Ḥajj – A Journey of Compassionate Love

Ḥajj – A Journey of Compassionate Love

ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā Khuṭbah Tuesday, 16 November 2010

by Imam Dr. A. Rashied Omar

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Published by Claremont Main Road Mosque 42 Main Road Claremont 7708 PO Box 44572 Claremont 7735 Telephone: +27 21 683 8384 Fax: +27 21 683 8388 Email: cmrm@iafrica.com www.cmrm.co.za

Š Dr. Abdul Rashied Omar

2010

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‫ ﺍﻟﺮﲪﻦ ﺍﻟﺮ ﺣﻴﻢ‬‫ﺑﺴﻢ ﺍ‬ In the Name of Allāh, the Most Compassionate, the Dispenser of Grace

Allāh is Greater than …

All Praise, Thanks and Gratitude belongs to Allāh alone.

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Introduction We have gathered here this morning to vicariously celebrate the achievement of more than two million pilgrims (ḥujjāj) who were present on the sacred plains of ʾArafāt yesterday, in compliance with the most important symbolic rite pertaining to the ḥajj. For the Prophet Muḥammad (may Allah’s everlasting peace and blessings be upon him) has declared in an authentic prophetic tradition:

‫ﺍَﻟ َْﺤ ُّﺞ َﻋ َﺮﻓ ٌَﺔ‬ The pilgrimage (ḥajj) is ʾArafah.

(Reported from ʾAbdurrahmān bin Yaʾmur and recorded in the Musnād of Imām Aḥmad)

We pray and make duʾāʿ that Allah, the Most High grants all of those who were blessed with being present at ʾArafāt yesterday an accepted ḥajj mabrūr, forgives them their sins – dhanb maghfūr, and allows them to return to their homelands as true ambassadors of Islam.

، ‫ــﻌ ًﻴﺎ َﻣ ْﺸــ ُﻜ ْﻮ ًﺭﺍ‬ ْ ‫ﺍَﻟﻠ ُّٰﻬ َّﻢ‬ ْ ‫ َﻭ َﺳ‬، ‫ﺍﺟ َﻌﻠْﻨَﺎ َﺣ ًّﺠﺎ َّﻣ ْﺒ ُﺮ ْﻭ ًﺭﺍ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﺎﺭ ًﺓ‬ ْ ‫َﻭ َﺫﻧْ ًﺒﺎ َّﻣ ْﻐ ُﻔ‬ َ ‫ َﻭﺗ َﺠ‬، ‫ َﻭ َﻋ َﻤ ًﻼ َﺻﺎﻟ ًﺤﺎ َّﻣ ْﻘ ُﺒ ْﻮ ًﻻ‬، ‫ــﻮ ًﺭﺍ‬ ِ ِ ، ‫ﺍﻟﺼ ُﺪ ْﻭ ِﺭ‬ ُّ ‫ َﻳﺎ َﻋﺎﻟ َﻢ َﻣﺎ ﻓﻰ‬، ‫ َﻳﺎ ﻧُ ْﻮ َﺭ ﺍﻟﻨُّ ْﻮ َﺭ‬، ‫َّﻦ َﺗ ُﺒ ْﻮ َﺭ‬ ْ ‫ﻟ‬ ِ ‫ﺍ َْﺧ ِﺮﺟﻨﺎ ﻳﺎ ﺍَﻟﻠّٰﻪ ِﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻈُّﻠُﻤ‬ ، ‫ﺎﺕ ﺍِﻟَﻰ ﺍﻟﻨُّ ْﻮ ِﺭ‬ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ 2 Id al-Adha Khutbah 2010.indd 4

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O Allah! Grant our pilgrims an accepted ḥajj. And let their strivings and endeavours be rewarded. And forgive them their sins and trespassers. And accept their good deeds. And let not their assets perish.

O Light upon Light. O Knower of all that is in our hearts. Lead us forth from Darkness unto Light.

By celebrating ʾĪd-al-Aḍḥā in solidarity and in unison with the pilgrims (ḥujjāj) who have freshly returned from standing on the sacred plains of ʾArafāt (wuqūf al-ʾarafāt), we are giving this great day of happiness and joy its true meaning and significance. For it is only within the context of the ḥajj that the real meaning and true significance of our celebrations and joyful festivities on this blessed day of ʾĪd-al-Aḍḥā can be correctly understood and appreciated.

