TWO JANNAH

    TWO JANNATS @>--
Inspirational Incident

In the time of ‘Umar رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰعنه , there lived a very pious youngster who would spend most of his time in the Musjid. ‘Umar رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰعنه  was very fond of him. Every night after esha salaah he would go to visit his elderly father. There lived a woman on that road that was infatuated with him and would constantly try to seduce him. One night he acceded to her request and followed her to her home. As he was about to enter, the thought of اللَّه سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى  crossed his mind and the following verse came onto his tongue:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا إِذَا مَسَّهُمْ طَائِفٌ مِّنَ الشَّيْطَانِ تَذَكَّرُوا فَإِذَا هُم مُّبْصِرُونَ ﴿الأعراف: ٢٠١﴾
Surely when the God-fearing are afflicted by any instigation from Shaytaan, they become conscious (of Allah Ta‘ala) and at once they discern (the reality).

There and then he fell down unconscious. This woman and her slave carried him and left him at the door of his father. After some time had passed, his father came out in search of him and found him lying unconscious at the door. Finally when he regained consciousness and explained what had happened, his father asked him: “Which verse was it that you recited?” When he recited the verse again, he fell unconscious for the second time. After trying to revive him, they realized that he had passed away. The funeral arrangements were made and he was buried that very night.

The next morning when ‘Umar رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰعنه  learnt about it, he expressed regret that he was not informed. Thereafter he went to his grave and addressed him reciting the following verse:

وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ ﴿الرحمن: ٤٦﴾
And for the one who is fearful of having to stand before his Lord, there are two gardens.
The youngster replied from within the grave saying: “O ‘Umar! My Rabb has given them to me in Jannah twice.” (Taareekh ibni ‘Asaakir, vol. 45 pg. 450)

Lesson: The awareness and fear of اللَّه سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى  are qualities which need to be acquired and cherished. They are the only force that can prevent one from immorality and vice and their rewards and benefits are immense, both in this life and the next.

A DU'A FOR YOU

 O ﺂللَّــہ   I beg  Thee to grant me perfection of wudhoo and perfection of swalaah, perfection of Thy pleasure (towards me) and Thy forgiveness.

O ﺂللَّــہ    give me my record of deeds in my right hand.

O ﺂللَّــہ   grant me a shining face on the day when righteous persons will have shining faces.

O ﺂللَّــہ   cover me with Thy Mercy and save me from Thy chastisement.

O ﺂللَّــہ   keep my feet firm on the Day when feet will begin to waver.

O  ﺂللَّــہ
We are totally dependent on Thee for guidance and protection we beg Thee please guide us forgive us and protect the Imaan lives property akhlaaq a'amaal and belongings of the Ummah of Beloved Nabi
 صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

 O OUR BELOVEd ALLAH, we seek YOUR forgiveness for those deeds which we planned to do for YOUR sake only but due to other interests, we did not fulfill them ...

... O OUR MOST FORGIVING ALLAH, please forgive YOUR repentant servants for all our sins, bless us, protect us, guide us on Siraatul Mustaqeem and accept this du'aa of ours,  آمِيْن يَارَبَّ الْعَالَمِينْ
 صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
 صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
 صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
Subhaanarabbika Rabbil Izzati Amma Yassifoon Wassalaamun Alal Mursaleen Walhumdulillahir Rabbil Aalameen

The people of the Right hand (PARADISE)

The People of Paradise

The Deeds for Which People Will Deserve to Enter Paradise

The people of Paradise are the believers and strict monotheists. All those who associate others with Allaah or disbelieve in Him, or deny any of the principles of faith will not be allowed to enter Paradise. Their destination will be Hellfire.

The Qur'aan often states that the people of Paradise are the believers who do righteous deeds, to quote one of many examples:

"But whoever comes to Him as a believer and has done righteous good deeds, for such are the high ranks - 'Adn Paradise under which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever: such is the reward of those who purify themselves". [20:75-76]

* Believers may earn Paradise through their eemaan and Islaam:

"My worshippers! No fear shall be on you this Day, nor shall you grieve - who believed in Our aayaat and were Muslims, enter Paradise you and your wives in happiness" [43:68-70]

* Or because they were sincere in their devotion to Allaah:

"Save the chosen slaves of Allaah [al-Mukhliseen]. For them there will be a known provision, fruits and they shall be honoured, in the gardens of delight." [37:40-43]

* Or for the strength of their relationship with Allaah, their longing for Him and worship of Him:

"Only those who believe in our aayaat who, when they are reminded of them fall down prostrate, and glorify the praises of their rabb, and they are not proud. Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Rabb in fear and hope, and they spend [charity in Allaah's Cause] our of what We have bestowed on them". [32:15-16]

* Or for their patience and reliance upon Allaah Ta'ala:

"..Excellent is the reward of the workers, those who are patient and put their trust in their Rabb" [29:58-59]

