SECRETS OF PILGRIMAGE

Pilgrimage is one of the pillars of Islam, the beauty of divine service for the whole life, the end of actions, the perfection of Islam and the foundation of religion. On the day of pilgrimage, God revealed the following verse: Today I have perfected your religion for you and made My gifts perfect on you and I am pleased to give you Islam as a religion - 5 : 3. The Prophet said regarding it: He who dies without making pilgrimage, dies willingly as a Jew or a Christian: So how important is that divine service without which religion does not become perfect and one becomes a Jew or a Christian or a misguided one. It will, therefore, he discussed in three sections.

SECTION 1

EXCELLENCE OF PILGRIMAGE: God says: Proclaim Haj among the people, so that they may come to you on foot or upon every camel coming from every distant place (Quran). Qatadah said: God ordered Hazrat Abraham, our Prophet and all chosen servants - Proclaim Haj among their people. Then he proclaimed: 0 people, God created a house, make pilgrimage for it. God says: 'that they may witness benefits for them'. It means trade and rewards in the next world. A certain sage said about it: By Lord of the Ka'ba, He has forgiven them. God mentions the devil as saying: I shall sit for them in your straight path. Some say that the devil will be sitting in the paths towards Mecca to prevent the people from making pilgrimage. The Prophet said: He who makes pilgrimage without doing any obscene deed and without making quarrel comes out of his sins as on the day when his mother gave birth to him. The Prophet said: The devil does not become so much humiliated, dishonoured and disgraced as on the day of Arafat. The cause is that he sees God's blessings descending and His forgiveness of great sins. The Prophet said: there is some sins out of sins which are not forgiven except without waiting at Arafat. The Prophet said: If a man comes out of his house with the intention of making pilgrimage or Umrah, there will be written for him the rewards of one pilgrimage and one Umrah up to the Resurrection Day. He who dies at Mecca or Medina, will not be presented for account and no account will be taken from him and he will be said: Enter Paradise. The Prophet 1:188said: There is no rewards except Paradise for an accepted Haj. The Prophet said: Those who make pilgrimage and Umrah are guests and neighbours of God. If they pray, it is accepted from them. If they seek forgiveness, God forgives them. If they invoke, their invocation is accepted. If they intercede, it is accepted. There is in another Hadis: He whose sins are greatest is a person who thinks at Arafat that God has not forgiven his sins. The Prophet said: 120 blessings descend everyday on this Ka'ba sixty for those who make Tawaf, forty for those who pray and twenty for those who visit the Ka'ba. There is in Hadis: Make much Tawaf because it is such a great thing that you will find it in your book of deeds on the Resurrection day and for which people will envy you. For this reason, to make Tawaf at first before Haj and Umrah is commendable. There is in Hadis: He who makes Tawaf for a week barefooted and bare bodies will get the reward of setting free a slave. Whose makes Tawaf in rains for a week, his past sins are forgiven. A certain sage said: If the Arafat Day and the Jumma Day occur on the same day, every person at Arafat is forgiven and that is the best day in the world. On that day the farewell pilgrimage of the Holy Prophet took place and on that day, the verse was revealed - To-day I have perfected for you your religion, bestowed My favours completely on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion-5: 53.

The people of the Book said: If the verse would have been revealed upon us, we would have observed it as a day of festival. Hazrat Omar said: I bear witness that this verse was revealed on the Prophet on the day of two festivals, the day of Arafat and, Jumma day and he was then waiting at Arafat. The Prophet said: Forgive one who has come for pilgrimage, 0 God, forgive one who seeks forgiveness for a pilgrim. Hazrat Omar said: A pilgrim is forgiven and also the man for whom he seeks forgiveness in Zilhaj, Muharram, Safar or the first part of Rabiul Awal. It was the custom of the ancient sages that they broadcasted the stories of warriors, welcomed the pilgrims, kissed on their foreheads, sought blessings from them and they hastened to do these things before they would commit sins.

EXCELLENCE OF MECCA AND KABA

The Prophet said: God promised that every year six lacs people will make pilgrimage. If their number becomes less, God will fill the number by angels. The Ka'ba will be presented on the 1:189Resurrection Day, adorned with ornaments like a newly wedded bride and those who made pilgrimage will be busy in covering it with cloth. The Ka'ba will proceed towards Paradise till it enters it and they will also enter paradise. There is in Hadis: The Black Stone is a jewel out of the jewels of Paradise. It will be raised upon the Resurrection Day. It will have two eyes and one tongue with which it will speak. It will bear witness for everyone who kissed it and testified its truth. The Prophet used to kiss it much.

It was narrated that Hazrat Omar once made prostration over it.

