Tips for Hajj 'Mabroor'

Some practical tips for Hajj 'Mabroor'

by Asma bint Shameem

 

Hajj is the 'Ultimate' journey. They say it is the journey of a lifetime. Yet I see so many people, brothers and sisters, confused, angry, frustrated or just simply ignorant. So here is a piece of sincere advice for all of my brothers and sisters going for Hajj this year.

 

 

1. Educate yourself before you go

This is the most important point. They say "Knowledge is Power." And how true that is. I see people confused, not knowing what to do, looking left and right...bewildered. And in the end, they just follow what the rest of the crowd is doing without even knowing whether what they are doing is even from the Sharee'ah of Muhammad (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) or not! Indeed, I know people who have gone and come back from Hajj, and yet they don't know what kind of Hajj they performed, how many minimum days one is required to stay in Mina....in fact, they don't even know that it takes seven rounds around the Kaa'bah to make one Tawaaf!

Going to Hajj without knowing the basics of how to perform Hajj and Umrah is like placing someone who doesn't know how to offer Salah, in the middle of people praying in Jama'ah. He may follow their movements in ruku' and sujood, but does he really know how to pray? Did such a prayer even count?

 

So study the rituals of Hajj before you go. Learn how to perform this magnificent journey closest to the Sunnah. Because the closer to the Sunnah it will be, the more acceptable it will be to Allaah, Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala. Know the various rulings about the Meeqaat, Ihraam, Tawaaf, staying in Mina, stoning the Jamaraat, visiting the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam)'s Masjid, etc. Educate yourself on the various common mistakes done by the pilgrim, so you can be aware of them and avoid them. And Insha Allaah, you will be able to perform your Hajj with confidence, according to the Sunnah, hoping for it to be accepted by Allaah.

 

2. Go with a prepared heart

 

 

Every year at Hajj, you see only two kinds of people. So for example, when stuck in traffic for 5 hours, you will see the first kind of people, sitting there calm and cool, with patience, wisely utilizing his time making dhikr of Allaah or reading Qur'aan....while the other kind of person will grumble and complain, fidget restlessly in his seat, cuss at the bus driver and waste his whole time fighting with whoever is sitting next to him. Why is that? Because the first kind of person came with a prepared heart and the second one didn't.

You see, Hajj is not only a journey of the body to the house of Allaah...it is also a journey of the heart and soul. And just as it is important to know the manners of performing Hajj, it is equally important to prepare yourself spiritually. Remember, this is Hajj.... an act of Ibaadah....the fifth pillar of our Deen....something Allaah loves. So have khushoo' in your Ibaadah....submit your heart and soul to Him, to the One Who has invited you to His Honorable House. Reflect on why you are here.  Have tawakkul in Him and complete faith. Be sure to know that He will take care of you. Be kind to His slaves, have patience and forbearance, take everything in stride and look for the positive in everything, even if it seems bleak.

So when the bus breaks down, its okay....it was the Will of Allaah that it happened. And when the guy next to you pushes you, or your shoes get stolen, forgive him. And if your luggage gets lost for a day or two, be patient. And if you get stuck in traffic for 8 hours, remind yourself...whatever time Allaah has decreed for me to get there, I will get there, not a second before and not a second after. 

 

 

 3. Know Salatul Janazah

There is hardly any Fardh prayer in the Haram, that is not followed by the prayer for Janazah. And I see so many brothers and sisters who just sit there and not participate in this great act of worship, just because they don't know how. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:

“Whoever attends the janaazah until he offers the prayer will have one qeeraat (of reward), and whoever attends until (the deceased) is buried will have two qeeraats.” It was said, “O Messenger of Allaah, what are the two qeeraats?” He said, “Like two great mountains,” meaning, of reward. (Saheeh – agreed upon).

 

And remember the reward of a prayer in al masjid al-Haraam is equal to 100,000 prayers anywhere else. [Tabarani]. So don't miss out on this great opportunity to add to your good deeds.

 

4. Don't get overwhelmed with the crowd

 

 

When you look at the large number of people there for Hajj, don't get overwhelmed or bothered. Instead, raise your head up high, feel proud and thank Allaah. After all, all those people are none, but your own brothers and sisters in Islaam. This is the Ummah of your beloved Prophet, Muhammad (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa sallam). They are from you and you are from them. They are a part of you, just as much as you are a part of them. All of you are there for one and one purpose only....to worship One God, Allaah, Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala. So love them...and have mercy for them....and make dua for them.