* Or for their steadfastness in faith:

"Verily those who say "Our Rabb is Allaah" and remain firm , on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. Such shall be the Companions of the Garden dwelling therein: a recompense for their good deeds". [46:13-14]

* Or for their humility:

"Verily those who believe and do righteous deeds and humble themselves before their Rabb - they will be dwellers of Paradise to dwell therein forever" [11:23]

* Or for their fear of Allaah Ta'ala:

"But for him who fears standing before his Rabb there will be two Gardens" [55:46]

* Or for their hatred of the kuffaar and mushrikeen and their refusal to befriend them:
"You will not find any people who believe in Allaah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allaah and His messenger, even though they were their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred . For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with Ruh [proof, light and guidance] from Himself. And We will admit them to Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein . Allaah is pleased with them and they with Him". [58:22]

Some aayaat discuss in detail the righteous deeds for which a person may deserve Paradise; for example, Surah ar-Ra'd states:

"But it is only the men of understanding who pay heed, those who fulfill the Covenant of Allaah and break not the mithaaq, those who join that which Allaah has commanded to be joined, , fear their Rabb and dread the terrible reckoning, and those who remain patient, seeking their Rabb's Countenance, perform as-Salaat, and spend out of that which We have bestowed on them, secretly and openly, and defend evil with good, for such there is a good end 'Adn Paradise which they shall enter and those who acted righteously from among their fathers and their wives, and their offspring. And angels shall enter unto them from every gate Salaamun ''alaykum for that you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!" [13:19-24]

And at the beginning of Surah al-Mu'minoon, Allaah explains that success is for the believers and then described the deeds that will qualify them for success:

"Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their salaah with khushoo', and those who turn away from al-laghw [dirty, false, evil, vain talk, falsehood and all that Allaah has forbidden], and those who pay the zakah, and those who guard their chastity, except from their wives or those whom their right hands possess, for then, they are free from blame; but whoever seeks beyond that then those are the transgressors; those who are faithfully true to their amaanah [all duties that Allaah has ordained: honesty, moral responsibility, and trusts] and to their covenants and those who strictly guard their prayers . These are indeed the inheritors who shall inherit al-Firdaws. They shall dwell therein forever" [23:11]

The Prophet (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Salaam) also said, "The people of Paradise are three: a ruler who is fair and just; a man who is compassionate and gentle towards every relative and Muslim; and a man with a large family who is proud and does not beg" [Muslim, see Sharh an-Nawawi 'alaa Muslim, 17/198] 

The Way to Paradise is Very Hard

Paradise is very high, and ascending lofty places takes a great deal of effort. The way to Paradise is filled with things that go against human wishes and inclinations. This needs strong determination and willpower. In a hadith narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu Anhu) the Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Salaam) said,"Hell has been veiled with desires, and Paradise has been veiled with hardships."

an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhi, and Abu Dawud report from Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu Anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Salaam) said, "When Allaah created Paradise, He told Jibreel, "Go look at it". So he went and looked at it, then he came back and said, "By Your Glory, no-one will hear of it but he will enter it". So He surrounded it with hardships and said, "Go and look at it". So he went and looked at it, then came back and said, "By Your Glory, I fear that no-one will enter it"". [Jaami al-Usool, 10/520, 8068]

an-Nawawi commented on the first hadith:

"This is an example of the beautiful, eloquent and concise speech which the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Salaam) was capable, in which he gives a beautiful analogy. It means that nothing will help you to reach Paradise except going through hardships, and nothing will lead you to Hell, but whims and desires. Both are veiled as described, and whoever tears down the veil will reach what was hidden behind it. The veil of Paradise is torn down by going through hardships and the veil of Hell is torn down by giving in to whims and desires. Hardship including striving consistently and patiently in worship, restraining one's anger, forgiving, being patient, giving in charity, being kind to those who mistreat you, resisting physical desires, etc" [Sharh an-Nawawi 'ala Muslim, 17/165]

The People of Paradise

Description of the People of Paradise and the Delights They Enjoy Therein

The people of Paradise will enter in the most perfect and beautiful form, in the image of their father, Aadam (Alaihis Salaam), for there is no human form more perfect and beautiful than that of Aadam, whom Allaah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala) created very tall. He was as tall as a great palm tree, sixty cubits tall. Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu Anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Salaam) said,

"Allaah, Subhaanahu wa ta'aala, created Aadam in his own image, sixty cubits tall... everyone who enters Paradise will be in the image of Aadam, sixty cubits tall. People kept getting shorter and shorter after the time of Aadam."[Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab al-Jannah, Baab Yadkhul al-Jannah Aqwam Af'idatuhum mithl af'idatah at-Tayr 4:2183, no. 2841]

