The Farewell Pilgrimage

When the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), completed the proclamation of the message, Makkah was conquered and people embraced Islam in multitudes, Allaah The Almighty enjoined the performance of pilgrimage at the end of the ninth year of Hijrah. So, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), resolved to perform Hajj and he declared his intention for that purpose. Therefore, a lot of people came to Al-Madeenah with the intention of accompanying the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), to perform Hajj when they heard the news.
On 25 Thul-Qa‘dah, 10th year of Hijrah, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), left Al-Madeenah in the afternoon and proceeded until he reached Thul-Hulayfah where he bathed for Ihraam, applied hair oil, and perfume, put on his Izaar and Ridaa’, and marked the camels he intended to offer a sacrifice, then he raised his voice with Talbiyah for performing both pilgrimage and ‘Umrah. He proceeded while making Talbiyah and saying: “Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk, Labbaykah laa shareeka laka labbayk. Innalhamda wanni‘mata laka walmulk, laa shareeka lak.” (O Allaah, here I am at Your service. There is no partner to be associated with You. Praise, graces, and dominion are Yours. There is no partner to be associated with You.)
When he was close to Makkah, he stopped at Thu Tuwa where he spent the night of Monday, 4th of Thul-Hijjah, and performed dawn prayer there, then he bathed and entered upper Makkah by day. When he entered the Sacred Mosque, he circumambulated the Ka‘bah and hastened between As-Safaa and Al-Marwah. He did not terminate his Ihraam because he intended to perform both Hajj and ‘Umrah and had brought the sacrificial animals along with him. He ordered those who did not bring sacrificial animals to intend their Ihraam to perform ‘Umrah, circumambulate the Ka‘bah, hasten between As-Safa and Al-Marwah and then terminate their Ihraam.
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The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) and his Companions stayed in Makkah for four days – from Sunday to Wednesday. In the forenoon, Thursday 8th of Thul-Hijjah, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), together with the Muslims headed for Mina where he performed Thuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, ‘Ishaa’ and Fajr prayers. He remained there until the sun had risen, and afterwards he ordered a hair tent to be pitched at Namirah, a place near ‘Arafaat, not a part of ‘Arafaat itself. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), proceeded until he reached Namirah. When the sun reached its zenith, he ordered his she-camel, Al-Qaswaa’ to be saddled, and he rode to ‘Uranah valley where thousands of people gathered around him.
He gave a comprehensive Khutbah (sermon) in which he reminded those present of the foundations and rules of Islam, saying:
Your blood is unlawful beyond shedding and your properties are unlawful beyond prohibited seizure, in the same manner, this day is inviolable, in this month and in this country. All matters related to the pre-Islamic era are invalid, and there must not be retaliation for those who were killed in that era – this to be extended first to the case of the son of Rabee‘ah ibn Al-Haarith who was nursed in Banu Sa‘d and killed by Huthayl tribe. The usury of the pre-Islamic era is no longer valid– this to be applied first to the entire usury of ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib.
Fear Allaah The Almighty towards women, for you married them with a divine covenant to care for them and to be good husbands to them, and they became sexually lawful for you by virtue of the word of Allaah. Your wives must not permit anyone unfavorable to you in your houses. If they did, you are permitted to hit them lightly. Your wives are entitled to provision and clothing according to what is acceptable. I leave the Book of Allaah, the Quran, beyond which you will never go astray if you adhere to it. You will be asked about me, so how will you answer?
The people replied, ‘We testify that you have proclaimed the message perfectly and had a whole-hearted concern for our welfare.’ Therefore, the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) raised his forefinger to the sky and beckoned to the people, saying:”O Allaah, witness! O Allaah, witness! O Allaah witness!”
Then, the calls for Athaan and Iqaamah were made, and the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), led Thuhr prayer, then Iqaamah was made again and he led ‘Asr prayer. He did not pray in between.
Afterwards, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), rode to the standing place of ‘Arafaat where he faced the direction of Qiblah and stood until sun set, and there Allaah The Almighty revealed to him the verse that says (what means): {This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.} [Quran 5:3]
When the sun set, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), departed from ‘Arafaat and let Usaamah ibn Zayd may Allaah be pleased with him ride behind him. He rushed off and ordered the Muslims to be tranquil until he reached Muzdalifah where he performed Maghrib and Ishaa’ prayers after one Athaan and two Iqaamahs had been made. He did not pray in between. He, then, slept till dawn and prayed Fajr early in the morning. He rode to Al-Mash‘ar Al-Haraam, a place in Al-Muzdalifah, where he faced the direction of the Qiblah and continued supplicating Allaah The Almighty, observing Takbeer and Tahleel and announcing the oneness of Allaah The Almighty. He stood there until the morning was bright. He went quickly to Mina before the sun rose while continuously making Talbiyah. He ordered Ibn ‘Abbaas may Allaah be pleased with him to pick up seven pebbles for him, and when he reached Mina he hurled seven pebbles at Jamratul-‘Aqabah making Takbeer each time he hurled a pebble.
Then, he gave an eloquent Khutbah in which he told people about the merits and inviolability of the Day of An-Nahr (slaughtering), the special inviolability attached to Makkah apart from other places, and he ordered them to listen and obey, learn the pilgrimage rites from him and to propagate his proclamations. Also, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), forbade them from turning to disbelief by killing one another.
Afterwards, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), left to the slaughtering place where he slaughtered sixty-three camels and ordered ‘Ali may Allaah be pleased with him to slaughter the rest of the hundred camels. Having completed the slaughtering, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), summoned the barber to shave his head, and then he divided the shaved hair among those who were around him.
After that, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), departed to Makkah while riding, performed Tawaaf Al-Ifaadhah , prayed Thuhr prayer at Makkah, and then he returned to Mina on the same day and spent the night there. When it was morning, he waited until the sun was at its zenith and the noon was due, and at that time he went to the Jamaraat and started to hurl pebbles at the Al-Jamrah As-Sughra, then Al-Wusta and then Al-‘Aqabah, throwing seven pebbles at each Jamrah and making Takbeer each time he hurled a pebble. He did the same during the 11th, 12th and 13th of Thul-Hijjah. During these days, he stayed at Mina to perform rites, teach people the legislations of Islam, remember Allaah The Almighty, establish monotheism and obliterate the features of Shirk (polytheism).
On the 13th of Thul-Hijjah, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), rushed from Mina and stopped at the valley of Banu Kinaanah in Al-Abtah zone and stayed there for the rest of the day and the whole night. Then he prayed Thuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib and ‘Ishaa’ prayers and took a nap after which he rode to the Ka‘bah, circumambulated it for farewell and then returned to Al-Madeenah.
Thus, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), finished his pilgrimage having explained its rites to the people and educated them about the Divine obligations to undertake therein and the violations that they should avoid. His was the pilgrimage of proclamation, the pilgrimage of Islam and the pilgrimage of farewell, after which he lived only a few months then passed away.

