Discover Islam, - *The true religion

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The religion of Islam
The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about Islam is what the word ‘Islam’ itself means. The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of Christianity, which was named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucius, and Marxism after Karl Marx. Nor was it named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam is the true religion of ‘Allaah’ and as such, its name represents the central principle of Allaah's )God's( religion -- the total submission to the will of Allaah )God(.
The Arabic word ‘Islam’ means the submission or surrender of one's will to the only true God worthy of worship Allaah; and anyone who does so is termed a ‘Muslim’. The word also implies ‘peace’ which is the natural consequence of total submission to the will of Allaah. Hence, it was not a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, )may Allaah exalt his mention( in Arabia in the 7thcentury CE, but it is the true religion of Allaah re-expressed in its final form.
Islam is the religion which was given to Aadam )Adam(, may Allaah exalt his mention, the first man and the first Prophet of Allaah, and it was the religion of all the Prophets sent by Allaah to mankind. The name of God's religion lslam was not decided upon by later generations of man. It was chosen by Allaah Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man. In the final book of Divine Revelation, the Quran, Allaah states the following )which means(:
“This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”]Quran 5:3[
And )what means(:
“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam )submission to Allaah )God( never will It be accepted of Him.”]Quran 3:85[
And )what means(:“Ibraaheem )Abraham( was not a Jew nor Christian; but an upright Muslim.”]Quran 3:67[
Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allaah saying to the people of Prophet Moosaa )Moses(, may Allaah exalt his mention, or their descendants that their religion is ‘Judaism’, nor to the followers of Christ that their religion is ‘Christianity’. In fact, Christ was not even his name, nor was it Jesus! The name ‘Christ’ comes from the Greek word Christos, which means ‘the anointed’. That is, Christ is a Greek translation of the Hebrew title ‘Messiah’. The name ‘Jesus’ on the other hand, is a Latinized version of the Hebrew name Esau.
For simplicity's sake, I will however continue to refer to Prophet ‘Eesaa, may Allaah exalt his mention, as Jesus. As for his religion, it was what he called his followers to. Like the Prophets before him, he called the people to surrender their will to the will of Allaah; )which is Islam( and he instructed them to stay away from the false gods of human imagination. According to the New Testament, he taught his followers to pray as follows: "Your Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven".
The message of Islam
Since the complete submission of one's will to Allaah represents the essence of worship, the basic message of Islam -- Allaah's divine religion -- is the worship of Allaah Alone and the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other than Allaah. Since everything other than Allaah, the Creator of all things, is Allaah's creation; it may be said that Islam, in essence calls man away from the worship of creation and invites him to worship only its Creator. He is the only One deserving man's worship as it is only by His Will that prayers are answered. If man prays to a tree and his prayers are answered, it was not the tree, which answered his prayers, but Allaah who allowed the circumstances prayed for to take place.
One might say: "That is obvious," however, to tree-worshippers it might not be. Similarly, prayers to Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention, Buddha, or Krishna, to Saint Christopher, or Saint Jude or even to Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, are not answered by them but are answered by Allaah. Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention, did not tell his followers to worship him but to worship Allaah. As the Quran states )what means(:
“And behold Allaah will say: ‘O Jesus the son of Mary, did you say to men, worship me and my mother as gods besides Allaah?’ He will say: ‘Glory to You I could never say what I had no right )to say(’ ”]Quran 5:116[
Nor did Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention, worship himself when he worshipped, rather he worshipped Allaah. This basic principle is enshrined in the opening chapter of the Quran, known as Chapter Al-Faatihah, verse 4 )which means(:
“You Alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help".]Quran 1: 4[
Elsewhere, in the final book of revelation, the Quran, Allaah also said )what means(:
“And your Lord says: “Call on Me and I will answer your )prayer(.”]Quran 40:60[
It is worth noting that the basic message of Islam is that Allaah and His creation are distinctly different entities. Neither is Allaah His creation or a part of it, nor is His creation Him or a part of Him.
