Hajj festival next Sunday

by M. Fowzul Aleem Farook

"Liabbaika! Allahumma Labbaika, La Sharickalaka! Innal Hamda Wan Ne'mata Lak Wal Mulk La Sharieka Lak" (I stand up for Thy service, O Allah I stand up! There is no partner with Thee! I stand up! Verily Thine is the praise, the blessing and the kingdom! There is no partner with Thee).

This is how the pilgrims glorify the creator, Allahusubhanwathala when approaching the Holy Ka'aba for the first time in their life, at this Almighty Allah remarks to the Angels: Look at My servants, they have come towards Me with their dishevelled and scattered while their bodies and clothes are covered with the dust of long journeys.

Oh my angels, I take you to witness that I have forgiven their sins; The Angels will say: "O Allah among them there is that evil man ..... At this Allah will reply: "I have forgiven them all" How fortunate the hajis are to get huge rewards for their good deeds from the benevolent Creator - Almighty Allah.

Pilgrims undertake pilgrimage to Mecca to perform Haj barely two months after purifying oneself from the worldly desires and unhealthy habits by fulfilling the obligatory fasting as Almighty Allah commanded in the Holy Quran: "Pilgrimage to the House of Allah is a duty man owes to Allah - upon those who can afford the journey". When hajis set out in the path of allah they are reminded that they prepare themselves for peaceful exit from the world.

To perform haj, hahjis leave behind their property, intimate friends, relations, kith and kin and further their much cherished motherland for a short period. Pilgrims realise there will be a time to leave everything mentioned above suddenly forever. An everlasting preparation one makes in this world before death is by doing good deeds in complete adherence to the laws of Allah as clearly narrated in the Holy Quran and in the ways shown by the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him).

After reaching the Holy City, it is most heartening to see the plain desert of Mecca, in the midst, the Holy Ka'aba where pilgrims make Tawaf (circuits) seven times reciting "O Allah! I beg of theee forgiveness and peace in the world and the next. O, Lord, give us good in this world and good in the hereafter and save us from the torment of the fire.

The noteworthy feature in haj is pilgrims all wearing the same, simple and plain white unsewn cloth and living in the same way. The white cloth the hajis wear is unique in the sense that it does not differentiate between Kings and laymen, the powerful and the weak and all wearing white and stand equal.

The distinctions of rank and colour, wealth and nationality disappear. The whole humanity that converges in thousands assumes one aspect and one attitude before the Master. The true love of Allah here becomes the reality and the hajis are imbued with immense love of the supreme being. Haj leaves a deep and everlasting impact upon one who performs it.

Most of the religious rites pilgrims perform were that of Prophet Ibrahim' his wife Hajara their son Ismail (Peace be upon them). It creates on the faithful a tremendous impression how a family at the time of trial and turbulence to be united sincerely and faithfully in obeying the Lord of the Universe "Rabbil Alameen".

To honour the prophet Ibrahim, (Peace be upon him) and his family till the dooms day Almighty Allah has commanded the Hajis to exercise their virtuous acts like running seven times between the hillocks known as Al Safa and Al Marwa.

Hajara Alaihissalam was running in search of water in the barren desert to quench the thirst of her baby Ismail, she was astonished to see a spring bubbling from where baby Ismail had been kicking his heels and today every pilgrim from this miraculous well of Zam Zam drink, bathe, launder their Ihram clothes and further the Holy water is stored in millions of gallons to be fetched home.

The holy Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) has reported to have said Zam Zam is a cure for all diseases. This famous well of Zam Zam which was rebuilt sometimes ago with several pipe line sprouting out provided water for the millions of hajis from the time of Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) for the last five thousand years without receding which itself proves the almighty Allah's supreme power over his creatons.

Hajis soon after leaving Mecca, their anxious moment was to go to Medina, The City of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH).

According to Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) the Prophet said, O Allah bestow in Medina twice the blessings you bestow on Mecca; Once the Hajis reached the entrance of Medina the gren dome of the Prophet's mosque comes into sight where the auspicious body of the Holy Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) with his erstwhile collegues Abu Bakr Sidduque and Umar Farook Ralliallahunhum was laid to rest.

Hazrath Ibnu Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates that prophet said "The Holy Grave) is like one has vistied me while I am alive (Mishkat).Hajis spend more than eight days in the prophet's town and are opportuned to visit various historic sites and pray for those souls whose sacrfices 1427 years ago made us to mould our life according to the teachings of Islam.

While Muslims in Sri Lanka and rest of the world celebrate hajj festival as usual in Mecca Sri Lankan hajis will be busy along with hajis from all parts of the world fulfilling the haj rites in places like Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifa.

At Arafat pilgrims make supplication (dua), recite Holy Quran, deliver sermons and earnestly seek the beessigns of Allah and his forgivenss. Like last year this time too Sri Lankan pilgrims will devote more time for supplication to bestow peace and happines to our motherland in the House of Allah, Ka'aba.

It is most heartening and appropriate to recall the Prophet Muhammed's (PBUH) first and the last Hajj was made in Hijri 10th. His haj was known as "Hajjathul Wida" or farewell haj.

One hundred and twenty four thousand companions of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) joined the Hajj. On the 9th day of Arafat the verse announicng the completion of the religion of Islam was revealed to the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) "this day I perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion" (5-4).

At the Mount Arafat Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) made the farewell sermon companions who were present at that sermon, began to carry the message - the light of Islam to every nook and corner of the world. We learn from the above that is a duty of every hajis who depart from Arafat to take some share in practising and propagating the techings of Islam in their environments which alone can bring peace and salvation to the entire world.