Friday Platform: Hajj Rites and The Legacy of The Ancestors
PS: This is first a self-accountability post as I speak to the self before everyone else.
Picture above Courtesy National.ae
I enter with the greetings of my mentor.
All praise is due to Allah سبحانه وتعالى who has favored us with health and guidance. We seek refuge in Him from the evil manifestation of our thoughts and actions. We seek His mercy and forgiveness above all things. May the peace and blessings of Allah سبحانه وتعالى be upon our noble Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, his household members, his Companions and all believers living and dead till the end of time. Aamin.
I will be continuing this week on the Siratal mustaqeem group on “Contemporary Issues” weekly, and we shall pick from last week’s discussion “What does Islam mean to you”. Today I shall try a briefly touch on “Hajj and the Legacy of the Ancestors”.
“And remember Abraham and Isma’il raised the foundations of the House (With this prayer): “Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-knowing. Our Lord! Make of us Muslims, bowing to Thy (Will), and of our progeny a people Muslim, bowing to Thy (will); and show us our place for the celebration of (due) rites; and turn unto us (in Mercy); for Thou art the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.”
(Quran 2:125–128)
The very essence of Hajj is rooted at the call, supplication and the acceptance of Abraham, and Isma’il to Allah upon raising the very foundations of the Ka’abah in Makkah. This historic achievement was however initiated starting from Adam’s building of the foundation in the same place.
Today, our family and friends in Faith from far and wide across the globe have been chosen to answer the call of Abraham and are stationed at Mina, commencing the core rituals that make up the Hajj rites of worship. Tomorrow they shall troop down to the mount of Arafat in the spirit of the earliest ancestors of mankind, Adam(AS) and HAWA, after which they will return to prepare for 3 days of stoning rites and Sacrifice, emulating the legacy of Abraham(A. S) and the steadfastness of his entire family in carrying out their duties to God.
I am briefly to remind you of some of the timeless wordings from the Qu’ran that depict this very historic symbolism and their earliest commencements.
By popular account, the Mount Arafat either symbolizes the meeting place of Hauwa and Adam after being dismissed from the Garden, or according to other accounts, the area where Allah guided Adam to discovering Hauwa after their expulsion to earth. It happens to likely be the same spot whereby they were remorseful and asked for God’s mercy (surah A’raf verse 7:23), after which Allah(SWT) in His infinite mercy enveloped them with his forgiveness.
“Then Adam received from his Lord Words. And his Lord pardoned him (accepted his repentance). Verily, He is the One Who forgives (accepts repentance), the Most Merciful” (2:37).
It is indeed at this juncture, the scholars denote a lesson of humility in the human being, to exercise his/her free will to retrace their mistakes against their ego and to seek for Allah’s redemption unlike the Shaytan — the accursed creation of Allah.
Tomorrow, our pilgrims will symbolize such meeting between themselves in communication with their Cherisher and hope by Allah’s grace, that the supplications of our Chosen worshipers of 2019 shall be answered as they seek for His countenance at the mount and valley’s of Arafat. Arriving in whatever state of their hearts, to be shattered and broken, or already broken seeking to be fixed by Al-Jabbar(the irresistible).
This day is also an opportunity for those who can fast, as a reminder to be able to do so and seek the rewards of a clean slate from sins of the past two years from the previous Hadith.
Abu Qatadah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked about fasting the day of Arafat. The Prophet said, “It will expiate the sins of the previous and upcoming years.” Then he was asked about fasting the day of Ashura. The Prophet said, “It will expiate the sins of the year.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1162
(Fasting on a Saturday as Arafat is a specific day and has a specific reward and so there should be no problem fasting this day alone according to some scholars)
Whenever our sins are forgiven or to be forgiven, it is a gesture or courtesy for one to show appreciation and their gratitude for mercy or the pardon showered upon them. Usually, a cultural greeting in the frame of “thank you” suffices.
But we offer sacrifice with thanks after Arafat day as a result of a bigger sacrifice undertaken by Abraham (AS), which turns out to be a celebration for us but was in actuality test for Abraham. One which also remains a test of different virtues inform of rites for our pilgrims called upon and representing the very emblem of the Abraham Legacy(milla) of “One God”!
In the final years of his life, Abraham (AS) was granted with pride for which he hoped will be his ‘torch of continuity’. One night, he woke up from a dream narrated to his son(Isma’il) as preserved in the Qur’an:
“O my Son, I see in a vision that I offer you in sacrifice. Now see what is your view? “ (37:102)
The supposed Torch of continuity Responded echoing the very values of #submission embodied in a young Abraham once upon a time, upon being threatened to be burnt by the flock.:
“O my father! Do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah so wills, patient and constant “ (37:102)
The ‘Jam rat rites’ — of “Stoning of the devil” carried out by the pilgrims represent the instances for which a probably distressed Abraham was being tried by the Devil, to restore the Human deficiency in us, to slack off, to renegade on our daily duties or the calls of (High). Abraham, showed dutifulness and steadfastness by stoning the archenemy of his status and nemesis of humanity, to preserve the very trust and confidence Allah had invested in him, unknown to him what was waiting for him in place.
