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Secrets of Pilgrimage: Al Hajj by Imam Ghazali (R.A.) PART TWO The money for expense should be lawful. Hands should be free from trade and commerce and all thoughts will be centered around one God and the mind will rest satisfied with the Dhikr of God and its signs. There is in hadith: In the later days, the people will go for Hajj but their object will be four: the rulers will go to increase their power, the rich for trade and commerce, the poor for begging, and the learned for name and fame. These things can be earned but if Hajj is performed with these objects, no reward is acquired for Hajj. It will go out of the limit of Hajj, especially when ones goes as a representative for Hajj. The Prophet said: God will admit three persons in paradise for one Hajj-one who makes death-instruction for doing Hajj, one who follows this custom and one who performs it on behalf of his brother. God gives the world on account of religion but He does not give religion on account of the world. The Prophet said: He who makes Jihad in the way of God is like the mother of Moses. She took remuneration for suckling her son. To receive representation for Hajj by representation is like the receipt of remuneration of the mother of Moses and there is no fault in it, but it will not be legal to perform Hajj as an agent with the object of getting remuneration, rather to accept remuneration with the object of performing Hajj is legal as the mother of Moses did. Take sufficient money and provision with you so that you may not feel difficulty for charity. Take the middle course for expenditure. Save yourself from taking delicious food and drink. There is no misuse in excess charity. There is no good in excessive expense and there is no excessive expense in good things. A certain wise man said: To give provisions in the path of Hajj is considered an expense in the way of God. Hadrat ibn Omar said: To have good provisions in journey is honour. He used to say: The best is the pilgrimage in which sincere intention is perfect, expense is most pure and sure faith is best. The Prophet said: There is no reward for an accepted Hajj except paradise. The Prophet was asked: O Apostle of God, what is an accepted Hajj? He said: The pilgrimage in which good words are uttered and food is given. Give up indecent actions, evil actions, quarrels, and disputes. This is the injunction of the Qur'an. Indecent actions mean indecent and useless talks including such talks with females, talks of intercourse with them as they increase desire for intercourse. All things which give encouragement to do prohibited things are also prohibited. Evil actions mean such actions which take away from the religion of God. Quarrels and disputes give rise to hatred and envy. Sufiyan said: He who talks indecent words destroys his Hajj. Quarrel is opposed to good words and the Prophet termed good words as good deeds of Hajj. Don't inflict trouble on anybody and adopt good conduct. As journey discloses the character and conduct of a man, it is therefore named Safar. Keep your countenance unsmooth, hairs dishevelled, body laden with dust, indifferent to pride and attachment for the world, as the Prophet enjoining his followers to remain them without beauty and dishevelled hairs. The Prophet said: A pilgrim is dressed dishevelled and with body dust-laden from every distant part of hills. God says: Look to the visitors of My house. They have come to Me with hairs dishevelled and with body dust-laden from every distant part of hills. God says: Then perform institutions of Hajj. This means to shave hairs, to clip moustaches and to manicure nails. Hadrat Omar sent instructions to his soldiers : Put on old clothes and habitutate yourselves to bear hardships. For the purpose of sacrifice choose an animal which is strong and stout. If sacrifice is compulsory, don't eat its meat and if optional, you may eat its meat. God say: 'Whoso honours the signs of God'. This is explained by saying to sacrifice stout and strong animal. The ancient people did not press for price of three things-animals of pilgrimage, setting free of slaves and animals of sacrifice, as the best of three things is that which is best in price and most valuable to the seller. The object is not the increase in the meat but to purify from guilt the of miserliness and to adorn it for God with honour as its flesh and blood will not reach God but He will accept from you God-fear. The Prophet was asked: How is Hajj accepted? He said: By A'z and Sa'z. To proclaim Talbiah loudly is called A'z and to sacrifice a camel is called Sa'z. The Prophet said: Nothing is dearer to God on the day of sacrifice out of the actions of men than the sacrifice of an animal. It will come on the Resurrection Day with its hoofs and horns and its blood falls in a place near God before it falls on the ground. So purify your soul by sacrifice. There is in hadith: There is reward for every one hair of the sacrificed animal and for every drop of blood and it will be weighed near God. So give good news. The Prophet said: Sacrifice a good animal, as it will be your carrier on the Resurrection Day. To spend with a cheerful mind. Bear with pleasure sacrifice of the loss that is caused in the matter of properties or the occurrence of any calamity, because it is a proof of the acceptance of Hajj. The troubles and calamities on the way to pilgrimage is like expense in the way of God and the expense of a dirham at that time is equal to the expense of seven hundred dirhams. That is the reward of bearing hardships in the way of jihad. Nothing is spoiled near God of any trouble which is foreborn and every loss which is sustained. It is said that is one gives up sins and bad company and take up good company and gives up assembly of useless talk and takes to the assemblies of Dhikr, they are the signs of acceptance of Hajj. Significance of Internal Actions of Hajj Knowledge. The first thing of Hajj is to know everything in connection with Hajj. Know, O dear readers, that you will not be able to reach God until you can control your passions and low desires, restrain yourself from all enjoyments and take pleasure, make short your necessities, and work only for the sake of God. For