (Prayers)
and paying the Zakâh (obligatory charity), except the Standing at
‘Arafât, which has been restricted by both time and place.

Regarding the state to which the pilgrim should adhere while
performing the Hajj rituals Allah, be He highly blessed and
exalted, says (what means):

“The Hajj (pilgrimage) is (in) the well-known (lunar year)
months (i.e. the 10th month, the 11th month and the first ten
days of the 12th month of the Islâmic calendar, i.e. two months
and ten days). So whosoever intends to perform Hajj therein by
assuming Ihrâm), then he should not have sexual relations (with
his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj.”
(Al-Baqarah, 2: 197)





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Allah has bound the Hajj rites timewise; you cannot perform Hajj
on any day of the year, and has also bound it by place in Mecca,
‘Arafât and Minâ; because if you miss going to any of the three
your Hajj will not be complete. But Hajj includes other rituals in
which compensation is accepted, which we shall discuss in the
next chapters.

Allah, praise and glory be to Him, wants to train you on how you
may restrain yourself and bind it by His Commands, to be worthy
of the blessings He showers upon you on that honorable day. He
bestows on you endless forgiveness and good pleasure, endless to
the extent that it is stated in the tradition that Iblis (the devil) is
seen in no other time or place more exasperated than in that
Standing, why? Because the satisfaction and happiness of Iblis is in
having man a sinner. Iblis disobeyed his Lord by refusing to
prostrate himself before Âdam (peace be upon him); therefore he
wants all mankind sinners. When Iblis senses that the inner self of
man is talking him into committing a misdeed, he hastens to tempt
him and endear it to him until he falls into sin, which fills Iblis
with great joy because people have disobeyed as he did. But the
Power and Might of Allah, praise and glory be to Him, willed to
make the Day of ‘Arafah a day on which all the handiworks of Iblis
are vainly wasted, and Allah showers His Mercy, Good Pleasure,
Forgiveness and full Pardon on all the people of ‘Arafah, a reward
offered for binding the movement of their lives on that day
according to the Will of Allah, praise and glory be to Him.

The Day of forgiving sins

About this day, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) said, “Verily, Allah has manifested Himself to
the people of the Standing (meaning ‘Arafah) and He forgave the
people of ‘Arafah and He forgave the people of Al-Mash‘ar Al-
Haram (the Sacred Monument) and Allah bore on behalf of all the

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consequences of what they committed against the servants.”
Therefore, it is said that Al-Hajj Al-Mabrûr [Hajj performed in
accordance with the Prophet’s tradition and is accepted by Allah]
erases whatever precedes it, causing the forgiveness of all the sins
that were committed before the Hajj, so man returns as his mother
gave birth to him (sinless).

But religious scholars differ in opinion regarding the following
question: Whether Hajj causes the forgiveness of all the sins, those
having to do with Allah and with people, or does it only cause the
forgiveness of the sins transgressed against Allah, meaning those
between you and your Lord? As for the remission of the sins
between you and the servants, it stipulates to hand back their
rights and to beg the forgiveness of those whom you have
wronged.

There is another opinion that says, ‘When Allah manifests Himself
with His endless Mercy on the Day of ‘Arafah to the people of
‘Arafât, He forgives all the sins; whatever is between you and
Allah, He forgives and whatever is between you and the servants,
He bears on your behalf. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to invoke Allah saying,
“O Allah! Forgive my sins; those sinned against you forgive them
for me, and those sinned against others than You, bear them on my
behalf.”

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) informs us that Allah forgave the people of ‘Arafah and He
forgave the people of Al-Mash‘ar Al-Haram (the Sacred Monument)
and He, glory be to Him, bore the burdens committed in violation
of the servants’ right.





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We have to clarify that ‘Arafât has two pronunciations: in the first
we say ‘Arafât, as stated in the Noble Qur’an and in the second we
say ‘Arafah, as stated in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) saying, “Hajj is ‘Arafah.”

‘Arafât became a proper noun indicating a spacious place wherein
pilgrims gather on the ninth of Dhu’l–Hijjah. ‘Arafât is not a mount;
if you heard what people usually call (Mount ‘Arafât), learn that
what is meant is the mount ascribed to ‘Arafât area but the mount
itself is not ‘Arafât.

