20 I SPECIAL FEATURE Passion Islam I October 2009
The Journey
of Hearts
Arafah – 10 Years After Hijrah or a reminder of Allah’s bounteous separate situations. An entire village
The man was standing with RasulAllah favor upon us, or a link between Hajj might gather to bid those people
– salAllahu alayhi wa sallam – when and the final day. farewell. When someone would go
he was thrown from his camel. The through such a remarkable journey and
camel stomped and the man’s neck The Destination return alive, they would dedicate their
was snapped. Dead .......... In the not-so-far-away days of old, lives to the worship and obedience of
“Bathe his body with water and Sidr whenever a journey was to be Allah. Gone was the cheating, or the
and bury him with both garments,” said undertaken proper provisions had to lying, or the missed Salah. He was
Allah’s Messenger. “Do not cover his be prepared. The deserts were long, now a Hajji. Today, with the Jumbo
head, nor touch him with Camphor ... hot, and harsh. Unmerciful. There jets and ocean liners and Mercedes
for verily he will be returned (to Allah) were no gas stations to fill up with busses, the facilitation of performing
on the day of resurrection in the state chips and refreshments, or rest stops Hajj has taken away the luster of the
of Talbiyah! (Labbayk Allahaahumma to slurp water from a fountain. In title Hajji.
labbayk)” – Al-Bukhari and Muslim fact, there was not a human in sight Some might complain that there
‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas narrates, “When for miles upon miles of barren sand are no queen-size mattress beds in
Islam entered my heart, I went to the dunes. Losing the way meant losing Mina, or that the air conditioning motor
Messenger of Allah and said, ‘Give your life. Thus, you had to have the is a tad too loud. But dear brothers and
me your hand so that I may pledge provision with you before you made sisters, who is it that provided us with
allegiance to you.’ The Prophet spread the journey. Enough food, enough all the blessing that we are living in?
his hand, but I withdrew mine. He said, water, enough everything to carry It is the same Allah that has tested us
‘What is wrong ‘Amr?’ I said, ‘I want to you to your destination. From here, here on the plains of Arafah. The slave
make a condition.’ ‘And what is that?’ in the verses dealing of Hajj, when of Allah can only truly understand the
he said. I said, ‘That Allah will forgive everyone shall have to make some favor of Allah upon him when it is taken
me.’ Then the Messenger of Allah said, sort of journey to reach the Ka’bah, away. [There is no blame upon you for
‘Did you not know that Islam wipes out Allah tuned the attention of His slaves seeking bounty from your Lord (during
what came before it, and that Hijrah to another journey, a journey every Hajj). But when you depart from Arafat,
wipes out what came before it and that soul is travelling, whether they know it remember Allah at AlMash’ar AlHaram.
Hajj wipes out what came before it!” - or care to just remain heedless. Allah And remember Him as He has guided
Sahih Muslim turned their attention to the journey to you, for indeed you were before that
the Hereafter, to Paradise or Hell. [And among those astray.] Alhamdulillaah.
The Ultimate Reward take sustenance (with you) for the Indeed the greatest blessing that
RasulAllah – salAllahu alayhi wasallam journey; verily the best sustenance is Allah has favored us with is Islam, and
- said, “And there is no reward for an Taqwa (piety and righteousness).] – Al it alone suffices as favor. Allah knows
accepted Hajj … except Jannah!” Baqarah 2:197 we are going to get dusty during Hajj,
What is the first verse that you read On the day Buhaym Al-‘Ajlee set out Allah knows it. So don’t be surprised
in Surah Al-Hajj? It does not speak with his companion for Hajj, he looked when that dust blows, instead turn to
of Arafah, nor does it pronounce the toward the endless desert awaiting Allah and hit back with patience and
pillars of Nahr day. It simply says ... [O them both and wept, his chest soaking a whisper of gratitude to Allah. [Then
Mankind! Fear your Lord, indeed the from the tears. “This is something,” let them end their untidiness, fufill their
eruption of the (final) Hour is a horrific said Buhaym, “that has made me vows, and perform Tawaf around the
event. On that day that you shall see it, understand the most certain journey I ancient House.] – Surah Hajj 22/29
every nursing mother will be engrossed must one day take to Allah!” Ibn Al-Qayyim wrote a Qasidah
away from that (child) she was nursing, about this journey of the hearts, here
and every pregnant woman will abort The Provider is only a glimpse of some of the Arabic
her pregnancy, and you will see the There is debate over whether someone verses: [He says, My slaves have come
people (appearing) intoxicated, while who performs Hajj should be called a to Me (for Hajj) out of love for Me And
they are not intoxicated; rather it is the Hajji. It is not something found in the I am merciful to them, bounteous and
punishment of Allah, severe.] Sunnah; rather it has an interesting loving Glad tidings O participants of
Hajj is not a journey of the body backround in our cultural history. In that stand (on Arafah) a moment when
such as one may take to a vacation antique days, when someone decided Allah forgives all sins and showers His
spot or tourist attraction. It is a journey to perform the journey for Hajj, it was mercy]
of the soul and heart. When one pays synonymous with bidding farewell Abu Hurayrah narrates: I heard
a careful eye to the verses speaking to life on earth. This was due to the the Prophet say, “Whoever performs
of Hajj, they will find that verse after treacherous obstacles of traveling in Hajj and does not commit any Rafath
verse concludes with a commandment the desert - trials such as sickness, (obscenity) or Fusooq (transgression),
of being conscious of Allah’s presence, starvation, and the struggles of the he returns (free from sin) as the day
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