Category Archives: Hajj & Umrah

On Spiritual Elitism

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Abdur-Rahman analyzes the position of ‘Arafah among the rites of Hajj, and why the wealthy Quraish of Makkah would not participate in that most blessed of occasions.

Plains of Arafah

To understand the significance of this action, it is important to first understand what the rites of Arafat are held to symbolise. In the Islamic understanding, the Day of Arafat marks the culmination of the entire Hajj. It marks the quintessential moment of the whole pilgrimage: it is that moment when the pilgrims assemble as one on the plains of Arafat to seek God’s forgiveness and mercy. In the midst of the plain of Arafat stands Jabal al-Rahma, or ‘the Mount of Mercy’, which pilgrims attempt to climb.

The Madinah that was

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Mr. Espy takes a trip down memory lane with a citizen of Madina al Munawwarah who reminisces about earlier times and shows him around the blessed city:

“We walked outside gate 110 I believe, it the gate that is two gates to the left and perpendicular to Baab ul Nisa’. We walked into the middle of the courtyard and I saw Ammu Khalid gaze.

However, I could tell he was gazing into the past. He was gazing into the winding roads and the farm animals that permeated the landscape. He was gazing into the children playing and the sweet smells escaping from the tightly bunched houses.

He takes my arm and starts to speak:
“40 Years ago there were very few hujjaj. When they came we used to have parties to welcome them as they were on the journey sometimes for three years. Many times there were children born on the journey itself!” “

Read more at Mr. Espy’s blog.

An early morning visit to the cave of Hira’

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Al-Miskeenah describes her visit to the cave of Hira’ near Makkah, where the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) received his first revelations:

“Leaving Haram immeadiately after Fajr Salat a short taxi ride brings you part way up the foothill of Jabal Nur. Shanty type houses and makeshift stores line the steep pathway. Alhumdulillah as it was the very beginning of the Umrah season it was almost deserted. Some men were working on adding to a brick wall while three were climbing ahead of us. A strong wind billowed abayas and persistently ruffled niqabs, as a silvery haze was all that filled the horizon. It was enough knowing that all those centuries ago Jibreel Alaihis Salam was astride these grandiose mountains delivering the first verses of revelation to the best of creation SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.”

Enjoy the visit to this historic location at Al-Miskeenah’s blog.

Letter from A Hajjah, now Deceased

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“Mini Hajj” by dutchb0y

Suhaa of Luminosity shares with us a moving letter written by a sister recounting her Hajj pilgrimage. The Hajjah has since passed away after suffering from breast cancer, but her message lives on, as a source of inspiration to those left behind. May Allah grant her al-Jannah; the only recompense worthy of an accepted Hajj:

[T]he Imam stopped everything and made an announcement. He said to everyone, “I want you all to know that Allah will answer all of your prayers because of YOU!”. And he looked at me and pointed to me. [...] He said “Yes you, sister Jawharah! Allah has blessed us with you”. I just started balling. What else could I do. Later I understood what he was saying. I was visibly ill. In Islam, sickness is an ar-rahma=blessing from Allah. Since it brings you closer to Allah and is indeed a cleansing and expiation of sins. That is what Muslims believe. Caring for the ill or sick is also looked at as an ar-rahma from Allah. It is a blessing to care for the sick. So what he was saying was that Allah blessed them with me because Allah has given them me to care for during the very special journey of Hajj. How beautiful is that! And boy did they rise to the occasion. My sisters in Islam were fabulous. I was hugged and kissed and such kind words were said to me. When I wasn’t crying happy tears I was hugging someone.

Jazakallah to Suhaa for the tip.


Spiritual Benefits of Hajj

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Shaykh Faraz Rabbani shares with us “perhaps the most comprehensive statement ever made concerning this inward dimension of hajj”, as made by Junayd al-Baghdadi, “the great 3rd century faqih and sufi”:

A man came to visit Junayd and Junayd asked him where he had come from. He replied that he had just returned from hajj. Junayd said to him, “From the time you left your home did you also leave behind all wrong action?” “No,” replied the man. “Then you never really left at all…”

Eid Mubarak

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On behalf of all the Ijtema.net editors, I offer you our warmest wishes for a wondrous Eid. May it be filled with the blessings and mercy of Allah, az-wajal.

Young Palestinian shepherd Islam Emallah, 11, plays with his goats as he waits with his father, not seen, for customers at a farm near the West Bank city of Ramallah, ahead of the Eid-al-Adha festival, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007. Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid-al-Adha on Dec. 19, with sacrificial killing of sheep, goats, cows or camels.

A Taste of Hell

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A short but interesting entry by Fatima Hye explaining how an experience during Hajj helped her to understand the Qur’anic description of the Hellfire (may Allah protect us from it):

It was the first time I could deeply reflect on the aayah in the Quran which says that in the Hellfire, the Kaafiroon and the Faasiqoon will be given boiling water to drink. Often when we read the Quran, we just pass over these aayaat with a cursory thought, not truly stopping to reflect on what is being said. It is only when life throws an experience at you that you can fully say, “Subhaanallaah, this is like what is mentioned!”