Hajj

What is Hajj
Why we preform Hajj
Acceptance of Hajj, some conditions
Spiritual levels of hajj
Boundaries of hajj-entering makka
Details of Ihraam
Talbiyah
Arriving in makka
8th DhulHajjah - rituals preformed
9th DhulHajjah- rituals preformed
10th DhulHajjah- rituals preformed
11th DhulHajjah- rituals preformed
12th DhulHajjah- rituals preformed


*What is Hajj*

We are privilege people amongst billions who has lost this opportunity, by that its
meant who have passed that phase of life and were not able to please Allah
subhanahuwata'ala. A wise person is who learns from other peoples lessons. People
have ruled 20, 30, 40 years and if they have not purified themselves their end is very
bad and then the time to come is also very bad unless Allah subhanahuwataala.

The Hajj is not a normal amal as Allah subhanahuwataala has given it special
significance. You make say when you are ill you seek help from a doctor,they may
give you medicine for normal symptoms of a headache and the illness may go away.
If it is more serious you may go to a specialist, or insevere casesyou stop breathing
in which case as a last resort electric currents, injections, or a life support machine
maybe used, even though the person is dying. These are last tries to save the
person.

Islam also has several medicines to cure like salahtul tawba, astagfar or even
leaving the sin. Even medicine like prayer and if a person isnt getting effect from that
then paying zakat or sadaqa. Also once a year we are asked to fast 30 days which is
a type of tauba, its like a medicine where you become purified of illnesses. When a
person is not getting purified then the prescribed medicine Islam has given is Hajj,
where this a last chance to become purified and if this doesnt help then the chances
are you will die in that state. You may say Hajj is the major or grand tauba which
Islam offers.Either a person will take effect from it and benefit or they are in great
danger as they will lose their chance and some cases thats forever.

Sayidina nazamul deen from indian
Was asked, why is it that when some people go on hajj they become better people
and some become even worse people then before they went as they are both
preforming the same Hajj.
He replied, When a person is living in their own countries Allah is more merciful on
them in the sense thatwhatever that persons inner state is, they are able to coverit
up from other people (is doesnt come on the outer side) and on the other side you
have some people who are good from the inside but from outer side commit wrong
acts.
When the person goes in front of the Kaaba especially HazreAswad, there is so
much power that it brings the reality of the person outside. This is the change we see
in the person that returns from preforming Hajj. Their inner reality is brought out that
is why some people go and come back worse and some come better.


*WHY WE PREFORM HAJJ*

The ultimate aim and objectives of Hajj are:

1. To renew the promise you have made with Allah subhanahuwataala in the
world of spirits. Everyone as a spirt made a promise/contract with Allah
subhanahuwataala, for Jannah we will abide by HIS commands. We renew
this covenant with our bodies when we preform Hajj by going around the
Kaaba (tawaaf) you are promising Allah that how you are physically going
around the Kaaba thats how HE will be at centre of our lives and nothing else
will be our objective of life i.e. money, fame, women..etc There are 7 tawaafs
and we have 7 organs (eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet, stomach and private
parts) each tawaaf is as though your are promising with that organ to abide to
Allah. Sayyidina abdul qadir jilani said Who ever found Allah he has found
everything and whoever lost Allah has lost everything.
2. To follow the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and for
love and obedience towards him peace be upon him. For example when we
wear the ihram, we wear what Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him wore,
we do not wear what we desire to wear. Also wherever the Prophet
Muhammad peace be upon him went to different places to perform the Hajj
(mina, muzdalifah..etc) as a result we also go there. We follow Prophet
Muhammads (peace be upon him) footsteps without questioning it, hopefully
this will put us in the practice his Sunnah unquestionably.
3. The Pleasure of Allah you are my aim and ultimate objective.


*Acceptance of hajj, some conditions*

There are 4 signs of an accepted Hajj:

1. Person should be free from pretension, display, showing off and riyaa that the
intention should be pure. You are not doing it for money, a business or seeing the
sites but just to please Allah subhanahuwataala. You should not intend to show it off
after Hajj too.

