Hajj Reflections
“As-salámu ‘alaikum wa rahmatul láhi wa barakátuh!”
“A-úthu billáhi minash shaytánir rajeem. Bismilláhir rahmánir raheem
Al hamdu lillahi nahmaduhu wanasta’eenahu, wanastagh-firuhu, wanatoobu ilayhi, wana’oothu Billaahi min shuroori an-fusinaa, wamin sayyi aati a’maalinaa. May- Yahdillahu fa huwal muhtad, wa may- yudlill falan tajidaa lahu waliyan murshida. Wa ash-hadu an Laa ilaaha ill-Alláh, wahdahoo laa shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhoo warasooluh”
All Praise is due to Alláh, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Alláh, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Alláh, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad, sws, is His servant, and His messenger.
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem! Ya Ay-yuhal-latheena ‘aamanut taqul-laaha, haqqa tuqaatihee wala tamu tun-na, il-la wa antum Muslimoon.”
“O You who believe, – Fear Allah, as He should be feared, and die not except as Muslims.”
“Ya Ay-yuhal-latheena ‘aamanut taqul-laaha, wa qooloo qawlan sadeedaa. Yuslih-lakum a’maalakum wa yaghfir lakum thunoobakum, wamay yu-til-laaha warasoolah, faqad faaza fawzan atheemaa.”
“O You who believe, – Be aware of Allah, and speak a straightforward word. He will forgive your sins and repair your deeds. And whoever takes Allah and His Prophet as a guide, has already achieved a mighty victory.”
In the opening verse of Sura An-Nisaa’, Allah says:
“O mankind! Show reverence towards your Guardian-Lord Who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate and from the two of them scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;― Be conscious of Allah, through Whom ye demand your mutual (rights) and (show reverence towards) the wombs (that bore you): for surely, Allah ever watches over you.”`
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Brother Essam gave a very inspiring khutbah this morning after the Eid Prayers. I want to sum up a few key lessons for us all to remember about the Hajj, in this short khutbah. Hajj, the Pilgrimage to Makka, is an epic journey, a journey of a lifetime: It is also the summation of the dramatic story of our Faith. It is a journey that reminds us about our primordial human nature: Fitra, innocence, purity, about human forgetfulness that leads us to sinful and shameful deeds. But it’s also about Redemption, divine Mercy and Forgiveness. Haj teaches us about sacrifice, about loving Allah more than anyone on anything else, just like Nabi Ibrahim, alayhis salaam, did. Prophet Abraham peace and blessings on him, was ready to sacrifice his own beloved son, Ismail alayhis salaam, and earned himself the honourable title of khaleel-Allah, the Friend of Allah. Hajj takes us on a journey back through time, retelling the moral and spiritual history of humanity. We visit the Kaaba, the first place of worship, built before the first church, or temple, or synagogue. Here we find ourselves at the Baytul-Laah, the House of Allah. It is the home of Monotheism, the cradle of Tawheed, of Divine Unity. Here we walk around the geographical centre of Islam, the Kaaba, centre of our Islamic universe. Our tawaaf symbolises effort, action, in a constant, circular motion, centred round a fixed and immovable idea of Unity: Tawheed. Unity of belief, Unity of purpose, amidst a diversity of opinions and different starting points. The great plain of Arafat becomes the stage for a dramatic role-play of the very beginning and the very end: Long before time and space existed, long before the ‘big bang’ 14 billion years ago, Allah created your soul and my soul and the souls of every human being that ever was and ever will be. Then He asked them to testify according to themselves, by declaring the First Shahaadah, the First Covenant. This was in the state of metaphysical or pre-Eternal Time. When Allah addressed the assembled gathering of human Souls, he asked them:
“Alasta bi Rabbikum?” “Am I not Your Lord?”
and they all answered together in one thunderous voice,
“Balaa”
“Yes, indeed, You are! we testify to this, so that we have no excuse on the Day of Judgement to say that we were not aware of this covenant.” [Sura Ar’af 7:172]
Arafat is also a dress rehearsal for the Day of Judgement, Yawmul qiy-yaamah. In our simple ihram clothes, we cannot distinguish anyone’s wealth and social status. No one can see who’s rich and who’s poor; the president, the billionaire, the taxi driver and the farmer all look exactly alike, just like Allah sees us. Allah is only concerned with who is best in their deeds. Who is best in their moral and ethical behaviour…
We come to Jabal Rahma: the Mount of Mercy, a low hill rising above the plain of ‘Arafat. Jabal Rahma signifies the central theme of atonement, forgiveness after we’ve acknowledged our sins and pleaded for Allah’s mercy. Here we follow the Adamic role model. Here we stand not simply as Muslims or Believers. Here we stand as Bani Adam, descendants of Adam and Eve. Here is where the first human beings sought forgiveness and Allah forgave them:
“Rabbana zhalamna an fusina wa il-lam tagh-fir lana wa tar hamna lana koona minal khaasireen!” [7:23]
This is the same prayer of Nabi Adam, alayhis salaam, Adam and Eve, Allah’s peace and blessings on them both:
“Our Lord! We have truly wronged our own souls, and if You do not forgive us, we will truly be among the losers!”
