By Khaalid ibn 'Ali Al-Mushayqih
At the time the Islamic World is overwhelmed by the bliss of the Hajj days and their rituals Legislated by Allah Almighty, to Purify and Bestow mercy upon His slaves, a lot of people write and talk about faith-related, spiritual, scientific, educational and Jihaad-related reflections, taking various models, ideas and lessons to learn from the school of Hajj.
In the Islamic religion, there is no support pillar, nor a method, nor a deed, without great wisdom lying behind it – disposed by (Allah) The Exalted in Might, and disclosed, in part, to those endowed with knowledge among people – in order to reflect on the Greatness of The Creator, the overwhelming Power of The Sovereign of the dominion, and the Mercy of The Most Merciful, The Ever Merciful, through it.
Endless Lessons:
Among those educational aspects, about which there are lots of writings, without encompassing even the least or identifying their meanings and purposes, Mr. Fahd Al-Juhani says:
We may pause with some lessons, learned from the school of Hajj, or say, the "University of Hajj." Of course, we do not intend to enumerate or count them all. They are but references and enlightening hints, which show the spirit and greatness of Islam.
1- Unity and gathering together in one line:
How excellent, necessary and important those meanings are for the revival of the Ummah! They are evident and clear in Hajj. Although Muslims come from all parts of the world, different in their countries, colors, languages and names, they gather together in one place and time, explicitly and implicitly in Hajj. At the same time, they are united implicitly so that if you ask anyone of them why he has come for Hajj, he will say, without hesitation, that he has come in obedience of Allah Almighty, seeking His Pardon and Mercy. Allah Almighty Says (what means): {Then depart from the place from where [all] the people depart…} [Quran 2:199] So, all the deeds and acts of the pilgrims in Hajj would be the same, and the aspects of their unity and gathering together in the rituals would be too evident to detail. Thus, if there was no benefit in Hajj other than this lesson to learn and return with to our countries, it would be sufficient and have the clearest influence and be a Quantum leap toward the elevation and honor of the Islamic Ummah.
2- Organization of time and commitment to appointment:
That is another lesson to learn from Hajj. There is a strong relation between Hajj rituals and time, which indicates the great importance of time, as shown in the fact that Allah Assigns a certain time to each ritual, like standing at ‘Arafah, spending the night at Muzdalifah, departure therefrom to Mina, throwing Jamrat Al-‘Aqabah, the beginning of the time of throwing pebbles during the Days of Tashreeq, just after the sun declines from the middle of the sky. Hajj is performed at a definite time of the year, not before or after it; this guides us to – and alerts us about – being concerned with time. No doubt, time is life, and it is the capital that the Muslim should guard from spending in any useless or pointless affair that has no religious or worldly benefit, or in what has been made unlawful by Allah Almighty.
3- Making things easy rather than difficult:
Ease and removal of difficulty are among the good merits of Islam; and the manifestations of this are shown clearly in Hajj. It was narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas that he said that – when the Messenger of Allah stood at Mina, during his Farewell Hajj, for the people to ask him – he was never asked about anything to be done before or after the other, except that he answered: "Do, and there is no blame." It is also shown in the concession given to those legally excused, as appears in the permission given by the Messenger of Allah to ‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib to spend the nights which the pilgrim should spend in Mina in Makkah, in order to be able to provide the pilgrims with water supplies; and the permission given to the weak among the women and the children to depart from Muzdalifah at night and throw Jamrat Al-‘Aqabah ahead of its due time. There is a lot more evidence for making things easy rather than difficult upon the pilgrims. Moreover, giving the freedom of choice bears much more facilitation and ease. In your Hajj, you are given the choice to perform Hajj At-Tamattu‘ (to perform Hajj after having performed ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj), Al-Qiraan (to assume Ihraam with the intention to perform both ‘Umrah and Hajj jointly), or Al-Ifraad (to have the intent to perform Hajj solely); and to have your head shaved or to cut your hair short; to hasten your departure (within two days) or to delay your departure (after the third day) to the end of Hajj. Undoubtedly, that is great lesson for every caller to Allah, teacher and mentor, and every Muslim in general; to make things easy, not difficult upon others, in response to the statement of the Prophet where he said: "Make things easy, and do not make them difficult; and give glad tidings, and do not cause the people to have aversion (to religion)."
