Hajj & Umrah, - The Conference Legislated by Allaah

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When Muslims sight the crescent of the month ofThul-Hijjah, they leave for the House of Allaah from every distant place and remote country. They come on foot, riding camels, by ships and planes in order to witness the divine Islamic conference that Allaah has prescribed witnessing once in one's life in order to bring hearts together for His sake, fraternize among people who are upon the truth, and strengthen people’s relations every year through kindness and solidarity. It revives hope and determination. It unites the various complaints of the people stricken by material politics, an automated civilization and colonial aspirations. They chant their complaints in one supplication that is echoed in the desert and the sky.
Muslims today badly need to witness this conference as the colonialists have long confined them in their extorted lands and cut relations and communications among them and separated them from their inspiring past and promising future through obliterating their history, destroying their language, and extinguishing the torch of religion. Muslims have had no opportunity to gather except in theHajjseason if they could. However, there have been overt and covert schemes that resulted inHajjnot culminating in the wisdom that is intended behind theHajjand thus many Muslims did not obtain the expected benefit fromHajj.
This was the case when Muslims were disunited, disagreeing, and under foreign occupation. Now that the colonial powers and invaders have been evacuated and Muslims have assumed the reigns of the Arab countries, only geographic and political lines separate Muslims in the east and west of the Arab lands without separating their hearts, hands, tongues, or brotherhood. These borders do not impede them from meeting inMakkahto mention the name of Allaah The Exalted in known days. They thank Allaah for His favors upon them including Islam, faith, answering the supplication ofIbraaheem)Abraham(ransomingIsmaa‘eel)Ishmael(and the prophethood of Muhammad, the final Messenger of Allaah.
HajjandZakaah)obligatory charity( are the two social pillars of the religion. Upon these two pillars, there is a relation between the individual and other individuals and between the individual and society. The other three pillars of Islam focus on the relationship between the individual, his Lord and his heart.Zakaahestablishes the social system upon sympathy and mercy.Hajj, on the other hand, establishes it upon the basis of acquaintance and familiarity. Hence,Zakaahachieves the meaning of fraternity by preventing undutifulness whileHajjestablishes equality by removing differences.
Fraternity and equality are mottos of Islam, the rule of peace, the head of freedom, the meaning of true civilization and the spirit of sound egalitarianism.
Hajjwas and still is the purifier of worldly life through clearing it from the fetters of desires and the filth of materialism.
Hajjwas and still is the spring of safety that cools down exhausted nerves and hearts.
Hajjwas and still is the place of security where souls feel at ease in the land of revelation, where the conscience becomes tranquil in the birthplace of creed and where feelings delight in the divine blessings of this heavenly land.
Hajjwas and still is the meeting for Muslims from all over the world at‘Arafah, sincerely loving each other, equally standing before Allaah with a modest appearance and humble souls, and raising hands invocating Allaah with similar words. Their supplications rise like incense and perfume. Muslims stand in this worldly gathering where the Prophet, his Companions, Muslim kings and princes and millions of pilgrims from different places speaking in different languages stood. Muslims commemorate this event withThikr)mentioning Allaah( and reflecting on how the religion, in a certain age, was revealed in this land, and how the heavens here made contact with the earth, and how in this arid desert grew gardens and fruits - in the east and the west.
Each spot in the land ofHijaazhas a quality for sacrifice and heroism.Hajjto this land is an inspiration of pride, a motivation to dignity, an urging of liberty and a reminder of unity. There is the Cave ofHiraa’, the first place where revelation descended; there is the House ofAl-Arqam, which is a symbol of sacrifice; The Cave ofThawr, which is the rise of glory; and there is the house whereAbu Bakr,‘Umar,‘Ali,‘Amr,Sa‘dandKhaalidwere sitting. Then there is Bat'haa’, whose sands had the footprints of world leaders and the guiding lamps of humanity.
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And ]due[ to Allaah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way.{]Quran 3:97[ Nowadays, a lot of people meet the conditions of ability due to welfare and security. You can performHajjwith a small amount of money in a short time by car, ship or plane without jeopardizing your life, wealth or health.
Due to the extreme hardships ofHajjin the past, it was almost confined to the labor class of farmers and artisans and the opulent and gentle people of authority did not think about it. So, the benefit ofHajjwas seen as slight and did not exceed the limits of performing rituals.
