Ebrahim Bham – Advice for Hajis
AI: Summary ©
The holy Bible requires love for the holy Bible and the need for it in the present world. The importance of the relationship between male and female is emphasized, along with the need for love in the holy Bible. The importance of learning to adjust to the crowd and setting a routine to avoid overwhelming is emphasized, along with the importance of planning ahead and staying ahead of busy schedules. The speaker gives advice on preparing for the upcoming 5-day visit, including taking time in Azicht and spending time in the tea tree or finding a place to rest, avoiding getting too relaxed, and reading and understanding the holy Bible to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
AI: Summary ©
Allah, sending salutations upon our beloved Nabiya Kareem
Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.
I was
scheduled to be with you and give a
talk, but
due to circumstances,
I'm not able to do so.
So I'm doing this recording and hope Insha'Allah
it will prove
beneficial.
In this small recording of minds, firstly, I
will speak on the importance and motivation for
Hajj,
SubhanAllah.
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
has given special emphasis to the Hij.
And one of the thing is that this
is the only pillar,
the only pillar of the 5 pillars in
which there is a dedicated
Surah named after this pillar.
So you don't have Surah to Salah,
Surah Zakah, but you have Surah Hajj
in the 17 Jews of the Holy Quran.
And Allah when He has
decreed and Allah announces
the of Hajj,
look at the emphasis
says Allah in the Quran in the first
page of the 4th Jews.
To Allah,
to human being owe it
that they must visit the house of Almighty
Allah
whoever has the means.
And look at how Allah puts it,
and he who is ungrateful.
He whom after Allah has given him the
means,
he does not perform Hajj.
For is independent.
Is not in need of his creation. You
are in need of
This is how Allah
puts forward
the
and the importance of Hajj. Now there are
many benefits with regard to Hajj.
One is that there are various relationships
that we have with Allah Tala.
And one of the relationship that we have
is
that
Allah possesses all the attributes of beauty
and perfection.
And human being by nature
possesses the ability to love, admire,
and adore beauty and virtue.
So in this way,
Allah to Allah is the object of our
love.
And you and I,
we are the one who are searching for
the love of Allah.
Unfortunately, today we only look at love
in one sense,
the sense between male and female. But in
the Holy Quran says
The believers are intense
in their love for Allah.
They love Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, intensely.
So this is one of our relationship with
Allah,
that our relationship should be one of love.
Today, we don't pay sufficient attention to this
type of relationship,
But
there is no greater manifestation of it than
in Hajj.
But there's no greater manifestation
of it than Hajj.
Hajj shows a love. So
great
that everything is back been sacrificed
in the interest of gaining his love.
The Hajji is seen
from the very outset leaving his home
and leaving his family members, sometimes leaving his
children,
His family, his children, his near and dear
ones.
And he leaves them and he cast them
aside for a while
to be able to fulfill
this obligation.
His love is such,
without complaint
or doubt he braves the journey to reach
his destination.
SubhanAllah.
The Arabic poet had said, you know, when
I come to the house of my
beloved,
I kiss this wall and I kiss that
wall.
Not because of love
for the building, but because
what that building represents.
When our beloved Nabiya Karim, sallal alsalam, performed
tawaf,
he was seen placing his lips on the
black stone for a considerable time
until tears flowed from his eyes.
He then saw Sayyidina Umar
standing near him.
Also,
when he saw Nabi saw aslam tearing, he
also started tearing.
And seeing this, Nabiya Karim saw a slum
said, this is indeed a place where tears
are to be shed.
And this continues all the aspects with regard
to Hajj
is about love. 1 morning, the lover is
in one place,
the afternoon is in another place. He goes
to Mina, goes to Arafat, comes back from
Arafat to Musdalifa, Musdalifa to Mina.
Mina back to Makkah. Makkah back to Mina.
All of that, it is part of love.
And it continues
until the time of the stoning of the
Jamarat,
which signifies
casting aside everything
that can possibly come between
a person
and the love of almighty Allah, the beloved
in a true sense.
So
my
appeal is that when we do our Ibadat
and Hajj
and all of that,
Let it be saturated
with the love of almighty Allah Subhanahu wa
ta'ala. Let the love of almighty Allah Subhanahu
wa ta'ala flow
in the execution
and the performance
of our Ibadat and Hajj. There's another important
aspect with regard for Hajj.
One is that Hajj is opposed
to the mechanical routine of life which people
of materialism
are accustomed to.
So we are accustomed to
having everything done according to we to routine.
You know, you go out of your house,
you must have your credit card, you must
have this. So we have all of that
where we are,
you know, accustomed to
things
about materialism.
However,
in Hajj, we do things
beyond intellect,
solely in the spirit of submission.
One can understand, and there are some wisdoms
that are clearly
understood in Salat and Zakat.
But in Hajj, there are many things
that we do solely
out of submission to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
And we do it because Nabi al Karim
Salsam said perform the rites of Hajj the
way you saw me performing the rites of
Hajj.
We go between Safa and Marwa,
and we all know
that we do it because Hazrat
Hajaram ran between Safa and Marwa in search
of water
because Ibrahim
left her
to establish the house of Almighty Allah
in this desert.
