Haj - The Journey of a Life Time

FUNDEMENTALS OF DEEN

Every person is required to make effort on his Imaan at all times. The Jamaat brothers are continuously making an effort to renew the Imaan of people which is referred to as Tajdeed-e-Imaan. Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Saheb R.A said, “There isn’t any name for the work of Jamaat, but had I kept a name it would have been Tajdeed-e-Imaan.” Our primary effort is on Imaan. Thereafter a person makes an effort to correct his Salaah, and similarly he makes an effort to fulfil all the other requisites of Deen. Finally, after all the fundamentals of Deen is the great Ibaadat of Haj.

RECOGNISE THE RABB OF KA’ABA BEFORE HAJ

A Sheikh seen his Mureeds preparing to travel so he asked, “Where are you people travelling to?” They said, “We are travelling to Makkah Sharif to perform Haj.” It was a Nafl Haj. He asked, “Have you recognised Allah Ta'ala, the owner of the house?” They replied in the negative so the Sheikh said, “Remain with me for one year and I will introduce you to the Rabb of the house, Allah Ta'ala.” A person that undertakes a journey for Haj after recognising Allah Ta'ala will enjoy his Tawaaf, he will enjoy reciting the Talbia (Labbaik), and thus make his Haj more valuable. When a person recites the Talbiya, it is as though a person is seeing Allah Ta'ala and responding to Him.

DUA IN MAKKAH SHARIF

On entering the Haram one should keep his gazes lowered so that his gaze does not fall on the Ka’aba Sharif. On finding a nice comfortable spot, one should sit down and then look at the Ka’aba. This is an occasion for the acceptance of Dua, therefore a person should make Dua in such a place where he will not be interrupted. Our Ustaad, Hafez Abdur Rahman Mia Saheb R.A. once mentioned to us that a person normally prepares a list when going shopping so that he does not miss out any item. In a like manner, we should prepare a Dua list when going for Haj.

We have many needs in life for which we beg Allah c to fulfil, and He fulfils our needs, whilst there are those needs that we don’t even ask for yet Allah Ta'ala fulfils them. How many of us have ever made Dua that Allah Ta'ala grants us saliva in the mouth? We will only realise the value of this saliva when the mouth dries up due to extremely high fever, and a person involved in such a situation only makes Dua at that time. Who makes Dua that the joints of the body function correctly?   

The day of Arafaat is a particular day wherein Duas are accepted; in fact a person should continuously remain engaged in Dua whilst in Ihraam. The various occasions during Haj are times of acceptance of Dua, therefore a person should ensure that he asks for all his needs pertaining to his Aakhirat, Dunya, etc. It shouldn’t be such that a person leaves Makkah Sharif with regret that I should have asked for this need, or that need, but I didn’t do so. If a person goes shopping with a list but leaves out one item, the wife won’t see the twenty things that he bought but will certainly reprimand him for not bringing the one item. Allah Ta'ala has called you to His house to give, thus take from Allah Ta'ala. 

TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO PERFORM HAJ

Hajee Khayyaat Saheb R.A was a strong Jamaat worker who used to deliver discourses daily after Fajr Salaah in Masjid e Nabawi. His discourses would commence immediately after Ramadaan, and the pattern in which he would deliver his discourses was that, he will spend two days discussing Haj and one day discussing Umrah, then again two days he would discuss Haj and one day Umrah, and so forth. This programme used to be held so that people may learn about Haj and understand the reality of Haj.

THE KA’ABA

Many of us have seen the Ka’aba or if we haven’t seen the actual Ka’aba Sharif, then we have seen pictures of the Ka’aba. It is a simple building without much architecture and designs attached to it. It is referred to as Ka’aba, meaning that it is something that has been raised. This place was covered with water, but some sand had come up in the area where the Ka’aba is currently located, and the Ka’aba was then built. The ankles are also called ‘Ka’ab’ in Arabic as the ankles are raised, or protrudes out.

Our Sheikh R.A had explained on various occasions that the centre of the earth can be calculated using various methods of calculations. However, irrespective of the method used, the result is always the same, the Ka’aba happens to be the dead centre of the earth. People from all around the world are facing the Ka’aba whether from the North, South, East or West. Hajee Khayyaat Saheb R.A used to say, “You performed Salaah throughout your life in your local Masjid making the intention of facing Qibla in every Salaah, with the Ka’aba being at a distance of 7000 – 8000 kilometres, and finally Allah Ta'ala has brought the occasion where you are witnessing the Ka’aba with your very own eyes located before you. What an opportunity!    

DUAS OF TAWAAF

When making Tawaaf recite the relevant Duas, if we learn these Duas with the translation we will experience a huge difference in our Haj. A person that makes Dua whilst making Tawaaf, is (so to say) like a person that is running around Allah Ta'ala, similar to a child that runs around the mother and demands something that it wants. There is great hope that Allah Ta'ala will accept those Duas.                                        

RECITATION OF THE TALBIA

Whilst in Ihraam we should continue reciting the Talbiya until our eyes fall on the Hajr-e-Aswad. It is mentioned in the Hadith that when ascending a high place recite Labbaik, when descending recite Labbaik, after our Salaah recite Labbaik, etc. in fact Labbaik should be on our tongues all the time in an audible tone. Unfortunately, nowadays, Labbaik is recited for a short while, then everyone is quite.

Those of us that haven’t been blessed to be in Makkah Sharif at this stage, we should have Makkah and Madinah Sharif in our minds even though we are thousands of kilometres away.

LEARN THE LESSON OF SIMPLICITY

A person may be a multi millionaire yet everything is left behind when proceeding for Haj. He has millions in his bank account, yet he only takes along that amount of funds that he would require during his journey. All he carries along is just one or two suitcases. When departing for Mina on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah, these bags are also left behind in Makkah. Allah Ta'ala is proving to us that you are able to live for an entire week on the little that you have. Hadrat Maulana Ahmed Laat Saheb D.B. mentions, “It takes a day to go for Haj, a day to return and there are 5 days of Haj.” That is a total of seven days, we have seven days in a week. For one week, you were able to live on that single suitcase, so live the rest of the weeks (which also comprise of 7 days) of the year in a like manner. The journey of Haj should teach us to live a life of simplicity. Hajee Khayyaat Saheb R.A used to say, “If we return from Haj but still have the desire of increasing our Dunya then we are not a Hajis rather we are Paajis.” When a Haji proceeds to Ka’aba Sharif, it is as though he is going to visit Allah Ta'ala.

May Allah Ta'ala accept the Haj of all the Hujjaj, protect them from all mishaps, and grant us the Taufeeq of taking the lessons of Makkah Sharif. Ameen!