And surely, the task was undertaken, so it was decreed:
“O Abraham! You have confirmed the Vision Thus indeed do We reward those who do right This is indeed the manifest trial!” (37:104–105)
As with Abraham, when he was saved from the heat of the fire, Ismail’l wasn’t destined to be touched by the sharpness of the blade. It was a symbolic gesture and a test of different ranks, a promotional exercise for both Prophets of young and old ages respectively.
“And when his God tested Abraham with various commands, and he proved true to each one.” He (God) said, indeed I have made you a leader of humanity. He (Abraham) said (requesting of God), ‘and from my progeny.” (Quran 2:124)
It was a test of virtue, a test of trust and commitment and rejuvenation for both servants of God. One that would have their supplications and ranks guaranteed throughout the end of time.
And so we have been enjoined by the legacy and the (final) ‘Standard/Staff bearer’ of his Progeny Muhammad (S.A. W):
Say, “ Allah has told the truth. So follow the pathway(milla) of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of the polytheists.” Quran 3:95
In Abraham’s Path/Legacy(Milla), we learn, he was a veteran in Worship, yet despite his century length in service, he was tested with his own beloved, his own pride as a father, for the sake of the very “TRUEST FRIEND” who never let go of him in the burning fire, or when he was in search of Him as an intellectual in pursuit of Him(Allah swt).
As stated last week, the month of Thul Hajj, reminds us of an exemplary model in submission, who is the father of all contemporary ‘monotheists’(nonassociators of entities with God) today. “For the intellectual today, the goal of whoever seeks for wholesome goodness is to understand our being created in the initial states as Adam at an elementary school, level while walking(progressing) towards graduating as Abraham A.S. state on a high school and Collegian level.”
But there are deeper lessons to learn from the Abraham- Hajj story.
— That your life of existence -talkless of service — is never enough to validate the Most Self Sufficient. The Most self-Sufficient validate YOU.
* That every moment of existence is an opportunity of service, or to be called to service. It doesn’t take a tangible worth of good to answer the call. At every given time of life, we must be prepared to undertake the call to Hajj.
* Eid day, is more than just a victory lap, it is a sacrifice in of itself. It is a sacrifice of Ego. And one we probably should commemorate by reflecting on our past or thanking God for preserving us upon Abraham consciousness — through #Submission(Islam).
* The Ultimate goal is to seek to be Abraham(A.S.), but we must never underestimate the value of passing down righteousness through our lineage. Sometimes, there can be no suitable righteous adviser than one in your family who can save you from your weaknesses. We must be able to seek consultation especially as leaders from spouses and also prepare children to be custodians of something monumental tomorrow.
* The battle against the devil is a continuous fight till the end. The Shaytan(Devil) never gave up even against the progenies of Adam. Abraham never slipped, but even when his father Adam slipped, he bounced back to score a point against the miserable disobedient servant of Allah. Every day is a new day to start afresh like Adam en route the ancestral glory of a descendant Abraham.
* The reward for good is good. The ultimate legacy of every human is with God, and we should expect surprises for every attempt at Ihsan (excellence). The reward for a cherished prophet and friend of God(Wally), was to become a father, a footstep and legacy for mankind.
* You are never too young or too old to have a test of faith and a spiritual upliftment of the soul. We must be prepared to train and enlighten subsequent generations about the role of community beginning with a correct mindset, and a state of the heart. A heart free from shirk(antithetical of Abraham’s legacy) and that which is tied to the love of the temporary, the world, the associations in life. Likewise, the trials and the tribulations of the world are temporary and are befitting for everyone alike, be they saintly or criminal.
“Indeed, I have turned my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth, inclining toward truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah.” Surah Al An’am Verse 79.
May Hajj be a form of Therapy to the Sick heart and an Upliftment/Promotional exam to the Sound heart.
As the 10 days of Hajj as well as the Islamic year comes to an end, may we increase in our devotion and foster more community orientation towards the goals of #Tauhid and unity towards God’s pleasure — depicted by the very legacy of Abraham. May God forgive our shortcomings and reward our Hajji’s for their sacrifice upon the call to His House. Please forward all suggestions and criticism to ayatullahy@gmail.com or to my person if directly in contact with me. All good mentioned here is from God alone and the mistakes are fully mine.
PLEASE REMEMBER THE REFUGEES AROUND THE WORLD, PEOPLE OF KASHMIR, AND THE PERSECUTED IN CHINA AMONGST OTHERS UNMENTIONED AROUND THE WORLD. May the Eyes of the Oppressors never rest.