This might seem obvious, but man's worship of creation instead of the Creator is to a large degree based on ignorance of this concept. It is the belief that the essence of Allaah is everywhere in His creation or that His Divine Being is or was present in some aspects of His creation, which has provided justification for the worship of creation, although such worship may be called the worship of Allaah through his creation. However, the message of Islam as brought by the Prophets of Allaah, may Allaah exalt their mention, is to worship only Allaah and to avoid the worship of his creation either directly or indirectly. In the Quran, Allaah clearly states )what means(:
“For We assuredly sent amongst every people a Prophet, )with the command( worship Me and avoid false gods.”]Quran 16:36[
When the idol worshipper is questioned as to why he or she bows down to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are not actually worshipping the stone image, but Allaah who is present within it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for Allaah's essence and is not in itself Allaah! A person who has accepted the concept of the presence of God's being within His creation in any way will be obliged to accept this argument of idolatry. Whereas, one who understands the basic message of Islam and its implications, would never concede to idolatry no matter how it is rationalized.
Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down through the ages have often based their claims on the mistaken belief that Allaah is present in man. They merely had to assert that although Allaah, according to their false beliefs, is within all of us, He is ‘more present’ in them than in the rest of us. Hence, they claim, we should submit our will to them and worship them, as they are either God in person or God concentrated within the person.
Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their passing, have found fertile ground among those who accept the false belief of God's presence in man. One who has grasped the basic message of Islam and its implications could never agree to worship another human being under any circumstances. God's religion in essence is a clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection of creation-worship in any form.
This is the meaning of the motto of Islam: "Laa Ilaaha Illallaah" )There is none worthy of worship but Allaah(. Its repetition automatically brings one within the fold of Islam and sincere belief in it guarantees one Paradise.
Thus, the final Prophet of Islam, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is reported to have said: "Any one who says: There is no god but Allaah and dies holding that )belief( will enter Paradise". ]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
It consists in the submission to Allaah as one God, yielding to Him by obeying His commandments, and the denial of polytheism and polytheists.
The message of false religion
There are so many sects, cults, religions, philosophies and movements in the world, all of which claim to be the right way or the only true path to Allaah. How can one determine which one is correct or if, in fact, all are correct? The method by which the answer can be found is to clear away the superficial differences in the teachings of the various claimants to the ultimate truth, and identify the central object of worship to which they call, directly or indirectly. False religions all have one basic concept about Allaah in common. They either claim that all men are gods or that specific men were Allaah, or that Nature is Allaah, or that Allaah is a figment of man's imagination.
Thus, it may be stated that the basic message of false religion is that Allaah may be worshipped in the form of His creation. False religion invites man to the worship of creation by calling the creation or some aspect of it God. For example, Prophet Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention, invited his followers to worship Allaah but those who claim to be his followers today call people to worship Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention, claiming that he was Allaah!
Buddha was a reformer who introduced a number of humanistic principles to the religion of India. He did not claim to be God nor did he suggest to his followers that he was an object of worship. Yet, today most Buddhists who are to be found outside of India have taken him to be God and prostrate to idols made in their perception of his likeness.
By using the principle of identifying the object of worship, false religions become obvious and the contrived nature of their origin clear. As Allaah said in the Quran )what means(:
“That which you worship besides Him are only names you and your forefathers have invented for which Allaah has sent down no authority. The command belongs only to Allaah. He has commanded that you only worship Him; that is the right religion, but most men do not understand."]Quran 12:40[
It may be argued that all religions teach good things, so why should it matter which one we follow. The reply is that all false religions teach the greatest evil, the worship of creation. Creation-worship is the greatest sin that man can commit because it contradicts the very purpose of his creation. Man was created to worship Allaah alone as Allaah has explicitly stated in the Quran )what means(:
“I have only created Jinns and men, that they may worship me."]Quran 51:56[
Consequently, the worship of creation, which is the essence of idolatry, is the only unforgivable sin. One who dies in this state of idolatry has sealed his fate in the next life. This is not an opinion, but a revealed fact stated by Allaah in his final revelation to man )which means(:
“Verily Allaah will not forgive the joining of partners with Him, but He may forgive )sins( less than that for whom so ever He wishes.”]Quran 4:48, 116[
THE UNIVERSALITY OF ISLAM
Since the consequences of false religion are so grave, the true religion of Allaah must be universally understandable and attainable, not confined to any people, place or time. There cannot be conditions like baptism, belief in a man as a Savior etc., for a believer to enter Paradise. Within the central principle of Islam and in its definition, )the surrender of one's will to God( lay the roots of lslam's universality. Whenever man comes to the realization that Allaah is One and distinct from His creation, and submits himself to Allaah, he becomes a Muslim in body and spirit and is eligible for Paradise.
