Hajj & Umrah, - ‘Arafaat

Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And proclaim to the people the Hajj ]pilgrimage[; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass -that they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the Name of Allaah on known days over what He has provided for them of ]sacrificial[ animals. So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor. Then let them end their untidiness and fulfill their vows and perform Tawaaf ]circumambulation[ around the ancient House."{]Quran 22: 27-29[
It is there that the cover is removed and the gates to the heavens are opened. Thus, pilgrims head towards Allaah with hearts free from the darkness of desires and lusts and shining with light so that they are elevated; so they see the earth and those who are on it like a small atom carried by the power of Allaah. They are then elevated till they hear the angels glorifying Allaah with the tongues of obedience. Then, they are elevated till they reflect upon the Quran gently, as if it were revealed by inspiration just yesterday and heard the call from the near Al-Quds )Jerusalem( )which means(:}O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allaah is the most righteous of you.{]Quran 49:13[ So, they replied, “Labbayk, Allaahumma labbayk! )O Allaah, I hasten to You(.” Then, the valleys of ‘Arafaat, the corners of the Sacred House, the seven heavens and the seven earths all repeated, “Labbayk, Allaahumma labbayk!”
It is there that humanity breathes after having being throttled by smoke, borders and the notion of master and slave. It is revived in ‘Arafaat where there is no old or young, great or mean, servant or prince or rich or poor.
It is there that the supreme values which were not known by the West, except in the heads of philosophers and in books, are achieved. Thus, evil and grudges are removed, equality spreads, peace prevails and people gather in spite of the difference in their languages and colors in the same place wearing the same clothes, addressing the same Lord, believing in the same Prophet, embracing the same religion and shouting with the same tongue, “Labbayk, Allaahumma labbayk!”
There appears this everlasting miracle. The earth is folded from its sides to be put as a whole into ‘Arafaat. Then, the two shores of Africa meet with the coast of Asia, the cities of Europe with the huts of Sudan, the River Nile with the River King and the Mountains of Taurus with the Blue Mountains. Therefore, the Muslim knows that his homeland is broader than being limited on earth by mountains or rivers, divided by colors on maps or separated politically by some pieces of cloth or flags that differ from other flags.
This is because the homeland of the Muslim is in the Quran, not in dust or stone, lakes or rivers, or mountains or seas. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}The believers are but brothers{}Quran 49:10[ not “the Egyptians”, “the people of Shaam” nor “the Iraqis”, but the believers.
It is there that brothers visit each other. The strong helps the weak, the rich gives to the poor; and the honorable supports the humiliated so that they do not leave Hajj until they too are strong, rich and honorable.
It is there that the Muslim remembers how the Master of Humanity, passed through these valleys emigrating to Allaah, leaving the country where he was raised and his people among whom he grew up, till he stood on the limit, looked at Makkah and said:"You are the most beloved land to Allaah and the most beloved land to me. Had your people not caused me to leave, I would have not left you."He proceeded in this vast desert having nothing but a faithful friend with him. He looked backwards every now and then to have a look at Makkah till it disappeared from their sight, and then they headed towards the cave.
Did these valleys know that this single man would stand alone to face the whole world and defeat its falsehood with the strength of truth, face it with the light of Islam and guide it with the guidance of the Quran? He left Makkah secretly, and he would return with ten thousand heroes, and thus Makkah would open for him its doors and its masters would fall at his feet. The Peninsula was insolent to him; later, half the world adopted his religion.
Did these valleys know that those people who escaped from the authority and oppression of the Quraysh would rise until the Quraysh adopted their religion, and rise until they succeeded Chosroes and Caesar in their lands, and then rise until they inherited the earth and what is upon it, and that they would increase till they numbered four-hundred million and spread on the earth calling to Allaah, fighting in His cause and conquering lands, and then gather in ‘Arafaat performing Hajj, returning to Allaah and reciting the Talbiyah, "O Allaah, I hasten to You!"
There stood the master of the worldin the Farewell Hajj declaring human rights, establishing the principles of peace and spreading brotherhood, justice and equality among people a thousand years before France published its own:
"O people, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again.
O people, just as you regard this month, this day, and this city as sacred, then regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust.
Be my witness, O Allaah, that I have conveyed Your message!
O people, learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood.
Nothing shall be lawful to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it is given freely and willingly.
Be my witness, O Allaah, that I have conveyed Your message!
O people, your Lord is one and your father is one. Your father is Aadam and Aadam was created from dust. The most noble of you in the sight of Allaah is the most pious of you. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab except by piety.
