Passion Islam I November 2009 SPECIAL FEATURE I 21
man from Turkmenistan stood on the we do after Hajj? Many people think My friend said, “What shall we do?”
plains of Arafat in Hajj. To his left all this to be the case and it is a very With a glance over the sea of people I
he could see was Muslims crying dangerous presumption. knew there was no way we could walk
and praying to Allah (Subhanahu wa You will find in many of the opposite of the crowd and so I replied,
ta’ala). To his right all he could see was Hadith regarding the virtue of Hajj “Go and throw our Jamarat.”
Muslims crying and praying to Allah the term Hajj Mabroor. Do you know People died that day. Ambulance
(Subhanahu wa ta’ala). Because of what Mabroor means? It means an sirens were blaring and helicopters
his native tongue, he could not imitate accepted Hajj. A Mabroor Hajj is one were thundering above. In the pain
the lengthy prayers of the others. At in which Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) and exhaustion, losing my friend, I sat
this realization everything blurred in is not disobeyed during or after. leaning, my back on a sister and her
front of him. His face reddened, his Others have said that a Hajj Mabroor back on me. We did not even realize
eyes poured tears as he raised his is one that is accepted, and the sign what we were doing. I tasted what the
hands, “O Allah! Grant me everything of it’s acceptance is that a person will Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)
that they are asking for! Grant me go back in a better state then when he meant when he said that on the Day
everything that they are asking for!” came, and that he will discontinue the of Judgment people would be naked
And Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) sins that were between him and Allah and Aishah (Radiallahu anha) asked
accepted his dua. (Subhanahu wa ta’ala). him, “Won’t the men and women
There is not a single day that the I once saw a group of Hajjis with look at each other?” And he replied,
sun has come up on more beloved to all of their paraphernalia. Plastered “Aishah, the issue is more severe
Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) than the on their t-shirts and hats was ‘Hajj than that.”
Day of Arafat. The Prophet (Sallallahu Mabroor 1997!’ I remembered then I saw 3 men looking anxiously
alaihi wa sallam) said, “There is no when Ibn Umar was on his deathbed for their friend and I just sat staring
day on which Allah frees more of and his son reminded him of all the at them. All of a sudden their faces
His slaves from Fire than the Day of good deeds that he did with the exploded in happiness, “Ahmad!
Arafat, and He verily draws near, then Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) Ahmad!” they called, and one of them
boasts of them before the angles, and the companions. He told him, could not handle the happiness and
saying: ‘What do they seek?’” (Sahih “Quiet! Don’t you know whom Allah he cried and cried.
Muslim). And in another hadith: accepts from? Verily Allah only Limping back to the Kabah I
“Verily Allah boasts of the people of accepts from the God-Fearing (Al- found a place with shady trees and a
Arafat before the people of Heaven Muttaqoon).” carpeted patio leading to a villa. The
(angels) saying: ‘Look to my servants When Ali ibn Al-Husayn (Radiallahu owner, an older man, stood watching
who have come to Me disheveled and anhuma) wore his Ihram towels and as all the people walked by. And I sat
dusty.’” sat upright on his camel in preparation watching him.
Abdullah ibn Al-Mubaarak for the journey to Makkah, his face People would come up to him and
narrates: I went to Sufyaan ibn al- changed color, his skin shivered and beg for a glass of water. He would
Uyaynah as the day of Arafat was he cried, unable to say the Talbiyyah, jump and bring them the coldest water
setting. He sat on his knees, his hands Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk. he had. They would pray from the
raised to the Heavens, and tears Someone asked him, “What’s bottom of their hearts for him. I knew
moistened his cheeks and beard. He wrong?” And he replied, “I’m afraid what kind of dua that was, because I
turned and looked at me, so I asked that when I say it, it shall be replied, was feeling the same thirst that they
him, “Amongst the people who have ‘Laa Labbayka wa Laa Sa’dayk’ (May all felt. Whenever he saw someone
gathered here for Hajj, who is in the you never have come and may you sick, he would spring out to the road
worst state?” Sufyaan ibn al-Uyaynah not have happiness).” and invite them in, giving them a bed
said, “He who thinks that Allah will not With that spirit, let us march and food to relax them.
forgive him.” forward in the search of the Mercy of I was shy at first, but the thirst
Aishah (Radiallahu anha) would Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) and His overcame me and I asked him for
see the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa forgiveness, to the first house of Allah water. I had been on that patio for
sallam) standing in prayer at night so (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) on earth, to some time and when I asked him,
much so that his feet would crack. Hajj. he realized he had not offered me
She would ask him, “Why do you do In the Hajj of 1996 you may have anything. He ran inside, and in
this when Allah has forgiven all your heard of the Jamarat crowd in which addition to the water, he brought
sins, the past and anything you may 600 people died. It was Dhuhr time me packets of fruit juice. I thought
do in the future?” And he would reply, that it happened and I had been sitting about this man as I made my way
“Shouldn’t I be a thankful slave?” there from the early morning waiting back to the Kabah. If a human was
With this example of the Prophet for noon to throw my pebbles. About so merciful to these people who had
(Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), what 30 minutes before Dhuhr a wave of come for Hajj, these people who had
should our attitude be when we hear people, like dominoes, toppled over come for no other reason than to say
of Paradise and forgiveness of sin us. I had said to myself earlier that if ‘La ilaaha illa Allah’, how merciful was
for those who perform Hajj? Does it I were ever in an emergency situation Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) going to
mean that after Hajj we fall back into I would jump up on a bus or anything be to these Hajjis?
all the disobedience that we went to high to escape the crowd. Now, I saw Indeed, the Prophet said, “And
Hajj with? Does it mean that we are people doing just that and I knew this there is no reward for an accepted
promised Jannah no matter what sin was the situation that I had feared. Hajj…except Jannah!”
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28