Assalaam Alaekum wa Rrahmatullah wa Barakatuh


REFRESHING OUR MEMORIES ON HAJJ RITES AND AL-HUJJAJ

● HAJJ is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is a fundamental rite to be observed by Muslims, males and females for those who have the means to do so. It comes up in the months of Dhul-Qadah and Dhul-Hijjah, the eleventh and the twelfth month respectively of the Islamic Hijrah year.

Al-Hujjaj simply means the pilgrims who observe the Hajj rites. The Pilgrim must have undergone some pre-requisites such as being a practising Muslim; attained the age of puberty; sound and healthy; possession of financial means to do the Hajj; provide enough welfare care to family at home etc. However, the best of all these pre-requisites is possession of TAQWALLAH by the pilgrim.

The Holy Qur'an speaks:
اَلۡحَجُّ اَشۡهُرٌ مَّعۡلُوۡمٰتٌ ‌ۚ فَمَنۡ فَرَضَ فِيۡهِنَّ الۡحَجَّ فَلَا رَفَثَ وَلَا فُسُوۡقَۙ وَلَا جِدَالَ فِى الۡحَجِّ ؕ وَمَا تَفۡعَلُوۡا مِنۡ خَيۡرٍ يَّعۡلَمۡهُ اللّٰهُ ‌ؕ وَتَزَوَّدُوۡا فَاِنَّ خَيۡرَ الزَّادِ التَّقۡوٰى ۚ وَاتَّقُوۡنِ يٰٓاُولِى الۡاَلۡبَابِ ۞
"Known are the months of pilgrimage. If one resolves to perform the pilgrimage in these months, let him not indulge in concupiscence, sin or quarrel. And the good you do shall be known to God. Provide for the journeyband the best of provisions is piety. O men of understanding, obey Me."
(Quran:2:197).

•The Holy Qur'an speaks further by making it clear that performing HAJJ is a divine Ibadah expected to be upheld by the faithfuls from all over the World:
: وَاِذۡ بَوَّاۡنَا لِاِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ مَكَانَ الۡبَيۡتِ اَنۡ لَّا تُشۡرِكۡ بِىۡ شَيۡئًـا وَّطَهِّرۡ بَيۡتِىَ لِلطَّآئِفِيۡنَ وَالۡقَآئِمِيۡنَ وَ الرُّكَّعِ السُّجُوۡدِ ۞
"When We chose the site of the House for Abraham (We said \"Associate no one with Me and clean My House for those who will circumambulate it, stand (in reverence) and bow in homage".(Quran: Surah Name: الحج Chapter 22,Verse: 26).

•Almighty ALLAH also enjoined us to know that HE made it as a command on
Prophet Ibrahim (ASW) to proclaim HAJJ duties and see the wonders of Allah on the response:
: وَاَذِّنۡ فِى النَّاسِ بِالۡحَجِّ يَاۡتُوۡكَ رِجَالًا وَّعَلٰى كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَّاۡتِيۡنَ مِنۡ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيۡقٍ ۞
"Announce the Pilgrimage to the people. They will come to you on foot and riding along distant roads on lean and slender beasts,......".(Quran: 22,Verse: 27)

•Indeed,it is a place to be visited in one's life span because Mecca is an abode of peace, guidance and blessings in accordance to the admonition of the Holy Qur'an Chapter 3,Verse 96:
إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِلْعَالَمِينَ
"The first House of God to be set up for men was at Bakkah, the blessed, a guidance for the people of the world.".

●HAJJ RITES CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO TWO: FARDU AND WAAJIB

•FARDU OF HAJJ (OBLIGATORY ASPECTS OF HAJJ)

The Obligatory aspects of Hajj rites are hereby listed:
1. IHRAM: It is compulsory for every pilgrim to enter the state of Ihram. Immediately one enters Ihram,Talbiya follows: "Labayka llahuma labayk. Labayka Laa Shariika laka labayk. Innal hamda, wa ni'mata, laka wal mulk, laa Shareekaak."

•Al-hujjaj were expected to shun some acts during the State of Ihram.The Holy
Qur'an speaks:
: يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اَوۡفُوۡا بِالۡعُقُوۡدِ‌ ؕ اُحِلَّتۡ لَـكُمۡ بَهِيۡمَةُ الۡاَنۡعَامِ اِلَّا مَا يُتۡلٰى عَلَيۡكُمۡ غَيۡرَ مُحِلِّى الصَّيۡدِ وَاَنۡـتُمۡ حُرُمٌ‌ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَحۡكُمُ مَا يُرِيۡدُ ۞
"O you who believe, fulfil your obligations. Made lawful (as food) for you are animals except those mentioned (here); but unlawful during Pilgrimage is game. God ordains whatsoever He wills.(Quran: Suratul MaidahQ5:2)
: يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تُحِلُّوۡا شَعَآئِرَ اللّٰهِ وَلَا الشَّهۡرَ الۡحَـرَامَ وَلَا الۡهَدۡىَ وَلَا الۡقَلَٓائِدَ وَلَاۤ آٰمِّيۡنَ الۡبَيۡتَ الۡحَـرَامَ يَبۡـتَغُوۡنَ فَضۡلًا مِّنۡ رَّبِّهِمۡ وَرِضۡوَانًا ‌ؕ وَاِذَا حَلَلۡتُمۡ فَاصۡطَادُوۡا‌ ؕ وَلَا يَجۡرِمَنَّكُمۡ شَنَاٰنُ قَوۡمٍ اَنۡ صَدُّوۡكُمۡ عَنِ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَـرَامِ اَنۡ تَعۡتَدُوۡا‌ ۘ وَتَعَاوَنُوۡا عَلَى الۡبِرِّ وَالتَّقۡوٰى‌ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوۡا عَلَى الۡاِثۡمِ وَالۡعُدۡوَانِ‌ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ ‌ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ شَدِيۡدُ الۡعِقَابِ ۞
"O you who believe, do not violate the (sanctity of) offerings to God nor the rites of the holy month nor sacrificial cattle with garlands (that are brought to the Ka`bah) nor of the people who flock to the Holy House seeking the bounties of their Lord and His pleasure. Hunt when you have laid aside the robe of the pilgrim. And do not let your hatred of a people who had barred you from the Holy Mosque lead you to aggression. But help one another in goodness and piety and do not assist in crime and rebellion and fear God. Surely God is severe in punishment (Q5:2).


May Allah continue to guard and guide us aright, increase us in Provisions and Wealth and make us among those to be dwellers of Al-Jannah

Aameen, Aameen.

Happy Jumaat, Happy Weekend