SOME OF THE SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF DIFFERENT ACTS (ARKANS) OF HAJJ

When one enters the desert and sees the mountain-roads and other
obstacles of travel, he should remember the time of his departure from
this world and the obstacles he will face in the world of Barzakh
andMahshar (where we all will be gathered). The lonely path should
remind one of the loneliness in the grave; likewise, the fear of
highway robbers and wild animals should remind one of the fears of
punishment in Barzakh.
On arrival at Miqat, while wearing the Ihraam, one should remember the
occasion when he will bewrapped up in Kafan (which resembles the
Ihraam) with which he will present himself before the Almighty.
The Talbiyah is a response to the invitation of the Almighty, though
while hoping for acceptance of his response, he should also fear its
rejection, i.e. getting a reply of "Laa Labbaik wa laa sa'daik": your
response is rejected!
Thus one should repent of his utterly worthless deeds and hope only
for His grace and forgiveness. The recitation of Talbiyah marks the
beginning of Hajj, which is a delicate situation, for, it is narrated
that when the 4 th Imam Zain ul-Abideen (A.S.) wore the Ihraam, and
mounted his ride, hiscolor turned pale and his whole body trembling,
and he could not recite the Talbiyah. When askedwhy he did not recite
theTalbiyah, the Imam replied: I fear that the Almighty may answer
with "Laa labbaik wa laa sa'daik" (your response isrejected!). When
the Imam did finally recite the Talbiyah, he fainted and fell from his
mount on to the ground. He wasbrought back to consciousness and
mounted the animal again. This occurred often till he finished the
Hajj.
When one hears people reciting the Talbiyah, oneshould realize that it
is the response to the Almighty's call in the Qur'an: "And proclaim
among men the Pilgrimage: they will come to you on foot and on every
lean camel, coming from every remote path" (Sura al-Hajj, 22:27); and
from this call one should remember the Blowing of the Trumpet when all
people will issue forth from their graves towards the place of
Judgment on the Day of Qiyaamah.
When one enters Makkahhe should remember thathe has entered a holy
place wherein everyone is afforded peace and security, and the hope
that thereby he will be saved from Eternal punishment. He should be
concerned about his salvation and forgiveness. Of course, at all times
he should hope for forgiveness, as indeed, the House is a dignified
place, the Absolute Owner is Infinitely Generous, His Mercy is
All-encompassing and He does treat his guests in a most befitting
manner.
In the majestic House of God, one should imagine beholding the Owner,
and hope that as he has been successful in seeing the House, he will
also besuccessful in meeting the Almighty, and he should thank Him for
granting him such a wonderful opportunity.
When circumambulating (Tawaaf) one should fill one's mind with
respect, love, hope and fear, and know that making Tawaaf makes him
like Malaaika-e-Muqarrabeen who continuously make Tawaaf around the
Great Throne (A'rsh-e-Aazam). He should realize that thegeneral
purpose of Tawaaf is the circumambulation of the heart with the
remembrance of the Lordof the House. This may bethe hint thrown by the
hadeeth that Bait-ul-Ma'moor is the House in Heaven similar to Kaa'ba
on earth, around which the angels move similar to man's
circumambulation on earth.
Kissing the Hajar al-Aswad represents kissing God's hand on earth. The
people's covenant are recorded on it, for, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)
is reported to have said that the Hajar al-Aswad isGod's hand amongst
the creation for the pilgrim to shake hands with Him just as the
servant shakesthat of his master. And the 6 th Imam Jafar as-Sadiq
(A.S.) has said:"when the Almighty took oaths from his creatures, he
ordered the Hajar al-Aswad to take it down on earth", and, thus, we
say near it: "Amaanatee addaituha wa meethaaqee ta-a'hhadtuhu" i.e., I
have fulfilled my promiseand oath so that the Hajar al-Aswad may bear
witness to it.
And he is reported to have said, "Rukn-e-Yamanee is one of the doors
of Heaven which has not been shut from the time it was first opened."
The purpose of kissing and hugging on to the cloth of Kaa'ba or any of
its part should be to gain proximity to the almightyby loving His
House and hoping for salvation of one's body from the Hellfire, just
as a wrong-doer clings to the cloth ofa King seeking mercy
andforgiveness.
The sayee (The act of walking between the two hills - Safaa and
Marwah.) resembles a place in a King's court and uncertainty of the
Pilgrim of what the King will decree for him. And while traversing
between the two hills he should remember his running between the two
scales of deeds on the Day of Judgment.