Thus, anyone at anytime in the most remote region of the world can become a Muslim, a follower of God's religion, Islam, by merely rejecting the worship of creation and by turning to Allaah )God( alone. It should be noted however, that the recognition of and submission to Allaah requires that one chooses between right and wrong and such a choice implies accountability. Man will be held responsible for his choices, and as such, he should try his utmost to do good and avoid evil. The ultimate good being the worship of Allaah alone, and the ultimate evil being the worship of His creation along with or instead of Allaah. This fact is expressed in the final revelation as follows )which means(:
“Verily those who believe, those who follow the Jewish )Scriptures(, the Christians and the Sabians any who believe in Allaah and the Last Day, and work righteousness all have their reward with their Lord; they will not be overcome by fear nor grief.”]Quran 2:62[
And )what means(:
“If only they had stood by the Law, the Injeel, and all the revelation that was sent to them from their Lord, they would have enjoyed happiness from every side. There is from among them a party on the right course; but many of them follow a course that is evil.”]Quran 5:66[
Recognition of Allaah
The question, which arises here is: How can all people be expected to believe in Allaah given their varying backgrounds, societies and cultures? For people to be responsible for worshipping Allaah they all must have access to knowledge of Allaah. The final revelation teaches that all humankind has the recognition of Allaah imprinted on their souls, a part of their very nature with which they are created. In Chapter Al-A'raaf, verses 172-173, Allaah explained that when He created Aadam, may Allaah exalt his mention, He caused all of Aadam's descendants to come into existence and took a pledge from them saying )what means(:“Am I not your Lord?”To which they all replied:“Yes, we testify to it.”Allaah then explained why He made humankind bear witness that He is their creator and the only true God worthy of worship. He Said )what means(:"That was in case you )mankind( should say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Verily we were unaware of all this.’ That is to say, we had no idea that You, Allaah, were our God. No one told us that we were only supposed to worship You alone.”Allaah explains that it was also in case you should say: ‘Certainly it was our ancestors who made partners )with Allaah( and we are only their descendants; will You then destroy us for what those liars did?’"Thus, every child is born with a natural belief in Allaah and an inborn inclination to worship Him alone that is called ‘Fitrah’ in Arabic.
If the child were left alone, he would worship Allaah in his own way, but all children are affected by those things around them, seen or unseen.
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, reported that Allaah Said )what means:("I created my servants in the right religion but devils made them go astray".The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also said:"Each child is born in a state of Fitrah, then his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian, the way an animal gives birth to a normal offspring. Have you noticed any that were born mutilated?"]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
So, just as the child submits to the physical laws which Allaah has put in nature, his soul also submits naturally to the fact that Allaah is his Lord and Creator. However, his parents try to make him follow their own way and the child is not strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents. The religion which the child follows at this stage is one of custom and upbringing and Allaah does not hold him to account or punish him for this religion.
Throughout people's lives -- from childhood until the time they die -- signs are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true God )Allaah(. If the people are honest with themselves, reject their false gods and seek Allaah, the way will be made easy for them but if they continually reject Allaah's signs and continue to worship creation, the more difficult it will be for them to escape. For example, in the South Eastern region of the Amazon jungle in Brazil, South America, a primitive tribe erected a new hut to house their main idol Skwatch, representing the supreme god of all creation.