Since ʾĪd-al-Aḍḥā is inextricably linked with the ḥajj it behoves us in this ʾĪd khuṭbah to reflect on the significance of this fifth and final pillar of Islam in our lives today. I would like to use my own personal experiences of having been blessed to perform ḥajj last year as a point of reference. By reflecting on my ḥajj experiences, I would like in this ʾĪd khuṭbah to talk about ḥajj as a journey of compassionate love (al-ḥajju riḥlat al-ḥubb).

Personal Experience I was fortunate to perform the ḥajj for the second time last year to accompany my wife, Leila, on her first ḥajj as her maḥram. My first and farḍ ḥajj was undertaken exactly ten years ago in 1999.

My second ḥajj experience, however, was far more enriching and gratifying because I was accompanying the human being closest to me. Performing the ḥajj together with one’s spouse is a great

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bonding experience and can serve as a wonderful opportunity for revitalizing one’s marriage. Its immense benefits cannot be sufficiently extolled.

Moreover, it is a highly recommended sunnah (example) of the Prophet Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him). During the Prophet Muḥammad’s (pbuh) celebrated ḥajj al-wadāʾ– farewell pilgrimage – which took place during the final year of his life, he made sure that he was accompanied by all of his wives. In fact, the companions of the prophet were so eager to follow his noble example that Sayyidina Abubakr (may Allah be pleased with him) took along his pregnant wife Asmaʿ. At the first resting stop, Asmaʿ gave birth. At this point Sayyidina Abubakr wanted to send Asmaʿ and the new born baby back home, but the Prophet (pbuh) insisted that she continue on the ḥajj journey as planned (See Martin Lings, Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources).

During our ḥajj last year it was gratifying to witness a number of couples following this sunnah by performing ḥajj together, including at least three couples from our jamat, Kassiem Adams and Ayesha Saban, Rashid and Limeez Mohamed and Majedi and Shaheda Bassier. I believe this is a sunnah (prophetic example) that we need to continue to encourage in our communities. In this regard I would like to recommend the inspirational book on ḥajj written by a couple, well known to us here at the Claremont Main Road Masjid, Na'eem Jinnah and Shamima Shaykh. The book published in 1999 is titled: A Journey of Discovery – A South African Hajj Experience. The book is unique not least because it is written jointly by a husband and wife describing their ḥajj performed together. What makes the book all the more poignant is that it not only recounts the couple’s spiritual journey but also their final physical journey together.

Shamima’s cancer had reached an advanced stage before she went on ḥajj and she succumbed to the disease shortly after she returned

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from ḥajj. May Allah pardon her, have mercy on her soul and grant her paradise, insha-Allah.

Ḥajj as a Journey of Compassionate Love Performing ḥajj as I did with my spouse, re-inforced what I believe to be the interconnectedness of two seemingly different processes, namely, our relationships with each other on the one hand and our relationship with God on the other. This intense journey of ḥajj, to attain closeness to God, does not take place in solitude, but rather takes place in the midst of millions of other pilgrims on the same spiritual quest. Hence my view that the underlying purpose of the pilgrimage (maqsad al-ḥajj) is to cultivate a deeper, more abiding and loving relationship with our Lord and Sustainer, while simultaneously, cultivating deeper, more abiding and loving relationships with our families, friends and indeed all of humanity. These two seemingly different processes, one the vertical relationship with Allah, the other the horizontal relationships with our fellow human beings, are not separate and disconnected from each other.

Rather they occur and take place at the same time. This means that the greater the love we cultivate for our Lord and Sustainer (rabb) the more this love is reflected in our compassionate relationships with our spouses, families, friends and the rest of humanity and vice versa.

This awareness of the underlying wisdom of the communal nature of the ḥajj rituals is firmly entrenched in the rich Cape ḥajj cultural traditions that have evolved over more than two centuries.

This viewpoint is usefully elaborated in a book published in 2009 and titled, The Cape Hajj Tradition – Past & Present by Mogamat Hoosain Ebrahim.