Their external appearance will be in harmony, and their hearts will be as one. Their hearts and souls will be clean and pure. Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu Anhu) a hadith in which the Prophet describes people entering Paradise including a group whose light will be like the full moon. He (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Salaam) said, "Their form will be that of a single person, after the image of their father Aadam, sixty cubits tall." [Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab al-Jannah, Baab Awwal zumrah yadkhuluna al-Jannah, 4/2179, no. 2834]

Another aspect of their beauty is that they will have no body hair, and will look as if their eyes are anointed with kohl. Each of them will enter Paradise aged thirty-three, the age of strength, vitality and youth. Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi report from Mu'aadh ibn Jabal that the Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Salaam) said, "The people of Paradise will enter Paradise hairless, looking as if their eyes are ringed with kohl, aged thirty three." [Saheeh al-Jaami' 6/337, no. 7928]

The people of Paradise will not sleep. Jaabir ibn 'Abdullaah and 'Abdullaah ibn Abi Awfaa reported that the Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Salaam) said, "Sleep is the brother of death; the people of Paradise will not sleep" [Silsilat al-Hadith as-Saheehah, 3/74, no. 1087, al-Kaamil of Ibn 'Adiyy, al-Hilyah of Abu Na'eem, Taareekh Isbahaan, by Abul-Sheikh] 

CONTEMPORARY ISLAMIC POLITICS

There is an account in a French diplomatic despatch of 1892 of an encounter between the Ottoman sultan Abdulhamid II and the head of Sufi orders in Egypt, Shaykh Muhammad Tawfiq al-Bakri. ‘I wish for you to understand that I am not a simple mollah’, boasted Shaykh al-Bakri. ‘I am a political man, I have general ideas, and I have read Aristotle, Montesquieu, J. J. Rousseau, Spencer, Leroy-Beaulieu, etc.’ The simple mollahs have since disappeared; political ideology suffuses religious thought. And the foreign influence is pervasive, although one more readily detects traces of Marx than of Montesquieu. The result is what some call ferment.

In this study, the late Hamid Enayat has succinctly described the modern mutations of Islamic political thought, ably summarizing representative texts for the student and general reader. The abolition of the Ottoman caliphate in 1924 is the author’s point of departure for a discussion of the rivalry between concepts of a Muslim state, and Muslim responses to the imported principles of nationalism, democracy and socialism. A parallel theme is that of specifically Shi’i modernism and Shi’i-Sunni reconciliation. We are again in the familiar company of Rashid Rida. Ali Abd al-Raziq, Muhammad al-Ghazali, Mustafa al-Siba’i, Sayyid Qutb, Mawdudi and Shari’ati. As a descriptive survey, Modern Islamic Political Thought is of great value, and doubtless will win deserved recognition in the classroom.

But another aim of this book is to advance a subtle argument, signaled by a caveat in the preface.

The question of any ulterior or hidden motive that these [surveyed] authors may have harboured has been kept out of the analysis, not only because a thorough examination of them threatens to turn a history of ideas into histoire événementielle, but also because ideas seem to have a life of their own people, especially those of the generations subsequent to the authors’, often tend to perceive ideas with little or no regard for the authors’ insidious designs, unless they are endowed with a capacity for mordant cynicism.

This is how Enayat would dispense with that higher criticism that has interpreted the writings of Muslim reformists through their mundane transactions and esoteric teachings. It was this sort of inquest which led to a radical reappraisal of Afghani’s, Abduh’s, and Malkum Khan’s religious writings, and cast the early history of Muslim reformism in a severe light. Now historical scholarship is poised to examine the sincerity of the next generation of reformists. Those who still share the reformist attitude, locked as they are in a struggle with an ascendant fundamentalism, will be discomfited.

Enayat conveys, in the subtlest language, his personal conviction that this battered modernism is not a spent force, that a balance can yet be struck between authenticity and accommodation. To buttress this belief, Enayat feels obliged to shield the icons from the iconoclasts. Characteristic is his lengthy defense of Ali Abd al-Raziq’s al-Islam wa usul al-hukm. This book, published in Egypt shortly after the abolition of the Ottoman caliphate, argued the controversial view that the caliphate was not immanent in Islam, and made a case for the separation of religion and politics. Enayat goes to great lengths to establish that the work was a step toward ‘a new Sunni consensus on the relationship between Islam and the modern state’, but was ?misunderstood’ and so evoked a ‘regrettable’ assault by the Azhar establishment. He passes in silence over the work of political historians who suggest that the book was written to thwart a scheme of the Egyptian royal house to claim the caliphate, and was regarded by contemporaries not as a theoretical inquiry but as a partisan tract.