Be my witness, O Allaah, that I have conveyed Your message!"
There, hestood declaring the end of the great message by which Allaah sent him to all people and reciting the verse in which Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.{]Quran 5:3[ He sent his Companions to bear this message all over the earth and till the end of time. They bore it and therefore they established with it this civilization which shaded the whole east and the west.
In ‘Arafaat, the greatness of Islam appears; it is the religion of freedom, equality, knowledge and civilization. From ‘Arafaat, Muslims hear the caller to Allaah calling, "Hayya ‘ala as-Salaah )come to prayer( Hayya ‘ala al-Falaah )come to success(." Therefore, they answer, "Labbayk, Allaahumma labbayk!" They work for the Hereafter as if they will die tomorrow and work for this life as if they will live forever.
Let the earth be corrupt, evil spread, iron and gunpowder explode and the world sink in a sea of vice. There is no fear for virtue, truth or peace as long as ‘Arafaat is on the earth and as long as this sacred voice exists repeating, "Labbayk, Allaahumma labbayk!"

Hajj & Umrah, - thoughts

O ‘Arafah! O symbol of the Muslim nation, many are the crowds that stood on your grounds; many are the tears that were shed on your sands; many are the people that got acquainted on your lands; many are the races that blended within your borders; many are the humble whose supplications were answered; and many are the tyrants who were rejected. How many hearts have embraced here, how many grievances were relieved here, and how many sins were forgiven? The tears of sinners mixed with your sand, and the voices seeking forgiveness embraced in your space. Wishes and intentions are sincere for the sake of Allaah, and the dwellers of the earth surrendered to the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
O Muslims, your enemies’ hearts are boiling with hatred! They bite their fingertips at you in rage and envy! Allaah Almighty Says )what means(:}Neither those who disbelieve from the People of the Scripture nor the polytheists wish that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord. But Allaah selects for His mercy whom He wills, and Allaah is the possessor of great bounty.{]Quran 2:105[ They wish to eliminate religion so that people would follow their passion, ruin would spread everywhere and no religion would be honored, no certitude would be strong and no succession in the land would be established.
How did our violence among ourselves become so severe, and our hope to return to the pure source of goodness become so weak?
Dear loved ones! The One who Has Commanded you to recite Talbiyah so you did, to perform Hajj so you did, and to stand here )on ‘Arafah( so you did, is the same One who Says )what means(:}And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war…{]Quran 8:60[, and arm yourselves with piety, for whoever wishes to attain wealth without money and honor without a high status and veneration without sovereignty, should fear Allaah.
Allaah Almighty inevitably humiliates those who disobey Him.
Remember well the advice of your Prophet one thousand four hundred years ago on the Day of Sacrifice in Mina, declaring, advising and warning:
Verily! Your blood, property and honor are sacred to one another )i.e. Muslims( like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours and in this city of yours. It is incumbent upon those who are present to inform those who are absent because those who are absent might comprehend )what I have said( better than the present audience. Do not return to disbelief after me, striking each other’s necks."]Al-Bukhaari[
Remember this advice well, and note that the nation which indulges in disobedience and deviates from the path of Allaah will surely collapse. Contemplate the advice of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah Be Pleased with him, to Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqaas – the champion of the Battle of Al-Qaadisiyyah and the one who received glad tidings of Paradise – when Sa‘d was going to the battle:
O Sa‘d! Do not deceive yourself into thinking that you hold a sublime position with Allaah because it is said that you are the maternal uncle of the Messenger of Allaah and his companion; for Allaah Almighty Does not erase the bad deed with its parallel, but He Erases the bad deed with the good one. O Sa‘d! There is no lineage between Allaah and His servants except obedience to Him. All the people, whether noble or humble, are equal in the sight of Allaah. They are His slaves and He is their Lord. They take precedence according to piety, and they attain His favors through obedience to Him.
So, let your hearts be thoughtful in dealing with the believers, and be wild beasts in dealing with the enemies of your religion.
Dear loved ones! Have you forgotten the anger of your Prophet when he vowed that the Jews would not spend one more night in Al-Madeenah, and he fulfilled his vow? Have you forgotten the anger of the calm and gentle Abu Bakr, may Allaah Be Pleased with him, when he roared, saying: “I swear by Allaah, if they withhold from me a rope which they used to pay to the Messenger of Allaah, I would surely fight them for it.”
Have you forgotten the anger of Noor Ad-Deen when Al-Aqsa fell into the hands of the Crusaders. He remained sad, and when he was asked: “Why do you not smile?” He replied: “I am ashamed in front of Allaah to smile whilst Al-Aqsa is captured by the enemy!”