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The Ḥajj Greeting Ritual A significant part of this unique Cape ḥajj tradition is the ḥujāji greeting ritual. This ritual can be exhausting but it is also an awesome and overwhelming experience. The idea behind the greeting ritual is that the ḥajji asks their relatives and friends to pardon him or her for acts of transgressions against them. This greeting ritual encapsulates the Islamic concept of reciprocity – the idea that the pilgrim cannot reconcile her/himself with God without first reconciling with his/her loved ones, friends and even enemies.

This teaching of forgiveness is usefully illustrated in the both the Qurʿān and the legacy of the Prophet (pbuh). For example in sūrah al-Nūr, chapter 24, verse 22, Allah, the Sublime, describes the magnanimous disposition of the believers as follows:

‫ﻁ‬ ِ ‫ﻥ ﻳَّﻐ ِْﻔ َﺮ‬ ُ ‫َﻭﻟ َْﻴ ْﻌﻔ ُْﻮﺍ َﻭﻟ َْﻴ ْﺼﻔ‬ ْ ‫َﺤ‬ ْ َ‫ﻥ ﺃ‬ َ ‫ــﻮﺍ ﺃ َ َﻻ ﺗُﺤ ُّﺒ ْﻮ‬ ‫ﺍﻟﻠّٰ ُﻪ ﻟَﻜُ ْﻢ ﻁ َﻭﺍﻟﻠّٰ ُﻪ ﻏَ ﻔ ُْﻮ ٌﺭ َّﺭ ِﺣ ْﻴ ٌﻢ‬

Let them (the believers) pardon and forgive others.

Do you not wish that God should forgive you? God is most Forgiving and all-Compassionate

In the ḥadīth literature we find the following inspirational story which further illuminates this Islamic norm of magnanimity and forgiveness.

It is reported that the Messenger of Allah was once seated in a gathering with his companions when the Prophet remarked about a very ordinary looking man, that he was ‘a man of paradise’. A companion, who was curious as to why the Prophet would say that,

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observed this man for three days and saw nothing unusual about him. Finally he told the man what the Prophet had said and asked him what was so special about him. The man thought for a long time and said, ‘There might be one thing — before going to sleep every night I forgive everyone and sleep with a clean heart.’

The moral of this story is clear. Forgiving others and having a clear conscience, i.e. trying one’s best not to transgress against the rights of others and seeking their forgiveness for willingly or unwittingly doing so, is one of the most valued ethico-moral characteristics of an upright Muslim.

The magnanimous gesture of the pilgrim to ask for forgiveness is reciprocated by his or her relatives and friends. In the days before their departure relatives and friends visit the pilgrim to convey their good wishes and prayers for a safe journey and a successful ḥajj. The hallowed words with which pilgrims are bid farewell are ‘ḥajj mabrūr,’ which comes from the teachings of the Prophet Muḥammad (pub). But what exactly is meant by ḥajj mabrūr?

Linguistically the Arabic word mabrūr is derived from the root word “birr” meaning goodness or kindness. It basically means displaying good and kind behaviour towards people. This literal definition of the word “birr” is further supported and corroborated by the Glorious Qurʿān in a number of places and the Prophet Muḥammad (pbuh) himself.

In sūrah al-Baqarah, chapter 2, verse 177, Allah, the Sublime, usefully defines the true concept of “birr” when He declares the following:

ِ ‫ﺸ ِﺮ‬ ْ ‫ﻫﻜُ ْﻢ ِﻗ َﺒ َﻞ ﺍﻟ ْ َﻤ‬ ‫ﻕ‬ َ ‫ﺟ ْﻮ‬ ُ ‫ﻥ ﺗ َُﻮﻟ ُّْﻮﺍ ُﻭ‬ َ ‫ﻟ َْﻴ‬ ْ َ ‫ﺲ ﺍﻟ ِْﺒ َّﺮ ﺃ‬ ِ ِ ‫َﻭﺍﻟ ْ َﻤﻐ ِْﺮ‬ ِ ‫ﻦ ﺑِﺎﻟﻠ ِّٰﻪ َﻭﺍﻟ َْﻴ ْﻮﻡ‬ َ ‫ﻦ ﺍ ٰ َﻣ‬ ْ ‫ــﻦ ﺍﻟ ِْﺒ َّﺮ َﻣ‬ َّ ‫ﺏ َﻭﻟ ٰﻜ‬ 7 Id al-Adha Khutbah 2010.indd 9