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Article by: www.islamweb.net

Connect with God During Hajj

As part of my daily morning ritual, I turned on the TV this morning while having breakfast to catch up with the news on local and international fronts. Soon I found myself tiring not only of the nonsensical and overly dramatic local media but also of the international coverage which was little more than the US government’s ‘shutdown’.
A Muslim pilgrim prays atop Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat

source: blogs.ft.com

So I began to flip channels and hopped on to Saudi TV network’s Quran channel. A wave of nostalgia swept over me as I sat, transfixed, surrounded by memories of my own Hajj journey exactly two years ago. After the pilgrimage, I even wrote about how Hajj was, and probably will always be, the most powerful experience in my entire life.

I remember the first thing that struck me was the sheer scale and power of the collective and singular experience (all at the same time) encapsulated in this journey in the previously desert city of Makkah. However, just like the winds of change have swept through the entire world, so have they affected the Holy Land, turning the once-barren deserts of Arabia into oases; and the date palms and lakes into shiny, glass skyscrapers and dancing fountains. Consequently, the holy cities and the overall Hajj experience have also changed drastically.

The destruction of ancient and often holy, heritage sites in the two sacred cities may not be vexing for the new and unaware pilgrims, but for those who have not only pranced through them in their childhood but also visited them with utmost respect and reverence in adulthood, it is downright upsetting. If this was not enough sacrilege, the replacement of these places – which gave the holy cities their very historic and sacred character – with shiny and glitzy shopping malls and hotels, likens the sanctuaries to nothing less than tourist cities steeped in commercialism. Sadly, today the sacred cities look nothing less than the ranks of Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Las Vegas. This growing commercialism is always attributed to the increasing pilgrim numbers (which are already managed by quotas) and the need for modern amenities.