4- Self-upbringing, self-watchfulness and adherence to piety:
One of the clearest aspects observed in Hajj is the accurate organization and compulsory discipline and seriousness of the pilgrims. From the beginning to the end of the journey of Hajj, there are clear spatial and time limits. The spatial boundaries are the Hajj definite Meeqaats which the pilgrim, who does not live in Makkah, should not go beyond, as well as the places of Tawaaf, Sa‘y, and so on; the time limits are to do the rituals at particular times, like standing at and leaving ‘Arafah, spending the night at Muzdalifah, throwing the pebbles, and so on. A clear manifestation of organization, noticeable in Hajj, is to oblige all pilgrims to put on one form of dress of a certain quality, and avoid the list of prohibitions which invalidate the state of Ihraam.
All those limits are set by Allah Almighty as He Says (what means):
• {…These are the Limits of Allah, so do not transgress them. And whoever transgresses the Limits of Allah – it is those who are the wrongdoers.} [Quran 2:229]
• {…And those are the limits [set by] Allah. And whoever transgresses the Limits of Allah has certainly wronged himself….} [Quran 65:1]
In the "Book of Hajj", Al-Bukhari has a chapter with the following title: "A Chapter on the command of the Messenger of Allah to adhere to tranquility on departure, and signaling to them with his whip." When the Messenger of Allah left on the Day of ‘Arafah, he heard a loud noise and the sound of the beating of camels behind him. So he signaled to the people with his whip and said: "O people! Adhere to tranquility for haste is not a sign of piety." Look, my dear brother and sister, at those great meanings on which the Muslim is brought up in Hajj, as regards the love for organization and discipline, and strengthening the spirit of seriousness. Thus, the Muslims return to their families with those valuable educational meanings.
5- Organization, discipline and seriousness:
Those meanings are well manifested in the feelings of Hajj. Allah Almighty Enjoined righteousness in His talk about Hajj. He Says (what means): {…And take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is fear of Allah. And fear Me, O you of understanding.} [Quran 2:197] This leads the Muslim pilgrim to have self and internal watchfulness of Allah. Allah Knows every deed he does. Allah Almighty Forbade him sexual relations, wickedness and wrangling to improve his conduct: {Hajj is [during] well-known months, so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein [by entering the state of Ihraam], there is [to be for him] no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during Hajj. And whatever good you do – Allah Knows it….} [Quran 2:197] From the beginning to the end of Hajj, the Muslim should observe (the Commands of) Allah and abide by righteousness. In this way, his intent, Hajj, love, hope, fear, humiliation and supplication will be for Allah Almighty. When he assumes the state of Ihraam, he makes himself a watcher that alerts and reminds him. Since he learns that Allah Knows all that he does, he then does not approach the nullifiers of Ihraam; and if he makes a mistake, he will then make expiation for it according to what is mentioned, and it is Allah Who Knows him well. If, during Tawaaf, there is crowdedness between men and women, he will watch his sight and keep it from looking at what is unlawful and guard his heart, hearing, seeing and tongue, during Hajj, in order to maintain his rituals, hoping that his worship would be accepted. The same applies to all rituals. That is, as it seems clear, to raise, develop, purify and justify the soul. It is, by Allah, a great lesson for the pilgrim to reflect on, obtain benefit from, generalize and apply to all his life affairs.
6- Mutual accord, recognition and sympathy among Muslims:
How good Hajj is when it enables you to be acquainted with anyone of your fellow Muslims from another part of the world, where you know his conditions, love him as well as he loves you, and both you and he, together, aid each other, and we all sympathize with each other, with no relationship to gather us, neither of blood, nor of nation, nor of dust or of property, nor of anything other than the religion of Islam. Yes. In Hajj, the most beautiful and wonderful meanings of brotherhood appear, and we become, as stated by the Messenger of Allah "The believer is, in relation to another believer, like a firmly joined structure of which the parts strengthen each other."