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ِ ‫ﺍﻵ ِﺧ ِﺮ َﻭﺍﻟ ْ َﻤ َﻼﺋِﻜَ ِﺔ َﻭﺍﻟ ْﻜِ َﺘ‬ ‫ﻦ ﺝ َﻭﺍٰﺗَﻰ‬ ْ َ ‫ﺎﺏ َﻭﺍﻟﻨَّ ِﺒ ِّﻴ‬ ٖ ‫ــﺎﻝ َﻋﻠٰﻰ ﺣﺒ‬ ‫ــﻪ َﺫ ِﻭﻯ ﺍﻟْﻘ ُْﺮﺑٰــﻰ َﻭﺍﻟ َْﻴ ٰﺘ ٰﻤﻰ‬ َ ‫ﺍﻟ ْ َﻤ‬ ِّ ُ ‫ِ ﻻ‬ ِ ِ​ِ ِ ‫ﺍﻟﺴ‬ ‫ــﺒ ْﻴ‬ ‫ﻦ‬ َّ ‫ﻦ‬ ٰ ‫َﻭﺍﻟ ْ َﻤ‬ َّ ‫ﻞ َﻭ‬ َ ْ‫ﻦ َﻭﺍﺑ‬ َ ‫ﺴــﻜ ْﻴ‬ َ ‫ﺍﻟﺴــﺎﺋﻠ ْﻴ‬ ‫ﺝ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﺍﻟﺮ َﻗ‬ ‫ﺍﻟﺼﻠٰﻮ َﺓ َﻭﺍٰﺗَﻰ ﺍﻟ َّﺰﻛٰﻮ َﺓ‬ َّ ‫ﺎﺏ ﺝ َﻭﺃ َ َﻗﺎ َﻡ‬ ِّ ‫َﻭﻓﻰ‬ ‫ﻦ‬ َ ‫ﻬ ِﺪ ِﻫ ْﻢ ﺇ ِ َﺫﺍ َﻋﺎ‬ ْ ‫ﻥ ﺑِ َﻌ‬ ّٰ ‫ﻫ ُﺪ ْﻭﺍ ﺝ َﻭ‬ َ ْ‫ﺍﻟﺼ ِﺒ ِﺮﻳ‬ َ ‫َﻭﺍﻟ ْ ُﻤ ْﻮﻓُ ْﻮ‬ ِ ِ ِ َّ ‫ﺎﺀ ﻭ‬ ِ ‫ﻚ‬ َ ‫ﻦ ﺍﻟ َْﺒﺄ ْ ِﺱ ﻁ ﺃُﻭﻟ ِٰﺌ‬ َ ‫ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟ َْﺒﺄ ْ َﺳ‬ َ ‫ﺍﻟﻀ َّﺮﺍﺀ َﻭﺣ ْﻴ‬ ِ ‫ﻥ‬ َ ‫ﻦ َﺻ َﺪ ُﻗ ْﻮﺍ ﻁ َﻭﺃُﻭﻟ ِٰﺌ‬ ُ ‫ﻚ‬ َ ‫ﻫ ُﻢ ﺍﻟ ْ ُﻤ َّﺘﻘ ُْﻮ‬ َ ْ‫ﺍﻟ َّﺬﻳ‬

It is not ‘birr’ (virtuous conduct) that you merely turn your faces towards the East or to the West; but ‘birr’ (virtuous conduct) is – to believe in God and the Last Day, and in the Angels, the Scripture, and the Prophets; to spend of your wealth, out of love for Him (God), for your family, for orphans, for the needy, for the travellers, for beggars, and to liberate those in bondage; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts and promises which you have made; and to be steadfast and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of danger. Such are the people who are sincere, and they are the truly God conscious.

