Hajj & Umrah, - *The Many Virtues of Hajj –II

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… Continued
·After the pilgrim starts saying, “Labbayk Allaahumma labbayk)Here I am at your service, O Allaah, here I am(” at theMeeqaat)station from where one enters into the state ofIhraam(, he must not continue sinning further, having responded to his Lord’s call. When he says it he should think of it as,“I am responding to Your prohibition of it )committing sins( and this is the time I am giving it up.”
·When he enters the Sacred House of Allaah The Almighty, which He has made a sanctuary for humankind, he remembers the sanctuary of the Day of Resurrection, which no one can reach without first striving hard in this world.Tawheed)belief in the Oneness of Allaah The Almighty( and shunningShirk)association of others with Allaah The Almighty( provides the greatest sanctuary on that Day. Allaah The Almighty Says which means:}They who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice – those will have security, and they are )rightly( guided.{]Quran, 6: 82[
·Kissing the Black Stone, which is amongst the first rituals to be carried out, teaches the pilgrim tohonortheSunnah)Prophetic tradition( and not oppose the laws of Allaah The Almighty with his feeble reasoning. He realises that there is wisdom behind the laws and rites which Allaah The Almighty has prescribed for humankind, and trains himself to submit to his Lord wholly. ‘Umarsaid after he kissed the Black Stone,“I know that you are only a stone and that you can neither benefit nor harm. If I had not seen the Prophetkiss you, I would not have kissed you.”]Al-Bukhaari, Muslim[
·When the pilgrim doesTawaaf, he is reminded of his father Ibraaheem,who built the House so it could be a place of refuge for humankind and a safe haven, and that he called them to perform pilgrimage to this House. The Prophet,, also called humanity to perform pilgrimage to this House, and Moosa, Yoonus and ‘Eesa, may Allaah exalt their mention, also came for the same purpose. This House was venerated by all these Prophets.
·When drinkingZamzam, the pilgrim is reminded of the blessedness of this holy water, from which millions of people have drunk throughout history, yet it has never dried up. He is encouraged to make Du’aa)supplications( when he drinks it, according to the Hadeethin which the Prophet,, is reported to have said:“The water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for.”]Ibn Maajah, Ahmad[
·When he does theSa’y, he is reminded of the despair of Haajar, the mother of Ismaa’eelwho ran back and forth between Safa and Marwah searching for water so she could give her little son water to drink. When a man remembers the struggle and patience of this great woman, it makes it easier for him to bear his problems; a woman will also relate to Haajar’s suffering and find it easier to cope with the tribulations of life.
·Standing on the day of‘Arafahreminds the pilgrim of the throngs of people on the Day of Gathering. If the pilgrim is tired due to being in a crowd of thousands, how will it feel to stand amongst the hordes of barefoot, naked,uncircumcisedpeople, for fifty thousand years?
·When throwing the pebbles at theJamaraat)the three small stone-built pillars inMina(, the Muslim trains himself to obey Allaah The Almighty without arguing and questioning His commands, even if he does not understand the reason and wisdom behind this act, and cannot make the connection between rulings and their purpose. This is the manifestation of complete submission to Allaah The Almighty.
·When he slaughters his sacrificial animal, he is reminded of the great incident when Ibraaheemsubmitted to the command of Allaah The Almighty to sacrifice his only son Ismaa’eelafter he had grown up and become a helping hand for him; there is no room for emotions which go against the commands of Allaah The Almighty. This teaches him to respond to what Allaah The Almighty orders, as He tells us that Ismaa’eel said:}…‘O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allaah wills, of the steadfast.’{]Quran, 37: 102[

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