A young man prostrated himself to pay homage to their god, and while he was in prostration to what he had been taught was his Creator and Sustainer, a mangy old flea-ridden dog walked into the hut. The young man looked up in time to see the dog lift its hind leg and pass urine on the idol. Outraged, the youth chased the dog out of the temple, but when his rage died down, he realized that the idol could not be the Lord of the Universe. Allaah must be elsewhere. He now had a choice to act on his knowledge and seek Allaah, or to dishonestly go along with the false beliefs of his tribe. As strange as it may seem, that was a sign from Allaah for that young man. It contained within it divine guidance that what he was worshipping was false.
As mentioned earlier, Prophets were sent to every nation and tribe to support man's natural belief in Allaah and the inborn inclination to worship Him; as well as to reinforce the divine truth in the daily signs revealed by Allaah. Although, in most cases, most of the teachings of the Prophets became distorted, portions remained which point out right and wrong. For example, the ten commandments of the Torah, their confirmation in the Injeel and the existence of laws against murder, stealing and adultery in most societies point to this. Consequently, every soul will be held to account for its belief in Allaah and its acceptance of the religion of Islam; the total submission to the will of Allaah.
We pray to Allaah, The Exalted, to keep us on the right path to which He has guided us, and to bestow on us a blessing from Him, He is indeed The Most Merciful. All praise and gratitude is due to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be on Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, his family, his companions, and those who rightly follow them.

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Discover Islam, - *Goals of Islam

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A - Worshipping Allaah Alone:
This is the reason behind Allaah's creating all that exists: Angels, Jinn, mankind, heavens, earth and animals etc. Allaah created everything only to worship Him alone. He Said, )what means(:"See you not that to Allaah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and the animals, and many of mankind? But there are many )men( on whom the punishment is justified. And whomsoever Allaah disgrace, none can honor him. Verily! Allaah does what He will."]Quran 22:18[
He also said about the Angels, )what means(:"Surely, those who are with your Lord )angels( are never too proud to perform acts of worship to Him, but they glorify His praise and prostrate before Him." ]Quran 7:206[. And )what means(: "There is not a thing but glorifies His praise. But you understand not their glorification."]Quran17:44[
There are many other verses with this meaning.
Allaah sent the Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, and sent down revelations to them for the above reasons. He said, )what means(:"And verily, We have sent among every nation a Messenger )proclaiming(: "Worship Allaah )Alone(, and avoid Taghoot )all false deities(."]Quran 16:36[
Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, )may Allaah exalt his mention(, was the last Messenger sent by Allaah to all nations, with the goal of worshipping Allaah Alone. He commanded people to worship Allaah Alone, taking no partners with Him in worship.
B - Establishing Allaah's Proof:
Allaah's Sunnah )way( with regard to His creation is that not all humans, rather, only a few of them are rightly guided. The most important role for the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is to warn the disbelievers and rebellious Muslims. Allaah Says, )what means(:"Verily, We have inspired you )O Muhammad( as We inspired Noah and the Prophets after him; We )also( inspired Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, And al-Asbat )the twelve sons of Jacob(, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms. And Messengers We have mentioned to you before, and Messengers We have not mentioned to you, and to Moses Allaah spoke directly. Messengers are bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allaah after the Messengers. And Allaah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise."]Quran 4:163-165[
What Allaah meant by )what means(:"In order that mankind should have no plea against Allaah after the Messengers"]Quran 4: 163-165[ is that, on the Day of Judgment, they will not be able to use the excuse of not having a warner from Allaah during their lifetimes. This excuse will not justify their continuing disbelief. The fact that Allaah has sent the Messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, will invalidate all excuses that the disbelievers may use on the Day of Resurrection.