It is in the prophetic traditions however that birr is used specifically in relation to the ḥajj. In a ḥadīth recorded in a number of authen-

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tic ḥadīth compendiums such as the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, AlTabarani and Al-Bayhaqi, on the authority of the companion Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet Muḥammad (pbuh) informed his followers about the great blessings and rewards of the ḥajj by proclaiming that:

ِ ‫ﺍَﻟْﻌﻤﺮ ُﺓ ﺇِﻟَﻰ ﺍﻟْﻌﻤ‬ ‫ َﻭﺍﻟ َْﺤ ُّﺞ‬،‫ﺎﺭ ٌﺓ ﻟ َِّﻤﺎ َﺑ ْﻴﻨَ ُﻬ َﻤﺎ‬ َ ‫ــﺮﺓ َﻛ َّﻔ‬ َ ْ ُ َ ْ ُ ‫ﺍﺀ ﺇِ َّﻻ ﺍﻟ َْﺠﻨَّ َﺔ‬ ٌ ‫ﺍﻟ َْﻤ ْﺒ ُﺮ ْﻭ ُﺭ ﻟ َْﻴ َﺲ ﻟَﻪ َﺟ َﺰ‬ From the performance of one ʾumrah to the next is an expiation of sins and the reward for an accepted ḥajj is no less a reward than paradise.

On hearing this, one of the companions was intrigued by this assertion and wanted to know more so he asked: “O Messenger of Allah! What makes a ḥajj mabrūr?” The Prophet Muḥammad (pbuh) replied,

ِ ِ ِ ِ‫ﺐ ﺍﻟْ َﻜ َﻼﻡ‬ ُ ‫ﺇ َّﻥ ﺑِ َّﺮ ﺍﻟ َْﺤ ِّﺞ ﺇﻃ َْﻌ‬ ُ ‫ َﻭﻃ ْﻴ‬،ِ‫ﺎﻡ ﺍﻟﻄ ََّﻌﺎﻡ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ (ِ‫ﺍﻟﺴ َﻼﻡ‬ ُ ‫ )ﺇﻃ َْﻌ‬:‫َﻭﻋﻨْ َﺪ َﺑ ْﻌﻀ ِﻬ ْﻢ‬ َّ ‫ﺎﺀ‬ ُ ‫ﺎﻡ ﺍﻟﻄ ََّﻌﺎﻡِ َﻭﺇﻓ َْﺸ‬ It is to provide food to the needy and the poor, to speak kindly to people, and to spread peace.

We can interpret this to mean that a ḥajj mabrūr – a divinely accepted pilgrimage – is measured by the extent to which the pilgrim’s

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participation in the ḥajj has enabled him or her to transform and change their character, thus making them into more loving and caring human beings. In other words, ḥujjāj are in effect special human beings who are adorned with the characteristic of mabrūr, meaning that they make every effort to be in solidarity with the poor, they try their best to always speak kindly and gently to others, and they strive to support causes that promote peace on the earth.

We need to remind ourselves therefore that at the heart of this great cultural tradition of ḥajj greeting lies the idea that the pilgrim cannot attain closeness to God without first nurturing love and compassion for others. In other words, the greater the love and compassion we cultivate for our families, friends and the rest of humanity the more our Lord and Sustainer (rabb) reciprocates in greater love and compassion for us.

This is a central teaching of Islam and is usefully illustrated by the following famous prophetic tradition (ḥadīth). ʾAbdullah bin ʾAmr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet Muḥammad (may Allah’s everlasting peace and blessings be upon him) said:

ِ ‫ ﺍﺣﻤﻮﻥ ﻳﺮﺣﻤﻬﻢ ﺍﻟﺮﺣﻤ‬ ِ ‫ﺍ‬ ‫ﻦ ِﻓﻲ‬ ْ ‫ ﺍ ْﺭ َﺣ ُﻤ ْﻮﺍ َﻣ‬،‫ﻦ‬ ُ ٰ ْ َّ ُ ُ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ ُ ‫َﻟﺮ‬ َّ ِ ‫ْﺍﻷَﺭ ِﺽ ﻳﺮﺣﻤﻜﻢ ﻣﻦ ِﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺴﻤ‬ ‫ﺎﺀ‬ َ َّ ْ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َْ ْ People who display compassion to others will be shown compassion by the Most Compassionate. Be compassionate to those on earth, and He who is in heaven will be compassionate to you.

(This prophetic tradition (hadith) is transmitted in the collection of Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi who classified it as authentic (sahih).

