Transcription
1300 years ago, when the world was deprived of all the means of transportation and communication of the present age, a call for unity was raised in the midst of the barren and infertile deserts of Arabia, on the shores of the Red Sea, and a new family of scattered individuals of the human race was established. This call for human unity did not merely aim to bring the borders of countries and geographical boundaries closer. Rather, its purpose was to connect the scattered families, broken hearts, and resentful souls of the human race. This call was heard from all corners of the earth, from all paths of land and sea, its echo resounded. Not through the swift vehicles of engines and electricity, not through the planted pillars of wires and wireless, but through the conviction of the heart and the faith of the soul, everyone heard its call, and everyone responded to its call. This was the call of Abraham, peace be upon him. This was the invitation of Islam. This was the proclamation of the obligation of Hajj, which united countries, joined nations, and removed all distinctions of race, language, and place. The white man was gathered with the black, and the king with the helpless beggar, in the same place, in the same attire, with the same faith and conviction, so that all man-made distinctions were erased, and human brotherhood was unveiled in its true form. It has been more than 1300 years that every year the world witnesses this spectacle: people of different languages, different colors, and different races crossing oceans, traversing mountains, traveling for months, caravans from different corners of the world, arriving at the sacred land of Hajj at that season, on their own, without any special arrangements. More than 4000 years have passed since Abraham, peace be upon him, was born in the land of Iraq, where the rule of the Chaldeans prevailed. Although it was the most developed nation in the world at that time, they did not have enough insight and understanding to realize that the sun, moon, stars, and creatures are perishable. They could never be gods, fulfillers of needs, or solvers of difficulties. These people worshipped stars and idols. Astrology, divination, geomancy, magic, and sorcery were prevalent among them. At that time, there was a group of priests who indulged in various deceptions, and the masses were trapped in their snare. They considered these priests to be the masters of their destiny and spent their wealth and entire lives in their service. From the lowest farmer to the king, everyone was caught in their trap, because they believed that to gain the pleasure of the gods and to keep them happy, they would either receive divine favor, or they would be afflicted with various calamities. But Abraham, peace be upon him, who is the Abraham whom Allah said, "And he came to his Lord with a sound heart," Abraham, whose unparalleled loyalty was praised, when he took charge and pondered, how can this sun, moon, stars, and stone idols made by humans, and these kings who are humans like us, be gods? My Creator is Allah; He feeds me, He gives me to drink, and when I am sick, He heals me, and my life and death are in His hands, and He is the master of my benefit and harm. After thinking this, Abraham, peace be upon him, decided that he would never worship the deities that his people worshipped. He broke all the idols. He was thrown into the fire, and Allah the Almighty brought him out of the fire safely. After leaving his homeland, Abraham, peace be upon him, wandered through the lands of Palestine, Egypt, and Arabia. Finally, when he had lost hope of having children, Allah gave him offspring. When he had children, the loyal servant of Allah became concerned about how to prepare his children to continue his mission, which he had spent his entire life spreading. After all the obedience, sacrifices, guidance, and sacrifices of his entire life, one more, and the last, sacrifice or trial remained. And that test was whether he could sacrifice his only son, Ishmael, for his true Lord in his old age, after having been blessed with offspring after complete despair. Thus, this test was also conducted. When Hazrat Abraham, peace be upon him, passed this test and trial, it was decreed that yes, now you are worthy of being made the Imam of the children of Israel. When Abraham, peace be upon him, was entrusted with the leadership of the world and made the Imam of the global movement of Islam, he placed his son, Hazrat Ishmael, peace be upon him, at the place of Mecca in Hajj. At this very place, father and son together built the center for the invitation to Islam, which is known today all over the world as the Kaaba. This building was not just a place of worship like ordinary mosques, but from the very beginning, it was declared the center of the global movement of the religion of Islam, so that those who worship one Allah would gather here from all places, worship Allah, and return to their respective countries with the message of Islam. This is the gathering that was named Hajj. 4000 years ago, Abraham, peace be upon him, standing on Mount Arafat at the command of