2. Oh Travelers to the Haram!

2.
Originally published in Urdu in Daily Ummat Karachi on 12 December 2004
Oh guests of the Most Merciful! Oh fortunate ones! Oh travelers to the
Haram! Congratulations on being invited by the Lord of the worlds! Be
glad that He has invited you to His House! Not only that, but He has
given you the provisions for travel and lodging. And not only that,
but He has also filled your hearts with such love of Him and His House
that today you leave your homes, your cities, your countries and
embark on this journey solely for the pleasure of your Lord. Had this
desire not been there then you would have neverplanned to undertake
this journey.
How many a millionaire are there who travel throughout Switzerland,
England, America, and so on - who spend their children's vacations
over there - but never receive this invitation: Come, visit Our House!
Live in Our city! Act according to the Sunnats of Our beloved
servants! Run between the hills of Safa and Marwa justas a wife of a
prophet and a mother of a prophet did! We love this running of yours.
Hurl rocks against Satan just as Our Prophet Ibrahim (alayhi salam)
did! Perform sacrifice just as a loyal servant of Ours laid his son
and ran the knife over his throat because of Our Command! But we had
prohibited the knife from even scratching the throat. Our servant did
as he was told and the knife did as it was commanded (i.e. it did not
cut); both acted under our command. Those who claim to love Us - We
test them to see whether their claim is true.
Hazrat Thanwi Rahmatullahi alayhi has written that when Prophet
Ibrahim, alayhi salam, got tired running the knife, he said to the
knife: Why don't you cut? The knife responded: You have been commanded
to cut, and I have been ordered not to cut; do your job, I am doing
mine. Then a ram was sent from the heavens and the test was complete.
We were pleased with this act of Our friend - now you also imitate
him. We have provided you with animals - otherwise where would you
have wandered in search for animals? We have also provided their food
- otherwise where would you find food for them in this dry, arid land?
Now the animals are there,the knife is ready, just run the knife and
your work is done! Then, We will do Ourwork: We will accept this
sacrifice just as We accepted the sacrifice of Our friend and We will
endow you with such rewards as never could even occur to you in your
thoughts.
This is Our city and Our House. Come here as a devotee; if you are not
a devotee, then take on the appearance of a devotee! Be content in
whatever condition We keep you in. Here there are crowds of devotees.
You will be pushed and shoved; your hair will fill with dirt and dust,
and your feet will tirefrom walking. Be it pushingor shoving, dirt and
dust, or difficulties in Our alleys -Our devotees are proud of such
difficulties and consider them as the treasures of their lives.
Whoever thinks of these hardships and pains as calamities should not
come. He should stay at hishome. But those who comeas devotees - We
will wipe out their sins and return them to their homes as if they
were just born today. This is a bathing of bodies and souls rotten and
spoiled due to sins - washing these sins will require rubbing. Without
rubbing how is cleanliness obtained?
Oh travelers to the Haram! Hajj is no small blessing. This is a great
act of worship - very different from all the other forms of worship.
All sorts of outward and inward worships are combined in this. Money
is spent in the path of Allah and great effort is exerted; it is a
purification of the soul of the highest degree; it contains spiritual
exercises;there is patience and gratitude, love and ma'rifah . It is a
witnessing of the favors of the Almighty and of the acceptance of
duas. There is both outward and inward closeness. In a hadith,
Rasoolullah addressed those performing Hajj and Umrah- and today you
are his addressees:
Sayyidna Abu Hurairah Radi-Allahu anhu narrates that Rasoolullah said:
(translation) The travelers of Hajj and Umrah are Allah's special
guests; if they supplicate to Allah, Heaccepts their supplications and
if they seek forgiveness, He forgives them. (Hisn-e-Hasin, Ibn Majah
and Nasai)
Oh travelers to the Haram! Years of spiritual exercise and training
may not yield the benefits that can be obtained from this, if only we
understand them and have a will to seek them. Oh guests of Allah! I
will not discuss with you the merits of Hajj, because if you did not
know its merits than you would have never made this blessed intention
(to go to Hajj). Neither will I mentionits rites and rulings,
:->

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