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From Issue: 259 [Read full issue]

Living the Quran

Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)
Chapter 22: Verses 27-28

Benefits of Hajj
"And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men; they will come to you 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 for them.”

The word "benefits" is in the indefinite, implying all types and numerous forms of benefits. Most notable among these benefits are the purification of the soul, refinement of character, refreshing of one's spirit and the spiritual training that takes place in the most honourable land on this earth.

In addition to the points made above, one may note some of the following effects of Hajj in the purification of one's soul:

1. There are a number of important historical events that the Hajj commemorates. These events should be a source of reflection as well as inspiration for the believers. These events include but are not restricted to the absolute trust of Abraham on Allah and the sacrifice of Abraham and Ismail.

2. One of the greatest ways to remove sins from one's being - and thus aid in the process of purification - is to perform the pilgrimage of Hajj.

3. In the Hajj, there is an opportunity for the Muslim to demonstrate his complete submission and obedience to Allah.

4. One practical aspect that occurs from the Hajj and that anyone who has performed the Hajj can testify to is that during the Hajj one can see the willingness of other humans to sacrifice for the sake of Allah.

5. Hajj helps us to realize the relationship between our faith and sacrifice. Islam is not about practicing those aspects of faith that one finds easy or pleasing.

6. Selfishness, arrogance, looking down upon others and greed are some of the dangerous diseases that despoil the soul. One must work valiantly to remove any remnants of these diseases. The Hajj is a helpful step in this process.

7. The Day of Arafah, which the Messenger of Allah described as the "essence of Hajj," is a moving experience that immediately brings thoughts of the Day of Judgement to one's mind.

8. Even the preparation for the journey to the Hajj and the pilgrim's farewells to his family and friends is a reminder to the believer that he is on a true, lifelong journey for which there is no return. In the same way that he must prepare for the Hajj journey in this life, he must always be prepared for that final journey by having the provisions of Taqwa (consciousness of Allah.)

9. All of the events that one performs at the Hajj and the historical and spiritual significance of the place in which the person performs them should have a profound effect on the believer. He should view his own life in the light of the lives of the Prophets. He should recognize his own shortcomings and the insignificance of the other aspects of this world that he gives preference to.

Source:
"Purification of the Soul" - By Jamal al-Din M. Zarabozo, pp. 251-263

Understanding the Prophet's Life

Like a Newborn Child

The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

"Whoever performs the Hajj for the sake of Allah and does not commit any lewdness or evil returns like the day in which his mother gave him birth." [Bukhari, Muslim]

Sins can be forgiven at any place, no matter where the person is: it is not essential to be at Arafat or Kaba, but because many benefits, blessings, and heartfelt feelings which these Symbols, places and the rites of Hajj produce - which are not found anywhere else - they provide a better environment for asking for forgiveness with sincerity of heart.

These are the places where the blessings and mercies of Allah descended on the prophets, where the prophets were showered with Allah's light of guidance, where the Signs of Allah and His prophets are found everywhere, where in the past Allah's devotees have conversed with Him, and where all the pilgrims assemble, pray, cry and lament together for forgiveness. The environment and atmosphere of these places surely help the pilgrims to pray from the bottom of their hearts with the result that the prayers are accepted.

Source:
"Worship In Islam " - By Sulaiman Nadwi, pp. 275-276

Cool Bits!

Malcolm's Hajj Experience

There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and the non-white.

You may be shocked by these words coming from me. But on this pilgrimage, what I have seen, and experienced, has forced me to rearrange much of my thought patterns previously held, and to toss aside some of my previous conclusions. This was not too difficult for me. Despite my firm convictions, I have been always a man who tries to face facts, and to accept the reality of life as new experience and new knowledge unfolds it. I have always kept an open mind, which is necessary to the flexibility that must go hand in hand with every form of intelligent search for truth.

During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass and slept in the same bed (or on the same rug)-while praying to the same God with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of the blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. And in the words and in the actions and in the deeds of the ‘white' Muslims, I felt the same sincerity that I felt among the black African Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan and Ghana.

We are truly all the same-brothers.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

Source:
"Hajj as a shift against racism" - by SoundVision.com

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