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Fellow Travelers Once we set off on our journey, the bonds of love and affection were extended to those who accompanied us on ḥajj. As you know, ḥajj is an intense journey, and for about six weeks, you share this journey with mostly strangers. However, these ḥajji baai’s became our special friends since as the Afrikaans expression goes “ons het saam getravel’ and they continue to remind us about a very special time in our lives. We shared many meals together, we visited the sacred places together, and through conversations about spiritual and other matters, we also learnt from each other. These fellow travellers were the ones we depended on to come to our aid when we were ill or in need of other assistance.

My wife, Leila, for example, related a story of when one of the young women became very ill on Mina. She was travelling with her husband, but because the men and women are in separate tents on Mina, the sick woman had to rely on the assistance of the other women during this time.

Leila also told us about one of the women ḥujjāj, who was a qualified reflexologist, who gave the women foot massages to provide some relief for their tired feet while they were on Mina. When asked what payment she wanted, she said all she wanted was for the ḥujjāj to make duʾāʿ for her and her children and the youth of today.

These stories of affection and compassion amongst fellow ḥujjāj underscores the message of this khuṭbah, that as much as the ḥajj is a personal quest for spiritual purification, it is also about strengthening our interpersonal relationships and social bonds with others.

This is also a core message of Islam that salvation (falāḥ – success in this world and in the hereafter) is attained through developing and nurturing good and sound social relations.

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Ḥajj is ʿArafāt The highlight of the ḥajj is undoubtedly the wuqūf al-ʾArafāt – the standing on the sacred plains of ʾArafāt in communion with our Creator earnestly seeking his Infinite Compassion and Loving Forgiveness. ʾArafāt literally means knowledge and in the context of the ḥajj it means getting to know oneself intimately. Here we are reminded of a prophetic tradition, which teaches that whoever comes to know himself comes to know Allah. But the Qurʿān (49:13) also exhorts us to get to know the other in order to reach a higher level of God consciousness (taqwa). The universal gathering at ʾArafāt provides a unique opportunity to experience this knowledge of self and other and consequently attain closeness to God. Taking advantage of this opportunity I managed to persuade Leila to join me in venturing out of our South African camp in the late afternoon and take a walk in the sea of people gathered at ʾArafāt. We lost ourselves in this sea of humanity. It was a truly inspirational experience. We savoured the solemn sights of people perched on high or low spots each engaged in their own personal supplications. We observed the diverse mix of people from all parts of the world, assorted smells, varied means of transportation and makeshift camps. When we reached the foot of jabal raḥmah (mount of mercy/compassion), we stood in awe of the great diversity of the global ummah. We were overwhelmed by a deep sense of solidarity with the two million other ḥujjāj who had gathered on this sacred plain of ʾArafāt. All of this inspired in us a deep sense of reverence and God consciousness.

This sense of solidarity stayed with us as we poured forth with the ḥajj crowds at sunset from ʾArafāt to Muzdalifah. It will remain as one of the most memorable marches I have ever undertaken. It was a strenuous walk of close to five hours. The mood of the im-

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mense crowd of pilgrims turned from sombre to celebratory and this carried us forward. With each step it felt as if we had moved further away from our past sins and were being renewed by this exacting ritual. The huge crowd of pilgrims were deeply engrossed in chanting the talbiya – labbayk Allahumma labbayk – here I am O God at your service – each group in a slightly different tone and tune. We were mesmerized by this extraordinary display of unity in diversity and each time we joined a new group to enjoy its unique style of chanting the talbiya. We could not speak each other’s languages but we were all united in devotion to God, and affirming our common humanity.

It was also during the walk from ʾArafāt to Muzdalifah that I experienced one of the most moving moments in my ḥajj experience.

We saw an elderly man from Cape Town being pushed in a wheel chair by two of his sons. They did so with such great care and joyfulness that I was deeply moved by this scene. It was indeed a labour of love. They insisted that their father should not ride the bus but experience the ḥajj with the masses. This display of reverence for their father once again reminded me of a central message of Islam.