A similar sort of omission mars Enayat’s account of the ‘religious response’ of a group of leading Azhar ulama to the abolition of the Ottoman caliphate. Enayat dwells on the ease with which these divines discarded their allegiance to the deposed caliph, and accepted the abolition as a fair accompli. ‘[The] resolution of the scholarly gathering shows that even in this body, despite its orthodox pronouncements, there was a willingness to come to terms with the new development’. Here were ‘evident clues to the readiness for accommodation with non-traditionalists’. But Enayat notes that these scholars met under the chairmanship of Shaykh al-Azhar al-Jizawi and President of the Supreme Religious Court al-Maraghi. Now these two very complex mollahs were accomplices of the royal palace, and there is ample documentary evidence that the aim of these deliberations was to clear the theological boards for an Egyptian caliphate. This resolution was not a scholastic finding but an intrigue, and was then widely recognized as such.

A similar judgment concerns the circumstances which surrounded the issuance in 1959 of the famous ecumenical fatwa authored by Shaykh al-Azhar Shaltut. Enayat makes much of this document, which recognized the validity of worship according to Twelver Shi’i doctrine and denied the existence of sects within Islam. The step ‘established a distinct trend towards greater Sunni-Shi’i understanding. The credit for this should be largely put down to Shaltut’s generally temperate vision of Islam’. But Shaltut was no simple mollah either, and so momentous a response would never have been issued without the full approval, if not upon the insistence, of a calculating President Nasir. This fatwa, like so many reformist doctrinal texts, cannot be allowed to speak for itself, even in a history of ideas. Yet Enayat will not concede the role of political exigency in the gestation of political thought, apparently because that thought is today in dire need of the credential of sincerity.

Enayat’s own critique of reformism is strictly tactical, for it is made from within. Reformism failed in Egypt because of the ‘over-confident, intemperate mood of some of the modernists, which made them insensitive to whatever potential for reform existed inside the religious community. Instead of developing this potential by adopting a more discriminating approach, the modernists launched an offensive which, simultaneous as it was with the secularisation of Turkey, lent plausibility to the traditionalists’ charge that what the modernists sought was not a simple modification of religious attitudes, but the very eradication of Islam as an all-inclusive system of moral, social and political guidelines’. In other words, Egyptian modernists, in order to disarm traditionalist criticism, should have been more dissimulating.

Now this plea for more guile is fundamentally Shi’i, and in Iran, Enayat leads us to believe, discretion is the better part of reformist valour. Consider Murtada Mutahhari, whom Enayat credits with inspiring this book. A professor of philosophy at Tehran University, Mutahhari was deeply involved in progressive reformist societies, secured the rank of ayatullah after the revolution, and became a leading light in the new order. So convincingly did he embrace the role that in May 1979, anticlericalist guerillas elected to assassinate him. But most modern Shi’i reformists in Iran have been surprisingly guileless, and so have overplayed their hand. What Enayat writes of Ali Abd al-Raziq?that he was needlessly ‘provocative’?applies no less to Ali Shari’ati, who laced his writings with quotations from French orientalists and vexed the elders of Qumm. A jealous clergy has had no trouble weeding out Iran’s reformists, and Enayat’s chapter on Shi’i modernism may be read as an adieu.

Also overwhelmed by the tide of events in Iran has been the Shi’i-Sunni reconciliation which Enayat seeks to establish as the first fruit of modernist influence. Reflecting, probably at the last revision, upon the Iran-Iraq war, Enayat concedes ‘the extent to which religion can become a handmaiden of politics, rendering any sectarian peace vulnerable to the unpredictability of international relations’. Yet he maintains that among Shi’is, ‘there has been much deprecation of the schismatic attitudes of the past’, and cites, of all things, Shi’i appeals for ‘conformity to majority norms’ during the Meccan pilgrimage. Already this ‘considerable degree of intellectual harmony’ between Shi’is and Sunnis has vanished like a morning mist, and the Iranians have made themselves the troublesome bêtes noires of the pilgrimage.

For dogmatism is the rage. Enayat provides a solid account of modernism’s fundamentalist rival, particularly the Arab Ikhwan al-Muslimun, the Iranian Fida’iyan-i Islam, and the Pakistani Jama’at-i Islami. Interestingly, he omits any discussion of Khumayni’s Islamic Government. But he finds Mawdudi’s identical vision of an Islamic state unworkable, for the premise ‘that rulers can be kept out of mischief by adhering to a certain set of doctrines, or leading an ascetic way of life’, is a ‘noble idea, but one which has so far rarely worked in practice. Maududi does not provide any evidence that his ideological state would be an exception to this depressing observation of history’. Nor has Enayat any faith in ‘the overweening attitude of militant Shi’is and their confidence in Man’s flawless ability to overcome all social and political imperfections’.

These doubts find some new confirmation daily. What is remarkable is that some of the disillusioned have found solace in the Shari’atis and Bani Sadrs, who evoke Lord Cromer’s comment on the too-well read Shaykh al-Bakri: ‘Was this fin de siècle sheikh, this curious compound of Mecca and the Paris Boulevards, the latest development in Islamism? I should add that the combination produced no results of any importance’.