He was then making Tawaf riding and he placed his staff in his hand on it and kissed one end of it. He said once after kissing it: I know certainly that you are a mere piece of stone and you can not do any benefit or harm. Had I not seen the Prophet kissing you, I would never kissed you. Then he wept and raised his voice high. Then he said to Hazrat Ali behind him: 0 Abul Hasan, take advice and intercede, your prayer will be accepted. Hazrat Ali said: 0 Commander of the Faithful, it has got benefits and harms. He asked: In what way? He said: When God took promise from the descendants of Adam, He wrote a scroll on them and impressed it on this stone. It will bear witness for those who fulfilled their promise and against the infidels for infidelity. Hasan Basari said: One day's fast therein is equal to one lac fast and charity of one Dirham is equal to that of one lac dirhams. Thus its reward increases to one lac. There is in Hadis: One Umrah during Ramzan is like pilgrimage with me. He said: I shall be the first man who will burst out of his grave. Then the inhabitants of Jannatual Baqi will resurrect with me, then the Meccans and then the people between the two Harams (Mecca and Medinah). There is in Hadis that when Adam performed all rites of pilgrimage, the angels saw him and said: 0 Adam your Haj has been accepted. We built the Ka'ba two thousand years before you. There is in Hadis that God looks to the inmates of the world every night. He looks first to the inhabitants of Mecca and out of them first to the inhabitants of the Ka'ba. He forgives one whom He sees making Tawaf and forgives one whom he sees standing towards the Ka'ba and forgives one whom He sees praying in the Ka'ba. A friend of God said: The sun does not set in unless an Abdal makes Tawaf of the Ka'ba and it does not set in unless a friend of God makes its Tawaf. When this sort of Tawaf will end, it will be the cause of being lifted away from the world. Then the people will see in the morning that it has been lifted away andthey will find no sign therein. Then after'it, nobody will make its pilgrimage for seven years. The Anti Christ will appear and Jesus Christ will come down and will kill Anti Christ. Then the Resurrection will come near. There is in Hadis: Before its lifting, the Ka'ba will be circumbulated always. The Ka'ba was twice destroyed and it will belifted up at- the third time. The Prophet said: God says: When I will wish to destroy the world, I will begin it first with My house and will destroy it first. Then immediately after it the world will be destroyed.

EXCELLENCE OF HABITATION AT MECCA

The God fearing men disliked to live at Mecca for three reasons. (1) Fear of being equal to Ka'ba, as to be equal from the point of honour is harmful. When the pilgrims finished pilgrimage, Hazrat Omar assembled them and said: 0 inhabitants of Yemen, go to Yemen, 0 inhabitants of Iraq, go to Iraq. He said: I fear lest the people inhabit too much in the Ka'ba. (2) Eagerness for visiting it again owing to separation, as, God made the Ka'ba as a refuge of the people and a safe place. (3) Not to live at Mecca for fear of sins and guilts is better than honouring the place. Hazrat Ibn Masud said: There is no such city except Mecca wherein the people will be punished for niyyat before actions. Thn he read this verse: If a man wishes therein to do. excessive oppression, he will be given grievous punishment. This is only foe Ka'ba. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said: To store up food stuffs at Mecca is said to be excessive oppression within the precincts of the Ka'ba. He said: To commit seventy sins at Ruqia is better to me than to commit a sin at Mecca. Ruqia is a place between Mecca and Tayef. Some people feared so much that they even responded not to their calls of nature in the sacred enclosure. It is better to live at Mecca if anybody does not commit any sin. When the Prophet returned to Mecca, he turned his face towards the Ka'ba and said: 'You are the best place to me among the places of God and you are the dearest city to me among the cities of God. Had I not been ejected from you, I would never come out of it?' Why should it not be, as look towards the Ka'ba is worship and if a good deed is done there, it brings abundant rewards.

EXCELLENCE OF MEDINAH

There is no such better place as Medinah after Mecca. The rewards increase much if a good deed is done at Medina. The

THE BOOK OF WORSHIP

1:1901:191Prophet Said: One prayer in my mosque brings rewards one thousand times more than the prayer in other mosques except the mosque of Mecca.' This is true in case of all good deeds done here. After Medinah, there is the place of Baitul Muqaddas wherein a prayer brings rewards five hundred times more than that in other mosques. This is the case with all other good deeds. The Prophet said: If one prayer in the mosque of Medinah is equal to ten thousand prayers, one prayer in Baitul Muqaddas is equal to one thousand prayers and one prayer in the mosque of Mecca is equal to one lac prayers. The Prophet said: If a man bears hardships of Medinah, I shall be his intercessor on the Resurrection Day. The Prophet said: 'If a man can die at Medinah, let him do it because if a man dies at Medinah, I shall be his intercessor on the Resurrection Day.' After these three places, all places are equal except the frontiers of Islam, as guarding the frontiers of Islam is necessary from the enemies and their excellence is great. For this reason, the Prophet said: Don't tie your camel except in three mosques, the mosque of the Ka'ba, the mosque of mine and the mosque of Baitul Muqaddas. The Prophet said: I had prohibited you before to visit graves, but now I say: Visit graves, but don't say 'Hazran' (I gave up). The Prophet said: All places belong to God and all are servants of God. Live in th place you like and praise God. There is in Hadis: If a man gets blessings in a thing, he should stick to it. If a man gets a source of income, he should not change it, till that source of income is changed.