this reason, the friends of God of yore used to live far away from the localities of men and live in lonely places in caves of mountains and hills, so that their love for God might be deep. God says about them in the Quran: Because there are hermits and those who renounced the world among them and they are proud. When they began to live contrary to it and give up loneliness for divine service and mixed with the people to fulfil their low desires, God sent the Apostle Muhammad (P.H) to reawaken the paths of the next world and to call them to the ways of the Prophets. On being questioned by the religious people about the life of a hermit, the Prophet said: God gave us in lieu there of Jihad and Takbir in very elevated place (Hajj). The Prophet said: God gave us this gift for this people and me Hajj as their monkery, honoured the ancient House and His House, fixed it as the object of desire of the people, made its surrounding places pure to show honour to the House, made Arafat an opening space as the precincts of His House and honoured the place by prohibiting hunting and cutting of tress therein. He made it as the Darbar of the greatest Emperor. Every visitor comes to the court of Allah from ever distant and inaccessible place, dishevelled in hairs and laden with dust in the most humble spirit. He knows that no house can encompass God and no town can cover Him yet he does it to make his divine service and his allegiance and obedience perfect. For this reason, throwing of stones at Mina, running between Safa and Merwa and other institutions do not come within understanding or seem good. But by these acts, full servitude is expressed. The object of the payment of Zakat is understood. The object of fasting to restrain sexual passion and low desires is understood. The object of prayer is also understood. But no satisfactory reason is ostensibly found in the throwing of stones, running between Safa and Merwa, nor they come within understanding. It is, however, true that servitude is a separate thing and to serve God means that one should conduct himself according to the order of God, whether it contains any meaning or not. The object of obeying orders is nothing but to serve God. It is an act of wisdom to obey God in place where intellect cannot enter and which it cannot comprehend. Servitude to God is expressed fully when you understand a thing or not. For this reason, the Prophet said regarding Hajj: I consider Hajj thus a veritable truth, servitude in reality and slavery of the highest order. He did not say this with regard to prayer and other divine services. So the institutions which cannot be understood by intellect are the perfect divine services for making the heart pure because to act contrary to nature and to return from habits is the real servitude and slavery. Desire for Hajj. The Ka'ba ais the House of God. The meaning of coming to it is to see God there. He who desires to visit the Ka'ba in the world should have his object not to be deprived of it. His object should be his look to the countenance of God in His permanent abode. This earthly eye has got no power to have a glimpse of the Divine light, nor can it bear the brilliance of His light. The light of eye in the next world will be permanent and will be free from the causes of destruction and change then it will be fit for glimpse of the Lord. But one can be fit to earn it by visiting His House. So desire to meet Him will lead you to the cause of visit without doubt. Firm Determination of Making Hajj Know, O dear reads, that you will intend to be separate from your home and family by the help of your firm determination and turn your fact towards visiting the House after giving up comforts and pleasures of home life. Know in your mind that honour of the Ka'ba and the exalted rank of its Owner. Make your firm determination only for God, keep distant from name and fame and make your intention sincere and pure. To cut off tie in Hajj. It means to pay compensation to oppressed and to make sincere repentance to God from all sings. Every oppression has got a compensation and very compensation is due to somebody. Don't hope to return home and make wasiat to your children in writing and think of this journey as the journey for the next world. Provisions of journey. Seek provision from your lawful earnings and think that your good deeds are the provisions of your next world and theses will go with you after your death. Regarding conveyance. Be grateful to God that you have got a conveyance to carry you and your loads. Remember that you are visiting a funeral prayer in the journey towards the next world. The affairs of Hajj are like the journey to the next world. Ihram cloth. When you put it on, remember the coffin cloth with which you will be clothed. As you wear two unsewn pieces of cloth to go near the House of God an change your habit of putting on fine clothes so you will not be able to meet with God after your death unless you take clothes contrary to the clothes of this world. As there is no stitching of cotton cloth for burial, so there is no stitching of Ihram cloth. Starting from home. When you come out of your home, know that you are going on a journey to God after separating your family and friends. Think then in your mind-what is your object, to whom are you going to meet, whom do you hope? You are going to meet the greatest Emperor and for that you have surrendered and you have responded to it. Bring this consolation in mind that if you visit the Ka'ba, you may get a glimpse of its Owner. This is your last object and it will help you towards that object. Hope in mind to reach the Ka'ba and that your Hajj maybe accepted. Don't depend on your good deed and believe firmly in the mercy of God. If you cannot reach Ka'ba and die on the way, it will help to meet Him being His guest as God says: If a man goes out of his house and makes emigration to God and His Apostle and then death overtakes him, his reward is upon God-4:100. When you reach the Miqat or the fixed place for Ihram, remember all the great events when you will leave the world up to the Resurrection Day. When you remember the danger of crossing the way, remember then the questions of Munkar and Naqir. If you see the ferocious bests on the