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Advices for those Performing Hajj and Umrah – Part Three
Written by user211. Remain in the company of pious people throughout the journey. Such people will assist you to remain motivated and focused. If you are traveling in a group then appoint a person who is pious and knowledgeable as the ameer of the group.
12. Display good character before people throughout the journey. Overlook the faults of people and do not enter into arguments. Remember, at all times, that you are soon going to be the guest of Allah Ta‘ala in the mubaarak lands.
13. During the journey or when traveling between Makkah Mukarramah and Madinah Munawwarah, whenever you ascend a high area or hill, recite takbeer thrice, and whenever you descend a low area or hill, recite tasbeeh thrice.
14. Take sufficient wealth to last you throughout your journey. If Allah Ta‘ala has blessed you with wealth, then take extra wealth so that you may spend on the creation.
15. When spending in the path of hajj, do so with generosity and ease and not with miserliness and stinginess. For every Rand that a person spends in the path of hajj, the reward shall be that of seven hundred Rands. However, do not be extravagant. If a person spends more than he normally would in Makkah Mukarramah and Madinah Munawwarah on food etc. and his intention is to assist the people of Makkah Mukarramah, then this is a deed worthy of reward and is not extravagance.
6. Make arrangements for all your dependants (wife, children, etc.), to be cared for until your return.
7. Before departing, perform two rakaats of salaah. It is better to perform two rakaats at home as well as in the musjid closest to your home. [1]
8. Give some sadaqah before and after departing as sadaqah averts calamities.
9. At the time of departure, recite the sunnah dua for a person departing on a journey. Also recite the sunnah dua when leaving the home and the sunnah dua for travelling.
10. Before departing, meet all friends and relatives. Bid them farewell and ask them to make dua for you.
[1] إذا أراد الخروج يصلي ركعتي السفر في بيته ... ويودع المسجد بركعتين أيضا (غنية الناسك صـ 38)
Advices for those Performing Hajj & Umrah – Part One
Written by user21. When Allah Ta‘ala bestows His favour on any fortunate person to perform hajj, he should not delay in the performing of that duty. Under no circumstances should it be postponed unnecessarily.
Hazrat Ibnu Abbaas (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) reports that Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “The one who intends to perform hajj should hasten (in doing so).” [1]
2. When leaving for hajj, one’s primary intention should be to acquire the pleasure of Allah Ta‘ala. Similarly, one should also intend to acquire the love and proximity of Allah Ta‘ala and His beloved Rasul (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), and to visit the mubaarak raudhah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).
3. When hajj is compulsory upon a person, there is no need for him to make istikhaarah. Hence, he will not make istikhaarah to decide whether or not to go for hajj. Rather, he can make istikhaarah to decide which day he should depart on or which route he should take.
4. Ensure that you perform hajj with halaal, pure wealth. Hajj which is performed with haraam wealth will not be accepted. [2]
5. Sincerely repent from all sins before departing for hajj, and if you have usurped the right of any person or have outstanding debts, then you should return the usurped wealth to the rightful owner and settle the outstanding debts. If you had wronged any person in any way then seek his forgiveness before departing.
[1] سنن أبي داود، الرقم: 1732، قال المنذري في مختصر سنن أبي داود 1/505: أخرجه ابن ماجة فيه مهران أبو صفوان قال أبو زرعة الرازي لا أعرفه إلا في هذا الحديث
[2] ولا بمال حرام ولو حج به سقط عنه الفرض لكنه لاتقبل حجته (غنية الناسك صـ 21)
Iyaadh bin Ghanam (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that he heard Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) saying, “The best, most beloved and highest ranking people of my ummah – as I was informed by the Mala’-ul-A’laa (close angels) – are those people who outwardly smile on account of pondering over the infinite mercy of Allah Ta‘ala, but their hearts weep out of fear for Allah Ta‘ala’s severe punishment. Morning and evening, they remember Allah in His pure houses (i.e. the masaajid).
Hazrat Abdur Rahmaan bin Abi Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) relates, “The As-haabus Suffah were extremely poor and destitute. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) would distribute them amongst the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) saying, “He who has food for two people should take a third person with him from among them, and he who has food for three people should take a fourth person with him from among them,” and so forth.
Imaam Mujaahid (rahimahullah) mentions that Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) would say:
I swear by that Being besides whom there is no other deity that quite often, overwhelmed with hunger, I would lay my chest and stomach onto the ground (so that the moisture and coolness of the ground may alleviate the heat of my hunger to some extent). Occasionally, I would fasten a stone to my stomach merely to keep my back straight.
Following the change of the qiblah direction, when the direction of qiblah from Musjid-e-Nabawi was changed to Baytullah, the walls of the former qiblah and the area immediately adjacent to it was left intact for the accommodation of the poor and destitute who had no home or place to live. This place was famously known as Suffah.
A Suffah is actually a ledge or a covered veranda. The weak Muslims and grateful destitute were not only patient over their poverty, but they were more content and grateful than the affluent and powerful rulers. When these poor Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) would come to listen to the words of Allah Ta‘ala and His Rasul (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), then they would stay at this place.
As long as Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) lived in Makkah Mukarramah (prior to the hijrah), he performed salaah in the direction of Bayt-ul-Muqaddas, but in such a manner that he would face the Ka’bah Shareef as well.
When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) migrated to Madinah Munawwarah, he was unable to maintain this practise of facing both qiblahs simultaneously (as Makkah Mukarramah is to the south of Madinah Munawwarah, while Bayt-ul-Muqaddas is to the north of Madinah Munawwarah). It is for this reason that with the divine command of Allah Ta‘ala, he performed his salaah while facing Bayt-ul-Muqaddas for about sixteen to seventeen months.
Sunnats and Aadaab of Business and Dealings – Part Six
Written by user211. If a person has made an offer to purchase and the seller is inclined to concluding the deal, then it is impermissible for anyone else to make an offer over the offer of the purchaser. This has been prohibited in the Hadith. However, if the seller is not inclined to the offer, then it is permissible for others to make an offer to purchase. An auction sale is excluded from this rule. Hence, it is permissible for many people to bid to purchase an item at the same time. [1]
The Islam of Hazrat Sirmah bin Abi Anas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)
Written by user2Hazrat Sirmah bin Abi Anas Ansaari Najjaari (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was attracted to tauheed from the very beginning, and he abhorred and shunned kufr and shirk.
Once, he even intended to embrace Christianity, but then changed his mind (most probably on account of the shirk beliefs of the Christians).
He was a great aabid (a devoted worshipper) and zaahid (one who is disinterested in the dunya). He lived the simple life of an ascetic. He never wore fine clothing, rather he was always dressed in rough, course clothing.