But what prevents the Arab and Muslim leaders now from setting an appointment to meet atHajjin order to achieve the goal ofHajjwhere they could sincerely discuss worldly and religious affairs and common causes?
Were they to performHajjyear after year, they would raise the status of the religion, encourage people to perform this obligatory act of worship, and unite the Muslim word. The Ancient House, from which light spread and from whose heaven revelation came down, is still a beacon of light for theUmmah)Muslim nation( and the place from which its glorious and joyous future will rise!



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Hajj & Umrah, - Behavioraland Educational Purposes of Hajj‎‎

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‎‎Education is the behavior that man displays everyday. Thus, if it is said that Islamic rulings educate Muslims, it would be the truth, as all Islamic rulings aim at educating man in Divine etiquette that suits man's innate nature and acquaints him with the rights of Allaah The Almighty, his duties towards himself and towards others, and the duties of others towards him.
PerformingHajjis one of these educational rulings, asHajjtrains the Muslim individual to endure certain conditions that he may not be accustomed to in his everyday life.‎‎ ‎‎There are many lessons that the pilgrim learns inHajj; the most important ones of which are:‎‎
1. ‎‎Sacrificing comfort: When a person is at home all his needs are taken care of, but theHajjjourney takes him away from home and thus away from the peace, quiet and comfort of his home. Hence,Hajjteaches people to get used to hardship and to sacrifice for the sake of others.‎‎
‎When a person encounters a situation or witnesses a scene that makes him forget all about comfort, this trains him to abstain from the pleasures of life and to only take from them whatever satisfies his basic needs.‎
2. Appreciating the value of time: Today, the Muslim nation is one that wastes time and does not utilize it to the utmost, as most of its members spend hours in idle talk which leads to losing out on many interests.Hajjteaches Muslims to be punctual as the pilgrims must go to Mina on the Day ofTarwiyah,pray Thuhr,‘Asr,Maghriband‘Ishaa’there then move to‘Arafaaton the specified day and stay there untilMaghrib, then move toMuzdalifahand pray bothMaghriband‘Ishaa’there. Then they leaveMuzdalifahafterFajrprayer and before the sun rises.
Travelling from one place to another on specific days and times duringHajjteaches pilgrims how to be punctual, and pilgrims should apply this in their practical life. The pilgrim should keep in mind that the Prophetsaid:“The slave will not go forward on the Day of Judgment until he is asked four questions: about his life and how he spent it, about his youth and how he used it, about his wealth and how he acquired it and spent it, and about his knowledge and what he did with it.”
3. Patience in confronting the problems of life: Man is created with a propensity for anxiety and impatience when he faces the slightest problem that threatens his lifestyle, butHajjawakens the feeling of change inside him.Hajjteaches pilgrims that it is not necessary to stick to a certain way of life and that luxury and ease are not permanent as one might encounter problems and face hard times in the future. Thus,Hajjprovides a practical lesson in being patient.
4. Becoming acquainted with the problems of fellow Muslims from all over the world: Muslims are brothers in faith and they should share their joys and sorrows. A Muslim should advise his brother to praise Allaah The Almighty when he is granted favors and to be patient when he faces trouble.Hajjis an annual meeting ground for Muslims where they can discuss their social, cultural, educational, economic and religious problems.
For example, an Indonesian person would talk about his problems, and the Moroccan, American and European would do the same. They would all discuss problems and try to reach a suitable solution that satisfies Allaah The Almighty and His Messenger as the consensus of theUmmah)Muslim nation( is infallible. The Prophetsaid:"My Ummah will never agree upon deviation."
5. Planning for a better future: The more people gather, the better the planning is and this is why Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}and whose affair is ]determined by[ consultation among themselves, and from what We have provided them, they spend.{]Quran 42: 38[Hajjoffers a unique opportunity for consultation as Muslims can discuss the means to advance theUmmahand help it to reach the ranks of the developed nations.
Some countries may have surplus money, others may have skilled labor while others may have industrial resources. If their efforts are united, they would become integrated and thus the needs of each country would be met.



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Personal, - Women and depression

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Depression is more rampant among women than among men. Why?