Many people think that the completion of Hajj is in ascending the
mount called Rahmah, on which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) stood in the Farewell Hajj and if
the pilgrim did not ascend it, as though he did not perform Hajj!!
We say that this is untrue, ‘Arafah is the spacious valley that the
mount overlooks. The name of the mount is derived from its
proximity to this valley; the mount is ascribed to ‘Arafât area not
the opposite.

Many opinions were stated regarding the significance of the word
‘Arafah. There is a difference between an attributive name that
becomes a name afterwards and a proper noun. If the name is a
proper noun from the beginning, it does not necessitate standing
for a meaning. A man’s name could be ‘Happy’ when he is most
miserable; this is a proper name unrelated to a certain denotation.

In fact, some people like to choose names inspiring good omen, as
some used to name their sons ‘Sa‘d’ (i.e., Good Fortune) hoping
that he becomes fortunate. The Arab used to choose names of good
omen; they used to name ‘Sakhr’ (i.e., Rock) so that the person may
grow to be rocklike in the face of his enemies or name him ‘Kalb’
(i.e., Hound) so that none would dare defy him.


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It was said to the Arab that they well choose the names of their
slaves by calling them, ‘Sa‘îd’ (i.e., Happy), ‘Sa‘d’ (i.e., Good
Fortune) and ‘Fadl’ (i.e., Grace) but choose improper names for
their sons calling them ‘Sakhr’ (i.e., Rock) and ‘Kalb’ (i.e., Dog), and
they answered, ‘Yes, because we name our sons for our enemies
and name our slaves for ourselves!’

Reason of naming

‘Arafah now became a proper noun but the reason of being named
thus has more than a story. It was narrated that when Âdam and
Hawwâ’ (Adam and Eve, may Allah be pleased with them)
descended from Paradise in obedience to the Command of Allah,
Âdam (may Allah be pleased with him) descended in a place and
Hawwâ’ (may Allah be pleased with her) in another.

Each of them descended in a separate place and both kept looking
for the other until they met at that place, therefore it was named
‘Arafah (Forgathering).

Discussing Âdam and Hawwâ’ and their forgathering in ‘Arafah
demands an explanation. Just try to imagine the state of Âdam
descending in a wide strange world all by himself, looking around
him and finding no human. If he were to see a human, he would
surely meet him with strong longing. For that purpose Allah set
apart Âdam and Hawwâ’ so that each of them would look for the
other longingly and when they meet each would hold on to the
other, never to let go. Another narration tells that the angels said to
Âdam after he came down to earth at that place, ‘Confess your sins
and turn in repentance to your Lord.’ So he said as the Noble
Qur’an relates to us (what means):


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“They said: ‘Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You
forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall
certainly be of the losers.’” (Al-A‘râf, 7: 23)

Bearing on that, the meaning would be (admitting) his sins and
(knowing) how to repent. Now we shall move back to the Khalîl
(the close servant) of Allah, Ibrâhîm (Abraham, peace be upon
him), and how did Allah inform him about the place of ‘Arafah.

Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him) saw in the vision he had that he was
slaughtering his son Ismâ‘îl (Ishmael, peace be upon him), a hard
deed on the soul being his only son whom he should slaughter
with his very hands. Ibrâhîm sat at that place thinking over and
mediating, therefore the day of ‘Arafah was known as the Day of
Tarwaiyah (Deliberation). On becoming certain that the vision is
true and knowing that he must slaughter his son, the place
wherein he learned the truth of the vision was named ‘Arafah
(Seeing the truth).

Another says that Jibrîl (Angel Gabriel) used to teach Ibrâhîm
(peace be upon him) the Hajj rituals at that place and used to ask
him, ‘Do you now know?’ And Ibrâhîm answered, ‘Yes, I do.’ And
perhaps it means that man knows his Lord in that place and comes
to it confessing his sins and begging for the Forgiveness of Allah in
humility and submission.

However, the different meanings and circumstances that led to
assigning the name of ‘Arafah or At-Tarwaiyah to that day are not in
opposition. Indeed, on that blessed Day Allah boasts of His
servants saying:

“See My servants, they have forsaken all what they possess and
came to Me disheveled and dust covered begging for My
Forgiveness and Mercy. I call you to bear witness that I have
forgiven them.”