Allaah says to His Messenger, may Allaah exalt his mention, )what means(:"Your duty is to convey )the Message(."]Quran 42:48[. And )what means(: "The Messenger's duty is but to convey the Message."]Quran 5:99[ This applies to the Message of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to the disbelievers. He only had to deliver the Message that Allaah sent him with, explain to them their obligations to Allaah and warn them of eternal torment if they insisted on rebellion and disbelief.
Allaah says, )what means(:"Say: Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, he is only responsible for the duty placed on him )to convey the Message( and you for that placed on you. If you obey him, you shall be on the right guidance. The Messenger's duty is only to convey )the Message( in a clear way."]Quran 24:54[
This Ayah )verse( explains the goals of the Message, the essence of what it contains and the role of the Messenger, sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam, and the community he was sent to. The role of the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was to deliver the Message, and the role of those receiving the Message was to hurry to the obedience of Allaah and His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam; if they refused then Allaah's punishment will be justly theirs.
Allaah Says, )what means(:"Say )O, Muhammad to the disbelievers(: My Lord pays attention to you only because of your invocation to Him. But now you have indeed denied )Him(. So the torment will be yours forever."]Quran 25:77[ This means that the punishment of Allaah will certainly be felt by those who reject the Message of the Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, after being aware of them.
C - Establishing a Muslim Nation:
Allaah Says, )what means(:"He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger )Muhammad( from among themselves, purifying them, and teaching them the Book )this Quran(, and Al-Hikmah )the Sunnah(. And verily, they had been before in manifest error."]Quran 62:2[
The Message of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was a fulfillment of the prayers of Ibraaheem )Abraham( and Ismaa'eel )may Allaah exalt their mention. They said, while raising the building of the Kaa'bah in Makkah )what means(:"Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall recite unto them Your verses and instruct them in the Book )the Quran( and Al-Hikmah, and sanctify them. Verily! You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise."]Quran 2:129[
Allaah accepted their prayer and sent this honorable Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and established for him the best nation ever, as Allaah Himself proclaimed )what means(:"You )true believers in Islam( are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind, you enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, and you believe in Allaah."]Quran 3:110[
Allaah praised the Prophet's companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, in many verses in the Quran, )which mean( :"Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, and those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down prostrate )in prayer(, seeking Bounty from Allaah and )His( Good Pleasure. The mark of them is on their faces )foreheads( from the traces of )their( prostration )during prayers(. This is their description in the Torah. But their description in the Gospel is like a )sown( seed which sends forth its shoot, then makes it strong, it then becomes thick, and it stands straight on its stem, delighting the sowers - that He may enrage the disbelievers with them. Allaah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous good deeds, forgiveness and a mighty reward."]Quran 48:29[
D - Making Islam )The Message Of Allaah( Dominant:
The fourth reason for sending Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is to establish Islam as the dominant religion above all, till the Day of Judgment. Allaah Says, )what means(:"He it is Who has sent His Messenger )Muhammad( with Guidance and the Religion of Truth )Islam(, that He may establish )make( it )Islam( superior over all religions. And All-Sufficient is Allaah as a Witness."]Quran 48:28[
And also )what means(:"It is He Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth to establish )make( it superior over all religions even though the Polytheists hate )it(."]Quran 9:33[
To establish it means to make its domination clear above all religions. Allaah made this promise a reality whenever the Muslims sought victory, equipped with the right belief. A look at the past will show that Muslims conquered all the powers and religions of the world by using their reasoning first, and then using the sword.

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Hajj & Umrah, - *The Many Virtues of Hajj –II

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… Continued
·After the pilgrim starts saying, “Labbayk Allaahumma labbayk)Here I am at your service, O Allaah, here I am(” at theMeeqaat)station from where one enters into the state ofIhraam(, he must not continue sinning further, having responded to his Lord’s call. When he says it he should think of it as,“I am responding to Your prohibition of it )committing sins( and this is the time I am giving it up.”