Allaah Almighty Says in a Sacred Hadeeth:“...Be mindful of Allaah, you will find Him before you. Get to know Allaah in prosperity and He will know you in adversity. Know that what has passed you by was not going to befall you; and that what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship."]At-Tirmithi[
Every man, woman and child can suffer from depression at some point in their life, but women in particular suffer in greater numbers and are more likely to experience a more debilitating depression than men; and there are several reasons that factor into that. Throughout history and to our present day, women are responsible for the well being of the entire family and in today's society, often also responsible )at least in part( for the financial support of the family compounded with everything else. Depression is not just in our head-if’s in our hormones.
Feminism has been echoed in the West for decades and is now spreading throughout the entire world – adamantly propagating the notion that women and men are equal in all aspects, and that women are capable of doing anything a man can do. While feminism in the West has made some positives strides in realizing equality for women, such as the right to vote and equal opportunities in employment )at least from the outside view(, the feminist movement has also brainwashed both men and women into believing that women are exactly like men -no difference at all.
Unfortunately, we have all allowed some of the feminist beliefs to influence us. They tell women what they should feel and how they should act, even to the extent of telling us to ignore what’s going on inside our bodies—that it plays no part in our decisions or our feelings.
But in fact, it makes all the difference. Women cannot do everything men can do, and vice versa. Examples of this are in the eggs and the sperm that the opposite sex naturally carries in their body—neither sex can produce what is natural for the other. It is impossibility in the human being. Men and women are made very different indeed. Men do not endure monthly hormone changes as women do. This fact however, does not give the implication that women are somehow incapable or unintelligent, but it does point out that these changes do impact our decisions and our emotions.
Each and every month women undergo a series of hormonal imbalances that impact their mood, emotional state and attitude in a way that doctors are only now beginning to understand.
Menstruation and PMS
The first stage in our hormonal storm is the arrival of adolescence and with it our menstrual periods. Then next comes the regular onslaught of P.M.S. which is the partner of our menstrual cycle – which most women suffer from P.M.S., by no fault or control of our own, causes us to become irritable, moody, fatigued and feel generally cruddy. It was not until the 1930s, that Dr. T. Frank, an American Gynecologist, first brought P.M.S. )better known as pre-menstrual syndrome(, into the public awareness in the United States. However, we know that Allaah, The Exalted, informed all of mankind about the symptoms of a woman's menstrual cycle thousands of years prior to that in the following verse which means:
"And they ask you about menstruation. Say: It is a discomfort..."]Quran 2:222[
And that it surely is. But there is more to the female hormonal roller coaster than just her monthly menstrual cycles and P.M.S. We get pregnant, some of us suffer from infertility, and we also must deal with menopause later on in our life – a full life cycle of hormonal upheavals.
Pregnancy
Women's bodies go through phenomenal changes during pregnancy in order to accommodate the living being inside their wombs. We know that there are several stages that the baby itself undergoes during its growth cycle in the womb and were described in detail in the Quran. The soon-to-be-mother also experiences many changes to her physical body, to name just a few: her heart rate increases, her oxygen uptake increases, blood volume and cardiac output increases and a hormone called relax-in is dispersed in her body causing her ligaments to stretch more easily. That's all of course, not mentioning the fact that her uterus and breasts are enlarged and the overall weight gain from the whole ordeal and everything inside her body is pushed around to make way for the growing baby. It is no less than a massive undertaking on the female body and on her hormones.
Infertility
Allaah Almighty Says what means: “You will surely be tested in your possessions and in yourselves. And you will surely hear from those who were given the Scripture before you and from those who associate others with Allaah much abuse. But if you are patient and fear Allaah – indeed, that is of the matters ]worthy[ of determination." ]Quran 3:186[
It is a test and a hardship for many, in fact about 10-15% of couples in the United States alone face infertility. Women are often more emotionally affected by not being able to conceive than men are. However, with the advent of many new fertility drugs and procedures available now, many more women are realizing their dreams of motherhood. However, enduring the wait and see experience of these new found medical technologies can also produce an emotionally draining roller coaster for everyone involved – and the drugs and procedures are not always successful.
Menopause
Then, of course, there is menopause. Yet again, this is another time in a woman's life when the estrogen and progesterone hormones are going crazy. The metabolism of the woman’s body slows down and many women start to forget things due to low estrogen levels. As well as many other physical changes a woman's bodies undergo during this time in her life.
Feminism vs. fact
So with all of these processes happening non-stop during a woman’s life cycle - how can anyone conclude that we are all the same? As Muslim women, we need to begin to embrace our differences with men and appreciate them. We need to understand and accept how our bodies work and how those changes do affect our mind and our emotions; but not just how — but how often. Once we do this, we will begin to recognize when we are feeling irritable and why our mood fluctuating. Recognizing these changes can help give us some understanding of how our bodies work.
