hajj- a life changing experience

ALL praise is due to Allah

Ta’ala the most Merciful and the most Beneficent, The Cherisher and Sustainer of all the worlds and Peace and Blessings be upon the final messenger, Prophet Muhammad Salalahu Alayhi Wa Salam. Alhumdullilah, we have been fortunate to observe another month of Ramadhan in which Muslims all around the world partake in fasting and various other forms of ibadah (acts of worship, such as giving zakat and increasing involuntary prayers. This was also a month that brought communities from all different nationalities and family’s together with weekly iftaar’s at the local mosque and iftaar’s at individual houses. The month of fasting is completed with the celebration of Eid which is a day where the community comes together to celebrate after a vigorous month of worship. We ask Allah Ta’ala to accept our worship. The months following Ramadhan also have a significant importance in the life of a Muslim. One of these months is Dhul Hijjah, the month where Muslims travel to the cities of Mecca and Madina to complete the holy Hajj. This article will give a synopsis of Hajj and the different activities Muslims perform during Hajj.

Hajj is a physical journey to the city of Mecca, but it is primarily for spiritual reasons. When one begins the journey to Mecca, they leave all worldly things behind them. As they get closer to Mecca they enter a state of ihrām. This consists of wearing only two white pieces of cloth and removing all worldly adornments. According to Islamic teachings, when one dies they will also be buried in a white shroud. Ihrām resembles the leaving of this world and preparing for the journey toward the hereafter. Ihrām also creates a sense of equality among all the pilgrims. The rich are identical to the poor, the white to the black, the king to the servant, and the young to the old. Everyone is stripped down to their humanity.

Similarly, on the day of judgment everyone will be gathered with nothing of their worldly possessions. Race, wealth, and status will not matter on that day. It is only one’s nearness to God that will be of any avail. Hajj is almost like a rehearsal for the day of judgment. Leaving the home symbolizes death, the iḥrām symbolizes the shroud, the large ocean of people gathering in Mecca of people from all races and backgrounds symbolizes the resurrection and gathering on the day of judgment.

Hajj is also a commemoration of the actions of previous prophets such as Adam, Abraham, and Muhammad, peace be upon them. The pilgrims circle the Kaāba seven times and then pace between the hills of Safa and Marwa, which are close to the Kaāba, seven times. The pacing between these two hills is a reenactment of Hagar the wife of Abraham. She was alone in the desert and looking for water to quench the thirst of her infant son Ismail. She ran between the two hills seven times until a well of water gushed from under her crying son’s feet. In this reenactment, there is an implicit message about the great status of women in Islam. Millions of pilgrims, both men and women, from throughout the world follow in Hagar’s footsteps each year. Additionally, the pacing between the two mountains is a reflection about the nature of this world. One must work hard and pace through life, and although things seem bleak, God will always provide relief in the end. This relief is not a result of our efforts, but from God, as the water did not gush from under Hagar’s feet, but from under the feet of her infant child.

Hajj is also a commemoration of t H e actions of previous prop H ets suc H as a dam, a bra H am, and m u H ammad, peace be upon t H em. tH e pilgrims circle t H e k aāba seven times and t H en pace between t H e H ills of s afa and m arwa, w H ic H are close to t H e k aāba, seven times. tH e pacing between t H ese two H ills is a reenactment of Hagar t H e wife of a bra H am. sH e was alone in t H e desert and looking for water to quenc H t H e t H irst of H er infant son i smail. sH e ran between t H e two H ills seven times until a well of water gus H ed from under H er crying son’s feet. i n t H is reenactment, t H ere is an implicit message about t H e great status of women in i slam.

As this very child grew up, Abraham was asked to slaughter him. The devil appeared to Abraham and tempted him to disobey God’s command to slaughter his son. Abraham pelted the devil with some stones. Pilgrims reenact this moment by throwing pebbles in the same location where Abraham pelted the devil. This is symbolic of the devil in our own life, and with the throwing of each pebble, one throws away a bad habit. Abraham and Ismail both submitted to God’s command and prepared themselves to carry it out until God sent a ram to be sacrificed in place of Ismail. Pilgrims end their pilgrimage with slaughtering an animal to commemorate this great act, but more importantly as a symbol of piety and sacrificing of their own ego that often gets in the way of submitting to God’s commands. It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him (Qurāān 22:37).

One of the most important moments of hajj is when pilgrims gather on the mountain of Arafat. This mountain is where Adam and Eve met after descending to earth. All the pilgrims gather on this mountain and some of them go to the part of the mountain where the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon o ne of t H e most important moments of H ajj is w H en pilgrims gat H er on t H e mountain of a rafat. tH is mountain is w H ere a dam and e ve met after descending to eart H. a ll t H e pilgrims gat H er on t H is mountain and some of t H em go to t H e part of t H e mountain w H ere t H e p rop H et m u H ammad, peace be upon H im, delivered H is final sermon. tH is sermon was focused on reforming t H e social, economic, political, and religious elements of society. He commanded t H at men care for women, t H at slaves be freed, and preac H ed t H at all men are equal. tH roug H out t H e day, pilgrims spend t H eir time in supplication and as t H e day comes to an end t H ere are many emotionally c H arged moments. tH ose on a rafat s H ed tears as t H ey beg for forgiveness, acceptance, and H elp wit H t H eir needs in t H is world and t H e H ereafter. him, delivered his final sermon. This sermon was focused on reforming the social, economic, political, and religious elements of society. He commanded that men care for women, that slaves be freed, and preached that all men are equal. Throughout the day, pilgrims spend their time in supplication and as the day comes to an end there are many emotionally charged moments. Those on Arafat shed tears as they beg for forgiveness, acceptance, and help with their needs in this world and the hereafter.