So Ismail
needed water and she was running
between Safa and Marwa in search of water.
Now today when we do it, we're not
in search of water. There's water between. There's
water bottles
every 100 meters while we're doing safa and
Marwa. But we do it
because of submission to almighty Allah
We have been told that do Hajj in
this particular way.
For example,
Ibrahim
belted Shaitan because Shaitan tried to intervene and
come between him
and complying with the commands of Allah. Shaitan
could not see such a great act of
submission.
Someone willing to sacrifice his son for the
sake of almighty Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
So Shaitan came
and
Ibrahim
pelted him. We don't see Shaitan,
but we pelt
out of
submission.
Imam Ghazali Ramtul Ali, the greatest Muslim scholar
had said that
when a person
has to pelt and the thought comes into
his mind
that I'm following and emulating Ibrahim
but he saw shaitan, I can't see shaitan,
then he must felt with greater vigor,
greater enthusiasm
because
that would be
nothing would be more demeaning
to Iblis
than a person doing something
solely out of obedience and submission to Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala, and that is what we
do. So 2 motivation with regard to Hajj.
1, Hajj is an exposition
and a manifestation of the love of almighty
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
And the second,
Hajj is a great example of submission to
the commands of Allah Ta'ala.
And one example with regard to submission,
we also see when we are going from
Arafat to Mustalifa.
So here, what we see
is
throughout the year,
we are trying to
reach salat on
time. Salat on his appointed time
is decreed by Allah
but on that day, which is perhaps one
of the most
blessed days in the calendar for a Muslim,
that day we don't read salat on time.
Subhanallah, we read Maghrib.
Nabi Karim told us, Sahaba when he said,
you Rasulullah, what about Maghrib salat? Nabi
said, Maghrib is in front Maghrib is in
front. That day you don't read namaz on
time. You read Maghrib by the time of
Isha.
Why we do so? Submission to Allah.
So 2 great lessons with regard to Hajj.
1 is
Hajj
is a manifestation of love Almighty Allah
and Hajj is an example of submission to
Allah and his commands.
Now I have been for Hajj in the
last 2 years with a group,
and I just wanted to just share 1
or 2 experiences.
One experience that I would like to share
is that we must always keep in mind
the purpose of our journey.
Be prepared mentally for crowds. Do not complain.
Most people,
when they see the Haram and they see
the crowd, sometimes a person can become overwhelmed.
But if you are prepared with regard to
it, it makes it slightly easier.
And many people will tell you the crowd
adds to the environment. It adds to,
the beauty of the atmosphere,
you know, with regard to Hajj. So learn
to adjust with regard to it. And And
when people come to Makkah,
normally, you will find
that initially when you come to Makkah, there
is still the possibility of going to the
Haram. Even if you feel that it is
somewhere or the other, it is still crowded,
but
it is less than the crowd that will
come later on. So make the opportunity and
make the best of the opportunity that you
have when the crowds will be quite a
bit, but
comparatively
and relatively, it will still be less.
So set into a routine as soon as
possible.
For example,
I I noticed when I was there for
the last 2 years
that if you go half an hour before
salat, before before azan, you get a place
in the in the
first floor
or or the ground floor.
So you will get a place
if you adjust yourself.
So adjust yourself because that is the purpose
why you're there for. You're not there for
anything
else. So adjust yourself according to
your purpose and objective of your journey, which
is to make you moderate and come closer
towards almighty Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. I think
it's very important that we keep this in
mind. I've noticed that Fajar, Zohar, Asar,
if you go half an hour before Asar,
you know, half an hour before Asan, you
can get place
in the 1st floor, etcetera. Or if you
don't get, then we can still go to
the extension where there is still, you know,
good facilities. The musallas are there, and you
can still it is still part of the
Haram.
So I think let us adjust ourselves, make
the best to spend as much as time
in the Haram.
Now, of course, we know either in the
first or the 4th,
majority of our will be going
to mus to
they will be going to Azizia.
Now we all know that Azizia has become
part and parcel of the Hajj journey.
It's important for us to remember the objective
even when we are in Azizia.
You know, many a times, you find that
people come to Azizia,
and nowadays, you know, in Mecca, there is
many attractions. There's malls, there's shopping centers,
there's beautiful restaurants.
So people tend to for example, when they
go to Azizia,
they tend to start spending their time in
going to malls,
sometimes going to restaurants. Now there's nothing wrong
sometimes. Occasionally,
we as South Africans, we are used to,
you know, eating good food. We are, you
know, used to having good food, so sometimes
you want to go, alright, we can do
it, but don't overdo it. Don't even think
there's a purpose.
Try as much as possible to come to
the haram. Whenever you can get an opportunity.
Structure your day in such a way you
can come to the Haram. So what you
can do is you can come in the
early hours of the morning,
spend fajr, make fajr in the Haram,
and then wait a little while. Now that
time,
1 hour after sunrise,
normally you will find it is perhaps
one of the quietest time because everyone has
gone to go and rest because that is
now how the
and that is how the schedule of people
in the are. That many of them, they
will
spend the whole night being awake, and then
after fajr, they will go to sleep. So
you can spend and make your routine accordingly,
or you can make your routine coming just
before
and staying
for Maghrib and Isham.