 

5. Time is precious

 

 

Utilize your time to the MAX while in Makkah and Madeenah. Do all your 5 prayers in the Masjid, no excuses allowed! When you pray in Masjid al-Haraam in Mecca, your salaah is multiplied by 100,000 times. Just imagine, if you're there for about two weeks (14 days), and you pray all five prayers in the masjid, that’s equivalent in reward to praying more then 3800 years! Subhaan Allaah!

When you get to Mina, busy your self with making dua, dhikr, reading Qur'aan, etc. Your stay here is only a few precious days.  You can't waste it by talking, relaxing, doing nothing, as some people do. 

And once in Arafah, this is THE day you were waiting for. This is what Hajj is all about.

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said, “Hajj IS Arafah.” (Abu Dawud) 

Put in all you got during the day of Arafah. Take advantage of each hour, minute and second. Do not waste even a single moment. Make a dua list and do lots and lots of dua, for this is the day to make dua.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best of du’a is du’a on the day of ‘Arafah, and the best thing that I and the Prophets before me said is Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah (There is no god but Allaah alone with no partner or associate). (al-Tirmidhi, hasan by Albaani)

 

6. Hajj is not your annual vacation trip. It's an act of Ibaadah

 

Some people forget that they are going for Hajj....they expect Mina to be a five star hotel and the whole journey about relaxation and luxury. So they complain about the food, they complain about the weather, they complain about the crowds, the bus, the beds, the bathrooms, the tents, the A/C in Mina, you name it. They complain about everything under the sun.

Remember this is Hajj...not a cruise or a vacation. Remember when not so long ago people traveled for months through dangerous terrain and rough weather to get to Hajj, not to mention the heat, diseases, thugs and other hardships of travel. They had to draw water from a well and walk to the bushes to relieve themselves. Look around you, what is there to complain? Alhamdulillaah, you have flowing water from a tap and running bathrooms. And even if they are not as clean as they should be, at least they are there!  And you have hot food and air conditioned tents, a place to sleep and transportation from one place to another. So be patient and thank Allaah.

 

7. Don't just say it.... mean it

 

 

When you recite the Talbiyah, don't just say it like a parrot, without knowing what it means and what it implies. Think about the greatness of these words and an even greater Greatness of the One you are saying these words to. You are saying Labbaik, Allaahumma Labbaik....

What do these words imply?

Oh Allaah I am here....here to serve You, here to obey You, here to submit my life, my wants, my desires only to You. I am ready for change. Oh Allaah, I love you and I worship no one but you. So forgive me and guide me. This is the implication behind these words. So say these words from the heart....mean what you say...and let a tear roll from your eyes when you say it.

And that goes for all the duas that you will recite.

 

8. Be nice

 

Obviously, everybody wants their Hajj To be 'Mabroor' (accepted)...because the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said, “…There is no reward for Hajj mabroor except Paradise.” (Al-Bukhaari)

They said: “What makes Hajj mabroor, Messenger of Allah?” He said, “Providing food to people and spreading (the greeting of) salaam.” (Fath al-Bari, 4/446)

Thus we see that being kind to the people, being generous and considerate, serving and helping them is the KEY to having your Hajj accepted.

So go ahead and help that old lady with her luggage, and the older brother across the street. Move over to make room in the 'saff' for your fellow Muslim so that they too can find a place to pray. Distribute candy among the children, pass out glasses of Zam Zam, smile at everyone and say salaam to those you know and those you don't. In other words, just keep you eyes and ears open for every opportunity to do good and jump at any chance you get to spread khair, all this for the sake of pleasing Allaah Alone and Insha Allaah your Hajj will be mabroor.

May Allah enable all the  Hujjaj to prepare well for the upcoming Hajj and accept it from all of them. Ameen.