Allah, made this proclamation: "O servants of Allah, come to the House of Allah. Come from every corner of the earth. Come from near, come from far, come on foot, come on mounts, come for Hajj, and come every year." In response, every traveler to the Haram al-Sharif says in a loud voice: "Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk! I am here, my Allah, I am here! You have no partner. I am here in Your presence. All praise is for You. All blessings are from You. This entire kingdom is Yours, and You have no partner in anything." With every such call of "Labbayk," the pilgrim's connection is strengthened with pure monotheism and the movement of the invitation to Islam, which has been ongoing since Abraham and Ishmael, peace be upon them. At that time, it seems as if the 4000-year gap has been removed, and there is the call of Abraham, peace be upon him, and here the pilgrims are responding: "Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk! I am here, my Allah, I am here! I am here in obedience to Your command." What is this Ihram, by wearing which the pilgrim removes all adornments and decorations and wears nothing but a loincloth and a sheet? This is the attire of Abraham, peace be upon him. Every pilgrim wears this pilgrim's attire before reaching the land of Abraham, peace be upon him. Whether he is a king or a helpless beggar, all adopt this simple and ascetic style of dress. They keep their heads uncovered. They do not apply perfume, do not style their hair. They abstain from all kinds of adornment. They do not engage in marital relations between men and women. This is so that the impurities that have entangled our souls in these days are cleansed, the garment of pride and arrogance is removed, and the state of devotion to God envelops our outward and inward selves. With the tying of Ihram, the calls of "Labbayk" rise from the tongues of all pilgrims, and after every prayer, every morning upon waking, upon meeting every caravan, upon ascending every height, and upon descending towards every settlement, they call out in a loud voice: "Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk! I am here, my Allah, I am here! I am here in obedience to Your command." Look, what a strange sight this is. People speaking different languages, speaking Urdu, Arabic, Persian, Pashto, Turkish, Gujarati, Abyssinian, Chinese, Russian, English, are speaking one language, and in what a passionate manner, responding to the call of Abraham, peace be upon him, and the invitation to Hajj by the Crowned King of Medina with the call "Labbayk." And this repeated call of "Labbayk," combined with the ascetic attire, disheveled hair, dust-covered bodies, and the fatigue of a long journey, creates a state that, believe me, words are insufficient to fully describe to someone who has not had the fortune of performing Hajj. The pilgrim, with their devotion and passionate faith, progresses from one stage to the next, reaching the threshold to which Khalilullah (Abraham) invited. He kisses that threshold, then circumambulates the House that was declared the center for the invitation and propagation of Islam, and circumambulates it several times. With this repeated circling, he fulfills an ancient ritual of love and desire. After that, he performs two rak'ahs of prayer at the Station of Abraham. Then, leaving from here, he runs between Safa and Marwa, and with this practical state, he affirms that he will continue to run in obedience to his Lord's command and will not be remiss in his sincere efforts. After this, every pilgrim has to spend five or six days living in a camp. Spending one day in Mina, he spends the next day in Arafat. In Arafat, he spends the entire day in the praise of God and supplication, listens to the sermon of the camp commander or Amir al-Hajj, receives commandments and guidance, and returns with a new life. He stays overnight in Muzdalifah. As day breaks, he proceeds to Mina and stones the devil at the place where Abraham, peace be upon him, stoned the devil. After this, the honored pilgrims perform sacrifices, shave their heads, and then march from here to Makkah al-Mukarramah. Here, after completing the circumambulation and two rak'ahs of prayer, they remove their Ihram, and now the pilgrim's life begins to return to normal. After this, the pilgrim returns to Mina and camps there for three days. Before Islam, the Arabs used to gather at this place and boast about the achievements of their ancestors, and insult and humiliate others, which often resulted in wars and disputes. Islam transformed the absurdity of that ancestral animosity into the praise of God, and instead of mutual war, it became a means of strengthening the bonds of mutual acquaintance, sympathy, and brotherhood among Muslims. After the stay in Mina, the pilgrim returns to Makkah and performs the farewell circumambulation of the Kaaba. With the farewell circumambulation, his Hajj is completed, and it is said that after performing Hajj, a person is cleansed of sins as if he were born that very day. May Allah Almighty grant me and all Muslims the fortune of performing Hajj. Amen, O Lord of the Worlds.