Outside factors
It is no wonder that many Muslim women suffer from depression, especially in the West. We are relentlessly bombarded with ridicule that we are bag ladies held to submit to our husbands. We all know well how the media portrays Muslim women, and although we say it doesn't matter — sometimes in reality it does bother us and can play a contributing part of our depression. Add to that during our menstrual cycle we are unable to pray and we may feel overwhelmed.
The bottom line is that no one can tell you how you are supposed to feel, but commercials and magazines stand on their media driven soapbox re-iterating those same feminist beliefs – that you can do it all. But in real life, no one can do it all. We all have our limits, and we all fall short. That’s why so many women today take drugs such as Prozac, just to try to keep up—trying to ignore those changes in the body and ignore the stressed pressure telling them they can’t do it all.
Muslim women should pay attention to the hidden messages women are given and concentrate on what's important—your religion and your family. Everything else besides that is disposable. Fulfill your obligations to the best of your ability and for everything else – just take on what you can and leave the rest, while never forgetting that no matter what state you are in, you can always make Du`aa` )supplication(.
Allaah Almighty Says what means: “….Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."]Quran 2:286[



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Personal, - Religious Wisdom - II

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Rules Pertaining to Religious Wisdom
1-Religious wisdom is either obligatory or recommended to use. When this term is mentioned, many people think it refers to details of religious wisdom and avoiding doubtful matters. Therefore, they think that religious wisdom is not an obligation and that it is specifically for people who have been selected and righteous, and that it is not obligatory on every individual. Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,
The religious wisdom that is recommended in the Sharee‘ah and with which Allaah The Almighty sent His Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is refraining from what might make a person deserve to be dispraised or punished, even though there is nothing in the Sharee‘ah that prohibits these actsin the absence of what contradicts it. This includes performing obligations and acts which seem to be obligatory, and avoiding prohibitions and acts which seem to be prohibited. Also, if the unfavorable acts are preformed then it may be a cause of imperfection and punishment.
Obligatory religious wisdom is refraining from all that results in dispraise and punishment. In other words, performing obligations and avoiding prohibitions. The difference between the recommended and obligatory forms of religious wisdom is in relation to the acts that seem to be obligatory but not evidently and the acts that seem to be prohibited but not evidently.
2-There is no religious wisdom in matters that are absolutely and patently permissible. Rather, religious wisdom in these matters is an undue form of exaggeration. Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,“Religious wisdom does not include avoiding absolutely permissible acts, just as there is no religious wisdom in committing acts that are absolutely impermissible.”
3-Just as refraining from certain acts is considered to be religious wisdom, performing certain acts is also regarded as religious wisdom, as some people believe that it only includes refraining from particular acts. Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,
People may misunderstand religious prudence from three aspects: first, many people think that it is concerned with avoiding certain acts only. In other words, they believe that religious wisdom requires refraining from prohibitions, not performing obligations. Many religious and wise people have this misunderstanding, and you may see them refraining from uttering a lie, or gaining a Dirham which is not for certain lawfully obtained as it came from the property of an oppressor or a corrupt transaction; or that he refrains from inclining to wrongdoers due to their religious innovations and wicked people; while he does not observe the acts that are either individual or communal obligations that have become an individual duty on him. For example, maintaining ties of kinship, observing the rights of the neighbor, a needy person, a friend, an orphan, or the rights of a Muslim, a person in authority or of knowledge. He may also neglect enjoining good and forbidding evil, or the obligation of performing Jihaad or other obligatory acts that benefit Muslims in their religion and life. He might perform these acts sometimes, not as acts of worship dedicated to Allaah The Almighty, but as a duty on him, or something to that effect.