 

 

LAILATUL-QADR

Its excellence As regards its excellence it is more than sufficient to mention that Lailatul-Qadr is better than a thousand months, Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, says:
"Verily! We have sent it (this Qur'aan) down in the Night of Decree (Lailatul-Qadr). And what will make you know what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. Therein descend the angels and the Rooh (i.e. Gabriel) by Allaah's Permission with all Decrees, Peace! until the appearance of dawn." (Al-Qadr 97: 1-5)
And in it every decreed matter for the year is conveyed, Allaah (swt)says:
"We sent it (this Qur'aan) down on a blessed Night. Verily, We are ever warning (mankind of Our Torment). Therein (that Night) is decreed every matter of ordainment. Amran (i.e. a command or this Qur'aan or His Decree of every matter) from Us. Verily, We are ever sending (the Messenger). (As) a Mercy from your Lord. Verily! He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower." (Ad-Dukhaan 44: 3-6) 

When is it?
According to some hadeeths
Praying at Night in Ramadaan (Taraweeh)                                                 Bukhari :Book 3 :Volume 32 :Hadith 237                                                                                                         Narrated'Aisha:                                                                                                                                Allah's Apostle used to practice Itikaf in the last ten nights of Ramadan and used to say, "Look for the Night of Qadrin the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan ,"

Praying at Night in Ramadaan (Taraweeh)  Bukhari :: Book 3 :: Volume 32 :: Hadith 240                                                                                                                                                   Narrated 'Ubada bin AsSamit:                                                                                                               The Prophet came out to inform us about the Night of Qadr but two Muslims were quarreling with each other. So, the Prophet said, "I came out to inform you about the Night of Qadr but such-and-such persons were quarreling, so the news about it had been taken away; yet that might be for your own good, so search for it on the 29th, 27th and 25th (of Ramadan).

 Belief                                                                                                      Bukhari :: Book 1 :: Volume 2 :: Hadith 34

Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassalam) said: "Whoever stands in (Prayer) in Lailatul-Qadr out   of Eemaan and seeking reward then his previous sins are forgiven."

Dua to recite on Laylat ul-Qadr

A'ishah (radhiallahu `anha) reported that she asked Allah's Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam),

"O Messenger of Allah! If I knew which night is Laylat ul-Qadr, what should I say during it?" And he instructed her to say:

 Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibb al-‘afwa fa’fu ‘anni (O Allah, You are All-Forgiving and You love forgiveness so forgive me).''

Recorded by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmithi. Verified to be authentic by Al-Albani

May Allah swt help us and guide us seeking Lailatul-Qadr  and let us seek abundance rewards by performing extra actions in these last few days of the blessed month of Ramadhan as it could be our last........

CHOOSE ur Path

In Surah Layl, Allah says(1-4)

Translation: By the night when it covers, and [by] the day when it appears, and [by] He who created the male and female: Indeed, your paths are diverse. [Surah Layl, verses 1-4]
When you want to really draw attention to something, you make an oath.
Lillahi mathalu al-’alaa. This is Allah talking to you. And He’s making an oath–not just one, but three things! We should really pay attention here!
And what does He testify to?
Verse 4–that your paths are different.

The struggle between good and evil will always exist. People say “Why can’t we all just get along and have one world religion, one deen?” Because Allah swears by it–that our paths will be different.

Then Allah proceeds to tell us about these two paths.

In verse 5, Allah says:
Translation: As for he who gives and fears Allah …

Allah continues,
Translation: … and believes in the best [reward], We will ease him toward ease. [Surah Layl, verses 6-7]

Anyone who’s attended fund-raisers and donated, they can testify to this–that when you give for the sake of Allah, the sweetness of it enters your heart, and you want to give more.

Because Allah eases the easy path.
Then Allah starts talking about other path:
Translation: But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need, and denies the best [reward], We will ease him toward difficulty. And what will his wealth avail him when he falls? [Surah Layl, verses 8-11]

Allah talks about the other path. What about the one who thinks he’s self-sufficient from Allah? The hard path, the path of Hellfire, becomes easy for him.

We see today Muslims who commit zina, or they steal (corporate embezzlement, anyone?), or drink alcohol, or take drugs. How did they come to be that way? If you trace back into their past, there were some salaahs they skipped, and some fundraisers they walked out of.

So Allah made the difficult path, easy for them. And we seek Allah’s refuge from being on this path.

Even if you steal one billion dollars, and get away with it, what will happen? On the Day of Judgment, do you think you can (as some of the Quraysh thought) bribe the guardkeepers of Hell to let you off free? “Here’s $50 guys … I’m going to Paradise!” Think again!

