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Hajj is one of the most important pillar of Islam, which is obligatory on every Muslim who can afford it at least once in a lifetime.
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا
Translation:
As a right of Allah, it is obligatory on the people to perform Hajj of the House – on everyone who has the ability to manage (his) way to it.(Surah Al-Imran: 97)
Hajj is a comprehensive worship in the sense that it is spiritual, physical and financial worship at the same time and no other worship has these characteristics. The manasik of Hajj include wearing Ihram, going to Mina, Waqoof-e-Arafaat, stay in Muzdalifah, Rami by stoning the Jamraat, offering sacrifice, Halq (shaving the head), doing Tawaf and Saee.
i. Virtues of Hajj and Umrah
The Prophet (s) performed one Hajj and four Umrahs. Umrah is not wajib but a sunnah and recommended practice. (Jami at-Tirmidhi: 931)
The Holy Prophet said that performing another Umrah after one Umrah is expiation for the sins between the two Umrahs. The reward of Hajj Mabarur (Maqbool Hajj) is nothing but Paradise. (Sahih al-Bukhari: 1773)
The Holy Prophet declaring three people as the guests of Allah Almighty said: He who does Jihad in the way of Allah Almighty, who performs Hajj and Umrah is the guest of Allah. When he was called, he attended, and he prayed to Allah. When asked, He granted him. (Sunan Ibn Majah: 2893)
ii. A Short Way to Perform Hajj
Hajj pilgrims should put on Ihram after the morning prayer on the 8th of Zilhaj, offer two rakat prayer and pray: O Allah! If I intend to perform Hajj, make it easy for me and accept it. And the following words of Talbiyah should be recited in a loud voice:
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ
Translation:
Here I am O Allah! here I am, here I am, You have no partner, here I am, indeed all praise, grace and sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner.
After offering the Fajr prayer, the pilgrims leave for Mina from Makkah. After reaching there, perform Zuhr prayer and leave for Arafat from Mina after Fajr prayer on the 9th of Zilhaj. Stay in Arafaat till Maghrib and pray. After sunset, depart for Muzdalifah from Maidan-e-Arafat. It is recommended to go on foot, perform Maghrib and Isha prayer together in Muzdalifah. Spend night in Muzdalifah, pick pebbles for Rami and after performing Namaz, proceed to Mina.
When there is good light, perform Rummy at Jamra Uqba and perform the Qurbani after the Rummy, after that he must get a haircut or get shaved the hair of the head. After the shaving of head, he gets free from Ihram. Then he must perform Tawaf Ziyarat in Makkah in any of the days of sacrifice. The rituals of Hajj are completed after Tawaf Ziarat and Waqoof-e-Arafaat. Waqoof-e- Arafaat is the most important ritual of Hajj. Stay in Muzdalfah, Hajj Sa'i and Rami Jamrat is also necessary. In the end, one should do last Tawaf and travel to Madina and stay there for eight to nine days and try to offer forty prayers continuously in Masjid-e-Nabawi.
iii. Sacrifice
Qurbani refers to the slaughtering of a specific animal on the days of Eid-ul-Adha in order to attain nearness to Allah according to the Sunnah of our Holy Prophet () and his ancestor Hazrat Ibrahim (). There is no virtue dearer than sacrifice on the day of Eid. Because of this, this day is considered to be the best day of the year. There is a strict warning for those who do not offer sacrifice.
The Holy Prophet (s) said:
Whoever has a capacity to offer sacrifice and does not offer sacrifice, then he should not come near our place of Eid. (Sunan Ibn Majah: 3123)
Sacrifice cannot be offered before Eid prayer. Sacrifice with your own hands is preferable. If he cannot slaughter the animal himself, another Muslim can slaughter the animal in his place, but permission is necessary. Allah's Messenger (s) also offered sacrifice on behalf of his holy wives (E). Seven people can have share in a cow and a maximum of ten people can participate in a camel's sacrifice, but there is no minimum number, two or three people can also share the meat equally. The philosophy of sacrifice is to sacrifice one's desires for the sake of Allah Almighty and to make a commitment that we will not hesitate even if we have to sacrifice our lives in the path of Allah.
Hajj and sacrifice are manifestations of the unity of the Islamic nation. When the pilgrims gather for the Hajj, their clothes, actions and even their language are similar. The rites of all of them are also the same and they move around the same Kaaba. Fighting and rioting on the occasion of Hajj is strictly prohibited from which feelings of sympathy develop for each other.
When a pilgrim travels to Makkah to perform Hajj, he not only performs the great duty of Hajj, but he is also blessed with the sight of Harmain Sharifain and Haram Madni. He visits the Kaaba and prays to Allah by hugging it. He gets the honor of visiting Masjid-e-Nabawi and offering blessings and salutations to the shrine of the Holy Prophet . In Makkah, Madina and Taif, a pilgrim gets an opportunity to visit many places that are closely related to Seerat- e-Tayyaba. Summing up, this journey of Hajj is not only to perform Hajj rituals but it's also a source of vising many Islamic places which increase the spiritual and islamic knowledge of man.