Although it still will be crowded, but you
can find place
and be nearest as possible
to the Haramain
and to the Kaaba and the Baitullah.
So this is something that we should keep
in mind. And even if your eye in
Azizia
and you find it difficult to come, there
will be some difficulty, but at least spend
some time in the haram. Come 1 or
2 times.
Maybe perhaps what you can do is the
last day or so before the 5 days,
maybe that day you spend in Azizia resting,
preparing yourself for the 5 days. But remember,
even in Azizia, there's some beautiful masajid.
Read your salat wa jamaat.
Go to the beautiful masajid that are there.
Go to the nearest Masjid.
So these are some of the things that
we have to keep in mind with regard
to Azizyah.
Then we come to the 5 days.
Now 5 days, there will be ulama who
will tell us with regard to the Masai
how we are supposed to spend the 5
days. I will just give 2 very
important considerations.
One is that the first day when you
are in Minam,
a relative fleet is much quiet.
So the people will find place,
and although it will be, quite, you know,
you will find it sometimes, there will be
quite a few people.
You know, it will be crowded,
But, they still you know, the 1st day
is relatively quiet. It's not so,
you know,
pressing. There isn't anything to do on that
day specifically
amongst the Manasik of Hajj. Then when you
go to Arafat, which is the epitome, and
the most important day of Hajj.
And spend your time correctly.
From the time of Zawal, spend it in
zikr, du'a.
So whatever you you know, you you feel
like, sometimes you alternate.
So you you maintain your enthusiasm.
So sometimes your enthusiasm would be to make
zikr, then you do zikr.
Sometimes your enthusiasm would be to make dua,
then you make dua.
Sometimes you have to read
read the
but read it with,
with the meanings so that you understand the
duas that you are reading.
Excuse me for that.
And then when you come back,
to Mina, again, the pelting. Now, you know,
previously, there used to be a great amount
of pressure with regard to people. There used
to be a lot of tension
about the pelting.
Nowadays, the pelting has become
extremely easy
compared to what
people used to encounter.
People used to encounter a great amount of
difficulty, and people used to be very tense
with regard to the pelting. Nowadays, pelting,
because of these three stories, have become very,
very easy
and much more easier than what it was
before. It will still get crowds,
but it is not as what it used
to be.
So what we do is when we come
back
from Arafat, which now, of course, again, here
after Arafat, which is the highlight,
then
although
there's
still
3
days
left
for
Ramadan, and then although there is still 3
days
left for Ramadan,
you know, there is like a waning.
It's important that we don't become
we don't regard that and become so, you
know,
ease or take it so comfortable
that we we forget to realize that we're
still in Hajj,
and they are still very important Ibadah to
carry on. There's still the Hajj, the tawaf
is yarat,
which is which is compulsory,
and they still the pelting for the next
3 days.
So it's important that we still maintain the
enthusiasm
even if the highlight was Arafat. And one
can never describe Arafat.
No matter how much you try to describe
it, you will never you will only be
able
to realize it when you experience it. It
is something that is out of this world.
It's amazing, the the
the atmosphere, the environment with regard to
and for everyone,
for the conditions in the in the country,
etcetera.
So make the best with regard to Arafat.
When you come back after the 1st day
you do the pelting,
the 10th is, of course,
a very, very hectic day.
You come back from Mus Delifa. After Mus
Delifa,
you come and do the pelting,
and then, you know, you you do the
the dam at tomato,
the the
and then you shave off your hair, and
then you have to do
Now
many times people,
because it's an obligation,
you're out of haram. Now you want to
do it as soon as possible so that,
you know, it is something that we have
to do. You you can do it as
soon possible.
But sometimes, there is
also merit. I'm not saying that, you know,
sometimes people don't do it as soon as
possible. They can do it. But sometimes it's
also a merit. I found the last 2
the last two times I went
I went for tawafiz yara the next morning,
early hours in the morning, and I found
it to be relatively comfortable.
Now in Hajj,
the tawafee wida is also compulsory.
So one thing that you can do depending
on your circumstances, if you're not sure
or if you are leaving very quick after
Hajj,
then any
after
is sufficient to be counted
as. So maybe
after Tawaf is Jared, if you are there
and you have the ability,
then do one more Tawaf.
So that
can count as a Tawaf.
Although it is better
that you do a specific
tawaf with the intention of tawaf wida.
But any tawaf that is done after tawaf
wiziyarah,
any nafil tawaf that is done after tawafeziara
is sufficient to be tawafeziara.
So these are important things. Also, be very
careful that while you must be helpful to
the Hajjib
and help the Hujid as much as possible,
Be careful of becoming so informal
that you lose
the respect,
and you lose,
the respect and sacredness of the place.
So we miss these are some of the
things that I would just like to present
in front of everyone. May Allah, subhanahu wa
ta'ala, make it beneficial.
May Allah accept
the Hajj of the Ujaj. May Allah, make
it easy. May Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, grant
acceptance.
And may Allah, make your trip a valuable
one,
most beneficial one that
will become the means of the changing of
one's life.