History of Hajj

Hajj literally means 'to set out for a place'. Islamically however it refers to the annual pilgrimage that Muslims make to Makkah with the intention of performing certain religious rites in accordance with the method prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad. Hajj and its rites were first ordained by Allah in the time of the Prophet lbrahim [Abraham] and he was the one who was entrusted by Allah to build the Kaba - the House of Allah - along with his son Ismail [Ishmael] at Makkah. Allah described the Kaba and its building as follows: "And remember when We showed Ibrahim the site of the [Sacred] House [saying]: Associate not anything [in worship with Me and purify My House for those who circumambulate it [i.e. perform tawaaf] and those who stand up for prayer and those who bow down and make prostration [in prayer etc.]." [Surah Al-Hajj 22:26] After building the Kaba, Prophet Ibrahim would come to Makkah to perform Hajj every year, and after his death, this practice was continued by his son. However, gradually with the passage of time, both the form and the goal of the Hajj rites were changed. As idolatry spread throughout Arabia, the Kaba lost its purity and idols were placed inside it. Its walls became covered with poems and paintings, including one of Jesus and his mother Maryam and eventually over 360 idols came to be placed around the Kaba. During the Hajj period itself, the atmosphere around the sacred precincts of the Kaba was like a circus. Men and women would go round the Kaba naked, arguing that they should present themselves before Allah in the same condition they were born. Their prayer became devoid of all sincere remembrance of Allah and was instead reduced to a series of hand clapping, whistling and the blowing of horns. Even the talbiah[ 1]was distorted by them with the following additions:'No one is Your partner except one who is permitted by you. You are his Master and the Master of what he possesses'. Sacrifices were also made in the name of God. However, the blood of the sacrificed animals was poured onto the walls of the Kaba and the flesh was hung from pillars around the Kaba, in the belief that Allah demanded the flesh and blood of these animals. Singing, drinking, adultery and other acts of immorality was rife amongst the pilgrims and the poetry competitions, which were held, were a major part of the whole Hajj event. In these competitions, poets would praise the bravery and splendor of their own tribesmen and tell exaggerated tales of the cowardice and miserliness of other tribes. Competitions in generosity were also staged where the chief of each tribe would set up huge cauldrons and feed the pilgrims, only so that they could become well-known for their extreme generosity. Thus the people had totally abandoned the teachings of their forefather and leader Prophet Ibrahim. The House that he had made pure for the worship of Allah alone, had been totally desecrated by the pagans and the rites which he had established were completely distorted by them. This sad state of affairs continued for nearly two and a half thousand years. But then after this long period, the time came for the supplication of Prophet Ibrahim to be answered: "Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall recite unto them your aayaat (verses) and instruct them in the book and the Wisdom and sanctify them. Verily you are the 'Azeezul-Hakeem [the All-Mighty, the All-Wise]." [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:129] Sure enough, a man by the name of Muhammad ibn 'Abdullaahwas born in the very city that Prophet Ibrahim had made this supplication centuries earlier. For twenty-three years, Prophet Muhammadspread the message of Tawheed [true monotheism] - the same message that Prophet Ibrahim and all the other Prophets came with - and established the law of Allah upon the land. He expended every effort into making the word of Allah supreme and his victory over falsehood culminated in the smashing of the idols inside the Kaba which once again became the universal center for the worshippers of the one True God. Not only did the Prophet rid the Kaba of all its impurities, but he also reinstated all the rites of Hajj which were established by Allah's Permission, in the time of Prophet Ibrahim. Specific injunctions in the Quran were revealed in order to eliminate all the false rites which had become rampant in the pre-Islamic period. All indecent and shameful acts were strictly banned in Allah's statement: "There is to be no lewdness nor wrangles during Hajj." [Surah al-Baqarah 2:197] Competitions among poets in the exaltations of their forefathers and their tribesmen's achievements were all stopped. Instead, Allah told them: "And when you have completed your rites [of Hajj] then remember Allah as you remember your forefathers; nay with a more vigorous remembrance." [Surah al-Baqarah 2:200] Competitions in generosity were also prohibited. Of course, the feeding of the poor pilgrims was still encouraged as this was done during the time of