DUTIES OF HAJ

Two things are necessary for the health of Haj-Time and Islam. There are five conditions of Haj which are obligatory - (1), to be a Muslim, (2) to be a free man, (3) to be intelligent and able, (4) to be major, (5) to make Haj in time. One must be of sound health and the route must be safe and sound. He must have ' sufficient money to go and to be back from journey and for the maintenance of the family in the mean time. If a man is unable to make pilgrimage on account of his physical illness or bodily infirmity from which he has got no hope of recovery, he must send his representative with expense to make pilgrimage. A son may not take money from his father to make pilgrimage on behalf of his father. If a man dies before making pilgrimage inspite of his solvency, there will be grievous punishment for him. Hazrat 1:192Sayeed-b-Jubair, Ibrahim Nakhyi, Muzahed and Taus said: If we knew that a certain man died without making Haj, we did not say funeral prayer for him. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said: If a man dies without Haj and without paying Zakat, he will pray for return to the world. Then he read this verse: 0 my Lord, send me again that I may do good deeds which I left undone.

FIVE COMPULSORY DUTIES OF HAJ: To make Ihram, to make Tawaf, to make Sayee, to wait at Arafat and then to shave hairs. These are also compulsory in Urnrah except waiting at Arafat.

SIX WAJEB OF HAJ: To make lhram at the appointed place, (2) to throw pebbles at Mina, (3) to wait at Arafat till sunset, (4) to spend the night at Muzdalafah, (5) to stay at Mina, (6) and to make Tawaf of the Ka'ba at the time of farewell.

MODES OF HAJ: Haj can be performed in three modes - (1) Ifrad, (2) Qeran and (3) Tamattu. The mode of making pilgrimage by Ifrad is the best. Ifrad is a kind of pilgrimage in which Ihram is made with the sole intention of Haj and not Umrah and Ihram is broken after the necessary duties are performed. Then Ihram is made for Umrah. (2) In the Qeran Haj, Ihram is made for both Haj and Umrah at the same time. (3) In Tamattu Haj, first Ihram is made for Haj before it actually takes place. Ihram is made at the fixed place and then the pilgrim comes to Mecca and breaks it. just before Haj, he again makes Ihram and breaks it after Haj and thereafter makes Tawaf. When there is no Ihram, everything can be enjoyed even sexual intercourse with wife. There are some conditions in Tamattu Haj - (1) not to be included within th people of Ka'ba. (2) to make Umrah before Haj, (3) to make Umrah in the months of pilgrimage, (4) not to go to a distance for making Ihram for Haj, (5) to make Haj and Umrah by the same person. it is compulsory for such a pilgrim to sacrifice a goat. If he cannot do it, he will fast before sacrifice for three days separately or unitedly and when he returns home, he will fast for seven days in the same manner.

PROHIBITED THINGS IN HAJ AND UMRAH

(1) During Haj and Umrah, it is prohibited to put on shirt, trouser, sock, turban. A wearing apparel without stitch and sandal may be used. One should not cover his head as head is included within Ihram. A woman can wear stitched cloth but her 1:193face will remain uncovered. (2) He shall not use scents of any kind. (3) He shall shave the hairs of head and not manicure nails. (4) He shall not have sexual intercourse before the end of Ihram. (5) It is unlawful to kiss, embrace or to marry or get married during Ihram. (6) It is unlawful to sacrifice game of land except game of sea.

SECTION 2

EIGHT DUTIES OF HAJ FROM FIRST TO LAST

(1) There are eight duties when one comes out of his house till he makes Ihram. (a) He shall make Tauba, pay compensation to the oppressed and clear off his debts and give expenses of maintenance for his family members till his return. He shall return the trusts entrusted to him and take legally earned money sufficient for his journey expenses till his return along with the additional sum for the poor, the destitute and the weak. He shall spend something in charity before he starts.

(2) He shall seek a religious companion. He will seek your good and help you. He will remind you if you forget. Take farewell from relatives, friends and neighbours and seek their blessings and give your blessings to them by saying: I am entrusting to God your religion and your trust and the end of your actions. The Prophet used to pray for the man who wished to perform'Haj: May God keep you in His protection. May He give you provision of God fear. May He forgive your sins, and may He keep your face towards good wherever you are.

