Khateeb:

Khateeb: Quaiser Abdullah

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Preparing for Hajj - Understanding the Blessings and the Sacrifice

(Delivered at Masjid Quba: 11/12/10)

Allah (swt) says in His Holy Book:

Hujurat - 49:15
Only those are believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and afterward do not doubt, but strive with their wealth and their lives for the Cause of Allah. Those are the truthful.

Al-Imraan - 3:96-97
Verily, the first house of worship appointed for mankind was at Bakkah/Makkah; a blessing and guidance for Al-Aalamin.
In it are manifest signs. the maqam (station) of Ibrahim; whosoever enters it, he attains security. And Hajj to The House is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses; and whosever disbelieves, then Allah is not in need of anything from the Al-Aalamin.

Al-Fajr - 89:1-5
By the dawn; By the 10 nights; By the even and the odd; And by the night when it departs; There are indeed in them sufficient proofs for men of understanding.

Al-Hajj - 22: 25-30
As to those who have rejected (Allah) and would keep back (men) from the Way of Allah, and from the Sacred Mosque, which We have made (open) to (all) men― equal is the dweller there and the visitor from the country― and any whose purpose therein is profanity wrong-doing― them will We cause to taste of a most grievous Penalty.
Behold! We gave the site, to Abraham, of the (Sacred) House (saying): "Associate not any thing (in worship) with Me; and sanctify My House for those who compass it round, or stand up or bow or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer).
"And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men: they will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways;
"That they may witness the benefits (provided) for them, and celebrate the name of Allah, through the Days appointed over the cattle which He has provided for them (for sacrifice): then eat ye thereof and feed the distressed ones in want.
"Then let them complete the rites prescribed for them, perform their vows, and (again) circumambulate the Ancient House."
Such (is the Pilgrimage): whoever honours the sacred rites of Allah, for him it is good in the sight of his Lord. (then Allah goes on to speak about being true in faith and honoring the sacrifice)


Hadith:
On the authority of Abu Hurairah (RA), the Prophet (saws) said, “Whoever performs Hajj for Allah’s sake only and does not have sexual relations with his wife and does not do evil or sins, then he will return from Hajj as if he was a newborn (free of sins)” - Hajj Mabrur

Ibn Abbas reported that the Porphet (saws) said, “No deeds are more virtuous that deeds in these days.” THe companions asked, “Not even Jihad?” He (saws) replied,” Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah unless a man goes out risking himself and his wealth for the sake of Allah and does not come back with anything” (Bukhari, Vol 2: 457)

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) was asked: "Which deed is the best?'' He (PBUH) replied, "Faith in Allah and His Messenger.'' Then he was asked: "What is next?'' He replied,"Jihad (holy fighting) in the Cause of Allah.'' Then he was asked, "What is after that?'' He (PBUH) replied, "Hajj Mabrur (an accepted pilgrimage).'' (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "(The performance of) `Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed between it and the previous `Umrah; and the reward of Hajj Mabrur (i.e., one accepted) is nothing but Jannah.'' (Bukhari and Muslim)

`Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "There is no day on which Allah sets free more slaves from Hell than He does on the Day of `Arafah. He (swt) comes close and expresses his pride to the angels saying, “What do these people, the Hajis, want of me?”' (Muslim)

I have spent some time going over a number of verses and hadith on the general topic of hajj, umrah and this blessed month of Dhul-Hijjah to lay the foundation for this khutbah. I want to discuss 3 things in general:
  • To remind us of the blessings that we attain when we fulfill Allah’s commands
  • That we need to truly treat Allah’s commands as commands and take them seriously
  • To share ways in which we can truly begin preparations to fulfill this obligation, and to earn the benefits of this mercy of Allah.

Firstly, we must understand the blessings of Allah and what is in store for us when we obey Allah’s command to perform the Hajj.

The city has blessings:
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has said, "Surely Allah has chosen four cities from amongst all others, just as He, the Noble and Grand has said (in the Holy Quran): "I swear by 'the fig' and 'the olive' and the 'Mountain of Sinai' and by this protected city." (Holy Quran 95:1-3) 'The fig' is the city of Madinah; 'The olive' is the city of Baitul Maqdis (in Jerusalem); 'The Mountain of Sinai' is Kufah; and the protected city is Makkah."

The journey has blessings:
We know that each step we take towards doing something good is rewarded.
This journey is a long journey. Each step, each movement towards it will bring us some reward.

The days in the month have blessings:

The first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah
Al-Fajr
Most virtuous deeds are deeds performed in these 10 days. Today is the 5th of Dhul Hijjah for us locally. For the Hujjaj it is the 4th day (end of 4th day).

9th of Dhul Hijjah
It is narrated in some traditions that the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah is the day on which Allah revealed Al-Maidah (3:5) “This day have AI perfected religion for you and completed my favor upon you and have chosen Al-Islam as your religion.” This was narrated on the occasion when a Jew came to Umar (ra) and said that if Allah had revealed that verse on them (the Jews), then they would have taken it as their Eid (festival). Umar replied that we (Muslims) know when and when it was revealed. It was revealed on a Friday while the Prophet was on ‘Arafat (Bukhari and Muslim)
Fasting on the this day is an expiation for sins from the previous year and for the next year (Muslim). It is Mustahhab (strongly recommended) for the non-pilgrims, but not for the pilgrims as it was not the practice of the Messenger to fast on this day.