Consider, my dear brother and sister, the following Hadeeth narrated in Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas that once, the Messenger of Allah met a group of riders at (the place of) Rawhaa’, whom he asked: “Who are the people?” They said: “(We are among) the Muslims.” Then, they asked: “Who are you?” He said: “I am the Messenger of Allah.” A woman (from among them) raised a young boy to him (to see) and said: “Could Hajj be performed by that (young boy)?” He said: “Yes, and you would receive a reward (for enabling him to perform it).”
Hajj always develops mutual accord, recognition, affection and proximity among the Muslims: no one among us is superior to another except by virtue of piety. In confirmation of that, Allah Almighty Says (what means):
• {That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the Name of Allah on known days over what He Has Provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor.} [Quran 22:28]
• {…then eat from them and feed the needy and the beggar...} [Quran 22:36]
Yes. Allah The Almighty Instructs His slaves and Brings up the pilgrims to His House to aid each other, cooperate with each other, sympathize with each other, and the rich among them feed the poor, and the strong help the weak, thereby consolidating important meanings of collaboration and cooperation.
7- Honoring and protecting women:
Women have been utilized by those in whose hearts there is a disease as a means to their straying purposes, and a ladder to their suspicious wishes, to corrupt the society and alienate the Ummah. They claim, out of ignorance, that women have been wronged, exposed to humiliation, and deprived of their rights and freedom in the Muslim society. Let us say, with the highest voice, that no religion, cult or law other than Islam has ever given women their rights, honored, raised and maintained them, so much that some Western women hope to lead a life like that of Muslim women in their position, chastity and happiness in bringing up their children, and honor in wearing their Hijaab. That is because Western women have long suffered from injustice, humiliation and contempt. In Hajj, there are various forms in which women are honored, cared for and maintained. When a man stood up and said: "O Messenger of Allah! I have been enlisted in such-and-such battle, and my wife has set out for Hajj." The Messenger of Allah said to him, "Go and perform Hajj in the company of your wife."
Since Islam has not enjoined Jihaad upon women in order to guard them and respect their weakness, Allah Has Recompensed them with Hajj and ‘Umrah. It was narrated on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah that she said: "O Messenger of Allah! Is Jihaad obligatory for women?" He said, "Yes. Obligatory for them is Jihaad in which there is no fight, i.e. Hajj and ‘Umrah." [Ahmad and Ibn Maajah]
Consider with me, dear brother and sister, the following Hadeeth narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah where she said:
“The Messenger of Allah entered upon me while I was weeping. He asked me the reason for it. I replied, "I heard what you said to your Companions and I cannot do the ‘Umrah." He asked me, "What is the matter with you?" I replied, "I am not praying (as I have got my menses)." He said, "There is no harm in it as you are one of the daughters of Aadam and the same is written for you as for others. So, you should perform Hajj and I hope that Allah Will Enable you to perform ‘Umrah as well."
Is this not a kind of honor for women, asking about their state, soothing their hearts, and caring for their affairs? Would that my people know this! Would that they perceive that to abide by the Islamic method of dealing with and caring for women maintains the manners of the society and the Ummah from all kinds of social, moral and educational corruption in which the materialistic world lives – and is visible here and there.
8- Tolerance, pardon and soundness of the heart:
It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that he said that the Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever performs Hajj to this House (the Ka‘bah) during which he neither has sexual intercourse (with his wife) nor commits wickedness will return (as sinless) as a newborn on the very day his mother gave birth to him." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] There is no day on which Allah Releases people from Hell more than on the Day of ‘Arafah. This shows the great extent of the Pardon, Mercy, perfect Generosity and Munificence of Allah with the visitors of His House. During those blessed days, the mercy (of Allah) descends, the blessings are multiplied, and sins are removed by (Allah) The Forgiver, The Merciful, The Pardoning, The Generous, The Munificent and The Forbearing. So, would we obtain benefit from Hajj? That is: to return with tolerance, forgiveness, sound breasts and pure hearts; having no feelings of resentment towards the Muslims, according to which I would excuse all my brothers and sisters, pardon those who wronged me, deal with the mistakes of others in kindness, and purify my heart from all feelings of resentment, envy, grudge or hatred, in the hope that Allah Would Forgive and Pardon me; He Is The Most Merciful of those who show mercy; "Verily, Allah Bestows mercy upon the merciful among His slaves."
Educational Situations from the School of Hajj - II