(3) Pray two rak'ats of prayer before starting from home with Fateha and Sura Kaferun in the first rak'at and Sura Ikhlas in the second rakat. When you finish your prayer, raise your two hands and seek blessings with this Doa: 0 God, you are my friend in this journey, you are my successor for my properties, children and friends, save me and them from all calamities. 0 God, I seek from you in this journey virtues, God fear and actions pleasing to you. 0 God, make the world narrow for me, make my journey easy and give me provision of health of body, religion and safety of properties and take us for pilgrimage of your House and for visiting the grave of your Prophet Muhammad (P.H). 0 God, I seek refuge to you from the troubles of journey, from change of conditions and from the evil looks of the family members and friends. 0 God, give us and them the blessings of your nearness.

1:194Don't deprive us and them of your blessing and don't change your kindness on us and on them.

(4) When you will come near the door of your house, say: In the name of God, I rely on God, there is no power and might except in God. 0 Lord, I seek refuge to Thee that I my not be misguided, that I may not misguide anybody, that I may not slip or that I may not cause anybody to slip, that I may not be oppressed or that I may not oppress anybody, that nobody may ascribe ignorance to me, nor I may ascribe ignorance to anybody. I seek refuge to Thee from all these matters.

(5) When you get on board of your conveyance, say in the name of God and with God, God is greatest trust on God, the Great, the Mighty. There is no power and no might except in God. Whatever God wills comes into being. God has made this conveyance subservient to us. We shall have to return to our Lord. When you sit on the conveyance, recite seven times: All praise is due to God who showed me path for it. We would not have found guidance if God did not show us guidance. 0 God Thou art our carrier on backs and Thou art helper in all our affairs.

(6) Most of your journey should be at night. The Prophet paid: You should travel at night, as the earth becomes narrow at night and not at day. Sleep little during the night that you^may be helper in journey. When you reach a high place, say: 0 God, Lord of seven heavens and that which casts shade, Lord of seven earths and that which reduces it, Lord of the devil and those whom they misguide, Lord of air and on what it blows upon, Lord of sea and what it blows upon, I seek good of the inhabitants of this place, I seek refuge to Thee from their evils. When you land at any place, pray two rak'ats.

(7) You should not travel during day time. Don't walk alone and don't go out of your company and keep a watch at the time of your sleep at night. Spread out your hands if you sleep at the early part of night. If you sleep by the latter part of night, place your head on the palm of your hand. Thus the Prophet used to sleep in his journey in order to guard against the loss of a prayer. The loss of a prayer is more severe than the loss of a pilgrimage.

(8) When you get on a high place on the way, recite Takbir thrice and then recite: 0 God, Thy honour is above all honours, Thine is all praise and all glory when you get down, recite Tasbih.

SECRETS OF PILGRIMAGE Vol-I

1:195DUTIES FROM MIQAT TO THE ENTRY INTO MECCA

(1) Take bath with the intention of making Ihram, comb your hairs and head, manicure your nails, clip your mustache and do everything as described in the chapter on purity and cleanliness. (2) Put on two pieces of unsewn Ihram cloth. White cloth is dearest to God. Use scent in body and cloth, (3). Take journey if you walk on foot. Now make niyyat of either Ifrad, Qeran or Tamattu Haj and say Talbiyah-present to Thee, 0 God, present to Thee, there is no partner for Thee, all praise and gifts are for Thee, there is no partner for Thee. (4) When you enter into Ihram, recite the following: 0 God, I make niyyat for pilgrimage. 0 God, make it easy for me, help me in fulfilling its duties, accept it from me. There are other invocations also. (5) It is commendable to recite Talbiah in a loud voice at the time of ascending, descending, riding on conveyance. It is as follows: 0 God, I am present to Thee, I am present to Thee, There is no partner for Thee. All praise, gifts and lordship are for Thee. Thou bast got no partner. Whenever anything astonished the Prophet, he used to say: Labbaik, the life of the next world is true life.

DUTIES AFTER ENTRY INTO MECCA TILL TAWAF

(1) Take bath to enter Mecca.

(2) When you enter the first boundury of Harem outside Mecca, then recite: 0 God, this is Thy sacred sanctuary. Thy safe place. So save my blood, my hairs and my body from Hell. Save me from Thy chastisement on the day Thou wilt resurrect Thy servants and include me in the company of Thy friends and those subservient to Thee.

(3) Enter Mecca by the high place of Mecca and come out of it by its low place.

(4) When you enter Mecca and come near the Ka'ba, recite the following: There is no deity but God. God is greatest. 0 God, Thou art Peace, from Thee peace, and Thou abode is the abode of peace. Blessed art Thou, 0 possessor of glory and honour. 0 God, this is Thy house. Thou bast made is sacred and honourable. So increase its honour, respect and awe. 0 God, open for me the 1:196doors of Thy mercy and admit me in Thy Paradise and give me refuge from the accursed devil.