Saturday 16 July 2011

Hajj and its Mysterious & Beneficial facts


When we perform Hajj, we should relate the rituals to our forefathers and ancestors in faith: Ibraheem, Ismaeel, Haajar, and Muhammad (S) as well as the first generations of Muslims. In Hajj, we commemorate them as well as their sacrifice, sincerity, dedication and patience, which constitute the main elements of their legacy. We should not perform Hajj only physically, but spiritually as well. We should try to understand the meaning of every thing we do and see what lessons we can draw. The following points are some reflections on the pillars of Hajj and some other rituals:

In Tawaaf - Circumambulating around Ka'bah- the pilgrims walk fast to commemorate the first generation of Muslims who came with the Messenger of Allah (S) to perform Hajj. When the Polytheists of Makkah started saying that the Prophet's companions were sick because they were effected by the fever of Madinah, the Prophet (S) wanted to disappoint them and show the opposite. That is why men almost jog with short steps in the first three circumambulations and uncover their right shoulders during all the tawaaf.
We also imitate the angels who circumambulate around al-bayt al-Ma'amour - the filled house - above in the seven Heaven as reported in many authentic hadiths.
When we kiss the Black Stone, which was brought from Jannah, we remember the other life and pray to Allah that Paradise will be our abode. In the Hadith , the Prophet (S) said that when the Black Stone was brought from Jannah., it was very white, but it darkened and became black because of the sins of human beings. We kiss it because we saw the Prophet (S) doing it and it is simply an act of following. The stone cannot bring any benefit or harm to us. All the rituals, the pillars of Islam and our lives should be established by following the best.

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