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TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword xi Chapter 1: What Is Hajj? 1 What is the meaning and importance of pilgrimage in Islam? 3 What is the evidence for hajj duty in the Qur'an and the Sunna? 3 What is the history of pilgrimage in ancient civilizations? 5 How was the pilgrimage practiced among the pre-Islamic Arabs? 10 How was the hajj restored to its original purity? 11 Why do believers go on hajj? 13 The wisdom of hajj 16 1-Hajj is an intensive and comprehensive prayer 17 2-Hajj addresses heart rather than logic 18 Showing respect for the Ka'ba 19 Showing respect for Hajar al-Aswad (the Black Stone) 21 3- Hajj is a scene admired by angels 23 We are from the Nation of Prophet Abraham 25 4- Establishing a connection with Prophet Abraham through hajj 26 5- Hajj incites true brother-sisterhood 27 "Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk" 27 6- Time completely transforms into worship during hajj 28 7- Places from where the mysteries of the divine spirit burst forth 29 Every valley is a reminder of an event 30 8- Hajj brings the Islamic community together 31 The severe punishment for deliberately not performing hajj 31 The most gratifying and pleasurable hajj: The Farewell Hajj 32 The Hajj of Farewell was a general assembly 33 9- A universally institutionalized assembly 35 10- Hajj is not to stay in, but to return home with spiritual repletion 36 Chapter 2: The Virtues of Hajj 37 Merits of hajj 39 Complete hajj and umra for the sake of God 39 Virtues of hajj as explained in the traditions 40 Like a new born baby 41 Somewhat resembling the saints during hajj 42 Hajj: A heavenly voyage on earth 44 The sanctity of Mecca 45 Mecca, the unique mihrab (niche) of humanity 46 Some places to visit in Mecca 48 The Ka'ba: A niche where the hearts of believers beat together 48 The Ka'ba: A luminous column 50 A beaming staircase that elevates us to other worlds: The journey towards the Ka'ba 52 Ka'ba: The radiant connection between the earth and the heavens 55 The place from whence divine revelation poured down 55 The circumambulation of the Ka'ba is like prayer 56 The sa'y (striding) between the hills of Safa and Marwa 57 Supplications while striding between Safa and Marwa 57 Incessant effort to find what one is looking for 58 Mecca revived and re-inhabited 59 Hagar runs frantically between the hills of Safa and Marwa 61 The water of Zamzam to drink with great enjoyment 64 Drinking the Zamzam water for whatever one intends 64 A night in Mina on the eve of the day of Arafat 65 Mina waits for its guests 66 Hajj is Arafat 66 Arafat: A glorious day spent amidst the angels 67 Arafat is the place of imploring 69 Moving to Muzdalifa en masse from Arafat 70 The standing in Muzdalifa 70 "What has made you smile, O God's Messenger?" 70 Muzdalifa: The blessed place where salvation is granted 71 Rejoining Mina after Arafat 73 Mina: The place where subtlety in obedience to the divine order is felt 74 Remember God in those numbered days! 75 The place where the Qur'anic chapter of Baqara was revealed 77 Chapter 3: The Major and Minor Pilgrimages of the Messenger 79 Hajj and umra of our Beloved Messenger 81 The Messenger's entry to Mecca and the Ka'ba 84 The Messenger's circumambulation of the Ka'ba 84 The polytheists' intention of tantalizing Muslims 85 These people are like gazelles 85 Striding between Safa and Marwa 86 Proceeding first to Mina then to Arafat 86 The standing at Arafat 87 Leaving Arafat 87 Talbiya recited on Arafat and Muzdalifa 89 "Could you pick up stones for me?" 89 The Prophet came back to Mina 90 Perhaps I will not be able to perform hajj again with you 90 The Prophet offered the sacrifice 90 The Prophet butchered his animal himself 91 The Prophet dispatched sixty three camels from Medina 91 The Prophet did the "tawaf of visiting" at night 92 And the "farewell tawaf" 92 Chapter 4: How to Practice Hajj and Umra 93 Major pilgrimage 95 A. What are the conditions of hajj? 95 What conditions are required of a person for the hajj duty? 95 What are the conditions required for performing hajj? 96 What are the conditions in order for hajj to be valid? 98 What does ihram mean? 98 What are the essentials of ihram? 98 When should one enter into ihram? 99 Where are the places where one can enter into ihram? 100 Is it allowed to enter the Haram region without being in a state of ihram? 102 What are the necessities (wajib acts) of ihram? 103 What are the sunna acts of being in ihram? 103 What are the prohibitions which apply to the state of ihram? 104 What are the actions that are not prohibited for those in a state of ihram? 105 Specified time 106 Specified places 106 B. What are the essentials of hajj? 106 Standing at Arafat 107 Which conditions are required in order for the standing at Arafat to be valid? 107 What are the sunna acts of the standing at Arafat? 108 The "tawaf of visiting" 109 Which conditions are required in order for the circumambulation to be valid? 110 What are the necessities (wajib acts) of circumambulation? 111 What are the sunna acts of circumambulation? 111 How is the Ka'ba circumambulated? 113 What are the different types of circumambulations of the Ka'ba? 114 C. What are the necessities of hajj? 115 Striding between Safa and Marwa 115 What are the conditions of validity for the sa'y? 116 What are the necessities (wajib acts) of the sa'y? 117 What are the sunna acts of the sa'y? 117 How is the sa'y performed? 118 The standing at Muzdalifa 118 What are the conditions of validity for the standing at Muzdalifa? 