·When he enters the Sacred House of Allaah The Almighty, which He has made a sanctuary for humankind, he remembers the sanctuary of the Day of Resurrection, which no one can reach without first striving hard in this world.Tawheed)belief in the Oneness of Allaah The Almighty( and shunningShirk)association of others with Allaah The Almighty( provides the greatest sanctuary on that Day. Allaah The Almighty Says which means:}They who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice – those will have security, and they are )rightly( guided.{]Quran, 6: 82[
·Kissing the Black Stone, which is amongst the first rituals to be carried out, teaches the pilgrim tohonortheSunnah)Prophetic tradition( and not oppose the laws of Allaah The Almighty with his feeble reasoning. He realises that there is wisdom behind the laws and rites which Allaah The Almighty has prescribed for humankind, and trains himself to submit to his Lord wholly. ‘Umarsaid after he kissed the Black Stone,“I know that you are only a stone and that you can neither benefit nor harm. If I had not seen the Prophetkiss you, I would not have kissed you.”]Al-Bukhaari, Muslim[
·When the pilgrim doesTawaaf, he is reminded of his father Ibraaheem,who built the House so it could be a place of refuge for humankind and a safe haven, and that he called them to perform pilgrimage to this House. The Prophet,, also called humanity to perform pilgrimage to this House, and Moosa, Yoonus and ‘Eesa, may Allaah exalt their mention, also came for the same purpose. This House was venerated by all these Prophets.
·When drinkingZamzam, the pilgrim is reminded of the blessedness of this holy water, from which millions of people have drunk throughout history, yet it has never dried up. He is encouraged to make Du’aa)supplications( when he drinks it, according to the Hadeethin which the Prophet,, is reported to have said:“The water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for.”]Ibn Maajah, Ahmad[
·When he does theSa’y, he is reminded of the despair of Haajar, the mother of Ismaa’eelwho ran back and forth between Safa and Marwah searching for water so she could give her little son water to drink. When a man remembers the struggle and patience of this great woman, it makes it easier for him to bear his problems; a woman will also relate to Haajar’s suffering and find it easier to cope with the tribulations of life.
·Standing on the day of‘Arafahreminds the pilgrim of the throngs of people on the Day of Gathering. If the pilgrim is tired due to being in a crowd of thousands, how will it feel to stand amongst the hordes of barefoot, naked,uncircumcisedpeople, for fifty thousand years?
·When throwing the pebbles at theJamaraat)the three small stone-built pillars inMina(, the Muslim trains himself to obey Allaah The Almighty without arguing and questioning His commands, even if he does not understand the reason and wisdom behind this act, and cannot make the connection between rulings and their purpose. This is the manifestation of complete submission to Allaah The Almighty.
·When he slaughters his sacrificial animal, he is reminded of the great incident when Ibraaheemsubmitted to the command of Allaah The Almighty to sacrifice his only son Ismaa’eelafter he had grown up and become a helping hand for him; there is no room for emotions which go against the commands of Allaah The Almighty. This teaches him to respond to what Allaah The Almighty orders, as He tells us that Ismaa’eel said:}…‘O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allaah wills, of the steadfast.’{]Quran, 37: 102[

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Hajj & Umrah, - *The Greatest Objective of Hajj - I

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Worshipping Allaah The Almighty alone, making one’s heart Allaah-conscious, having tongues oft-remembering of Allaah, having the body's organs preoccupied with fulfilling the rituals ofHajjand spending effort and wealth in every aspect drawing the person nearer to Allaah are the greatest goals behind the greatHajj.
This is a novel arrangement of worship that affects the individual’s heart, soul, mind, words and deeds as well as affecting the entireUmmah)Muslim nation( during the process of performing these rituals and glorifying these holy sites. This is an immense matter that is deserving of our attention because it is connected to annulling the foul practices of the pre-Islamic era, refuting its falsities, and putting an end to its discrimination and racism.
It is an amazing scene that deserves reflection and contemplation. It is the very process of remolding the Muslim duringHajj- remolding him within the Islamic Sharee‘ah and the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad.