Now, O loved ones, when are we going to be moved by the burned copies of the Quran, the destroyed mosques, the violated honor, innocent children trampled on, and tears flowing in Jerusalem, Kashmir, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eritrea, Somalia and other places?
We need a serious nation in word and deed; a nation which speaks, keeps peace, fights, and takes decisions according to sound knowledge; a nation which is neither frivolous nor heedless. Yahya ibn Mu‘aath, may the Mercy of Allaah be upon him, said:
The hearts are like pots boiling with what exists in the chests, and the tongues are their scoops. Wait till a man speaks, then his tongue will inform you about what is in his heart, whether it is sweet, sour, fresh or salty, his tongue will tell you about the taste of his heart.
‘Adi ibn Haatim At-Taa’isaid:
We came to ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah Be Pleased with him, in a delegation )during his caliphate(. He started calling the men one by one, calling each by his name. )As he did not call me early( I said to him. "Do you not know me, O Commander of the Believers?" He said, "Yes, you embraced Islam when they )i.e. your people( disbelieved; you have come )to the Truth( when they ran away; you fulfilled your promises when they broke theirs; and you recognized it )i.e. the Truth of Islam( when they denied it."
On that, ‘Adi said, "Then I do not care )meaning if Allaah has blessed me with these virtues, then I do not care no matter what happens afterwards(.” ]Al-Bukhaari[ This is his source of pride, his capital and the basis of his personality.
Such perception is not perceivable to those who are heavily attached to the earth where all their ambitions exist, fearing only for their money, desires, comfort and interests.

Welcome to Islam, - The world of Islam

A fifth of humankind follows Islam, the fastest growing and perhaps most misunderstood religion on earth. Faced with a secular modern world, Muslims are turning anew to the roots of their faith.
Borne aloft five times a day, fromShanghaitoChicago,JakartatoTimbuktu, Islam's call to prayer stirs the soul of devout Muslims everywhere. Whether cast from metal loudspeakers over teeming city streets or lifted as the murmured song of camel drivers kneeling in the sand, it begins with the same Arabic phrase Muslims have used for nearly 1400 years, Islam's melodic paean to the Creator: "Allaahu Akbar -- God is Great."
Some 1.3 billion human beings -- one person in five -- heed Islam's call in the modern world, embracing the religion at a rate that makes it the fastest growing on Earth, with 80 percent of believers now outside the Arab world.
The term Islam, is an Arabic word meaning "submission to God," with its etymological roots firmly planted in "salaam", or peace.
Muslims revere all Prophets of God, including Moses and Jesus, may Allaah exalt their mention, and regard the books revealed to these prophets – Torah and Injeel -- as an integral part of their tradition. They disagree with Christians about the divinity of Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention, but honor him as an especially esteemed Messenger from God. The ultimate Messenger for Muslims is the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam )may Allaah exalt his mention(.
Born about 570 CE at Makkah, Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was an orphan raised by his grandfather and uncle. He grew up to be a modest and respected businessman who rejected the widespread polytheism of his day and turned to the One God.
At about age 40, Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, retreated to a cave in the mountains outside Makkah to meditate. There, he was visited by the archangel Gabriel, who began reciting to him the Word of God. Until his death 23 years later, Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, passed along these revelations to a growing band of followers, including many who wrote down the words or committed them to memory.
These verses became the Quran, or "recitation," the literal Word of God and confirmation of the real Jewish and Christian Scriptures.
The Quran consists of 114 chapters, and covers everything from the nature of God )Compassionate and Merciful( to laws governing the mundane affairs of men. Among its commands are )what mean(:"Do not usurp one another's property by unjust means"and"Do not kill anyone which God has forbidden."
The Quran is also a source of the pure Arabic language memorized by Muslim school children and recited by Muslim adults on every important occasion.
One of the five pillars of Islam, along with the two testimonies of faith )Shahaadah(, prayer )Salaah(, fasting the month of Ramadan )Sawm(, charity )Zakaah(, the pilgrimage )Hajj( is required of all who can manage it at least once in a lifetime.
By the time the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, passed away in 632 CE, Islam was established throughout the Arabian Peninsula, bringing peace and unity to the tribes for the first time in memory. Within a century of his death the armies of Islam, empowered by faith, had conquered a vast swathe of territory -- stretching fromIndiato the Atlantic coasts ofSpainandPortugal, including North Africa and theMiddle East.
This Islamic world built on the intellectual achievements of other civilizations, sponsoring an explosion of learning unparalleled until the Renaissance.