119 When is the standing at Muzdalifa performed? 119 Performing the evening and night prayers together 120 The stoning of Satan (ram al-jimar) 120 What are the conditions of validity for stoning Satan? 120 When does the stoning of Satan take place? 121 Can a representative be appointed for stoning Satan? 122 How can a missed stoning be made up? 123 Shaving off or shortening the hair 123 When is hair cutting performed? 124 The order of hair cutting among the other rites of hajj 124 What is the importance of shaving or shortening the hair? 125 The "farewell tawaf" 126 What are the conditions of validity for the "farewell tawaf"? 127 What is the time and the condition for the validity of the "farewell tawaf"? 127 D. What are the sunna acts and manners of hajj? 127 What are the fundamental sunna acts of hajj? 128 What are the manners of hajj? 130 What is the minor pilgrimage? 130 a. Description and importance of umra 130 b. The obligations and necessities of umra 131 c. The time of umra 131 d. How to carry out umra 131 How many types of hajj are there? 132 A. Types of hajj from the aspect of importance (hukm) 132 B. Types of hajj in respect to the way they are fulfilled 133 What are the conditions of hajj tamattu and hajj qiran? 135 How are hajj and umra performed? 135 Preparation for entering into the state of ihram 135 The circumambulation of the Ka'ba 137 The days on which hajj rites are performed 139 a. The rites of the Day of Tarwiya (the 8th of Dhu al-Hijja) 139 b. The rites of the Day of Arafat (the 9th of Dhu al-Hijja) 139 c. The rites of the first day of Eid (the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja) 140 d. The rites of the second, third and fourth days of Eid (the 11th, 12th, 13th of Dhu al-Hijja) 141 Female pilgrims 142 Sacrificial animals in hajj and umra 143 The sacrificial animals (hady) of the pilgrimage 143 The types of the sacrifices to be offered 143 a. Supererogatory sacrifices 143 b. Offering a sacrifice as a necessity (wajib) 143 The time and place of the sacrifice 144 The meat of the sacrificial animals 144 Fasting in place of sacrificing an animal 145 What are the violations of hajj and umra? 145 a. The meaning of a "violation" (jinaya) 145 b. Penalties and the expiation for the violations (jinayat) 146 Violations that nullify the hajj or umra and which require the pilgrim to make it up 147 Violations that require sacrificing a badana (a cattle or camel) 147 Violations that require sacrificing a dam (a sheep or goat) 147 a. Violations related to not following the necessities (wajib acts) of hajj and umra 148 b. Violations that are related to ihram prohibitions 149 Violations that require giving the alms of fitr 149 Violations that require giving alms less than the amount of fitr (tasadduq) 150 Paying compensation 150 Violations related to not following the ihram prohibitions due to an excuse 151 The time and location of the compensation to be paid 151 What do the prevention (ihsar) and the omission of the performance of hajj (fawat) mean? 152 Is it possible to perform hajj on behalf of someone else? 153 Chapter 5: Some FAQs Related to the Hajj Duty 157 Can children go for hajj? 159 Is offering a sacrifice an obligatory condition in performing hajj? 159 Can the sacrificial animals of hajj be slaughtered in one's homeland? 160 Can money to be spent on buying a sacrificial animal be given as charity instead? 161 Chapter 6:Visiting the Tomb of the Messenger 163 Visiting the Rawda at-Tahira of our Beloved Prophet in Medina 165 The sanctity of Medina 166 The Garden 166 Time elapses as if in a dream at the Rawda at-Tahira 168 Places to visit in Medina al-Munawara 169 Jannat al-Baqi (The Baqi Graveyard) 169 The Martyrs of Uhud 170 The Masjid al-Quba 171 The Masjid al-Qiblatayn (the mosque with two qiblas) 171 Chapter 7: Hajj Memories 173 Hajj memories 175 The last hajj of Abu Hanifa 175 Yearning of Said Nursi for performing hajj 177 "If I knew, I would meet you" 179 The hajj memories of Fethullah Gulen 180 The final word 183 Notes 187 Biblography 195 Index 205 Introduction The word used for the pilgrimage to Mecca, a central duty of Islam, is "hajj," which literally means "tending towards or setting out for a place." In Islamic terminology, the hajj, one of the "five pillars" of Islam, is a duty that is incumbent on male and female adults whose health and financial means permit it. The hajj consists of elaborate rites of standing at Arafat for a specified period at a particular time of the year and paying a visit to the Baytu'llah, the House of God, in accordance with the prescribed rites. Performed in the immediate environs of Al-Balad Al- Haram, the Sacred City, at places like the Ka'ba, Arafat, Muzdalifa, and Mina, the pilgrimage is, in fact, a holy journey towards God that surpasses all places, times, things and events. The pilgrims who set out on this blessed journey express their complete submission to the commands of their Creator, responding to His call by proclaiming the invocatory prayer, "Labbayk Allahumma labbayk," which can be translated as, "Here I am, O God, at Your command! Here I am at Your command!" Proceeding on their journey from the miqat-the stations at which the pilgrims enter the state of consecration for hajj-to the Sacred City, and reciting at the same time this talbiya prayer of "Labbayk Allahumma labbayk" in an audible voice, the pilgrims actually invoke their Lord in words and actions; what they are saying is the following: "While setting out for hajj, my true goal to reach is You, O God! My