Tawheed)monotheism( dates back to the start of creation on the day whenAadam)Adam(obeyed his Lord whereas Satan refused to obey Allaah The Almighty. Hence, the believing person was distinguished by his worshipping Allaah alone and avoiding the way of Satan in terms of ungratefulness, arrogance and haughtiness, and then in avoiding Satan’s whispers and seductions.
When we look into our deep-rootedness in history that dates back to the father of the Prophets,Ibraaheem)Abraham(we will find the first mark and sign of Tawheed. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
*.}And ]mention, O Muhammad[, when We designated for Ibraaheem the site of the House, ]saying[, "Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaaf ]circumambulation[ and those who stand ]in prayer[ and those who bow and prostrate.{]Quran 22:26[ This is so that it would be the foremost landmark ofTawheedsince the establishment of the House of Allaah. Also:
*.}And We charged Ibraaheem and Ismaa‘eel )Ishmael(, ]saying[, "Purify My House for those who perform Tawaaf and those who are staying ]there[ for worship and those who bow and prostrate ]in prayer[.{]Quran 2:125[ Such purification is meant to eradicate any violation or infringement of Tawheed or of attachment to anything other than Allaah The Almighty.
In light of thisTawheed, we reflect uponHajjand the guidance of the Prophetwhen he came toMakkahfor‘Umrat Al-Qadhaa’)the compensatory lesser-Hajj( following theAl-Hudaybiyahtreaty. He headed for the House of Allaah, glorifying it and without paying any attention to the idols and false gods erected around theKa‘bahthat contradicted monotheism and worshipping Allaah alone. However, when he enteredMakkahas a conqueror, he struck the three-hundred and sixty idols around the Ka‘bah with his crook and stick, bringing them down to the ground by the hand ofTawheedwhile reciting the verse )which means(:}And say, "Truth has come, and falsehood has departed. Indeed is falsehood, ]by nature[, ever bound to depart."{]Quran 17:81[ The Prophetdismounted from his riding animal and refused to enter the House.Ibn ‘Abbaasand his father, narrated,“When the Prophetentered Makkah, he refused to enter the House with the idols therein. He ordered them to be taken out. There was an image depicting Ibraaheem and Ismaa‘eel, may Allaah exalt their mention, holding divining arrows in their hands like the polytheists. The Prophetsaid:‘May Allaah kill them )the polytheists(! They know that they )Ibraaheem and Ismaa‘eel( never used divining arrows.’Then, he entered the House declaring Takbeer )Allaah is the greatest( in its corners and went out without praying.”]Al-Bukhaari[
The next year, when the Prophetwas in total control ofMakkah, he did not leave forHajjand sentAbu Bakrleading a small group of the Companions.Abu Hurayrahsaid,“Abu Bakr sent me - in the ninth year when he led people in Hajj - along with other announcers on the day of sacrifice to announce publicly that, 'No polytheist is allowed to perform Hajj after this year and no naked person is allowed to perform the Tawaaf around the Ka‘bah...'”]Al-Bukhaari[ This abolished all the signs and foul customs of Shirk )polytheism(. Polytheists claimed that they made Tawaaf around the Ka‘bah naked in order not to wear the clothes that they had committed sins and transgressed in. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And their prayer at the House was not except whistling and handclapping. So taste the punishment for what you disbelieved.{]Quran 8:35[ The Prophetwanted to nullify all these practices. The Hadeeth ofAbu Hurayrahcontinues,“…Then he )the Messenger of Allaah( sent ‘Ali to read out Surat Baraa’ah )Chapter At-Tawbah( before people on the day of the greater Hajj.”]Al-Bukhaari[ This announced that Allaah The Almighty and His Messengerare disassociated from the polytheists. It was a declaration of Tawheed indicating disassociation from everything that contradicts it and annulling the practices of Jaahiliyyah )pre-Islamic ignorance(. All of this was confirmed in every move made during the Hajj ofAbu Bakrand the Prophet.

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