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In ‘Arafât we notice absolute equality and full presence of all the
hajjis to the Sacred House of Allah without the absence of anyone.
All present at one time that ends with the setting of the sun of
‘Arafah Day, which is the only place on earth wherein people
gather that way at such perfect timing.

We go to Mecca on different journeys arriving at different times,
each according to the time of his trip. One group may arrive before
the Hajj by two weeks, whereas another by one day only and in
back home journeys we return separately, each according to the
time of his trip. Even when lodging in Mecca the means of people
vary; some may lodge in a luxurious apartment, others in a room
or part of a room, others lodge in a hotel, others lie down on the
floor to the end of what people’s capabilities may afford them.

But in ‘Arafât the situation completely differs; the place holds all
races, all nationalities, all languages, all ranks and all fates.
Equality is the distinctive feature amongst them all, all are
disheveled and dust covered. No difference between the rich and
the poor, the masters and the humble folk; all have an untidy
disordered appearance, weary and fatigued. All are equal with
regard to humility and submission; none is superior or higher in
rank.

You will never find a bragger in ‘Arafah, boasting of his worldly
status, but all are showing submission and humility to Allah, be
He highly blessed and exalted. Each is rivaling to declare his
submissiveness and fear of Him. As if goodness only prevails
among people when they become even in submission and servility
shown to Allah, and none of them daresay that he is better than
another.


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That day, on which we shake off pride and unjustness, Allah,
praise and glory be to Him, manifests Himself to us with
forgiveness, because obduracy is what set a barrier between us and
Allah. That is to say, living in one community where each of us
regards himself better than the other, sees his merits and fails to
see his demerits! On that great day we learn that what
distinguishes us is not self-given but from our Creator. Thereon,
servility is forged within us and only then The Truth, praise and
glory be to Him, says:

“They are a congregation who deserve My Forgiveness and
Mercy.”

Obduracy, vanity and attempts of claiming superiority and
assuming airs of haughtiness are the withholders of the Mercy of
Allah, and nothing is more indicative of it than what happened
when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) went out to tell his companions about the Lailatul-Qadr [The
night of Al-Qadr is either indicative of the honor and station of that
night, thus meaning ‘An honorable night’, or the word ‘Al-Qadr’ may
also refer to the ordainment and disposal of affairs. So it would mean
‘the night in which all that will occur in the following year will be
decreed,’ following the Qur’anic Statement of Allah saying (what
means), ‘Therein (on that night) is decreed every matter of ordainment.’
(Ad-Dukhân, 44: 4) Lailatul-Qadr is concealed in one of the odd nights
in the last ten days of Ramadan; the Noble Qur’an was sent down in the
Night of Al-Qadr and the Qur ‘an itself describes as ‘Better than a
thousand months’]. On finding two quarrelling persons he forgot it,
thereby the Companions were deprived of knowing its exact day.
Following upon, disputation, dissension and quarrelling prohibit
the bestowment of boons on the community. An assembly that
wishes to receive the Bestowments of Allah must enjoy absolute
serenity together, having all their faculties congruous and each is
in the right state to be instructed by his Lord.


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On the Day of ‘Arafah people supplicate much; each on that great
Day, be it hot or rainy, stands earnestly supplicating. All are
standing, all are submissive and all are humble before the Lord of
the Worlds.

In that Standing, mercy is sent down and Allah manifests Himself
with forgiveness to the people of ‘Arafah, and by the grace of Allah
they become sinless because Hajj erases whatever precedes it, as
aforesaid. Since you have been successfully guided to that endless
goodness and since Allah has manifested Himself to you with
forgiveness, after ‘Arafât you should never revert to what incurs
the Wrath of Allah, The Most Exalted. You do not guarantee that
The Almighty will keep you in this world and destine another Hajj
for you in the coming years. Since you do not guarantee that, you
must strive for your hereafter and hold fast to the righteous path
for the sake of meeting Allah at any time with your sins forgiven.

Seize the opportunity of Hajj for it purges you of sins and never
listen to the whispers of the devil, and enough of the Mercy of
Allah that you conquered him. If he sneaked in your soul at a time
of weakness and you fell into sin, Allah has forgiven you by virtue
of a day in which you showed your sorrow, submissiveness and
awe, that is the Day of ‘Arafah.