Hadith: Perform the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage, one after another, for they both erase poverty and ins just as the furnace removes impurity from iron, gold, and silver. There is no reward for an accepted Hajj but paradise (Tirmidhi).

Hadith: One who performs the Hajj genuinely without any acts of disobedience, he comes back home from the hajj free from sins as if he was a new born baby.

Ultimately, hajj is a life changing experience. It is a moment of repentance and forgiveness. The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him stated: The reward for an accepted hajj is nothing but paradise (Bukhari). it’s important to make the distinction that Hajj is obligatory upon those who can afford it as instructed from the verses from the Holy Quran.

May Allah Ta’ala give use all the opportunity to perform the Hajj. Hajj Mubarak.

Prepared by M.Aslam

जी

प्रवचनों का ससांिी व इांत्लश स

म अनवा्द फकरा, और उनक

साि ्टी. एल. वासवानी जी

क नरी ग्रांर क ससांिी भजनों का दहन्दी म अनवा्द फकरा। तजसकी कैससड ्टी सीररज़ वालों न ररलीज़ की, "नरी पकार " नामक इस कैससड म अनरािा पोडवाल, सोन तनगम, सािना सरगम और हरीहरन जैस मज हअ गारकों न भजन गाररे ह। आसट्रसलरा म 4 EB रडडरो म

म अांग्रज़ी म कार्यरिम करिी री, आजकल आसट्रसलरन इडडरन रडडरो म हर मगलवार और पदहली बार ससनिी समाज न त्ब्रसत्बन म समलकर ससनिी नरा साल मनारा। माच्य क अांि म रा अप्ररेल क शरू म चैत्र मास क चाँ्द क द्दन तजस ससनिी चरे्टी चां्द कहिरे ह अुस द्दन ससनिी नरा साल मनािरे ह। अुस द्दन गडडी पाढवा का पव्य महाराषट्र भारि म मरा्ठछी समाज का नरा साल भी शरू होिा है। इसी द्दन ्दक्क्षण भारिी भी उघाड़ी नरा साल मनािरे ह।राम नौमी क नवरात्री का पदहला द्दन होिा है। ससनिी समाज क सलररे चरे्टी चां्द अधिक मह्वपण्य हो जािा है, करोंफक अुस द्दन उनक नररे साल की शरूआि क सार उनक इष्ट्दरे व अुडरोलाल तजनह झललाल साई भी कहिरे ह, उन की जरांिी भी है। पदहल ज़मान म न्दी क आसपास शहर बसाररे जािरे ररे, करोंफक पानी जीवन की आवशरकिा है। ससतनिरों न ससनि न्दी क ि्ट पर ससनि को बसारा। ससनिी वरूण ्दरे विा क पजारी ह। हर चाँ्द को चावल म समसरी मी्ठा डालकर पकािरे और न्दी म प्रवादहि करिरे, हर बचचा कही भी होिा रा, चाँ्द क द्दन मािा वपिा क चरण सपश्य करन आसशवा्य्द

लन अवशर आिा रा।सब कछ सही चल

रहा रा । समरास ( िम्य पररवति्यि

व सभी िमषों की इजजि करिरे ररे, पर ्दसवी स्दी म

नामक

वना्य क़्ल फकररे जारग।

ज़ासलम

सभी ससनिी ससनि न्दी क ि्ट

पर जमा हअ और समलकर वरूण

्दरे व की उपासना करन लग, परा द्दन

उपवास रखिरे ररे, शाम को समलकर खाना खािरे ररे। नग पैर रहन लग,परूषों न ्दाड़ी उिारनी छोड ्दी, न्दी ि्ट पर ज़मीन पर सोन लग। चालीस द्दनों िक क्ठछीन िपसरा की, िब इकिासलसव द्दन आकाश वाणी हई,

वरूण ्दरे विा न कहा, मै नसरपर म रिनचां्द और ्दरे वकी मािा क घर म जनम लगा और िमहार सार कष्ट ्दर हो जारग। उस द्दन सभी न समलकर बैरानो साहब की पजा की मी्ठरे चावल बनाररे, वरूण ्दरे व को अवप्यि कर उपवास िोड़ा , नाच गा कर समलकर जशन मनारा। कछ ससनिी आज भी चालीहो रखिरे ह, चालीस द्दनों िक उसी प्रकार कद्ठन िपसरा करिरे ह फिर इकिासलसव द्दन चरे्टी चां्द क द्दन बहरानो साहब की पजा करक मी्ठरे चावल का प्रसा्द खाकर उपवास िोड़िरे ह। उस द्दन सब समलकर नाच गाकर लाल साई रातन झललाल साई क भजन गाकर जशन मनािरे ह। —कवविा चाँिवानी