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5) Hajj reminds one of the Day of Resurrection: When the pilgrims march from Mina to ‘Arafat and from ‘Arafat to Muzdalifah and then to Mina, they march at the same time and towards the same direction, a scene that reminds the Muslim of the Day of Resurrection. Allah The Almighty has likened the marching of the people on the Day of Resurrection to the marching towards a flag or a banner. He The Exalted Says (what means): {The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening. Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. That is the Day which they had been promised.} [Quran70:43-44] Al-Haafith ibn Katheer said, “This means that they will rise from their graves when the Lord The Almighty and The Exalted, calls them to the place of the reckoning. They will rise up quickly as if they were rushing towards some monumental object. Ibn ‘Abbaas, Mujaahid and Adh-Dhahhaak said, ‘As if they were rushing towards a flag.’ Abu Al-‘Aaliyah and Yahya ibn Katheer both said, ‘As if they were rushing towards a goal.’” [Tafseer Ibn Katheer] Pilgrims feel no fear or dread whereas on the Day of Resurrection, fear and dread will reach their peak, except for the believing worshipers of Allah The Almighty whom He will protect. Therefore, Allah The Almighty described the people on the Day of Resurrection as intoxicated due to the intense fear. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {O mankind, fear your Lord. Indeed, the convulsion of the [final] Hour is a terrible thing. On the Day you see it every nursing mother will be distracted from that [child] she was nursing, and every pregnant woman will abort her pregnancy, and you will see the people [appearing] intoxicated while they are not intoxicated; but the punishment of Allah is severe.} [Quran 22:1-2] 6) Hajj is an affirmation of the disagreement with the polytheists: The command of the Prophet to his Companions was not restricted to achieving Tawheed in Talbiyah, but it extends to include demonstrating disagreement with the polytheists in what they used to do when performing their pilgrimage. The Messenger of Allah forbade the Talbiyah of polytheists, for what they used to add to Talbiyah, “Labbayka Allahumma labbayk. Labbayka la Shareeka laka Illa Shareekan Huwa Lak, Tamlikuhu wama Malak (In response to Your call, and I am obedient to Your orders, You have no partner except the partner that You have, You own him and whatever he owns). Furthermore, the Prophet went against them in many situations. Among them are that he did not stand at Muzdalifah but stood at ‘Arafat with the people by the Command of his Lord The Almighty. ‘Aa’ishah said, "Quraysh and their allies, who were called Al-Hums, used to stay in Al-Muzdalifah while the rest of the Arabs would stand at ‘Arafat. When Islam came, Allah The Almighty commanded His Prophet to stand at ‘Arafat and then proceed from there. Hence, Allah's statement (what means): {Then depart from the place from where [all] the people depart} [Quran 2:199]" [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] The Prophet differed from the polytheists when leaving Al-Muzdalifah. He left it when the sky became very light and before the sun rose, unlike the Quraysh who used to wait until the sun rose and say, “O Thabeer, let the sun rise so we can move quickly to slaughter sacrifices.” They meant the mount of Thabeer, because the sun rises from behind it. The Prophet also differed from the polytheists by not dismounting at the valley of Muhassir. That is because it is the place where Allah The Almighty destroyed the elephant and because the Quraysh used to dismount at that valley and celebrate their lineages. The Prophet disagreed with them and ordered his Companions to hasten and not to dismount at this valley, and he did not do what the Quraysh used to do. This should inspire every male and female Muslim to be proud of their religion and to disagree with the polytheists in their actions. 7) Hajj teaches observing patience towards obeying Allah The Almighty: In order to perform Hajj, the pilgrim suffers much hardship and exhaustion. He faces crowds and long periods of waiting, which trains him to be patient in obeying Allah The Almighty; especially that the Muslim individual is commanded to observe patience towards obeying his Lord The Almighty and it is the best of the three kinds of patience (i.e., patience towards obeying his Lord, patience to abstain from sin, patience towards the Decrees of his Lord). Allah The Almighty has commanded His worshipers to observe patience, Saying (what means): {O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.} [Quran 3:200] Allah The Almighty also urged the believers to observe patience, Saying (what means): {…Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account.} [Quran 39:10] This command invites every Muslim individual to observe patience towards obeying Allah The Almighty in all times so that one may win the everlasting delight in the gardens of pleasure.
To be continued …