But keep in mind that the devil will never leave you alone, because
the stronger you grow in faith the more effort the devil exerts to
tempt you into sin. Either it is Satan who disturbs the peace of the
human conscience in its beliefs, for being the summit of faith; a
task needing Satan who devotes himself to the purpose of
tempting people to disbelieve, Allah forbid.





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Or the offspring of Satan, the devils of jinn along with the devils of
humankind, who devote themselves to what is ranked below the
supreme faith: temptation of people to commit other sins like
adultery, bribery, stealing and others. That is the work of the
offspring of Satan. As for Satan himself, as aforesaid, he barges,
into your highest beliefs and tries to arise doubts within you, with
respect to the existence of Allah, His Oneness and His Might and
Power and he keeps insinuating evil to man.

Pouring down from ‘Arafât

The Truth, praise and glory be to Him, says (what means):

“Then when you pour down from (mount) Arafat, remember
Allâh (by glorifying His Praises, i.e. prayers and invocations,
etc.) at the Sacred Monument.” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 198)

But what is the significance of pouring down? When you fill a cup
to the brim the surplus must overflow on the sides. Hence, the
surplus is something beyond the capacity that got separated from
an existing whole.

The Qur’anic verse saying (what means), ‘Then when you pour
down from (mount) Arafat,’ is a forejudgment that on departing
‘Arafât it will be filled in a way that surpasses its specified capacity
as though overflowing. That is the Judgment of Allah in Hajj. If
you witnessed that scene and saw the pilgrims overflowing from
‘Arafât, as though you are seeing a cup that was filled and started
to overflow, knowing not wherefrom these multitudes have
emerged and whereto they are heading.





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Whoever beholds the Muslims in ‘Arafât, would find them an
endless mass of humans. When they overflow on the eve of that
day and they descend ‘Arafât, you somehow feel while looking at
them as though they were a flood pouring down. Human masses
impossible to be differentiated, wearing the same clothes, thus you
get the impression that they have the same traits, as if they were
one running flood. That is the picture of pouring down from
‘Arafât.

When you contemplate the people heading for Al-Muzdalifah you
wonder where have been all these multitudes. You see the valleys
streaming with people exactly as a vehement flood, moving as a
single mass. After pouring down from ‘Arafât comes the second
overflow, proceeding from Al-Muzdalifah to Minâ, which is stated
in the Qur’anic verse saying (what means):

“Then hasten onward from the place whence all the people
hasten onward and ask Allâh for His Forgiveness. Truly, Allâh is
Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 199)

A pilgrim must celebrate the Praises of Allah time and again for
the grace He conferred upon him by easing that blessed journey.
He brought you – faithful believers – to His Sacred House then
would make you return, which is a matter that deserves
expressing
thankfulness and gratitude and keeping on
remembering Him. The Qur’anic verse says (what means), ‘And
remember Him (by invoking Allâh for all good, etc.) as He has
guided you,’ (Al-Baqarah, 2: 198). Through His Guidance you were
shown the shortest path to goodness and the path to forgiveness
was smoothed to you by money, health and ability. Surely, such
Guidance from Allah deserves engaging oneself
in His
Remembrance and expressing gratitude.


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Afterwards, The Almighty says (what means), ‘And verily, you
were, before, of those who were astray.’ (Al-Baqarah, 2: 198),
meaning before Islam, because during the Pre-Islamic era they
used to circumambulate the House naked doing nothing but
clapping and whistling, but Allah, be He highly blessed and
exalted, guided them to the right Hajj that forgives the sins.

Abrogating the privileges of the Quraish

The Truth, gloried ever be His Majesty and Might, says (what
means), “Then hasten onward from the place whence all the people
hasten onward.” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 199), where ‘then’ denotes
consecutiveness, but does it here means to hasten after standing at
‘Arafat? Or is it after spending the night at Muzdalifah? ‘Then
hasten onward,’ is a retort to all who say that spending the night at
Muzdalifah is a must.

This noble verse was revealed with regard to the leaders of the
Quraish who considered themselves the people of the Meccan
Sanctuary, trying to have privileges distinguishing them from the
rest of the people. Therefore, they used to depart first from ‘Arafat
then people follow them. In the Farewell Hajj [the first and the last
Hajj performed by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace], the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) said, “You all belong to Âdam and Âdam is of dust.
Verily the most honored among you, in the Sight of Allah, is he
who is the most righteous of you.” Allah thus barred the behavior
the Quraish comported itself with in trying to be distinguished
from people, by abolishing whatever advantages the Quraish had
over other Arabs.