Hajj Practices(what you need to know) part two

Going to ‘Arafah

When the sun rises on the day of ‘Arafah, the pilgrim travels from Mina to ‘Arafah and stops in Namirah until the time of Zuhr (Namirah is a place just before ‘Arafah), if he can do so. If he cannot do it, it does not matter because staying in Namirah is Sunnah but it is not obligatory. When the sun passes its zenith (i.e., when the time for Zuhr prayer begins), he should pray Zuhr and ‘Asr, two rak’ahs each, and join them together at the time of Zuhr, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did, so as to leave a lot of time for standing and making du’aa’. 

Then after the prayer he should devote his time to making dhikr and du’aa’ and beseeching Allaah, and praying as he likes, raising his hands and facing the qiblah even if the mountain of ‘Arafah is behind him, because the Sunnah is to face the qiblah, not the mountain. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood by the mountain and said, “I am standing here, but all of ‘Arafah is the place of standing.” 

Most of the Prophet’s du’aa’ in that great place of standing was: “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk, wa lahu’l-hamd, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (There is no god but Allaah alone, with no partner or associate; His is the Dominion, all praise is due to Him, and He is able to do all things).” 

If the pilgrim gets tired and wants to have a break by talking to his companions about useful things or by reading from some useful books, especially things that have to do with the generosity and great bounty of Allaah, in order to increase his hopes on that day, this is good.  Then he can go back to beseeching Allaah and praying to Him. He should strive to make the most of the end of the day by making du’aa’. The best of du’aa’ is du’aa’ made on the day of ‘Arafah. 

Going to Muzdalifah 

When the sun sets, the pilgrim should go to Muzdalifah. When he reaches there, he should pray Maghrib and ‘Isha’ with one adhaan and two iqaamahs. If he fears that he will not reach Muzdalifah before midnight, he should pray on the way, because it is not permissible to delay ‘Isha’ prayer until after midnight. 

He should stay overnight in Muzdalifah, then when dawn comes he should pray Fajr early, with the adhaan and iqaamah, and then head for al-Mash’ar al-Haraam (which is the site of the mosque in Muzdalifah) and proclaim the oneness and greatness of Allaah (by saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah and Allaahu akbar), and making du’aa’ as he likes, until it has become very light (i.e., when the light of day appears before the sun has actually risen). If it is not easy for him to go to al-Mash’ar al-Haraam, he should make du’aa’ where he is, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood there and all of Muzdalifah is the place of standing. When he is reciting dhikr and making du’aa’ he should face the qiblah and raise his hands. 

Going to Mina

When it has become very light, before the sun rises, he should go to Mina and hasten through Wadi Mahsar (which is a valley between Muzdalifah and Mina). When he reaches Mina he should stone Jamarat al-‘Aqabah, which is the last one that is closest to Makkah, throwing seven pebbles one after another, each of which should be approximately the size of a fava bean, saying “Allaahu akbar” with each throw. (The Sunnah when stoning Jamarat al-‘Aqabah is to face the Jamarah with Makkah to one's left and Mina to one one’s right). When he has finished this stoning, he should slaughter his sacrificial animal, then shave his head or cut his hair if he is male; women should cut the length of a fingertip from their hair. This is the first stage of exiting ihraam, in which it becomes permissible to do everything except have intercourse with one's wife. Then the pilgrim should go back to Makkah and do tawaaf and saa’i for Hajj. Then comes the second stage of exiting ihraam, after which everything becomes permissible which was forbidden whilst in ihraam. 

The Sunnah is to put on perfume when one wants to go to Makkah to do tawaaf after stoning the jamarat and shaving one’s head, because ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “I used to apply perfume to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) before he entered ihraam and when he exited ihraam, before he circumambulated the House.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1539; Muslim, 1189. 

Then after tawaaf and saa’i, he should go back to Mina and stay there for two night, the 11th and 12th of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and stone the three jamarats during those two days, when the sun has passed its zenith. It is better for him to go to the jamarats walking, but if he rides that is acceptable. He should stone the first jamarah, which is the one that is furthest away from Makkah and next to Masjid al-Kheef, with seven pebbles, one after another, and say “Allaahu akbar” after each throw. Then he should go forward a little and say a lengthy du’aa’, saying whatever he likes. If it is too difficult for him to stand for a long time and make du’aa’, he should say whatever is easy for him, even if it is only a little, so that he will have done the Sunnah. 

Then he should stone the middle jamarah with seven pebbles, one after another, saying “Allaahu akbar” with every throw. Then he should move to his left and stand facing the qiblah, raising his hands, and offer a lengthy du’aa’ if he can. Otherwise he should stand for as long as he can. He should not omit to stand and make du’aa’ because it is Sunnah. Many people neglect that because of ignorance or because they take the matter lightly. The more the Sunnah is neglected the more important it becomes to do it and spread it among the people, lest it be abandoned and die out. 

Then he should stone Jamarat al-‘Aqabah with seven pebbles, one after another, saying “Allaahu akbar” with each throw, then he should go away and not offer a du’aa’ after that. 

