Insha Allah, by the time you read this article, pilgrims will be arriving in Saudi Arabia from their countries to perform the rituals to Hajj to the Bait Allah .On this auspicious occasion, a large number of Muslims arrive from all over the world in Saudi Arabia to perform the rituals of Hajj and also visit the Holy places of Mecca and Medina with religious fervor.
May Allah Almighty protect all the pilgrims and keep us in His special blessings and grant us the opportunity to visit the blessed Bait Allah, Ameen.
Thus, Allah Almighty gives millions of people the opportunity to perform Hajj every year. For almost four to five decades, the number of people going on Hajj has been increasing significantly and now this number is between two and three million every year. In this, the passion and desire to perform Hajj is increasing not only among the elderly but also among the young, which is a very promising.
As we all know, before going on Hajj, there is a lot of enthusiasm and excitement in the preparations, but it is a pity that a large number of them are able to demonstrate their spirit of faith only for a month or two after performing Hajj.
There are also some pilgrims who are not able to perform even the five prayers and are limited to Friday or Eid prayers. The worldly affairs gradually pull us towards them and we start the same pre-Hajj routine and the pilgrims get lost somewhere. We forget that a few days or a few weeks ago we returned to our homeland from a sacred duty.
There is a Hadith about the virtue of Hajj: “Whoever performs Hajj to the House of Allah with all the proper etiquette and conditions, then does not approach sin or commit any indecent act, that person returns as pure from sins as the day his mother gave birth to him.” (Ibn Majah, p. 213).
However as time passes, we do not even remember how we used to pray to our Allah SWT at this holy place and ask for forgiveness and pardon for our sins. In the hustle and bustle of the world, the blessings of this spiritual places are forgotten, and the spiritual peace that was found in the presence of the teachings of Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is lost in the hustle and bustle of the world.
The body and soul become troubled.
When the pilgrims return to their home countries after the blessed journey of Hajj, they return spiritually refreshed; they’re forgiven of their sins, and ready to start life anew, with a clean slate. I wish that after returning from this blessed journey, we would try to cherish the holy moments that we spent in Mecca and Medina, then perhaps both this world and the hereafter would be blessed. After returning from there, we should think what impact this holy journey has had on our lives.
Has there been any revolution, has there been a desire for goodness and aversion to evil?
It is the best time to turn over a new leaf, develop a life of faith, and be extra vigilant in fulfilling Islamic duties. The thing to think about is whether this holy journey has had any impact on our day and night, has there been any change, is the heart restless for the closeness of Allah, is the Sunnah of the Prophet becoming a part of our lives. If so, then congratulations, our Hajj has been accepted.
Because the greatest sign of the acceptance of Hajj is that a person abandons a life of sins and adopts a life of virtues. The blessings and graces of the Bait Allah and the Holy Shrine of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that are kept in the heart should not be wasted.
Every action of the body should be adapted to the commands of Allah SWT and the blessed ways of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). One should make full efforts in fulfilling the rights of Allah and the rights of the people.
Every day in worship of Allah SWT and every night there should be remembrance of Allah SWT. May the pleasure of Allah be only pleasure of us and we give priority to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) at every aspect of life. One should try to protect one’s personal and private life from sins as much as possible. Finally, we pray that Allah Almighty, through His mercy, will accept and make it acceptable to all the Muslims who have been granted the opportunity to perform Hajj.
We pray that Allah Almighty will repeatedly grant us this great happiness and grant every Muslim to fulfill the duty of fifth pillar of Islam of Hajj.
We should all take stock of our lives after Hajj, how those of us who have performed Hajj are living their daily lives today.
Remember the entire Muslim Ummah in your prayers, especially the martyrs who have taken place in Kashmir and Palestine. May Allah grant peace and blessings to them. And may Allah grant health and well-being to those who are currently injured, sick in hospitals or at home. May Allah grant them health and well-being, and may Allah resettle those who have become homeless in Palestine. In the Eid prayer, we should pray for all, especially for Palestine and Kashmir, and for Muslims around the world who are currently being crushed in the mill.
We should pray and think about all who are going through a difficult time.
“Waan Laysa Lil Insana illa ma’ sa’aa “
That man can have nothing but what he strives for.