2. Being free from sin during the Hajj. Whoever goes to Hajj and does Hajj should
abstain from abdominal speech (sinful speech) and no sinful acts and no disputes,
arguments or quarrels.
We see how it begins with the tongue (in our prophetic path course we also begin by
the tongue) and ends with the tongue too. As the tongue is so important so the more
silent we keep, they closer we are to Allah subhanahuwataala and the more closer
you are to salvation.

3. Another sign of acceptance, is after Hajj you yourself can judge if you are like a
new born baby. Save themselves from the sins after the Hajj so there is a drastic 180
degree change. Now they will begin the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad peace be
upon him and follow his life style-which is one of the objectives of Hajj.


4. He is inclined towards the akhira and distances himself from the duniya. There is a
pull towards the akhira and the success of the akhira.




*Spiritual levels of Hajj*

Before you go on your journey for Hajj, you can decide which level of hajj you want
to perform. The higher the level, the higher the closeness to Allah and InshAllah
permanent change in you.

Level 1 think and believe your Lord is Seeing you, Hearing you and Present with
you. Also observe the tongue and eye from committing sin.
Level 2 to observe all the sensual organs of the body and to imagine each tunnel
(the tunnel which connects the heart to each limb) is being blocked with the name of
Allah the Exalted (Plus Level 1)

Level 3 to believe and feel and use your heart to call your Lord. Imagine when you
are performing any acts of worship that you heart is calling your Lord and you Heart
is being engraved in the name of Allah the Exalted (Plus Level 1 and 2)

Level 4 to engage and let your mind start to talk with your Heart. Imagine the evil of
mind is disintegrating and turning into the light and remembrance of you Lord. (Plus
Levels 1, 2 and 3)

Level 5 to feel your entire body, mind and soul is calling your Lord and wanting to be
truly in the presence of your Lord. So now your entire body is calling your Lord (Your
entire limbs starts to call Allah) when performing any Amaals (Plus Levels 1,2, 3 and
4)

Level 6 to believe and feel your soul is truly has dominated your body and to be
totally annihilated in the love and obedience of your Lord.

Level 7 every breath you take and every movement you make you totally feel the
presence of your Lord. You are now totally annihilated and feel and believe every
movement is the blessing of your Lord and worship him with every thought and
breath. Your entire body, mind and soul is truly with your Lord.


*Boundaries of Hajj- Entering Makka*

Mawageet is the plural of meeqat: the geographical boundary that a person intending
Hajj or Umrah may not cross without assuming ihram for Hajj or Umrah, or both. A
muslim intending Hajj or Umrah who crosses the Meeqat without Ihraam must return
to the meeqat and make ihram there. If He/she does not return and make ihram from
the meeqat, then he/she must offer a sacrifice (Hady).



*Details of Ihram*

Before entering into Ihraam:
-Clip moustache.
-Clip nails; remove pubic and armpit hair.
-Take a shower (ghusl) for ihram. This is a Sunnah.
-Put perfume on your body (head, beard)
-Put Ihraam clothing (rida & ezar) (men only)

Entering Ihraam:
-Pray two rakat.
-Make the intention of hajj or umrah.
-Recite talabiyah 3 times.

The restrictions of ihram are:
-Men cannot wear any sewn clothes such as a shirt, turban, hooded cloak, trousers,
underwear, etc. or shoes. Women can wear their normal clothes, but without
covering their faces or hands.
-What is forbidden to wear during the state of ihram is not stitched material is
themselves but those garments that are made to fit the limbs and are usually worn
by people in normal state, such as shirts, pants and T-shirts.
-You should not wear gloves, although there is no harm in wrapping the hands in
cloth.
-Men cannot cover their head with something that touches it.
-You should not perfume yourself, your clothing, your food or drink after entering
Ihraam. You should also abstain from cleansing yourself with scented soap (there is
no harm in what remains of the effect of perfume used prior to ihram).
-relationship between husband and wife are forbidden, all matters leading to it such
as kissing touching or talking with ones wife/husband about intercourse or related
matters is forbidden as well.
-You should not remove any hair from any part of the body.
-You should not clip your nails.
-You should not kill lice.
-You shouldnt be wed or make marriage proposal for yourself or others.
-You should not hunt or assist someone in hunting.
-You should not kill animal except those that are harmful or that would attack people,
such as mice, snakes and scorpions.