Prophet Ibrahim but Allah commanded that the slaughtering of the animals which was done for this purpose should be done seeking the pleasure of Allah rather than fame and the praise of the people. He said: "So mention the name of Allah over these animals when they are drawn up in lines. Then, when they are drawn on their sides [after the slaughter], eat thereof and feed the beggar who does not ask, and the beggar who asks." [Surah al-Hajj 22:36] As for the deplorable practice of spattering blood of the sacrificed animals on the walls of the Kaba and hanging their flesh on alters, then Allah clearly informed them that: "It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is Taqwaa (piety) from you that reaches Him." [Surah al-Hajj 22:37] The Prophetalso put a stop to the practice of circling the Kaba in a state of nudity and the argument that the pagans put forward to justify this ritual was sharply rebutted in Allah's question: "Say: Who has forbidden the adornment [i.e. clothes] given by Allah which He has produced for His Slaves?" [Surah al-A'raaf 7:32] Another custom which was prohibited through the Quran was that of setting off for Hajj without taking any provisions for the journey. In the pre-Islamic period, some people who claimed to be mutawakkiloon (those having complete trust in Allah) would travel to perform Hajj begging for food through the whole journey. They considered this form of behavior a sign of piety and an indication of how much faith they had in Allah. However Allah told mankind that to have sufficient provisions for the journey was one of the preconditions for making Hajj. He said: "And take a provision [with you] for the journey, but the best provision is at-Taqwaa (piety)." [Surah al-Baqarah 2:197] In this way, all the pre-Islamic practices, which were based on ignorance, were abolished and Hajj was once more made a model of piety, fear of Allah, purity, simplicity and austerity. Now, when the pilgrims reach the Kaba, they no longer find the carnivals and the frolic and frivolity that had once occupied the minds of the pilgrims there before. Now, there is the remembrance of Allah at every step and every action and every sacrifice was devoted to Him alone. It was this kind of Hajj that was worthy of the reward of paradise, as the Prophetsaid:"The reward for an accepted Hajj is nothing less than paradise." May Allah grant us all the ability to visit His House and perform the Hajj in the manner of the Prophet Muhammad. Aameen. Footnotes 1Labbaik Allahumma labbaik... (Here I am present, O' God, I am present...) This is the chant which the pilgrims say when they are traveling for pilgrimage.

*How to Perform Eid Prayer

**performing the Eid prayer is as follows:
-
The Imam will begin the prayer without Adhan or iqamah. He will begin
the prayer by reciting Takbir of Tahrimah (Allahu Akbar). You should
raise your hands up to the ears, and after reciting the Takbir, you
should set your hands on your navel. The Imam will give a little pause
during which you should recite Thana' (Subhanakallahumma .:.). After
the completion of Thana', the Imam will recite Takbir (Allahu Akbar)
three times. At the first two calls of Takbir you should raise your
hands up to the ears, and after reciting Takbir (Allahu Akbar) in a
low voice, should bring your hands down and leave them earthwards.
But, after the third Takbir, you should set them on your navel as you
do in the normal prayers.
After these three Takbirs, the Imam will recite the Holy Qur'an, which
you should listen calmly and quietly. The rest of the raka'ah will be
performed in the normal way.
After rising for the second raka'ah, the Imam will begin the
recitations from the Holy Qur'an during which you should remain calm
and quiet. When the Imam finishes his recitation, he will recite three
Takbirs once again, but this time it will be just before bowing down
for ruku'. At each Takbir you should raise your hands up to the ears,
and after saying 'Allahu Akbar', bring them down and leave them
earthwards. After these three takbirs have been called and completed,
the Imam will say another takbir for bowing down into the ruku'
position. At this takbir you need not raise your hands. You just bow
down for your ruku' saying, 'Allahu Akbar'. The rest of the salah will
be performed in its usual way.

Marrying more than one Woman

Islam is a way of life consonant with nature, providing humansolutions
to complex situationsand avoiding extremes. This characteristic of
Islam can be observed most clearly in its stand concerning the taking
ofmore than one wife. Islampermitsthe Muslim to marry more than one
woman in order to resolve some very pressing human problems,
individual as well as social.
Many peoples and religions prior to Islam permitted marriage to a host
of women, whose number reached tens and sometimes hundreds, without
any condition or restriction. Islam, on the other hand, laid
downdefinite restrictions and conditions for polygamy. With regard to
the restriction, it limited tofourthe maximum number of wives a man
might have.