From the Islamic perspective, upholding loving and compassionate relations with your parents draws one closer to God. Allah, the Sublime, declares in surah Banī Isrā’īl, chapter 17, verse 23:

ِ ْ‫ﻚ ﺃ َ َّﻻ ﺗَ ْﻌ ُﺒ ُﺪ ْﻭٓﺍ ﺇ ِ َّﻻٓ ﺇ ِﻳَّﺎ ُه َﻭﺑِﺎﻟ َْﻮﺍﻟِ َﺪﻳ‬ ‫ﻦ‬ َ ُّ‫َﻭ َﻗ ٰﻀــﻰ َﺭﺑ‬ ‫ﺴﺎﻧ ًﺎ‬ ْ ِ‫ﺇ‬ َ ‫ﺣ‬ And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and be kind to your parents.

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Here respect for parents, is mentioned in the same breath as worship of Allah. This significance should not elude us.

This profound gesture of compassionate love displayed by these two sons towards their father re-iterates the message of this `Id khuṭbah that in developing a loving horizontal relationship with all of humanity, especially our parents, we are at the same time strengthening our vertical relationship with our Lord and Sustainer.

We recently heard that the elderly ḥajji had passed away. May Allah pardon him his trespasses and grant him a place in paradise, inshaAllah.

Conclusion In conclusion, my ḥajj experience has strengthened and re-affirmed my conviction that the manāsik (the rites) of the ḥajj are not ends in themselves but have great symbolic significance. The purposes of the ḥajj rituals and indeed all acts of worship is to enable and inspire us to ever higher levels of loving and compassionate behaviour towards each other and consequently, draws us ever closer to our Creator, and Sustainer, Allah. There is thus great wisdom in the communal experiences of ḥajj, starting from the time we greet our families and friends on our departure, sharing the journey with fellow pilgrims, and reaching a climax on the day of ʾArafāt, when we stand in solidarity with all humanity and humbly supplicate to our Lord and Sustainer of the entire universe.

I would like to conclude with an extract from a ḥajj poem (burda) composed by a fourteenth century Islamic scholar, known as Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d.1350) whose title, al-ḥajju riḥla alḥubbi, inspired the topic of this ʾĪd khuṭbah, Ḥajj – A Journey of Compassionate Love:

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‫ﻭﺭﺍﺣﻮﺍ ﺇِﻟَﻰ ﺍﻟ َّﺘﻌ ِﺮﻳ ِ‬ ‫ﻒ َﻳ ْﺮ ُﺟ ْﻮ َﻥ َﺭ ْﺣ َﻤ ًﺔ‬ ‫ْ ْ‬ ‫َ​َ ُ ْ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ﻦ َﻳ ُﺠ ْﻮ ُﺩ َﻭ ُﻳ ْﻜ ِﺮ ُﻡ‬ ‫َﻭ َﻣ ْﻐﻔ َﺮ ًﺓ َّﻣ َﻤ ْ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ﻱ‬ ‫ﻓَﻠﻠ ِّٰﻪ ﺫ َ‬ ‫َﺍﻙ ﺍﻟ َْﻤ ْﻮﻗ ُﻒ ْﺍﻷ َ َﻋﻈ ُْﻢ ﺍﻟَّﺬ ْ‬ ‫َﻛﻤﻮﻗ ِ‬ ‫َﺍﻙ ﺃَ ْﻋﻈ َُﻢ‬ ‫َﻒ َﻳ ْﻮﻡِ ﺍﻟ َْﻌ ْﺮ ِﺽ َﺑ ْﻞ ﺫ َ‬ ‫َ ْ‬ ‫ِ​ِ‬ ‫ﺎﺭ َﺟ َّﻞ َﺟ َﻼﻟَ ُﻪ‬ ‫َﻭ َﻳ ْﺪﻧُ ْﻮ ﺑﻪ ﺍﻟ َْﺠ َّﺒ َ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ﻲ ﺑِ ِﻬ ْﻢ ﺃَ ْﻣ َﻼ َﻛ ُﻪ ﻓ َُﻬ َﻮ ﺃَ ْﻛ َﺮ ُﻡ‬ ‫ُﻳ َﺒﺎﻫ ْ‬ ‫َ ِ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ﻲ َﻣ َﺤ َّﺒ ًﺔ‬ ‫َﻳ ُﻘ ْﻮ ُﻝ َﻋ َﺒﺎﺩ ْ‬ ‫ﻱ َﻗ ْﺪ ﺃ ُﺗ ْﻮﻧ ْ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ﻲ ﺑِ ِﻬ ْﻢ ﺑِ ٌّﺮ ﺃَ ْﺟ َﻮ ُﺩ َﻭﺃَ ْﺭ َﺣ ُﻢ‬ ‫َﻭﺇﻧِّ ْ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ﺕ ُﺫﻧُ ْﻮ َﺑ ُﻬ ْﻢ‬ ‫ﻲ َﻏ َﻔ ْﺮ ُ‬ ‫َﻭﺃ ْﺷ َﻬ ُﺪ ُﻛ ْﻢ ﺃﻧِّ ْ‬ ‫َﻭﺃَ ْﻋﻄ َْﻴ ُﺘ ُﻬ ْﻢ َﻣﺎ ﺃَ َّﻣﻠ ُْﻮ ٌه َﻭﺃَﻧْ َﻌ ُﻢ‬ ‫ِ ِ ِ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ﻱ‬ ‫ﻓ َُﺒ ْﺸ َﺮﺍ ُﻛ ْﻢ َﻳﺎﺃ ْﻫ َﻞ ﺫَﺍ ﺍﻟ َْﻤ ْﻮﻗﻒ ﺍﻟَّﺬ ْ‬ ‫ِ​ِ ِ‬ ‫ﺏ َﻭ َﻳ ْﺮ َﺣ ُﻢ‬ ‫ﺑﻪ َﻳ ْﻐﻔ ُﺮ ﺍﻟﻠّٰ ُﻪ ﺍﻟ ُّﺬﻧُ ْﻮ َ‬ ‫‪Now to ʾArafāt, hoping for Compassion and Forgive‬‬‫‪ness‬‬ ‫‪From the One overflowing with Generosity and‬‬ ‫;‪Loving Kindness‬‬ ‫‪Now for Allah is that Magnificent Standing‬‬ ‫‪Like, though lesser than, the Day of Reckoning.‬‬ ‫‪The Irresistible draws closer, His Majesty manifest,‬‬