*Talbiyah*

The Talbiyah is a Muslim prayer invoked by the pilgrims as a conviction that they
intend to perform the Hajj only for the glory of Allah subhanahuwataala.

Labbaik Allah humma labbaik -Here I am O Allah, here I am
Labbaik la sharika laka labbaik -Here I am, You have no partner, here I am
Innal hamda -Indeed all praise
Wan-ni'mata -grace and sovereignty
Laka walmulk-belong to You
Laa sharika lak.-You have no partner

If we ponder over this we realise we say Labbaik 4 times
1
st
is as though we are saying oh Allah im hear physically in your obedience-body. It
is also highlighting that you are not present or obedient to anything else i.e. people,
shaytaan, your own nafs, to the duniya...etc
2
nd
Labbaik is as though my thoughts are with you oh Allah- Mind
3
rd
Labbaik- is saying that my heart will be in your presence too-Heart
4
th
Labbaik- Labbaik is only for Allah and will not be shared with anyone- giving
dominance to Allah.

Innal hamda, I praise Allah subhanahuwataala and I wont praise myself and have
self-centeredness. I dont deserve it
Wan-nimata, because blessing and praise are yours, this teaches us humbleness
and thankfulness towards Allah
Laka walmulk, and it is only for Him
Laa sharika lak, im not going to associate anything with Allah.


*Arriving in makka*
They will arrive in Makka with their ihrams on and preform tawaaf (Sunnah act)
followed by sai (Running between Safa and Marwah). They will then shave their hair
or cut it for women, which will take them out of the state of ihram. They will continue
living in makka like normal until the days of Hajj.


*8th DhulHajjah - Rituals Preformed*
Today the pilgrims will be beginning their Hajj by taking a bath or making wudu and
entering into ihram again from the meeqat boundaries. Before entering into ihram a
person may clip moustache, clip nails, remove pubic hair. Pray two rakat nafl and
declare their niyah (intention) of preforming hajj and begin to say the talbiyah (until
you see the ramy of the largest jamrah). The pilgrims will then leave for Mina early in
the morning, reciting Talbiyah, there they will stay overnight.


*9thDhulHajjah- Rituals Preformed*
The pilgrims are at mina, after fajr the pilgrims will go to Arafat. There they will
perform Zuhr Salah (Early Afternoon Prayers) and Asr Salah (Late Afternoon
Prayers) together, in a shortened form (Qasr) at Arafat.
Pilgrims stand there with devotion, till sunset, praying and asking Allahs
forgiveness. This is known as Wuquf or standing. In the evening the pilgrims go
to Muzdalifah and offer shortened Maghrib Salah (Sunset
Prayers) and Isha Salah (Night Prayers) prayer together.
They rest there at the night, and collect small pebbles for stoning
the Jimar in Mina.

*10th DhulHajjah- Rituals Preformed*
They go to Mina after fajr and throw small pebbles or stones the
large Jamratul'Aqaba (Stone pillar Symbolizing Satan situated in the back).
After stoning, they offer sacrifice by slaughtering the animal. They trim the hair or
shave the head. After this you can take off your ihram and you can go for
tawaafee ziyarah


*11thDhulHajjah- Rituals Preformed*
The pilgrims are in Mina after zuhr. They perform Rami by throwing pebbles at all
three Jimar. You can stay in mina for ibadah.


*12th DhulHajjah- Rituals Preformed*
The Pilgrims stay in Mina and throw pebbles at all three Jimar again.
They then return the same day to Makkah before fajr time and preform tawaf al
wida (wajib act).