At a time when Europe was languishing in the early Middle Ages, Muslim scholars and thinkers were giving the world a great center of Islamic learning )Al-Azhar inCairo( and refining everything -- from architecture to the use of numbers. At the same time, seagoing Muslim traders were spreading the faith to southern Asia,Chinaand the east coast ofAfrica.
Flourishing by the end of the first millennium, the realm of Islam was tested as western Europe, spurred by its contact with the Islamic near East, awoke and lashed out, launching a series of armed Crusades to wrest Jerusalem from Muslim control.
Though fragmented and initially overcome, Muslims rallied to ultimately defeat the invading Christian armies, whose blood-soaked legacy -- the indiscriminate killing of thousands of innocent Muslim and Christian Arabs, and the Jews of Jerusalem -- lives on in the minds of people to this day.
As Europe rose to glory during the Renaissance and beyond, the Islamic world continued to thrive after the creation of theOttoman Empirein the late 1200s CE. This powerful state fell at the end of World War I, resulting in the subdivision of its mostly Muslim lands into the Middle Eastern countries we know today.
Although a few Muslim nations are wealthy from oil resources, most are poor and increasingly demoralized by their position in the world. Disaffected and disenfranchised, many people in these societies are turning to Islam to assert their identity and reclaim power over their own lives.
In addition many Muslims, especially in the Arab world, are angry at theUnited States’ continued support ofIsrael, the war and the economic sanctions against ‘Iraq, which are widely perceived to have hit the people of ‘Iraq-- who are fellow Muslims -- right between the eyes.
For most of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims, Islam is a way of life, a discipline based on looking at the world through the eyes of faith.
"Islam gave me something that was lacking in my life," says Jennifer Calvo of Washington, DC.
Calvo is 28 and looks as if she just stepped out of a painting by Botticelli, with aquiline features and striking blue eyes, set off by a white head scarf tucked neatly into her full-length robe. Calvo was raised Catholic and works as a registered nurse.
Two years ago, as people have done for 1,400 years, Jennifer became a Muslim by simply declaring the words: "Laa ilaaha illallaah, Muhammad Rasoolullaah” )There is none worthy of being worshipped except Allaah )God(, and Muhammad is His Messenger(."
"Everything is so much simpler now," she said. "It's just me and God. For the first time in my life I'm at peace."
For Calvo and most Muslims on Earth, that is what Islam's call to prayer represents. Kneeling to God five times a day, in unison, facing Makkah from wherever they happen to be, they find peace in an act of surrender.

Welcome to Islam, - Islam at a glance

Islam and Muslims:
The Arabic word "Islam" means peace, submission and obedience. The religion of Islam is the complete acceptance of the teachings and guidance of God as revealed to His Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam )may Allaah exalt his mention(.
A Muslim is one who believes in God and strives for the complete reorganization of his life according to (God’s revealed guidance and the sayings of His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam . He also works towards building human society on the same basis. "Muhammadanism" is a misnomer for Islam and offends its very spirit.
The word 'Allaah' is the proper name of God in Arabic. It is a unique term because it has no plural form or feminine gender.
Continuity of Message:
Islam is not a new religion. It is, in essence, the same message and guidance which Allaah revealed to all Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention. The Quran says )what means(: "Say: we believe in Allaah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael; Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in )the Books( given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord. We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allaah do we bow our will )in Islam(" ]Quran 3:84[.
The message, which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is Islam in its comprehensive, complete and final form.
The Five Pillars of Islam
There are five pillars of Islam:
1. The declaration of faith: To bear witness that: “There is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger ” to all human beings till the Day of Judgment. The Prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, obliges the Muslims to follow his exemplary life as a model.
2. Prayers: Daily prayers are offered five times a day as a duty towards Allaah. They strengthen and enliven the belief in Allaah and inspire man to a higher morality. They purify the heart and prevent temptation towards wrong doings and evils.
3. Fasting the month of Ramadan: The Muslims during the month of Ramadan not only abstain from food, drink and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset, but also from evil intentions and desires. It teaches love, sincerity, devotion and develops a sound social conscience, patience, unselfishness and willpower.
4. Zakaah: To pay annually 2.5 percent of one's net saving on which a year has passed, as a religious duty and purifying sum, to be spent on poorer sections of the community.
5. Pilgrimage to Makkah: It is to be performed once in a lifetime, if one can afford it financially and physically.
Besides these pillars, every action, which is done with the awareness that it fulfills the Will of Allaah, is also considered an act of worship.