Nabi Adam’s epic spiritual journey began from a state of fitra, primordial innocence, purity, and went through human forgetfulness and distraction to commit Sin. But Allah also gave him the ability to recognise his mistake, to regret, to be filled with remorse and to plead for forgiveness, and finally to earn redemption. All this is graphically, vividly recalled on the Hajj. Brothers and sisters, if you have not yet undertaken this blessed journey, make your intention, your niyyat, to do so, inshAllah, ASAP, as soon as possible.
Hajj is truly a journey of a lifetime. Hajj takes us not only on a journey tracing the spiritual history of Islam, it also symbolises the journey each and every one of us must undertake, to find our own centre, in the Kaaba of our heart. What desires, what emotions and passions are circling, making tawaaf around our spiritual heart? The qalb is the locus of our personality. Let’s make sure that it is surrounded by loving thoughts of Remembrance of our most Beloved, Allah. It is only when we Remember Allah with love and gratitude that our hearts will ever find lasting peace and contentment.
“Al-latheena ‘aamanu, watat-ma-innul quloobuhum, bi dhikril-Laah. Alaa bi dhikril-Laahi tat-ma-innul quloob” [Sura al-Ra’d, 28]
“Those who Believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the Remembrance of Allah; for truly, in the Remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.”
Innalláha wa malaaikata yusallúna alan nabi. Yá ay yuhal latheena ámanu sallú alayhi wasalli mú tas leema. Allahumma salli alá Muhammad, wa ala áli Muhammad, kama salayta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali Ibrahim. Allahumma barik ala Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil ála meen, innaka hameedun majeed.
Second Khutbah:
Sub’ hanallahi wal hamdu lillah, wala hawla wala quwwata illah billah yu althi yual theem
Glory to Allah! Praise to Allah! There is no power and no strength except from Allah!
My brothers and sisters,
We say we love Allah more than we love anyone or anything else. Do we really mean it? Do we really love Allah more than our families, more than our parents and children, more than our selfish egos? Where’s the evidence? If we really love someone, there’s evidence. There’s phone calls, love poems, text messages and emails. Where’s the evidence of our love for Allah? Where’s the evidence that we’re constantly seeking His smiling Face, in our prayers, in our Dhikr, and in our lifelong good works?
Prophet Abraham, Nabi Ebrahim, alayhis salaam, had a dream in which he was offering his son Ismail as a sacrifice to Allah. He told his son about the dream, and both father and son were so devoted to Allah, they both agreed and prepared to follow Allah’s will. But just as the sharpened knife was about to pierce the jugular vein, Allah spared father and son of the ultimate sacrifice, so that they passed the test of sincerity, ikhlaas.
Let us not forget the powerful message here. It’s easy to say, I love Islam, I love Allah and Prophet Muhammad sws. Talk is cheap, but where’s the evidence?. Let us show that we truly love Allah, by coming forward to help with our money, our time and our talent to serve others, to make our neighbourhood, our city and our country a better place, a safer place for everyone. This is the real proof of love for Allah. Serve His creation. Be an agent of His mercy. Do good, as Prophet Muhammad (sws) advised.
“Spread Peace, feed the poor, pray a small part of the night and you will enter Paradise.” [Hadith]
Brothers and sisters, to conclude our khutbah:
InnaAllaha, Yamuru bil adel, wal ihsaan, wa eetaa-i zil qurba; wa yanha anil fuhshaa-i, wal munkari walbaghi; ya-idzukhum lallakum tathak-karoon. (Sura 16:90),
“Surely Allah commands justice, good deeds and generosity to others and to relatives; and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, so that you may be reminded.”
Fadth kuroonee adth kurkum, wash kuroolee walaa tak furoon [2:152].
“and remember Me: I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject faith.”
wala thikrul-Laahi akbar, Wal-Laahu ya’lamu maa tasna’oon.” [29:45].
“and without doubt, Remembrance of Allah is the Greatest Thing in life, and Allah knows the deeds that you do.”
Ameen. Aqeemus salaah!
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