When one reaches Arafahand sees the large crowd of people with
different languages each supplicating and beggingin his own tongue and
each carrying out duties according to his leader's instruction and
guidance,he should remember the Day of Reckoning and its fearful
atmosphere with all people lost here and there, every group underits
own leader and prophet. When these thoughts predominate, one should
raise hands insupplication and pray with all sincerity to God to
accept his Hajj and that he may be resurrected in the company of the
virtuous ones. Apparently the 12 th Imam Muhammad Al-Mahdi (A.S.) is
also present there; thus, it is not unlikely that due to the presence
of these pure souls mercy is showered on all present! Thus, there is a
hadeeth: "The worst sin is that of aman who reaches Arafah and still
feels that God has not forgiven him!"
When one returns from Arafah to Makkah and re-enters the Haram, he
should consider it as a good omen that God has accepted him by
allowinghim to enter the Haram and that He has welcomed him to His
proximity and has granted him protection from Hellfire.
When one reaches Mina for Ramy-e-Jamrah (throwing pebbles at Jamrah),
his intention should be obedience to God's commands; in such a state
he should follow the example set by the prophet Ibrahim (A.S.) when
Satan appeared before him at this place and the Almighty orderedhim to
throw pebbles at Satan i.e. one should intend throwing pebbles at
Satan.
The slaughtering of the sacrificial animal is the supreme indication
of overcoming Satan and his evil-commanding-self,and thereby freedom
from Hellfire. Thus at thatmoment he should endeavor to repent of and
refrain from bad deeds.
There is a hadeeth, whichsays "The sign of acceptance of Hajj is that
the person's condition after Hajj should be BETTER than before Hajj".
Another hadeeth says"The sign of acceptance of Hajj is refraining from
all sins previously committed and changing bad friends to good ones
and changing gatheringsfor vain purposes to gatherings for the
remembrance of God."

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Abdullah ibn Umar - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

At Shaykhan, halfway between Madinah and Uhud, the thousand strong
Muslim army led by the Prophet stopped. The sun had begun to sink
beneath the horizon. The Prophet dismounted from his horse Sakb. He
was fully dressed for battle. A turban was wound about his helmet. He
wore a breastplate beneath which was a coat of mail which was fastened
with a leather sword belt. A shield was slung across his back and his
sword hung from his side.
As the sun set, Bilal called the adhan and they prayed. The Prophet
then reviewed his troops once more and it was then that he noticed in
their midst the presence of eight boyswho despite their age were
hoping to take part in the battle.Among them were Zayd's son Usamah
and Umar's son Abdullah, both only thirteen years old. The Prophet
ordered them all to return home immediately. Two of the boys however
demonstrated that they were able fighters and were allowed to
accompany the army to the Battle of Uhud whilethe others were sent
back to their families.
From an early age, Abdullah ibn Umar thus demonstrated his keenness to
be associated with the Prophet in all his undertakings. He had
accepted Islam before he was ten years old and had made the Hijrah
with his father and his sister, Hafsah, who was later to become a wife
of the Prophet. Before Uhud he was also turned away from the Battle of
Badr and it was not until the Battle ofthe Ditch the he and Usamah,
both now fifteen years old and others of their age were allowedto join
the ranks of the men not only for the digging of the trench but for
the battle when itcame.
From the time of his hijrah till the time of his death more than
seventy years later, Abdullah ibn Umar distinguished himself in the
service of Islam and was regarded among Muslims as"the Good One, son
of the Good One", according to Abu Musa al-Ashari. He was known for
his knowledge, his humility, his generosity, his piety, his
truthfulness, his incorruptibility and his constancy in acts of
ibadah.
From his great and illustrious father, Umar, he learnt a great deal
and both he and his father had the benefit of learning from the
greatest teacher of all, Muhammad the Messenger of God. Abdullah would
observe and scrutinize closely every saying and action of the
Prophetin various situations and he would practise what he observed
closely and with devotion. For example, if Abdullah saw the Prophet
performing Salat in a particular place, he would later pray in the
same place. If he saw the Prophet making a supplication while
standing, he would also make a dua while standing. If hesaw him making
a dua while sitting, he would do the same. On a journey if he saw the
Prophet descend from his camel at a particular place and pray two
rakats, and he had occasion to pass on the same route, he would stop
at the same place and pray two rakats. In a particular place in
Makkah, he once observed the Prophet's camel making two complete turns
before he dismounted andprayed two rakats. It might be that the camel
did that involuntarily but Abdullah ibn Umar when he happened to be in
the same place at another time, made his camel complete two turns
before making it kneel and dismounting. He then prayed two rakats in
precisely the same manner as he had seenthe Prophet do.