When Ghailan al-Thaqafi accepted Islam, he had ten wives. "Choose four
of them and divorce the rest," the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him)
told him (Reported by al-Shafi'i, Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ibn
Abi Shaybah, al-Darqutni, and Bayhaqi).
Similarly, some men who hadeight(Reported by Abu Daoud in his Musnad.)
orfive wivesat the time ofembracing Islamwere told by the Prophet
Muhammad (peace be on him) to retainonly four(Reported by Ahmad,
al-Darimi, Ibn Hibban, al-Hakim, and the compilers of Sunan (Abu
Daoud, al-Nisai, and Ibn Majah).)
The case of the Prophet (peace be on him), who himself had nine wives,
was exempted from this by Allah (SWT) for the sake ofda'wah (the
propagation of the message of Islam)during his lifetime and because of
theneed of the Muslim ummah after his death.
Justice Among Wives - A Condition
The condition which Islam lays down for permitting a man to have more
than one wife isconfidenceon his part that he will be able todeal
equitablywith histwo or more wivesin the matter of food, drink,
housing, clothing and expenses, as well as in the division of his time
between them. Anyone wholacks the assurancethat he will be able to
fulfill all these obligations with justice and equality isprohibited
byAllah (SWT) from marrying more than one woman.
Allah (SWT) says:
"...But if you fear that you will not be able to do justice (among
them), then (marry) only one...." ( Surah 4: Verse 3)
And the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) said,
"Anyone who has two wives and does not treat them equally will come on
the Day of Resurrection dragging one part of his body which will be
hanging down." (Reported by the compilers of Sunan and by Ibn Hibban
and al-Hakim.)
Theequal treatmentmentioned here pertains to therights of the wives,
not to the love the husband feels towed them. For equality in the
division of love is beyond human capacity and any imbalance in this
regard is forgiven by Allah Ta'ala who says:
"And you will not be able to do justice among (your) wives, however
much you may wish to. But do not turn away (from one of them)
altogether...." ( Surah 4: Verse 129)
This is why the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used todivide his
time among his wives equally, saying,
"O Allah, this is my division in regard to what I can control. Then do
not take me to task regarding what Thou controllest and I do not
control" (Reported by the compilers of Sunan.), referring to the
attachment and affection which he felt for one particular wife.
And when he planned to go on a journey, Allah's Messenger (peace be on
him) would cast lots among his wives, and the one who was chosen by
lot would accompany him. (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Infinite Powers of Allah

The infinite power of God has no clearer proof than that furnished by
the study and examination of the phenomena of the created universe and
the multiple forms and colorations of nature that can never be fully
described.
When we look at God's creation we find ourselves confronted with so
vast an energy that no limit can be imagined for it. A look at
creation and the millions of truths secreted in the wonders of nature
and the depths of man's own being provides the clearest indication of
the scale of the power of the One Who has created it, for the rich and
complex order of being admits of no other explanation.
It is God's incomparable power that compels man to bow humbly before
the Creator of this great scheme. There is no word to express the
dimensions of His power; that unique essence has much power that
whenever He wills a thing to come into existence, it suffices for the
command "Be!" to issue forth from Him and the object addressed will
be.
Quran says: "When He wills a certain thing, He commands it 'Be!' and
it is" (36:82)
The law expounded in this verse is the best indicator of Hislimitless
power and manifestationof His boundless power and splendor. It negates
any limit that might be set on God's power and proclaims the
inadequacy of all criteria and measures when confronted with this
divine law.
The champions of the natural sciences, the men of the laboratory,
despite all the advances they have achieved, have not yet gained
complete knowledge of the inner secrets of a single one among the
numerous and varied beings of the created universe. Nonetheless,
thepartial and defective knowledgethat man has acquired concerning a
few of the beings that exist in this world is enough for him to
realize with all his being that the great power that has created such
variety and abundance in the universe must be infinite.
Consider the range of His creation:tiny creatures and monstrous
beastswith strange appearances both dwelling in the depths of the
ocean;delicate and melodiousbirds with multicolored wings, the beauty
of which skilled artists imitate as an adornment to their craft; stars
that shine in the heavens and the sun that rises and sets;the dawn and
the moonlight; the planets, galaxies and nebula each of which
sometimes contains at its heart millions of great shinning stars
giddying in their apparent infinitude.