way, remember the biting of snakes in graves. Talbiyah at Miqat. Know that Talbiah means to respond to the call of God. Remember Him between hope and fear and depend on the mercy of God. Imam Sufian Saori said that Imam Zain al- Abedin, son of Hazrat Hussain, made pilgrimage. When he doned Ihram, his face became changed and he had no strength to say Labbaik. He was asked: Why are you not uttering Labbaik? He said: I fear lest I may be said: You have no Labbaik and fortune. When he uttered Labbaik, he suddenly fell swoon and remained long in that condition. As a result, he could not wait at Arafat. Abu Sualiman Darani did not utter Labbaik even after walking a mile. Then he fell down senseless. When he recovered from his swoon, he said: O Ahmad, woe to you, I fear lest I may be said: There is no Labbaik and fortune for you. Remember at the time when you utter Labbaik the condition of the people on the day of congregation. Entry into Mecca. Remember at the time when you enter into Mecca that you have reached safely the sacred place of God and hope from God that you will be safe from punishment on account of your entry into Mecca. When you look at the Ka'ba, remember its glory and hope to meet its Owner. Tawaf of Ka'ba is like prayer. Remember then that your Tawaf is like the Tawaf of the near angels who are going around the Throne. Don't think that the object of your Tawaf is the Tawaf of your body around the House but its object is the Tawaf of your mind with the remembrance of God. Know that an hounourable Tawaf is the Tawaf of mind before God. The Ka'ba is the outward darbar of a king. He who is not seen by external eye appears there. Soul is a thing of the spiritual world as body is of the material world. God is in the unseen world. This visible world leads to the world unseen. This is for those whom God opened this door. Think that the Ka'ba is the exact prototype of the Baitul Mamur in heaven. The angels make Tawaf of Baitul Mamur and the people of the Ka'ba. Kissing. When you kiss the Black Stone, think that it is a sign of allegiance and kiss His hand. Be firm in your will that you are fulfilling your promise. The Prophet said: the Black Stone is the right hand of God in the world. As a man handshakes with his brother, so God also handshakes with people by means of the Black Stone. Sa'yi between Safa and Merwa. Sa'yi between these two hillocks in expectation of getting His glimpse is just as man goes forward and backward in getting a glimpse of this emperor. Think that Safa is the scale of good deeds and Merwa of bad deeds. By running between these two hillocks, think which of the scales becomes heavy. To wait in Arafat. After seeing the vast concourse of people of different climes and tongues, you will remember the case of the great congregation on Resurrection Day that each people will father there with their respective Prophet and each people will expect intercession of their Prophet and remain busy to know whether his intercession was accepted or not. When you will remember this, keep your mind engaged in the remembrance of God. Throwing of stones. Obey God's command by throwing stones and show sincerely and honestly your servitude to God even though it does not come to your understanding because blind obedience of a slave to his master gains the love of the master. Then intend to follow the deeds of Abraham who drove away the evil by throwing stones at him when the latter wanted to misguide him and not to sacrifice his dearest son Ismail in obedience to God's command. The meaning of Hajj is to obey God's commands without argument and without exercising intellect. Sacrifice of animal. Sacrifice in a mass scale brings people near God. For this reason, the animal for sacrifice should be stout and strong. Hope that in lieu of every limb of sacrificed animal. God will save your every limb from hellfire. The more it is stout and strong, the more you will be free from hellfire. Visiting Medina. When your sight will fall on the wall of the city of Medina, remember that God selected this city for His Prophet and took him there. This is the place of the promulgation of God's compulsory ordinance and the ways of the Prophet. He fought with the enemies here and preached Islam up to his death. God established the religion through the successors of the Prophet. Then think of the footsteps of the Prophet in the city and take steps with care and honour. The Prophet said: God will present before me many people. They will say: O Muhammad, O Muhammad, I will say: O Lord, they are my companions. He will say: You don't know what evil deeds they have done after you? I will say: Then be off from me. If you have not followed the Prophet, you will be far away from him; still you will hope for the mercy of God. When you will reach the mosque, remember that God selected the place for the Prophet and the earliest Muslims. Enter it in fear and hope. When Owais Qarani entered the mosque of Medina and began to wait at the door, he said: this is the grave of the Holy Prophet. At once he fell in swoon. When he regained his senses, he said: take me out of this. I have go not taste in the place where the Prophet has been buried. Meeting with the Prophet. Meet with him as if he is alive and that you are standing before him. Don't go very near his grave as you would not have gone to him if her were alive. Don't touch his grave and don't kiss it and know that God knows your mind, your standing, and your salutation. The Prophet said: God appointed an angel in his (the Prophet's). Whoso sends salam to him out of his followers he will take it to him. This has been said with regard to that person who will not be present before his grave. How will it be in the case of that man who left his home and family and relatives and journeyed in the difficult places and hills and came to visit the Prophet? The Prophet said: If a man sends one Durud on me, God will send ten Duruds on him. Then come to the pulpit of the Apostle of God and think of his standing thereon and his sermons to his followers. When it will be finished, think whether your Hajj has been accepted or not, as he does not accept Hajj of one who does not love him. Courtesy: www.oneummah.net © 2007 Islamic Studies and Research Association (ISRA) |