When he has completed the stoning of the Jamaraat on the 12th day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, if he wants he may hasten and leave Mina, and if he wants he may delay his departure and stay there for another night, the night of the 13th, and stone the three Jamaraat after noon as he did before. It is better to delay, but it is not obligatory unless the sun has set on the 12th and he is still in Mina, in which case it is obligatory to stay until one has stoned the three Jamaraat after noon on the following day. But if the sun sets on the 12th and he is still in Mina but not by choice, such as if he had already started out and boarded his means of transportation, but got delayed because of crowded conditions and traffic jams etc., then he is not obliged to stay there, because the delay until sunset was not by his choice. 

When the pilgrim wants to leave Makkah and go back to his country, he should not leave until he has performed the farewell tawaaf (tawaaf al-wadaa’), because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one should leave until the last thing that he does is (tawaaf) around the House.” Narrated by Muslim, 1327). According to another version, he told the people that the last thing they should do was (tawaaf) around the house, but he made an exception for women who were menstruating. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1755; Muslim, 1328. 

Women who are menstruating or bleeding following childbirth do not have to do the farewell tawaaf; neither should they stand by the door of al-Masjid al-Haraam to bid farewell, because that was not narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

The last thing the pilgrim should do when he wants to leave is to circumambulate the House. If after the farewell tawaaf he stays and waits for his companions or to load his luggage or to buy something he needs on the way, there is nothing wrong with that, and he does not have to repeat the tawaaf, unless he intends to delay his journey, such as if he intended to travel at the beginning of the day and he did the farewell tawaaf, then he delays his travelling until the end of the day, for example; in this case he has to repeat the tawaaf so that it will be the last thing he does in Makkah. 

Note: 

The pilgrim who enters ihraam for Hajj or ‘Umrah has to do the following: 

1-     He has to adhere to that which Allaah has enjoined of religious laws, such as praying on time in congregation.

2-     He has to avoid all that Allaah has forbidden of obscene and immoral speech and sin, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So whosoever intends to perform Hajj therein (by assuming Ihraam), then he should not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj”

[al-Baqarah 2:197]

3-     He should avoid annoying the Muslims with his words or actions, at the holy sites and elsewhere.

4-     He should avoid all things that are forbidden when in ihraam:

a.      So he should not cut anything from his hair or nails, but removing thorns and the like is fine, even if that results in some bleeding.

b.     He should not apply perfume after entering ihraam, either to his body, his clothes, his food or his drink. He should not wash with perfumed soap either. But if any traces of perfume remain from that which he put on before entering ihraam, that does not matter.

c.     He should not hunt.

d.     He should not have intercourse with his wife.

e.      He should not touch her with desire or kiss her etc.

f.       He should not enter into a marriage contract for himself or arrange a marriage for anyone else, or propose marriage to a woman for himself or on behalf of another.

g.     He should not wear gloves, but wrapping one’s hands with a piece of cloth does not matter.  

These seven prohibitions apply equally to men and women. 

The following apply only to men: 

-         Men should not cover their heads with something that stays on the head. Shading their heads with umbrellas, car roofs and tents, and carrying mats etc. (on one’s head, when moving them from one place to another), is acceptable.

-         They should not wear shirts, turbans, burnouses, pants or leather slippers, unless someone cannot find an izar (waist wrapper), in which case he may wear pants; and if he cannot find sandals he may wear shoes.

-         They should not wear anything that is akin to the above, such as abayas, cloaks, hats, t-shirts and the like.

-         It is permissible for men to wear sandals, rings, eyeglasses and hearing aids, and to wear wristwatches, or to put watches on strings around their necks, and to wear money belts.

-         It is permissible for them to wash with unperfumed soaps, and to scratch their heads and bodies, and if any hairs fall unintentionally as a result, there is no sin on them. 

Women should not wear niqaab, which is what they use to cover their faces, with holes cut for the eyes. They should not wear the burqa’ either. 

The Sunnah is for them to uncover their faces unless non-mahram men can see them, in which case they should cover their faces whilst in ihraam and at other times. 

See Manaasik al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah by al-Albaani [available in English as The Rites of Hajj and ‘Umrah, published by International Islamic Publishing House, Riyadh]; Sifat al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah and al-Manhaj li Mureed al-‘Umrah wa’l-Hajj by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on them all).

culled from islamqa

Hajj practices (what you need to know) part 1

Hajj is one of the best acts of worship. It is one of the pillars of Islam with which Allaah sent Muhammad and without which a person’s religious commitment is incomplete. 

Worship cannot bring a person closer to Allaah and cannot be accepted unless it meets two conditions: 

1 – Sincerity towards Allaah alone, i.e., it is done to seek the Countenance of Allaah and the Hereafter, and is not done to show off, to enhance one’s reputation or for worldly gain. 