Does not a creation such as this, awe inspiring in its splendor,
indicate theinfinite power of its Maker? Can one disregard the power
of a Creator Who imparts such variety to life and made distinct,
finite forms of it appear in all this vast range of phenomena?
Now, given the fact that all these captivating forms of creation
ultimately arise from the atom, the question of being cannot be
explained except by reference to a guiding and infinite power. It is
He Who impels all things toward the assumption of life-giving form and
possesses the power and intelligence to plan and design this vast and
precise scheme.
Large and small, difficult and easy, are properties pertaining to
finite beings; in the infinite realm of God's essence and attributes,
there is no question of great and little, much and few.Impotence and
inabilityare caused by the finiteness of the energy at the disposal of
an agent, by the existence of an obstacle on his path, or by the
absence of means and instruments; they are inconceivable in the case
of an infinite power.
The Quran says:
"Nothing in the heavens or on earth can induce weakness or impotence
in God; indeed, God is all-knowing and all-powerful." (35:44)
God is capable of doing all things, He has created the world according
to a precise and specific scheme in the framework of which a set role
has been assigned to certain phenomena in the origination of others.
Those phenomena are completely and unquestioningly subordinate to His
command while fulfilling that role and never rebelling against His
orders in the slightest.
The Quran says:
"The sun, the moon and the stars are all at His command. Be aware that
creation belongs only to God; it is His penetrating command that in
its exalted purity creates the world and all it contains." (7:54)
Strictly speaking, no creature in the scheme of the universe can be a
manifestation of power or have any share in His will and command, for
just as God has no partner in His essence, so, too, He hasno partner
in His agenthood. Just as all creatures in the world lack independence
in their essence and are dependent on Him, they also lack it in
producing acts and effects. Every agent and cause derives the essence
of its being from God and also its power to act and produce an effect.
Whenever He wills and necessitates it, the order that encloses all
beings abandons its role, for that order is itself subordinate to His
will, precious and firm though it may be. The Creator Who has assigned
a particular effect to every factor and cause is able to neutralize
and suspend that effect at any instant. Just as one command brought
the order of the universe into existence, another command robs
phenomena of their customary effect.
Thus, theQuran says:
"They said, 'Burn Abraham and thus us render help unto your gods, if
you are men of action.' We commanded the fire, 'be cool for Abraham
and harm him not.' They sought a stratagem against him, but We made
them the losers." (21:68-69)
Although the powerful attraction exerted by the sun and the earth
prevails over a vast space, both bodies are subordinate to His will.
As soon as He gives a little bird the necessary power, the bird is
able to resist the pull of the earth and take flight.
The Quran says:
"Do they not look at the birds in the heavens and see how the skies
have been subjugated to them? It is God alone Who keeps them aloft,
and in this there is an evident sign of God's power for the people off
faith." (16:79)
Whateverphenomenonmay be imagined to exist in the world of being finds
its needs for sustenance and life met by the Creator. Therefore,
whatever power and capacity is found in the scheme of creation must
necessarily go back to the infinite power of God. Ali, peace be upon
him, him, the Commander of the Faithful, says in a sermon reproduced
in the Nahj al Balaghah:
"O God, we cannot penetrate the depths of Your splendor and majesty.
We know only that You are living and self-subsistent, that You are
exempt from eating and sleeping. No mind can perceive You and no eye
can see You. But You see all eyes, You know the life span of all
things, and You are all-powerful.
Although we have perceived nothing of Your creation, we are astounded
by Your power and praise You mightily. That which is hidden from us
and our eyes cannot see and our mind and intelligence cannot attain,
which is concealed from us by veils of the unseen, is much greater
than what we can see ..."
When man decides to build something, for example, a hospital, he
assembles the necessary tools and pieces of equipment that do not have
any essential relationship with each other, and, then, connects them
with each other by means of a series of artificial relationships in
order to reach his goal.
In order to create such artificial relationships, he makes use of
different forces and object that he finds to be already existing. His
work and activity are a part of the system of creation; they are not
properly speaking creative activity, but only a form of motion that
takes place within existing objects.Divine creationforms a quite
different category from the production of artificial relationships
between unrelated objects. God originates things with all their
properties, forces and energies and characteristics.
