In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. It’s a combination of both physical and financial modes of prayer. It’s a religious duty that must be performed at least once in a lifetime by every able-bodied adult Muslim who can afford to do so.
فِيهِ ءَايَـٰتٌۢ بَيِّنَـٰتٌ مَّقَامُ إِبْرَ‌ٰهِيمَ ۖ وَمَن دَخَلَهُۥ كَانَ ءَامِنًا ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ حِجُّ ٱلْبَيْتِ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ﴿٩٧[Qur'an, AleImran 3:97]
In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it shall be safe. And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds. (97)
SubhanAllah! Allah Almighty; Our Lord; The One; like Whom there’s none; He who introduces Himself to us as As-Samad, Al-Ghani; He who doesn’t need anyone and everyone needs Him; He who that if everyone became disobedient to Him wouldn’t harm Him and if everyone became the most obedient couldn’t benefit Him. He didn't ask us to do anything except for our benefit.
Those who come to understand the point recite and call out with utter humility:
لبیک اللھم لبیک ۔۔۔۔لبیک لا شریک لک لبیک ۔۔۔۔ ان الحمد والنعمۃ لک والملک لا شریک لک ۔۔۔
(Labbayk! Allahumma Labbayk! Labbayka La Sharika Laka Labbaik! Innal-Hamda wan-ne’mata Laka wal-mulk La Sharika lak)
Meaning: “Here I am at Your service O Allah, here I am. Here I am at Your service, You have no partner, here I am at Your service. For You alone is All Praise and All Grace, and for You alone is The Sovereignty. You have no partner.”
These beautiful words are the anthem of Hajj. The song of Hajj. The chant of Hajj. The essence of Hajj.
Allah has blessed us with everything.
He Almighty created the world before He sent us here. He Almighty has blessed us with countless things which we could never know we needed. He blessed us with true belief, health, wealth, spouses, companions, children, transportation, house, servants, animals, etc.
And reflect on the words of His Khaleel, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) which Allah tells us in the Qur'an,
فَإِنَّهُمْ عَدُوٌّ لِّىٓ إِلَّا رَبَّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ﴿٧٧﴾ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَنِى فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِ ﴿٧٨﴾ وَٱلَّذِى هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِى وَيَسْقِينِ ﴿٧٩﴾ وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ ﴿٨٠﴾ وَٱلَّذِى يُمِيتُنِى ثُمَّ يُحْيِينِ ﴿٨١﴾ وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَطْمَعُ أَن يَغْفِرَ لِى خَطِيٓـَٔتِى يَوْمَ ٱلدِّينِ ﴿٨٢﴾[Qur'an, Ash-Shu'ara 26:77-82]
Indeed, they are enemies to me, except the Lord of the worlds, (77) Who created me, and He [it is who] guides me. (78) And it is He who feeds me and gives me drink. (79) And when I am ill, it is He who cures me (80) And who will cause me to die and then bring me to life (81) And who I aspire that He will forgive me my sin on the Day of Recompense." (82)
Today is the last day of days of Tashreeq (11th, 12th and 13th Dhul-Hijjah), and mark the end of hajj and the hajis are heading home or other destinations after their farewell tawaf, but our worship continues until we reach our final destination on this earth-- our own grave.
Gratitude is the soul of worship, the purpose of our creation
Allah says in the Qur'an, “I have not created mankind or jinn for any reason except to worship Me [alone[“[Qur'an, 51:56] And then Allah also mentions in another part of the Qur'an, “It is Allah who brought you out of your mothers’ wombs knowing nothing, and gave you hearing and sight and minds, so that you might be thankful.” [Qur'an, 16:78] In one ayah He says He created us to worship Him, and in another ayah He says He created us so that we might be thankful. Combining the meaning of both ayat it is clear that worship and gratitude are two inseparable entities. To be truly grateful, we need to worship Allah (do that which He loves and is pleased with), and to truly worship Allah, we need to be grateful. And if we take in the essence of gratitude, worship becomes easier.
When we thank Allah for the 24 hours in a day, bring the meaning of Labayk Allahumma Labayk into your hearts. These words imply a person to be in a state of complete, unconditional obedience to his Creator.
Make a lot of dhikr and du'a during the days of Tashreeq. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to recite Takbeer in Mina in his tent, and when the people heard him they recited Takbeer too and Mina echoed with the sound of their Takbeer.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illa Llahu.
Wa Llahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa lillahi Lhamd .
( اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُوَاَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ )
(Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, there is no god but Allah.
And Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest and to Allah belongs all praise.)
O Allah, help us remember you and worship you with excellence. O Allah, help us do righteous deeds and make us steadfast until death; have mercy on us, O Most Generous Giver. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and He alone grants success.
Wassalaam
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