ALMISKEENAH

 

More mystical sufi tales related to Hajj.

Ali ibn Muwaffaq Rahmatullah alaihi says: "I was once sitting beside the Ka’aba at such a time that I had already performed Hajj sixty times. Through my mind there passed a thought that sixty times were quite enough, and that I shall not come again. How much longer shall I continue to cross this vast uninhabitable desert? At that thought I suddenly became drowsy and fell asleep. A voice spoke to me: ‘O ibn Muwaffaq, when you invite people to your house, you call such people with whom you are pleased. Blessed indeed are these whom Allah has called and placed in elevated ranks.’

Then these lines were recited:

‘Those who love Me do I invite to visit Me and no one else;

They have come to My house with honour. So blessed are those noble folk and blessed is He Who has invited them.’"

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Sayyid Samhoudi Rahmatullah alaihi says that Abdullah ibn Mubarrak Rahmatullah alaihi used to perform Hajj one year and go for jihad the other year. He relates: "One year I took five hundred dinars and set out on the road to Makkah. At Kufa I stopped and went to the camel market with the intention of buying a camel. On the other side of the road I saw a dead duck. A woman came and started plucking its feathers. Seeing this I approached her and asked: ‘What are you doing dear woman?’ She replied: "Why do you inquire about things which do not concern you?’ This set me thinking, however I insisted on an answer. Then she said: ‘Your persistence has forced me to open my heart. I am a lady among the Sayyids-the family of Rasulullah, SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. I have four young daughters whose father passed away. This is now the fourth day we have not tasted a thing and are in now such dire need that eating of a dead thing has become permissible. I am taking this duck to feed my daughters.’

Abdullah ibn Mubarrak Rahmatullah alaihi says: ‘her story filled me with sorrow. I told her to stretch forth her hand and in it I placed five hundred dinars. She took it and went home, while I postponed my intention for Hajj and returned home. After Hajj I was so amazed that whenever I met any of the returning Hujjaj and wished them Hajj Maqbool, they would wish me the same. Then, when I said anything further they would remind me about having met me at such and such a place. I could not understand this. That night I saw a dream wherein Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said to me: ‘O son of Mubarak, there is no need to be astonished. You have assisted a distressed one from among my children, whereupon I begged of Allah to appoint one Angel to perform Hajj in your form and on your behalf until Qiyyamah, and now you have a choice. You may perform Hajj or you may leave it.’"

It is related in Tawthiq ‘Ura al-Ayman, "It is known that someone who stays behind because of a valid excuse shares with those who go since the Prophet, SallAllahu alaihi wasallm, said when he returned from the expedition to Tabuk that there were people in Madinah who had not travelled at all nor crossed a desert, but they had been with them. A valid excuse had kept them behind. A poet said:

"O travellers to the Ancient House,
     you have travelled in body while we have travelled in spirit!

We stayed behind with valid excuse while they travelled.
     Whoever stays behind with a valid excuse has travelled."

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It is related that Ibrahim Adham Rahmatullah alaihi, (d 165 A.H./782 A.D.) spent fourteen years traversing the desert until he arrived at the Ka’aba. "Others walked on foot to Makkah," he remarked, "while I tread on my eyes."

His habit was to make two prostrations of ritual prayer for every one step forward. On reaching Makkah, however the Ka’aba had disappeared. "What has happened?" he asked, rubbing his eyes, "perhaps I’ve become dim sighted."

"Your vision is fine," a mysterious voice informed him. "Only the Ka’aba went to receive a lady on her way here."

"Who can she be?" he cried, aghast with envy. Then he beheld Rabi’ah hobbling along the way, cane in hand. The Ka’aba returned to its place. "O Rabi’ah, what is this riot and commotion you have created in the world?" Ibrahim demanded.

Rabi’ah retorted, "You who waivered fourteen years crossing the desert to reach the House of Allah are the real commotion in the world."

"Of course," he pleaded, "for fourteen years I was preoccupied in ritual prayer on my journey."

"Through ritual prayer you journeyed," Rabi’ah replied, "whereas I made my way by means of desperate spiritual supplication and need." Rabi’ah then completed the pilgraimage and wept in grief, saying, "O Allah! You have given assurances of Your approbation and goodwill, both for our pilgrimage and for our adversity. If my pilgrimage is unacceptable now (which is itself adversity), where is Your reward for the adversity I have endured?" She them returned to Basra until the next year. "If last year," she commented, "the Ka’aba came out to greet me, this year I shall go to greet the Ka’aba."

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And to flash forward to the "here and now":

Reports in the local papers say that new crowd- management forces have been in training to prevent street vendors, pilgrims and vehicles from stopping and squatting along the streets leading to the Jamarat in Mina. These special security arrangements, along with the expanded new Jamarat bridge will allow up to 1.5 million pilgrims to perform the stoning within five hours! The Haj Ministry is planning to dispatch pilgrims to the Jamarat area in groups, and these special forces have been instructed to prevent any pilgrim without a Hajj permit from stoning.

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This article tells how the new towers being constructed near the new bridge will partly be open for pilgrims this Hajj.

 

This was taken a couple of weeks ago of these towers.

 

An artist’s impression of how many of these blocks will soon be hugging the mountain side to increase the capacity of pilgrims in Mina.

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And another new development is the presence of "language experts" to help pilgrims.

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The oldest pilgrim to perform Hajj this year will be an Indian pilgrim, 110 year old Jamila Khatoon, who will be accompanied by her son. It didn’t say how old he was! The second oldest is 106 year old Amjad Khan also from India. Last year ten centenarians successfully performed Hajj! May Allah Ta’ala give them taufiq and a Hajj Maqbool. Ameen.

May all who have been summoned by the King of Kings to His house perform a Hajj Maqbool. Ameen.

A comprehensive reader on the Fiqh of Hajj from Sunnipath

A sampling of sites, from the hundreds available on line, offering detailed information include:

http://www.islam786.org/hajjumrah.htm

http://www.islam786.org/hajjwithmyshaykh.htm

http://www.islamonline.net/english/hajj/2004/index.shtml

http://sufi.forumup.co.uk/about802-sufi.html

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ABewley/hajjprep.html

http://www.weneedtounite.com/articles.htm#hajj

 
All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. Ameen.