… Continued
There is no prosperity or success in this world except through following the path of Prophet, , having faith and doing good deeds. It is in the light of this that he said, “Take from me your Hajj rites.” The eagerness of the Companions was embodied in this saying of Ibn Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, “Do your Hajj as the Prophet did his, and do not say: This is Sunnah (Prophetic tradition) and this is compulsory.” One of the greatest aims of Hajj is to remember his guidance and to adhere to his path without negligence or exaggeration. The Prophet, said, “Whoever performs a deed on which there is no order from us will have it rejected.”
· To emphasise the importance of moderation and shunning of exaggeration and negligence in everything, Ibn Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, told him to fetch him pebbles on the morning of ‘Aqabah (i.e. the tenth day of Thul-Hijjah) while he was on his camel. He said, “I fetched him seven throwing-pebbles. He started sorting them out in his fingers saying: ‘Throw ones like these.’ He then said: ‘O you people! Keep away from extremism in religion, for that which destroyed those who came before you was extremism in religion.’”
Hajj should be an avenue for self-examination and recognizing one’s faults and shortcomings. Make it an opportunity to renew your allegiance to the book of Allah The Almighty and the Sunnah of His Prophet, . It is a time when one shuns exaggerations and negligence in all acts of worship. Therefore, Hajj should not be an occasion where one accuses his brother of abominable things, or where people utter foul words and behave in a way that goes against the Sunnah.
We should adhere to the guidance of the Leader of the Messengers, Muhammad son of Abdullah, . Whoever follows his path shall prosper and will achieve everlasting happiness. Further, only when this Ummah (Muslim nation) recognises the true guidance of its religion and the path of its Prophet in its true sense, far from the tangle of misinterpretation and confusion, will it attain glory and might. The Prophet, , said: “Islam shall become a hard rock upon which the evangelical ships are crumbled as long as the pillars; Al-Quran, Friday Prayers and the Hajj gathering, remain firm.”
Allah The Almighty swore by the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah, which clearly indicates their importance and merit, and stresses the great reward of those who do righteous deeds in them. He Says: {By the dawn! By the Ten Nights!}(i.e. the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah). [Quran, 89: 1-2]The Prophet, , also said: “There are no days in which good deeds are more loved by Allah than these days.” (Meaning the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah)The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, said, “Even Jihad in the way of Allah?” He replied:“Even Jihad in the way of Allah, with the exception of a man who goes out for Jihad with his soul and his wealth, and does not return with either.” [Al-Bukhari]
The good deeds referred to in this Hadeeth include righteous sayings, actions and behaviour. An important aspect of that is to visit Muslims, wherever they may be; to feel concerned about their affairs, to alleviate their sufferings and to pray for them. In addition, it is recommended to do a lot of Tahleel (saying ‘La Ilaaha Illallaah’), Takbeer (saying ‘Allahu Akbar’) and Tahmeed (saying ‘Alhamdulillaah’) during these days. Also, if anyone wants to make a sacrifice for ‘Eed, and the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah have already arrived, he should not cut his hair or nails. The Prophet, , said: “When you see the moon of Dhul-Hijjah let any one of you who intends to sacrifice an animal for ‘Eed not take anything from his hair or nails until he has made the sacrifice.” [Muslim] This prohibition is only binding on those who want to sacrifice; those on whose behalf a sacrifice is to be made are not included in this prohibition.
Moreover, eminent Muslim personalities can utilise these noble days to propagate Islam and spread the good virtues that Islam promotes in accordance with the commandments of Allah The Almighty, while respecting His limits and injunctions. This method should always be followed, whether during Hajj or otherwise.