2 – Following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in word and deed. Following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) can only be achieving by knowing his Sunnah. 

Hence the one who wants to worship Allaah by doing any act of worship – Hajj or anything else – has to learn the teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning it, so that his actions will be in accordance with the Sunnah. 

We will sum up in these few lines the description of Hajj as narrated in the Sunnah. 

Types of Hajj 

There are three types of Hajj: Tamattu’, Ifraad and Qiraan. 

Tamattu’ means entering ihraam for ‘Umrah only during the months of Hajj (the months of Hajj are Shawwaal, Dhu’l-Qi’dah and Dhu’l-Hijjah; see al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 7/62). When the pilgrim reaches Makkah he performs tawaaf and saa’i for ‘Umrah, and shaves his head or cuts his hair, and exits ihraam. Then when the day of al-Tarwiyah, which is the 8th of Dhu’l-Hijjah, comes, he enters ihraam for Hajj only, and does all the actions of Hajj. So Tamattu’ involves a complete ‘Umrah and a complete Hajj.

Ifraad means entering ihraam for Hajj only. When the pilgrim reaches Makkah he performs tawaaf al-qudoom (tawaaf of arrival) and saa’i for Hajj, but he does not shave or cut his hair and does not exit ihraam, rather he remains in ihraam until he exits ihraam after stoning Jamarat al-‘Aqabah on the day of Eid.  If he delays the saa’i of Hajj until after the tawaaf of Hajj, there is nothing wrong with that. 

Qiraan means entering ihraam for ‘Umrah and Hajj both together. Or entering ihraam for ‘Umrah first then including Hajj in that before starting the tawaaf of Hajj. That is done by intending that his tawaaf and saa’i will be for both Hajj and ‘Umrah.  

The actions done in Qiraan are the same as those done in Ifraad, except that the pilgrim doing Qiraan has to offer a hadiy (sacrifice) whereas the pilgrim doing Ifraad does not. 

The best of these three types of Hajj is Tamattu’. This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined upon his companions and urged them to do. Even if a person enters ihraam for Qiraan or Ifraad, then it is strongly recommended for him to change his intention to ‘Umrah, then complete ‘Umrah and exit ihraam, so that he will then be doing Tamattu’. He may do that after doing tawaaf al-qudoom and saa’i  – because when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did tawaaf and saa’i during his Farewell Pilgrimage, and his companions were with him, he told everyone who did not have a sacrificial animal (hadiy) to change his intention and make his ihraam for ‘Umrah and to cut his hair and exit ihraam, and he said, “Were it not that I have brought the hadiy with me, I would do what I have commanded you to do.” 

Ihraam 

The pilgrim should observe the Sunnahs of ihraam which are mentioned in the question referred to above, namely doing ghusl, applying perfume and praying. Then he should enter ihraam after he finishes the prayer or after boarding his means of transportation. 

Then if he is doing Tamattu’, he should say, “Labbayk Allaahumma bi ‘Umrah (Here I am, O Allaah, for ‘Umrah).” 

If he is doing Qiraam, he should say, “Labbayk Allaahumma bi Hijjah wa ‘Umrah (Here I am, O Allaah, for Hajj and ‘Umrah).” 

If he is doing Ifraad, he should say, “Labbayk Allaahumma Hajjan (Here I am, O Allaah, for Hajj).” 

Then he should say, “Allaahumma haadhihi hijjah laa riyaa’a fiha wa la sum’ah (O Allaah, this is a pilgrimage in which there is no showing off or seeking reputation).”  

Then he should recite the Talbiyah as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did: “Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk. Inna al-hamd wa’l-ni’mata laka wa’l-mulk, laa shareeka lak  (Here I am, O Allaah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner).” 

The Talbiyah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also included the words, “Labbayka ilaah al-haqq (Here I am, O God of Truth).” 

Ibn ‘Umar used to add to the Talbiyah the words, “Labbaayk wa sa’dayka, wa’l-khayr bi yadayka, wa’l-raghba’ ilayka wa’l-‘aml (Here I am and blessed by You, and all good is in Your hands, and desire and action are directed towards You).” 

Men should raise their voices when saying this, but a woman should recite in such a manner that those who are beside her can hear it, unless there is a man beside her who is not one of her mahrams, in which case she should recite it silently. 

If the person who is entering ihraam fears some obstacle that may prevent him from completing his pilgrimage (such as sickness, an enemy, being stopped from proceeding any further, etc), then he should stipulate a condition when entering ihraam by saying, “If I am prevented then my exiting ihraam is where I am prevented” – i.e., if something prevents me from completing my pilgrimage such as sickness or delay etc, then I will exit my ihraam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded Dubaa’ah bint al-Zubayr, when she wanted to enter ihraam but she was sick, to stipulate such a condition, and he said, “Your condition is valid with your Lord.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5089) and Muslim (1207). 