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Some interpreters say that the noble Qur’anic verse saying (what
means), “From the place whence all the people hasten onward,”
(Al-Baqarah, 2: 199) signifies the place wherefrom Ibrâhîm (peace
be upon him) has hastened onward, because Allah taught Ibrâhîm
all the Hajj rituals, which he in turn taught to people.

There is no ambiguity in the Qur’anic verse saying (what means),
“From the place whence all the people hasten onward,” because
Allah has portrayed Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him) in words as a
nation.
The word ‘people’ here is used to describe someone who combines
many attributes. Allah, be He highly blessed and exalted, has
portrayed our Messenger, Muhammad (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) in words with the Qur’anic verse saying (what
means):

“Or do they envy mankind for what Allah hath given them of
his Bounty?” (An-Nisâ’, 4: 54)

Further, the man who went to the believers to warn them against
the nonbelievers who were preparing themselves to fight them,
was expressed as follows in the Qur’anic verse saying (what
means):

“Those unto whom the people said, ‘Verily, the people (pagans)
have gathered against you (a great army), therefore, fear them.’”
(Âl-‘Imrân, 3: 173)

Subsequently, ‘The people’ is used in the Qur’anic verse to describe
a person (the Prophet Ibrâhîm, peace be upon him) in whom good
morals were gathered.





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Afterwards, The Truth, gloried ever be His Majesty and Might,
says (what means), “Ask Allâh for His Forgiveness,” (Al-Baqarah,
2: 198) a proof that no matter how hard man tries to guard the due
Rights of Allah, still he may mistake. Therefore, begging
forgiveness is required. “Truly, Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most-
Merciful,” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 199) means that you will find Allah
Most Forgiving, Most Merciful and will answer your supplication
and forgive you. He will bring you back from Hajj purely white of
all sins.

On that night the pilgrims gather the pebbles with which they will
stone Iblis (the devil) from Al-Muzdalifah and offer the Maghrib
(Sunset) and ‘Ishâ’ (Evening) Prayers together in the time of the
latter (‘Ishâ’ Prayer). Afterwards, they head towards Minâ to stone
the devil, which has a story to tell apart in the next chapter.



















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Chapter Four
Stoning the Devil

By arriving to Minâ [An area close to Mecca on the road to ‘Arafah
where pilgrims spend the Tashreeq days. It is the place of throwing
pebbles at Jamarat and ritual slaughter of the sacrificial animal] the
hajjis have fulfilled half the Hajj duty. The Hajj has two
cornerstones without them it would never be complete and no
expiations or whatever compensations are sanctioned to atone for
them.

The first cornerstone is standing at ‘Arafât and the second is the
Ifadah Tawâf [Pilgrims’ circumambulation of the Ka‘bah upon their
return from Muzdalifah]. These are the two cornerstones of Hajj, in
other than them it is permissible to make expiations and offer a
sacrifice.

When proceeding onward from Al-Mash‘ar Al-Haram (the Sacred
Monument) to Minâ for stoning the devil we must keep in mind an
important issue: the story of Ibrâhîm (Abraham, peace be upon
him) and his son Ismâ‘îl (Ishmael, peace be upon him). The story
of manifest trial to which Allah subjected Ibrâhîm, who saw in a
dream that Allah is commanding him to slaughter his son, Ismâ‘îl.
A severe affliction fated by Allah, all praise and glory be to Him,
but why? Because Ibrâhîm was an old man, while his son Ismâ‘îl
was in the prime of youth. At an age when the father usually feels
that his son is the continuation of his life and becomes proud of
him, a son that lends a hand in the hardships of life. But over and
above, his wife, Sarah (may Allah be pleased with her), was
barren.

Which means the absence of causes to give Ibrâhîm another son,
but surely the Originator of causes (The Causer Almighty Allah) is
mightily able to give.

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Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, commanded Ibrâhîm to
slaughter his son Ismâ‘îl. If He commanded him to kill his son it
would have been easier, because he could have assigned some
people to kill Ismâ‘îl away from him. It was also possible to take
his son Ismâ‘îl to a mountaintop then push him to see nothing.