Yawm an-Nahr - The day of sacrifice
Some scholars are of the opinion that this day is the greatest day of the year to Allah. The Prophet said that Allah replaced the festivals of Jahiliyyah with 2 festivals that are better for the Muslims, Fitr and Nahr.

The people receive immense blessings:
It has been narrated from Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) that he said, "Those who perform Hajj and the Umrah are the guests of Allah. If they ask Him for something, He will grant it to them; if they call upon Him then He will answer them; if they intercede (for others), their intercession will be accepted; if they remain quiet, then He will begin to speak to them; for every dirham which they spend (in their trip to Hajj), they will receive one million dirhams in return."

The Hajj has blessings:
Forgiveness for ALL sins:
When Amr bin ‘Asr was about to die, he was weeping and turned his face to a wall. His son reminded him that the Messenger of Allah gave him glad tidings of such-and-such. Amr bin ‘Aas then turned to his son and recounted the kalimah shahadah. He then said that he went through 3 stages, and told of how he first wanted to kill the Prophet. He could think of nothing else but how he wanted to kill the Prophet. Then Allah put Islam in his heart, and he went to the Prophet to swear allegiance or make bai’ah. He then asked the Prophet to make a stipulation - he (Amr bin ‘Aas) wanted to be forgiven. The Prophet then said that 3 things destroy whatever (meaning sins and wrongdoing that came before it): Islam, Hijrah, Hajj.

Seeing that this is a command, and seeing that we are to receive IMMENSE blessings from this month and this service, why are we not rushing to do this? I argue that we know it is obligatory, but we do not treat it like an obligation. This is a major problem. If we look at how we approach Zakat and Hajj, we acknowledge that they are obligatory, but we do not approach them like they are essential pillars of our faith.

We know they are obligatory because we know that they are the pillars of Islam. But, that is the BASIC part of it. Remember, Islam is broken in faith and action (iman wa ‘amal). The arkanul iman, the Articles of Faith, are the things we believe (Allah, Books, Messengers, Angels, Day of Judgement and Divine Decree) - these are things we believe. The Arkan ul-Islam (Pillars of Islam) are things we DO (Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj). These actions are the bedrock of our faith. Our dilemma is that we treat two of our action items as faith items. What do I mean? We believe that we have to do it, but do we really work hard towards doing them?

Think of how we approach helping someone convert to Islam, or prayer or fasting. We actively prepare for them. We engage in spiritual and ritual acts to prepare for ALL of these things. Are we doing the same to prepare for Hajj? (Zakat is a whole different story). Saying you are going to make Hajj, with the “Philly Insha-Allah” is not enough. We don’t say, “I am going to pray, Insha-Allah” and leave it there. We look at our day, we map out our schedule, and we FIT our salah in. We make plans for our salah, and we know that Allah will help us find a way to make the salah if we do our part. In our traditions, if we take a step to Allah, He comes faster to us. Have we taken the necessary steps to truly make Hajj? How many of us have truly looked at our lives, have identified a time when we really want to make hajj, have made a FIRM intention to do it, and have begun working (however small) towards it? If you think that this is impossible, and that it is expensive (which it is) then you are not seeing Allah as he ought to be seen. Yes, it is expensive. Yes, it is a sacrifice, but YES, Allah is the One who provides the means for us when we do our part. I was speaking to an elder in the community last week, and she reminded me that in 2008 she made a decision and she then became concerned about her ability to make Hajj. However, because her decision was a sacrifice for the sake of Allah, Allah made a way for her to complete this rite. Brothers and sisters, I am not making this up, this is the real deal.

Brothers and sisters, one of the things we forget is that the Hajj is about sacrifice. The day of the ‘Eid is called Yawm al-Nahr (Day of Sacrifice). Now, this speaks literally to the udhiyyah or the animal being slaughtered. However, let up remember the foundation upon what this tradition is built. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was commanded by Allah to sacrifice his son, Ismail (AS). Now, remember, Ismail was no wayward, rebellious individual. He was upright, God-fearing, righteous. Some of us may have seen kids around who we think SHOULD be traded for a ram (can I say that?). Ibrahim was sacrificing someone he loved. He heard Allah’s command and he responded. Are we willing to sacrifice the simpler things in life to answer Allah’s call to His house and to this deen in general?

What does Allah say? In speaking about the udhhiyyah, Allah states, “It is not their meat or their blood that reaches Allah. Rather, it is your piety that reaches Him. Thus, we have made them subject to you that you may magnify Allah for His Guidance to you.” (22:37)

Brothers and sisters, I have spent some time trying to illustrate that everything surrounding this month, the hajj, Mecca, our service, is blessed by Allah. To achieve these blessings, we have to begin sacrificing for Allah in everything that we do. Our desires, our wealth, or persons, everything... If we place limitations on what we are willing to sacrifice, we are really placing limitations on what blessings we want to receive from Allah. May Allah forgive us our sins and increase our imaan.