actual desire is You! My true love is towards You, O God! I am Your servant, while You are my Lord, O God! I am here in Your Presence, in order to offer my humble servanthood to You, O God!" And when this talbiya is chanted with enthusiasm and sincerity by millions of tongues, the entire heaven becomes full of the utmost delight and exultation, and believers benefit greatly from the mercy and blessings of the All-Compassionate. This central duty of Islam is only required of a Muslim once in his or her lifetime. It is the first hajj which is counted as the fulfillment of this worship, and any hajj performed over and above the obligatory hajj is voluntary. As for the greatness of the prominence of this once-in-a- lifetime worship, the Messenger of God said: "Those who perform hajj for God's good pleasure and, in the course of it, avoid all lewdness and sin will return to their home as pure from all sins as they were on the day their mother gave birth to them." Hajj is such a worship that it dissolves those setting out for the pilgrimage in its atmosphere, purifies and rectifies them, and places them in the embrace of the mercy of God. As for some of the wisdom and social benefits of pilgrimage, one can note that hajj is like a rehearsal for the gathering of the Day of Judgment; each pilgrim becomes a small unit amid the great congregation of millions of Muslims that come from the four corners of the world during the hajj season. Hajj depicts a living scene of equality and brotherhood among Muslims, bringing millions of believers of all races, tongues, countries, cultures, and traditions together without any discrimination regarding level, position, dignity, or any other designation. Wearing the simple white apparel of hajj, all pilgrims, from all walks of life-the rich and the poor, the weak and the strong-all obey the same rules all bear the same difficulties, all move among the same conditions, and all go through a training of physical equality and spiritual brotherhood. On Arafat, the hajj worship makes a very wealthy person who has ample possessions open his hands side-by-side with a believer who can barely earn his living, as they each put on the same simple pilgrim garment and stand on shared ground. The circumambulations around the Ka'ba, side-by-side with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, teach people not to feel proud of their wealth, high rank, or dignity, and allow them to become acquainted with other Muslims. The hajj worship carves deep impressions in the memories of human beings which will never be erased. Thanks to the hajj, this beautiful interaction occurs between believers who come from all over the world. Muslims who perform hajj sincerely acquire beautiful attributes, like patience-enduring distress and difficulties with tolerance, reconciliation, cooperation, and flexibility. Hajj takes its visitors on a voyage which is over 14 centuries old. It allows these visitors to spiritually come together with beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and reminds them of the great efforts and struggles exhibited in those places. And at the same time, hajj presents a scene from the Day of Resurrection, reminding pilgrims of the reality that they are but guests on this fleeting earth. This work on hajj is composed of seven chapters. In the first chapter, we put forward uplifting points and wisdom about the hajj. Our aim in this chapter is to find answers to all the questions that may be in the minds of people who are going on hajj, and to provide them with the ability to perform their hajj worship in complete peace of mind and heart. In the second chapter, we explain the virtues and blessings of hajj. Within this framework, we also give information about the virtues and importance of places where these prayers are performed, as well as discussing the virtues of the prayers performed during hajj. In the third chapter, relying upon traditions, we visualize the hajj and umra (minor pilgrimage) prayers performed by Prophet Muhammad. In the fourth chapter, we establish the principles, in the form of the practical rites of the pilgrimage, which a person who goes on hajj must obey. In the fifth chapter, frequently asked questions about the hajj worship and their answers are dealt with. In the sixth chapter, the Masjid an-Nabawi (the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina) and other places to visit are discussed, and information about the manner of visiting the Holy Rawda (grave) of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, is given. In the seventh and final chapter, the work is concluded by giving some unforgettable memories of hajj under the title, "Memorable Events of Hajj." I would like to say, with gratitude, that I have greatly benefited when writing this work, particularly in subjects related to the uplifting attributes and wisdom of hajj, from the sermons given by Fethullah Gulen and his illuminating articles on the hajj. In this humble work, if I am able to contribute to some small particle of the grand and universal adoration of Islam being understood and comprehended from a deeper perspective, then this is a great favor and blessing from our Supreme Lord. I pray that everyone who goes on this journey receives a "hajj mabrur" (i.e., a hajj graced with Divine acceptance and pleasure), and I ask, with modesty, that they will not forget to remember us in their sincere supplications. Huseyin YAGMUR
Library of Congress Subject Headings for this publication:
Muslim pilgrims and pilgrimages -- Saudi Arabia -- Mecca.