But the command was to slaughter Ismâ‘îl, in plain words to seize
the knife, take his son while looking at him, slaughter him with his
own hands and the son sheds to death. A very painful experience
even if he had many children. But how much harder would it be
when having a lone son in the prime of youth on the one hand and
being an old man with a barren wife on the other hand!! A deed
not to be fulfilled except by someone whose love for Allah
surpasses all that exists, a love higher than any kind of love. The
Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
said:

“None of you will have faith till I am dearer to him than his
father, his children and all people.”

That is the trial of faith undergone by Ibrâhîm in this specific
point, which proved that Allah is dearer to him than anything else.
Not by words but by deeds.

Ibrâhîm took his son to slaughter him in fulfillment of the
Command given by Allah. Ibrâhîm did not want to surprise
Ismâ‘îl by taking him to the mount and shocking him by the knife
and the slaughtering, but he wanted to tell him first.

The Noble Qur’an relates that story in the Perfect Divine
Revelation saying (what means):


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“And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he
said: ‘O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering
you (offer you in sacrifice to Allâh), so look what you think!’”
(As-Sâffât, 37: 102)

Ibrâhîm wanted to inform his son Ismâ‘îl about what would
happen. But how did Ismâ‘îl, the Prophet, receive the Trial decreed
by Allah? He replied as the Noble Qur’an narrates to us (what
means):

“He said: ‘O my father! Do that which you are commanded,
Inshâ' Allâh (if Allâh will), you shall find me of As-Sâbirin (the
patient ones, etc.).’” (As-Sâffât, 37: 102)

Ismâ‘îl loved Allah more than his life and soul. So, the old man
and the youth hastened with the knife, but will the devil leave the
obedience of Allah be fulfilled without spoiling it? Of course not,
his mission is to ruin the obedience shown to Allah on earth.

Satan came to Khalîl Allah (the close servant to Allah), Ibrâhîm, to
ruin the summit of faith. He came to Ibrâhîm asking him: What do
you intend to do to your son? What is the meaning of slaughtering
him when you are an old man in need of him? How could you
believe such a dream? It is a lie.

It is narrated that the devil was personified to one of the
worshippers as a lad who served him for long. Once the old man
went to perform the Fajr (Dawn) Prayer on a rainy day and muddy
ground. The incarnate devil held the lamp for the old man while
rising and falling in the mud. The people wondered how that old
man tortured thus the lad who accompanied him on such a rainy
muddy night. Whereas the pious man simply told them to leave
him suffer for the One Who decreed sufferance upon him is Allah.
As though Allah has cast in the soul of that old man that this boy is
a devil.

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The devil never gives up a trifle he may steal through. Even more,
he tries by any means to force man to sin. Therefore, the devil left
no possible way with Ibrâhîm, Ismâ‘îl and Hâjar without pursuing
it, perchance he might ruin one of the highest and most rewarding
obedience shown to Allah, that of Summit Faith.

The moment Ibrâhîm and his son Ismâ‘îl (peace be upon them) left
the house, the devil embarked on his mission murmuring to
himself: It is a trial, a severe affliction and if I failed to seduce
those people in such an adversity never will I be able to.

He came to Hâjar and said to her, ‘Know you whereto Ibrâhîm has
went with your son?’ She replied, ‘To perform some errands.’ The
devil said to her, ‘He took him not for some errands but took him
to slaughter him.’ Hâjar asked, ‘Why slaughters him?’ The devil
replied, ‘He claimed that his Lord commanded him to do so.’ Upon
that she said, ‘Away from my face. As along as Allah has
commanded, He must be obeyed.’

The devil withdrew away from her disgraced and hurried to
overtake Ibrâhîm and his son. He started with Ibrâhîm struggling
to deter him from fulfilling the Command of Allah. He said to him,
‘Who told you that this dream is from Allah? Perhaps it was
jumbled false dreams (chimeras), for what Allah would gain from
slaughtering your son? Disobey the order; otherwise you would
live to regret it. If you slaughtered him, the face of your son while
dying would be enshrined in your memory. His face would forever
remain before your eyes torturing you for the rest of your life. You
are an eighty-four years old man and would never be blessed with
a son after him.’ And he kept tempting Ibrâhîm, but Ibrâhîm never
listened to him.