[End of first part]

[Second part]
Our Action Plan - What do we do now?

So now we are in the 10 holy days of Dhul-Hijjah. What can we do?

Immediate Actions we can start today:

Dhikr - Verily in the remembrance of Allah do the hearts find rest. Ar-Ra’d 13:28
And Allah says, “And mention the name of Allah on the appointed days” (22:28) - Some have said that this refers to these 10 days.

What to say?
Beginning on the day of Arafat until Asr on the 13th day, you should glorify Allah after each salah (Allahu akbar, allahu akbar, la ilaha illallah wa allahu akbar, wa lillahil hamd)
Even now, you can start saying the dhikr - Subhanallah, Walhamdulillah, wa la ilaha....

Salah
If you are not in the habit of making extra prayers, try a few of them in these days. Some of us have not made an extra raka’a since Ramadhan. Now is a get to get a couple of them in. What do you have to lose?

Fasting
The act that Allah says that the reward is with Him alone. “All the deeds of the son of Adam are for him (man) except for fasting; which is for me and I am the one who will reward him for it” (Bukhari)

Fasting on the day of Arafat (Tuesday for us locally, or if you go with the international sighting, it is Monday) washes aways your sins for the past year and the upcoming year. The Prophet said about fasting on Arafat, “It expiates the sins of the previous year and that of the coming year” (Muslim)

Good deeds
Ibn Abbas reports that the Messenger (saws) said, “No deeds are more virtuous than deeds in these days”... the Prophet (saws) even said that it was greater that jihad, unless the person came back without his possessions or life.
Visit the sick, charity, buy tickets to the Quba banquet, visit parents, feed the poor, call a brother or sister you have not spoken to in ages, mend a relationship, etc...

Read Qur’an

Perform Istighfar

Immediate Cognitive:

Remember that you owe the hajj to Allah and you owe Him your service and sacrifice. There is no ikhtilaf on that. It is mubeen/clear.

You owe a debt to your brothers and sisters. There are 6 rights Muslims have on Muslims. You neighbor (Muslim or not) has rights... Paying this debt is through sacrifice and service. Again, what do you have to lose?

Make your niyyat for Hajj. Make it. Turn to Allah and make it if you have not already done so. You handle YOUR business and Allah will do His. If you have doubts about that, remember what Allah said in Al-Hujurat when he mentioned that the believers are those who believe in Him and do not doubt after that. This is clear.

Longterm:

Save for the trip. If you saved $10 a week, that is $520 a year. Some of us receive tax returns. Instead of buying rims, etc, put that toward hajj. We can do it.

Continue the remembrance of Allah. That is where our success lies.

There are many considerations... It is complex in the actual details or working it out, but it is simple of where to start. We work, we sacrifice, Allah rewards us. Simple, straightforward and direct. Not trying to oversimplify, but one of the guises of the Shaytaan is to make you think it is impossible. He threatens you with poverty, not Allah. He distracts, not Allah. We need to remember that Allah is the one who provides and sustains. Let us not put limits on what Allah will do for us, since He (swt) has not done that Himself.

Du’a (personal)
Oh Allah we beseech your aid and forgiveness. Oh Allah, protect us from hypocrisy and save us from the fire whose fuel is men and stones. Oh Allah, truly we have wronged ourselves and we seek your aid and forgiveness over the evil of ourselves and what befalls us through the whisperings of the Shaytan. Oh Allah, help us to be good to our family, elders, neighbours and humanity in general. Assist us and strengthen us in standing for justice and truth wherever it finds us and protect us from weakness and incompetence. Those who are struggling truly in work that is pleasing to you Allah, please grant them success. Bless them. Forgive them. Grant them success Oh Allah, grant them success. Oh Allah, forgive us our sins, bless us, guide us, protect us and save us from the fire. Save us from hypocrisy oh Allah. Save us from hypocrisy oh Allah. Save us from hypocrisy oh Allah. For you have said that “Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you find for them.” (Quran An-Nisaa’, 4: 145). Save us from hypocrisy. Save us from hypocrisy. Save us from hypocrisy. Forgive us. Protect us from the fire. Protect us from the fire. Protect us from the fire. Forgive us our sins and grant us Jannah. Rabbana aatina fi dunya hasanah was fil akhirahti hasanah wa qina adhhabin-nar...

Qur’an
37:180-182 - Subhaana rabbika rabbil ‘izzati ‘amma yasifun. Wa salaamun alal mursaleen. Wal hamdulillahi rabbil aalameen.
"Glorified by your Lord, the Lord of Majesty, from that which they attribute (unto Him). And peace be unto those sent (to warn). And praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds!" (37:180-182)

16:90 - Verily Allah commands justice and ihsan (the doing of good), and giving to kith and kin. He forbids sin, transgression and oppression. He instructs you that you may receive adminition.
Indeed, Salat preserves from lewdness and iniquity, but verily remembrance of Allah is more important. And Allah knows what you do." (29:45)

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