Aishah, may God be pleased withher, noticed this devotion of Abdullah
to the Prophet and remarked: "There was no one who followed the
footsteps of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, in
the places where he alighted as did Ibn Umar."
In spite of his close observance of the Prophet's actions, Abdullah
was extremely cautious, even afraid, of reporting the sayings of the
Prophet. He would only relate a hadith if he was completely surethat
he remembered every wordof it. One of his contemporaries said:
"Among the companions of the Prophet, no one was more cautious about
adding to or subtracting from the hadith of the Prophet than Abdullah
ibn Umar."
Similarly he was extremely cautious and reluctant to make legal
judgments (fatwas).' Once someone came to him asking fora judgment on
a particular matter and Abdullah ibn Umar replied: "I have no
knowledge ofwhat you ask." The man went on his way and Abdullah
clappedhis hands in glee and said to himself: "The son of Umar was
asked about what he does not know and he said: I do not know."
Because of this attitude he was reluctant to be a qadi even though he
was well qualified to be one. The position of qadi wasone of the most
important and esteemed offices in the Muslim society and state
bringing with it honor, glory and even riches but he declined this
position when it was offered him by the Khalifah Uthman. His reason
for so doing was not that he underestimated the importance of the
position of qadi but because of his fear of committing errors of
judgment in matters pertaining to Islam. Uthman made him agree not to
disclose his decision lest it might influence the many other
companions of the Prophet who actually performed the duties of judges
and juris consults.
Abdullah ibn Umar was once described as the "brother of the night." He
would stay up at night performing Salat, weepingand seeking God's
forgiveness and reading Quran. To his sister, Hafsah, the Prophet once
said:"What a blessed man is Abdullah. Should he perform Salat at night
he would be blessed even more."
From that day, Abdullah did not abandon qiyam alLayl whether at home
or on journeys. In the stillness of the nights, he would remember God
much, perform Salat and read the Quran and weep. Like his father,
tears camereadily to his eyes especially when he heard the warning
verses of the Quran. Ubayd ibn Umayr has related that one day he read
these verses to Abdullahibn Umar:
"How then (will the sinners fare on Judgment Day) when We shall bring
forward witnesses from within every community and bring you (O
Prophet) as witness against them? Those who were bent on denying the
truth and paid no heed to the Apostle will on that Day wish that the
earth would swallow them but they shall not (be able to) conceal from
God anything that has happened." (Surah an-Nisa, 4:41-42).
Abdullah cried on listening to these verses until his beard was moist
with tears. One day, he was sitting among some close friends and he
read: "Woe unto those who give short measure, those who, when they are
to receive their due from people, demand that it be given in full but
when they have to measure or weigh whatever they owe to others, give
less than what is due. Do they not know that they are bound to be
raised from the dead (and called to account) on an awesome Day, the
Day when all men shall stand before the Sustainer of all the worlds?"
(The Quran, Surah al Mutaffifin, 83: 1-6). At this point he kept on
repeating "the Day when all menshall stand before the Sustainer of all
the worlds" over and over again and weeping until he was faint.
Piety, simplicity and generosity combined in Abdullah to make him a
person who was highly esteemed by the companions and those who came
after them.He gave generously and did not mind parting with wealth
even ifhe himself would fall in want as a result. He was a successful
andtrustworthy trader throughout his life. In addition to this he had
a generous stipend from theBayt al-Mal which he would often spend on
the poor and those in need. Ayyub ibn Wail ar-Rasi recounted one
incident of his generosity:
One day Umar received four thousand dirhams and a velvet blanket. The
following day Ayyubsaw him in the suq buying fodder for his camel on
credit. Ayyub then went to Abdullah's family and asked:
"Didn't Abu Abdur-Rahman (meaning Abdullah ibn Umar) get four thousand
dirhams and a blanket yesterday?" "Yes, indeed," they replied.
"But I saw him today in the suq buying fodder for his camel and he had
no money to pay for it.""Before nightfall yesterday he had parted with
it all. Then he took the blanket and threw it over his shoulder and
went out. When he returned it was not with him. We asked him about
itand he said that he had given it to a poor person," they explained.
Abdullah ibn Umar encouraged the feeding and the helping of the poor
and the needy. Often when he ate, there were orphans and poor people
eating with him. He rebuked his children for treating the rich
andignoring the poor. He once said to them: "You invite the rich
andforsake the poor."
For Abdullah, wealth was a servant not a master. It was a means
towards attaining the necessities of life, not for acquiring luxuries.