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Boasting to His angels, for He is the Exalted, ‘My devotees have come to Me so lovingly, I will be Generous and Compassionate, willingly’ I have forgiven their sins, – to this you are witness – Fulfilled their hopes, and showered them with goodness.

On this blessed day of ʾĪd-al-Aḍḥā let us remember all the pilgrims (ḥujjāj) gathered at the sacred places, performing the ṭawaf and saʿī of the ḥajj and preparing to go back to Mina for the ramy al-jamarāt (symbolic pelting of satan). We pray that Allah, the Most Compassionate, grants all of our brothers and sisters who have been blessed to have been present at ʾArafāt yesterday an accepted ḥajj, forgiveness of their sins, and allows them to return to their homelands as true ambassadors of Islam.

We pray that Allah, the Sublime, on this great day of ʾĪd-alAḍḥā inspires those who have not yet performed the ḥajj to make their sincere intentions to do so. We implore Allah, the Source of All Sustenance, to open the way for them to fulfil their desires, insha-Allah.

But most of all we ask Allah, the All-Loving and Compassionate, to enable us all to become more caring, compassionate and loving human beings.

Let us use this great day of ʾĪd-al-Aḍḥā as the starting point to undertake the journey of living our lives with love, compassion and God consciousness.

I greet you all:

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ʾĪd saʾīd wa mubārak

ِ ِ ‫ﻙ‬ ْ ‫ﺎﺭ‬ َ ‫ﻋ ْﻴ ْﺪ َﺳﻌ ْﻴ ْﺪ َﻭ ُﻣ َﺒ‬

Kullu ʾām wa antum bikhayr

‫ﻛُ ُّﻞ َﻋﺎﻡ ٍ َﻭﺍَﻧ ْ ُﺘ ْﻢ ﺑِﺨَ ْﻴ ٍﺮ‬

maʾassalāmah waṣ-ṣiḥḥah

ِّ ‫َﻣ َﻌﺎﻟﺴ َﻼ َﻣ ِﺔ ﻭ‬ ‫ﺤ ِﺔ‬ َّ ‫ﺍﻟﺼ‬ َّ َ

May you enjoy a blessed ʾĪd.

May your entire year be filled with Goodness, Peace and Health Baie Slamat vir Labarang.

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