However, where do you draw a line?

If you think about it, technology has infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives. I, myself, enjoyed using my smartphone during Hajj with apps like the Quran helping me recite the Quran even on the move, the Qibla compass showing me the direction of the Kaabah and similar apps that enabled me to enhance my experience and make various rites significantly easier.
However, here’s something I noticed not only on TV this morning but during my own pilgrimage two years ago.

During the rites and rituals of Hajj including the tawaf, sayee, stoning of the jamaraat and the rest, you see people brandishing their cell phones, trying to capture each moment – as if afraid that if they don’t capture it on the phone, no one would believe that they actually made the pilgrimage!

So as we let social media penetrate each and every sphere of our lives, we have gotten ever more compulsive about the most intimate religious and spiritual aspects of our lives; moments that are meant to be your very own private time with your Maker.

I fail to understand how we can expect to truly taste the sweetness of the Divine presence, feel the warmth of the sacred Light and hear what the Beloved is trying to say in response to our invocations when we are so desperately trying to show the world what we are doing. Even in moments that demand utter disconnection with the world, we are consumed with worldly connections.

How can one truly reap the rewards of the pilgrimage if they give more importance to getting their ‘Labbayk’ re-tweeted while on their march to Minah? How can one truly feel the spirit of the Hajj if they are constantly checking the number of ‘Likes’ on their Facebook photo with the Ka’abah in the background?

So this is what I want to say to all Hajjis embarking for Hajj:
Dear Hajjis,

Congratulations! You have been called on by the Almighty on the greatest of all journeys. This honor is bestowed on a select few and you should be very grateful to the Beloved for finding you worthy of it.

However, I have two humble requests for you:

1. Focus
I know it is easy to get lost in the glitzy, new malls and modern amenities of the chic hotels. It is easy to let the shopping fever take over. But remember that you’re there for a higher purpose. So focus, pray, implore and seek.
If you find it difficult, make friends in your group who are particular about spending maximum time in the Haram and similar activities. Since this is not a vacation but a pilgrimage, your shopping list should largely consist of:
i. Zamzam
ii. Dates
iii. Prayers caps, beads, mats (as souvenirs for friends and family back home)
iv. Arabic coffee, herbs and items that you won’t find back home
v. Attr and perfume
There is even a Hadith that asks the pilgrims to make sure that they buy a thing or two from the traders in the Holy Cities during their pilgrimage. If you fear you’ll go overboard, plan your trip with a stop-over in Jeddah or Dubai on the way home if you really, really need to shop.

2. Research
As I mentioned earlier, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find places of historic significance in the Holy Cities. You will probably be taken for a Ziyarah (tour) of all the important sights in both cities but sadly, more than 90% of the places have been razed. You may also not be informed of all that is found off the beaten track about the places that you do get to visit. So it is imperative that you research well in advance so that you know what to expect, and so that your experience goes far beyond the ordinary.
Trust me, it will be worth your while.

3. Disconnect
My most important advice to you is to do what each part of this Holy journey symbolizes The shedding of normal worldly attire in favor of two sheets of cloth for men and simple clothes for women is the first sign of ‘letting go’ of all attachments to this world. Rich or famous, powerful or influential – you are insignificant when you present yourself in front of your Lord. But these acts go beyond the physical attachments that we leave behind in terms of garments, family and the comforts of our home.

In fact, it includes our extended forms of existence, including our social and digital attachments. Believe me, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram can all wait. In case you are one of the many who cannot go two hours without checking their notifications, take my advice and de-activate them for the duration of Hajj.

Since WhatsApp, Skype and Viber offer free communication around the world, use them strictly for informing friends and family of your safety and location at spaced out intervals (rather than hour-by-hour updates).
I know that most of us consider this to be essential communication since we are so used to letting everyone know of our activities, but trust me, letting go of it all will be one of the most liberating things you may have ever done.
With this, I bid you farewell, with requests for du’a and supplication. Who knows, He may be listening to you as your journey has already begun!

Good Luck!

Assalamualaikum.
P.S. Here are some essential apps that will come in handy (but don’t unlock that screen to check your notifications on the side while using them):
1. iQuran
2. Tasbih
3. Hajj Guide
4. Qibla Compass
5. Google Maps
6. iPray

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Article source The Express Tribune Blogs