4-Religious wisdom depends upon evidence from the Quran andSunnah. Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,
The second aspect of misunderstanding religious wisdom is that when the person performs the obligations and acts that appear to be obligatory and refrains from prohibitions and the acts that appear to be prohibited, this obligation or prohibition should be based on evidence from the Quran and Sunnah and knowledge, and not on one's whims. In fact, many people are repulsed by things that are done out of habit or custom, so that they become strongly prohibited or doubtful to them. Some of them may even live in fantasies and false assumptions based on invalid religious wisdom and in such cases would be among those whom Allaah The Almighty Says concerning them)what means(:}They follow not except assumption and what ]their[ souls desire.{]Quran 53:23[
This includes the type of religious wisdom that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, dispraised in an authentic Hadeeth. When the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, consented to particular acts and knew that some people refrained from them, he said:“Why do some people deny themselves what I have made permissible for myself? I hope that I am the most knowledgeable and fearful of Allaah The Almighty amongst you.”In another narration, the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: “I am the person who fears Allaah The Almighty most and is most aware of what He has made prohibited and permissible for them.”Also, there is the Hadeeth of the man who kissed his wife while he was fasting and became very angry, even though he was informed that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, used to kiss his wives while fasting. Therefore, the religious person who is wise needs a great deal of knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah and understanding of religion. If he fails to do this, his invalid religious wisdom may ruin him more than benefitting him. This is the case with the disbelievers and religious innovators from the Khawaarij and Raafidhah and others.
5-Religious wisdom is not fulfilled except with sincerity. Perhaps there are certain considerations that drive a person to be religiously wise. He may have a particular status or consideration with which he feels that it is not proper for someone of his rank to do certain things. In this case, ostentation is his motive. The motive might also be the person’s needs or desires or any other urge. Like all acts of worship that man offers to Allaah The Almighty, religious wisdom requires sincerity. Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,“Religious wisdom does not benefit man or grant him a reward except with him attaining sincerity.”
6- Strictness in matters related to religious wisdom is exclusive to selected people and not just anyone. Al-Haafith Ibn Rajab, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,
There is an important issue that people should be aware of, which is strictness in refraining from doubtful matters, as this is only for those whoseactionsare steadfast and for those whose deeds are similar while in a state of piety and religious wisdom.However, it does not befit the person who violates the obvious prohibitions of Allaah The Almighty and who wants to refrain from doubtful matters. Rather, he should be rebuked for this attitude.
Such is the state of some pretentious people who exaggerate in their behavior. For instance, a man from the people of Iraq asked Ibn ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, about the blood of mosquitoes. He answered, “They are asking me about the ruling of the blood of mosquitoes while they have murdered Al-Husayn, may Allaah be pleased with him! I heard the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, saying:‘They ]Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn[ are my fragrant flowers in this world.’”
Ibn Rajab, may Allaah have mercy upon him, compiled many traditions from the righteous predecessors to this effect, and added that Bishr ibn Al-Haarith, may Allaah be pleased with him, was asked about a man whose mother ordered him to divorce his wife. He replied, “If he is dutiful to his mother in everything except in her order to divorce his wife, let him divorce her. However, if he wants to be dutiful to his mother by divorcing his wife but he beats his mother, he should not divorce her.”
Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy upon him, was asked about a man who bought greens and demanded to pay the price of the band that these greens were tied with. Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy on him, said: “What a strange issue!” People replied: “It is Ibraaheem ibn Abu Nu‘aym who does so.” He said: “If it is Ibraaheem ibn Abu Nu‘aym, then it is not strange for him to do so ]as he was known for his religious wisdom.[” Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy upon him, denounced such issues from people whose actions do not resemble that of Ibraaheem.
Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy upon him, himself used to follow such religious wisdom, as he used to order the person who bought grease for him to return the paper in which the grease was put on back to the seller. Likewise, he did not used to take ink from the inkwell of his companions, but would only use his own inkwell. Once a man asked his permission to use his inkwell to write something and Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “Write, for this is invalid religious wisdom.” Another man asked the same request, but Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy upon him, smiled and said: “Your religious wisdom and mine do not reach this level.” Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy on him, said so out of modesty, since he himself used to follow such religious wisdom. On the other hand, he would denounce it when it was adopted by a person who had not reached such a high level of righteousness, and who committed acts that are clearly unfavorable and continuously committed doubtful acts.
This is an important matter that we should learn carefully when reading some narrations on the religious wisdom of the righteous predecessors. This is necessary in order to avoid making mistakes, which negatively affect our souls. We are in desperate need of following the obligatory form of religious wisdom. We also need to avoid clearly prohibited acts, and try to reform our hearts. If we occupy ourselves with such tiny details of religious wisdom, they would negatively affect us. For instance, we may feel proud and hold people in contempt. This would cause us to view people as lacking religious wisdom and this would distract the person from doing more significant acts such as reforming the heart and following the obligatory form of religious wisdom.



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