He was helped in this attitude by his asceticism and simple
life-style. One of his friends who came from Khurasan once brought him
a fine elegant piece of clothing:
"I have brought this thawb for you from Khurasan," he said. "It would
certainly bring coolness to your eyes. I suggest that you take off
these coarse clothes youhave and put on this beautiful thawb."
"Show it to me then," said Abdullah and on touching it he asked: "Is
it silk?" "No, it is cotton," replied his friend.
For a little while, Abdullah was pleased. Then with his right hand he
pushed away the thawband said: "No! I am afraid for myself. I fear
that it shall make arrogant and boastful. And God does not love the
arrogant boaster."
Maymun ibn Mahran relates the following: "I entered the house of Ibn
Umar. I estimated everything in his house includinghis bed, his
blanket, his carpet and everything else in it. What I found was not a
hundred dirhams' worth."
That was not because Abdullah ibn Umar was poor. Indeed he was rich.
Neither was it because he was a miser for indeed he was generous and
liberal.

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The Woman as HumanBeing and Equal to Man

Islam was revealed at a time when a lot of people denied the humanity
of the woman;some were skeptical about it; and still others admitted
it, yet considered the woman athing created for the humble service of
the man.
With the advent of Islam,circumstances improved for the woman. The
woman's dignity and humanity were restored.Islam confirmed her
capacity to carry out Allah's commands, her responsibilities and
observation of the commands that lead to heaven.
Islam considered the woman as a worthy human being, with a share in
humanity equal to that of the man. Their single origin, their general
human traits, their responsibility for the observation of religious
duties with the consequent reward or punishment, and the unity of
their destiny all bear witness to their equality from the Islamicpoint
of view. This fact isestablished in the Noble Qur'an.
" O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single
person (Adam) and from him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from
them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom
you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the
wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you." The
Holy Qur'an, Chapter 4, Verse 1
As is stated in another verse:
" It is He Who has created you from a single person (Adam), and (then)
He has created from him his wife (Eve), in order that he might enjoy
the pleasure of living with her." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 7,Verse 189
The Qur'an, on its part, treats this issue of equality among men
andwomen from more than one perspective.
On the purely religious level
"Verily, the Muslims (those who submit to Allah in Islam) men and
women,the believers men and women (who believe in Islamic
Monotheism),the men and the women who areobedient (to Allah), the men
and women who are truthful (in their speech and deeds), the men and
the women who are patient (in performing all the dutieswhich Allah has
ordered and in abstaining from all that Allah has forbidden), the men
andthe women who are humble (before their Lord Allah),the men and the
women who give Sadaqat, (i.e. Zakat, and alms, etc.),the men and the
women who fast (the obligatory fasting during the month of Ramadan and
the optional Nawafil fasting),the men and women who guard
theirchastity (from illegal sexual acts) and the menand women who
remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues (while sitting,
standing, lying, etc.) Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a
great reward (i.e. Paradise)." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 33, Verse35
On the basic social and religious responsibilities
The Qur'an establishes equality by maintaining
"The believers, men and women, are "Awliy," (helpers, supporters,
friends, protectors) of one another, they enjoin(on the people)
Al-Ma`ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to
do);and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief
of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden); they offer their
prayers perfectly (lqamat-as-Salat), and give the Zakat and obey Allah
and His Messenger. Allah will have mercy on them." The Holy Qur'an,
Chapter 9, Verse 71
In Adam's story, Divine Orders were made to him and his wife, both and equally:
"O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the Paradise and eat both ofyou
freely with pleasure and delight of things therein as wherever you
will, but come not near this tree or you both willbe of the Zalim'n
(wrongdoers)." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 2, Verse 35
What is new, however, about this story as given by the Qur'an is that
the temptation is blamed not on Eve but on Satan.
"Then the Satan made them slip there from (theParadise), and got them
out from that in which they were." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 236
The reverse of The Old Testament versions. ThusEve was neither the
sole eater from the tree, nor the one who initiated the act. Rather,
the mistake was theirs both, and both of them repented and asked for
forgiveness:
"They said, "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us
not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall be losers." The Holy
Qur'an, Chapter 7, Verse 23
Further still, some verses ascribe the trespass to Adam:
"And indeed We made a covenant with Adam before, but he forgot, and We
found on his part no firm will-power". Then Satan whispered to him
saying, "O Adam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of Eternity and to a
kingdom that will never waste away?" Thus did Adam disobey his Lord,
so he went astray." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 20, Verse 115, 120 and
121
Equality of punishment and reward and eligibility for Paradise
The Almighty says: "That was a nation who has passed away. They shall
receive the reward of what they earned and you of what you earn. And
you will not be asked of what they used to do." The Holy Qur'an,
Chapter 2, Verse 134 and 141.