If he stipulates this condition and something happens to prevent him from completing his pilgrimage, then he exits his ihraam and does not have to do anything (i.e., offer a sacrifice in compensation). 

But the one who does not fear that some obstacle may prevent him from completing his pilgrimage does not have to stipulate any conditions, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not stipulate conditions nor did he command everyone to do so. Rather he told Dubaa’ah bint al-Zubayr to do that because she was sick. 

The muhrim (person who has entered ihraam) should recite the Talbiyah a great deal, especially when circumstances and times change, such as when going up to a high place or going down to a low place, or when night or day begin. After that he should ask Allaah for His good pleasure and for Paradise, and seek refuge in His Mercy from the Fire. 

The Talbiyah is prescribed in ‘Umrah from the moment one enters ihraam until one starts Tawaaf. In Hajj it is prescribed from the moment one enters ihraam until one stones Jamarat al-‘Aqabah on the day of Eid. 

Ghusl when entering Makkah 

When the pilgrim approaches Makkah, he should do ghusl before entering, if possible, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did ghusl before entering Makkah. Narrated by Muslim, 1259. 

Then when he enters al-Masjid al-Haraam he should do so with his right foot first, and say, “Bismillaah wa’l-salaatu wa’l-salaam ‘ala Rasool-Allaah. Allaahumma ighfir li dhunoobi waftah li abwaab rahmatika. A’oodhu Billaah il-‘Azeem wa bi wajhih il-kareem wa bi sultaanih il-‘qadeem min al-Shaytaan il-rajeem (In the name of Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah. O Allaah, forgive me my sins and open to me the gates of Your mercy. I seek refuge with Allaah the Almighty and in His noble Countenance and His eternal power from the accursed Satan).” Then he should go to the Black Stone in order to start tawaaf… 

Then after he has done tawaaf and prayed two rak’ahs, he should go to the Mas’a (place for doing saa’i) and perform saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah. 

The pilgrim who is doing Tamattu’ should do saa’i for ‘Umrah; those who are doing Ifraad and Qiraan should do saa’i for Hajj, and they may delay it until after Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. 

Shaving the head or cutting the hair 

When the pilgrim who is doing Tamattu’ has completed seven circuits of saa’i, he should shave his head if he is a man, or cut his hair. If he shaves his head he must shave his entire head, and if he cuts his hair he must cut from all over his head. Shaving is better than cutting because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made du’aa’ three times for those who shaved their heads and once for those who cut their hair. Narrated by Muslim, 1303. 

But if the time of Hajj is so close that there will be no time for the hair to grow back, then it is better to cut one’s hair at this point, so that there will be some hair left to shave during Hajj. The evidence for that is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded his companions, during the Farewell Pilgrimage, to cut their hair during ‘Umrah, because they arrived on the morning of the 4th of Dhu’l-Hijjah. 

Women should cut the length of a fingertip from their hair. 

With these actions, the ‘Umrah of the one who is doing Tamattu’ is concluded, after which he should exit ihraam completely and do everything that those who are not in ihraam do, such as wearing regular clothes, wearing perfume, having intercourse with their wives, etc. 

Those who are doing Ifraad or Qiraan should not shave their heads or cut their hair, or exit ihraam, rather they should remain in ihraam until they exit ihraam on the day of Eid, after stoning Jamarat al-‘Aqabah and shaving their heads or cutting their hair. 

Then when the day of al-Tarwiyah comes, which is the 8th day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, the one who is doing Tamattu’ should enter ihraam for Hajj in the morning from the place where he is in Makkah. It is mustahabb for him to do the same when entering ihraam for Hajj as he did when entering ihraam for ‘Umrah, namely doing ghusl, putting on perfume and praying. He should form the intention of entering ihraam for Hajj and recite the Talbiyah, and say, “Labbayk Allaahumma Hajjan (Here I am, O Allaah, for Hajj).” 

If he fears some obstacle that may prevent him from completing his Hajj, he should stipulate a condition by saying, “If I am prevented then my exiting ihraam is where I am prevented.” If he does not fear any such obstacle then he should not make any such condition. It is mustahabb to recite the Talbiyah out loud until he starts to stone Jamarat al-‘Aqabah on the day of Eid. 

Going to Mina 

Then the pilgrim should go out to Mina and pray Zuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, ‘Isha’ and Fajr there, shortening the prayers but not joining them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to shorten his prayers in Mina but he did not join them. Shortening the prayers means making the four-rak’ah prayers two raka’ahs. The people of Makkah and others should shorten their prayers in Mina, ‘Arafah and Muzdalifah because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to lead the people in prayer during the Farewell Pilgrimage and there were people from Makkah with him, but he did not tell them to offer their prayers in full. If it had been obligatory for them to do so, he would have told them to do so as he did on the day of the Conquest of Makkah. But since the city has spread and incorporated Mina so that it is like one of the quarters of Makkah, then the people of Makkah should not shorten their prayers there.