Allah could’ve just said this … and left us. To burn. But He didn’t; in the next ayah, He says:
Translation: Indeed, [wajib] upon Us is guidance.

And that is a promise from Allah. That’s why He sent the messengers with the books. To guide us, and not just leave us in misguidance and ignorance.
Wallahu alam.

There’s an interesting incident related to the last four verses? Allah says:

Translation: [He] who gives [from] his wealth to purify himself, and not [giving] for anyone who has [done him] a favor to be rewarded, but only seeking the countenance of his Lord, Most High. And he is going to be satisfied. [Surah Layl, verses 18-22]

The mufassireen mention an interesting point–in those days, people freed slaves, and if they ever were under attack, or needed help, those slaves would come to support them. Abu Bakr (radiallahu ‘anhu) freed Bilal (radiallahu ‘anhu) and paid quite a lot of money.

So people started to talk–that maybe Abu Bakr did this because Bilal did him some favour in the past.

But Allah denies this–and says he did it, seeking the face of his Lord.

And then Allah says: And he is going to be pleased.

Imagine if this ayah was revealed about you while you’re alive. That you are going to be pleased with what Allah will give you. That you will enter Jannah. Subhanallah, it would be worth more to you than anything in the dunya.

And that is the tafseer of Surah Layl.

Allah makes the path of ease, easy; so pick something up. Start praying one sunnah you didn’t pray; or learn a new dhikr (such as the one for mornings or evenings). It may be tough in the beginning, but it pays off in the long-term.
Insha’Allah let’s work together to collect a list of small, easy, but profitable (in an akhirah sense) deeds we can all do.

References:
Kitab At-Tawheed, by Imam Abdul-Wahhab; explanation by Yasir Qadhi. 2006.
Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma. By Muhammad Alshareef. 2009.

Allah

The name "Allah" is combination of the two arabic words , 'Al ' and  'ilah' . 'Al' means  'The' and 'ilah' means 'God'. these two words come together and refer to 'The God'  which implies 'The Only God' or ''The Only True God''. Nothing else can be called Allaah. The term has no plural or gender . This show its uniqueness when compared with the word 'god' which can be manipulated and made to plural (i.e gods) or feminine (i.e goddess)
whereas the word "Allaah" is unique .So we muslims prefer calling Allaah - The One and Only True God

Short poem :
Allaah is One
Related to None
Allah is One !
No father , No mother
No sister , No brother
No daughter , No son
Allaah is One !

Ramdhan

As salamulaikumWa rehmatullahi wa barkaatuh……

Ramadhan Mubaarak ! 

Make the most of this blessed month by increasing in all good deeds.Ramadhan is the month in which the Quraan was revealed to Prophet Muhammad(sallahu alayhe wa salaam) . It is such a special month that if we do a good, we will be rewarded many times more for it. To make it easier, Allah has chained the Shayateen so that they can not influence us into bad things. In this month,Allah opens the doors of mercy and forgiveness. Allah invites us to repent so that he can forgive us all. If we are not properly  prepared for this ramadhan, it may slip by us and we may be left with nothing but regret and sense of loss. We can set ourselves targets .what do we want to achieve this ramadhan? How can we make ourselves better? We need to set our mind to achieve our aims and strive hard to ensure we reach our goals. This  Ramadhan we want to be among those who will be forgiven by Allah(swt) ‘verily the muslim men and women ….the men and women who fast …..Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward(i.e paradise) [33:35]   

Hadith regarding importance of fasting in the Month of Ramdhan :

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Every (good) deed of the son of Adam would be multiplied, a good deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward. Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has said: With the exception of fasting, for it is done for Me and I will give a reward for it, for one abandons his passion and food for My sake. There are two occasions of joy for one who fasts, joy when he breaks it, and joy when he meets his Lord, and the breath (of an observer of fast) is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk.(Muslim :: Book of fasting :Hadith 2567 )

Narrated Sahl:
The Prophet said, "There is a gate in Paradise called Ar-Raiyan, and those who observe fasts will enter through it on the Day of Resurrection and none except them will enter through it. It will be said, 'Where are those who used to observe fasts?' They will get up, and none except them will enter through it. After their entry the gate will be closed and nobody will enter through it."(Bukhari :: Book of fasting :Vol 31: Hadith 120)