One whose heartbeats with the love of Godand flows over withbelief in
the Creator of all beingwill never be discouraged lonely and hopeless
even in the midst of the most complex difficulties. Whatever deed he
undertakes he does so in the consciousness of being in the protective
shade of a supreme power that can make him triumph over all
difficulties.
A man who is aware of God and knows that he enjoys His support can
resist and endure all kinds of hardship. Difficulties are for him like
foam on swift vanishing foam on the face of the waters.
The fire that burns within him becomes ever brighter and he emerges
stronger than ever from the crucible of hardship. Throughout the toils
he endures, he is comforted and strengthened by God's kindness and
favor, and it is this that forms the true motor of his
activity.Failure does not blockhis path and cause him to surrender;
instead, with sincere intention and diligent effort, he continues his
strivings until final victory.
He understands well that his effortscannot remain fruitlessand that
victory goes to the deserving. Whenever He wills, God takes the hand
of the fallen and the oppressed who have no refuge other than Him and
raises them up to the apex of power. Sometimes, too, He rubs in the
dust of humiliation and disaster the noses of the powerful and
arrogant oppressors who believe only in violence and the logic of
force and treat men as if they were worthless.
How many arrogant tyrants have been cast down by disaster in the
course of human history, sinking and vanishing in a tempest of shame!
The story ofGod's messengersrepresents in itself a complete and ideal
model of human values. We all know how the messengers stood alone
against the oppressive forces of their day in order to guide men to
salvation, reform their society, and inculcate lofty values in them.
In doing so, they lit the first spark that ultimately
destroyedpolytheism
The response aroused by their beliefs caused such a positive tumult
that they were able to change the face and direction of history. They
laid the foundations ofmonotheistic worship and established the
principles of virtuein the most comprehensive way. Who can deny the
role played by their devotion and faith in the untiring struggle they
waged? How far can will power alone take man, and how much can it
enable him to endure and sacrifice? A cursory review of the proud
history of the Prophets' lives enables us all to behold, in the most
vivid fashion possible, the sincerity and devotion they displayed,
their mercy and forbearance, and their intense desire to guide and
reform men. Thefundamental secretof their success was the fact they
never thought of themselves for a single instant; they sincerely
renounced their own beings, making them a gift to God's cause. God
then responded by bestowing immortality and everlasting fame on them.
Allah is the proper name of God, however, we know Him generally
through His attributes. These attributes describe how Allah manifests
Himself to us (also see Attributes of Allah). God's attributes are
innumerable since human intellect cannot possibly comprehend every
aspect of the Supreme Being. A Hadith of the Holy Prophet (peace be on
him) makes mention ofNinety Nine names of Allahcommonly known asAl-
Asmaul Husna, the Most Names.
In theHoly Quranwe read:
"And to Allah alone belong all perfect attributes. So call Him by
these.And leave alone those who deviate from the right way with
respect to His Attributes." (7:181)
"Allah - there is no God but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and
All-Sustaining. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs
whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he
that will intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what
is before them and what is behind them; and they encompass nothing of
His knowledge except what He pleases. His knowledge extends over the
heavens and the earth; and the care of them burdens Him not;and He is
the High, the Great." (2:256)
"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of
His light is a lustrous niche, wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a
glass. The glass is as it were a glittering star. It is lit from
blessed tree - an olive - neither of the east nor of the west, whose
oil would well-nigh glow forth even though fire touched it not.Light
upon light! Allah guides to His light whomsoever He will. And Allah
sets forth parables to men, and Allah know all things full well.This
light is now lit in houses with regard to which Allah has ordained
that they be exalted and that His name be remembered in them, Therein
is He glorified in the mornings and the evenings" (24:36-37)
"He is Allah, and there is no God beside Him, the Knower of the unseen
and the seen. He is Gracious, the Merciful.He is Allah, and there is
no God beside Him, the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace,
the Bestower of Security, the Protector, the Mighty, the Subduer, the
Exalted. Holy is Allah far above that which they associate with Him.He
is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner. His are the most
Beautiful Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies
Him, and He is the Mighty the Wise." (59: 23-25)
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Holy Prophet
(Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
"Allah has ninety nine Names, one hundred less one; and who memorized
them all by heart will enter Paradise." (Bukhari, The Book of Tauhid)