Concerning the equality of men and women in receiving rewards and the
entry of paradise, God says:
"So their Lord accepted of them (their supplication and answered
them), "Never will I allow to be lost the work of any of you, be he
male or female." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 3, Verse 195
"And Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he(or
she) is a true believer(of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will
give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful
provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to
the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)."
The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 16, Verse 97
Financial matters
The rule of Islam abolished the conventions prevalent among many
nations which deprived the woman of the right of ownership,
inheritance, and those which createdobstacles against her exercise of
free and full control of her holdings. As a rule, Islam acknowledges
the woman's rights to all kinds of ownership, spending and channeling
of her money. It gives her the rights of inheritance, selling, buying,
renting, donating, lending, allocating property for religious and
charitable purposes, giving alms, legal transfer and mortgage, as well
as many other forms of contracts and actions.
Right to seek education
The woman's right to seek education or learning is basic and is also
guaranteed by Islamic teachings. Islam actually makes it incumbent on
the woman to seek knowledge; the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon
him) says, `seekingknowledge is incumbenton every Muslim," where"every
Muslim" obviouslyinvolves men and women on an equal footing as a rule
formalised by all authorities of jurisprudence.
Right to perform religious ordinances
The woman is also required to perform religious ordinances andforms of
worship the way the man is. Praying, fasting, Zakat (the alms
sanctifying tax), pilgrimage and all the other fundamental practices
in Islam are required of Muslims in their capacity, both men and
women, as responsible humans. Again the woman's actions are
recompensedby Allah the way the man's actions are.
Social activity
The woman is not excluded from the area of social activity; Allah says:
"The believers, men and women, are "Awliy," (helpers, supporters,
friends, protectors) of one another, they enjoin(on the people)
Al-Ma`ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to
do); and forbid (people) fromAl-Munkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief
of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden)." The Holy Qur�an,
Chapter9, Verse 71.
For instance, she can give refuge for those who seek it. If she hosts
a refugee, her action is to be respected and observed. This rule
relates back to Um Hanibint Abi Talib's giving relief to a father
in-law on the day of the Conquest of Mecca by Muslims. When her
brother wanted to kill him because he was an infidel, she complained
to Allah's Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) saying,"Allah's
Messenger, my mother's son insists on killing my refugee, Ibn Hubayra.
"The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) replied, "We confer
asylum on him that you give refuge to, Um Hani".

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The reason for the existence of the honourable scribes even though Allaah knows all things

What is the reason for the existence of the honourable scribes even
though Allaah knows all things?.
Praise be to Allaah.
We say concerning such matters: we may or may not understand the
wisdom behind it, because we do not know the wisdom behind many
things, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And they ask you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) concerning the Rooh
(the spirit). Say: 'The Rooh (the spirit) is one of the things, the
knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you
(mankind) have been given only a little'"
[al-Isra' 17:85].
With regard to these creatures, if someone were to ask us: what is the
reason behind Allaahmaking the camel in this manner, and making
thehorse in this manner, and making the donkey in this manner, and
making the human in this manner? and so on, if he were to ask us about
the reason or wisdom behind these things, we would not know. If we
were to be asked: what is the reason why Allaah has made Zuhr prayer
four rak'ahs, and 'Asr prayer four, and Maghrib three,and 'Isha' four,
and so on? We would not be able to know the wisdom behind that.
Thus we know that with regard many matters, both in the universe andin
terms of sharee'ah, the wisdom behind them is hidden from us. As that
is the case, we say: if we manage to understand the wisdom behind some
things in creation or in sharee'ah, if Allaah blesses us by enabling
us to understand it, that is additional virtue, goodness and
knowledge. If we do notunderstand that, that is not going to harm us
in any way.
Now let us go back to the question, which is what is the reason why
Allaah has appointed honourable scribes to record what we do?
The wisdom behind that is to show that Allaah has organised and
measured all things in the most perfect manner, to such an extent that
He has appointed honourable scribes to record the actions and words of
thesons of Adam; they are enjoined to watch over them and write down
allthat they do, even though He knows what they are going to do before
they do it. But this is a manifestation ofthe perfection of
Allaah'scare for man and His complete protection, and it shows that
this universe is organised in the best possible manner, and Allaah is
All Knowing, Most Wise. AndAllaah knows best.