Islam enjoins faith in the Oneness and Sovereignty of Allaah, which makes man aware of the purpose of the Universe and of his place in it. This belief frees him from all fears and superstitions, by making him conscious of the presence of Almighty Allaah and of his obligation towards Him. Faith alone is not enough. It must be expressed and tested in action, i.e., the "five pillars of Islam", which are the manifestations of faith. Belief in one God requires that we look upon all humanity as one family under the universal Omnipotence of God, the Creator and Nourisher of all. Islam rejects the idea of a chosen people, making faith in God and good actions as the only way to Heaven. Thus, a direct relationship is established with God, without any intercessor.
Man: The Free Agent:
Man is the highest creation of God. He is equipped with the highest of potentialities. He is left relatively free in his will, action and choice. God has shown him the right path, and the life of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, provides a perfect example. Man's success and salvation lies in following both. Islam teaches the sanctity of the human personality and confers equal rights upon all without any distinction of race, gender or color.
The law of God, enunciated in the Quran and exemplified in the life of the Prophet, is supreme in all cases. It applies equally to the highest and the lowest, the prince and the peasant, the ruler and the ruled.
Quran and Hadeeth:
The Quran is the last revealed word of God and the basic source of Islamic teachings and law. The Quran deals with the bases of creeds, morality, history of humanity, worship, knowledge, wisdom, the relationship between God and man, and human relationships in all aspects. The Holy Quran contains comprehensive teachings, which can be built into sound systems of social justice, economics, politics, legislation, jurisprudence, law and international relations.
Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, himself was unlettered, he could not read or write. Yet, the Holy Quran was committed to memory and writing by his followers under his supervision during his lifetime. The original and complete text of the Quran is available to everybody in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed. Translations of the meaning into many languages are widely used. The teachings, sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, )Ahadeeth( were meticulously reported and collected by his devoted companions, they explain and elaborate the Quranic verses.
Concept of Worship:
Islam does not teach or accept mere ritualism. It emphasizes intention and action. To worship God is to know Him and love Him, to act upon His law in every aspect of life, to enjoin goodness and forbid wrongdoing and oppression, to practice charity and justice and to serve Him by serving mankind.
The Quran presents this concept in the following sublime manner )which means(:"It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West, but it is righteousness to believe in Allaah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; and to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and give Zakaah, to fulfill the contracts which you have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain )or suffering( and adversity, and throughout all period of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing."]Quran 2:177[
Islamic Way of Life:
Islam provides definite guidelines for all peoples to follow in all walks of life. The guidance it gives is comprehensive and includes the social, economic, political, moral and spiritual aspects of life. The Quran reminds man of the purpose of his life on earth, of his duties and obligations towards himself, his kith and kin, his community, his fellow human beings and his Creator. Man is given fundamental guidelines about a purposeful life and then he is left with the challenge of human existence before him, so that he might put these high ideals into practice. In Islam, human life is a wholesome integrated unit and not a collection of fragmented competitive parts. The sacred and secular are not separate parts of man: they are united in the nature of being human.
Historical Perspective:
Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was born in the year 570 CE in the city ofMakkahinArabia. He came from a noble family; he received the first revelation at the age of forty. As soon as he started preaching Islam, he and his followers were persecuted and had to face severe hardships. Therefore, he was commanded by God to migrate to Al-Madeenah, another city inArabia. During a short span of 23 years, he completed his mission of prophethood and died at the age of 63. He led a perfect life and set an example for all human beings, as his life was the embodiment of the Quranic teachings.
Islam's Rational Appeal:
Islam in its clear and direct way of expressing truth has a tremendous amount of appeal for any seeker of knowledge. It is a solution for all the problems of life. It is a guide towards a better and complete life, glorifying in all its phases, God, the Almighty Creator and the Merciful Nourisher.
Islam - The Solution of Modern Problems:
The Brotherhood of Man: It is really a major irony that advanced nations can send men to the moon, but cannot stop them from hating and fighting their fellow man. Over the last 1400 years, Islam has shown in practice how racism can be ended. Every year, during Hajj, the Islamic miracle of real brotherhood of all races and nations can be seen in action.
The Family: The family, which is the basic unit of civilization, is disintegrating in all Western countries. Islam's family system brings into a fine equilibrium the rights of man, wife, children and relatives. Islam nourishes human unselfishness, generosity and love in a well-organized family system.
Unfragmented View of Life:
Human beings live according to their view of life. The tragedy of secular societies is that they fail to connect the different aspects of life. The secular and religious, the scientific and the spiritual seem to be in conflict. Islam puts an end to this conflict and brings harmony to man's vision of life.