Santa Banta visited Gandhi Stadium

Santa and Banta visit Gandhi Indian Stadium.
Santa: Why are all these people running?
Banta: This is a race, the winner will get the cup.
Santa: If only winner willget the cup, why are others running?

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WHAT IS HAJJ?

The pilgrimage (Hajj) is
1) One of the most important pillars of Islam.
2) A principal means of obtaining proximity to the Almighty.
3) One of the most difficult physical forms ofworship.
4) So, vital that one who does not perform Hajj will be barred from Heaven.
The main aim of human creation is to recognize God and attain a stage
of acquaintance and love for Him and this depends on the purity and
loftiness of the human soul. i.e. The purer the soul becomes the more
love will it have for the Almighty.
This stage of love can be attained by abstaining from desires and
refraining from worldly pleasures and distractions, and by exerting
oneself in the rigorous self-training activities for the sake of God,
and, remembering him continuously. For thispurpose the Almighty
haslegislated certain forms of worship (Ibadat).
a) Those involving the expenditure of wealth for His sake e.g. Zakaat
and Khums which serve to sever the deep attachments to worldly
possessions.
b) Those involving abstinence from desires and pleasures e.g. fasting.
c) Those related to His remembrance and diverting total attention
towards Him e.g. Salat/Namaaz.
But Hajj involves all theseand more, such as,
i) Leaving one's hometown.
ii) Physical exertion.
iii) Expenditure of wealth.
iv) Renewal of the covenant with God.
v) Circumambulation (Tawaaf).
vi) Supplication (Dua).
vii) Prayers (Salat/Namaaz).
And others like throwing pebbles, running between Safaa and Marwah etc.
Those who wonder at these actions do not realize that when we do not
know the hidden meanings and reason of certain commands, we manifest
more complete obedience and total submission to the Absolute Master in
carrying out those orders. Those actions whose secrets we have been
successful in understanding, our soul, besides obeying the Master's
commands, is also inclined and pleased in performing them. Thus, it is
only for Hajj that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) is reported to have said,
"O Almighty, I have responded to your call for Hajj with complete
submission andhumility."
Furthermore, the Hajj constitutes the congregation of people from all
parts of the world, in the place whererevelation was repeatedly sent
down to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.),where the beloved (Khaleel) of God
resided, where angles used to descend every now and then. In fact, it
is the holyplace, which has been the abode of the majorityof the
Prophets.
Here the leader of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) wasborn, his holy feet
walked; and the Almightyhas chosen it for His house so that people
should pray towards it. He has sanctified its surroundings and has
kept Arafah in the beginning of the Holy Land. He has prohibited
hurting animals and uprooting vegetation there in as a mark of respect
to the holiness of the land. He has designedit to be like the throne
of Kings so that visitors from far off lands, disheveled and dusty,
should remain there in humility to the Absolute Monarch realizing the
fact that He is above all needs of time and space. While such a
congregation leads to new acquaintances, meeting with virtuous
personalities and stimulates quicker response to supplications(Dua),
it invariably reminds of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) and his efforts at
spreading the Word of God. In this way one attains purity of the soul.
The intention for Hajj
1. The intention (Niyyah) must be pure and sincerefor the sake of God
only, but not for any other worldly motives, such as,
1) Showing off (Riyaa).
2) Avoiding rebukes for not performing Hajj.
3) Fear of poverty for it isknown that one who does not perform Hajj
is afflicted with poverty.
4) Business prospects, etc.
All these other motives destroy the sincerity (Ikhlaas) of the deeds
and deprive one of the promised rewards. It is foolish to undertake
all this rigor and expense only to end up in Damnation because the
motive was adulterated.
2. One should sincerely repent of past sins and clear all the dues,
(Huquq-un-Naas), and cleanse himself of all distractions so that the
mind is easily turned towards God. One should write his will and
prepare for the journey to the Hereafter as he leaves his house,
relatives, friends, and possessions behind.
3. One should remember the majesty of the House and the Absolute
Owner, and that one has chosen to leave family, friends, and
possessions for the lofty and noble purpose of visiting a House,
whichthe Almighty has designed as a sanctuary for all people. Hence
this journey differs from all other worldly journeys. The pilgrim is
one of those who have responded willingly to the invitation made by
the Almighty's messenger.
4. The pilgrim should freehimself of all matters, which tend to worry
him so his total attention is towards the Almighty.
5. Any financial loss or physical affliction in this journey should be
greeted happily, for, it is a sign of acceptance of Hajj.
6. The Pilgrim should ensure his earnings are acquired through lawful
means and he should be liberal in expenditure, not extravagant
(Israaf) though. But spending forthe needy and deserving is not
extravagance as it has been reported that there is no goodness in
extravagance and no extravagance in goodness!
7. He should behave courteously towards his fellow travelers, smiling
and talking gently with them, avoiding harsh words, abuses or vain
talk. He should be humble to the other guests of the Almighty.
Magnanimity does not only mean not to hurt others but also to
endurewhen others hurt.
8. He should be disheveled and dusty, avoid cosmetics or any cause of
pride and beauty, and if possible, travel on foot, especially from
Makkah to Mina, Masher and Arafah, not as a means to avoid
extraexpenses (in which case, transport is better!) rather for
exerting oneself for the sake of God, except if it affects other
worship (Ibadat) orsupplication (Dua).

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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