Prophet’s sermon on Arafah day – a reaffirmation of human rights

Today is Arafah; the most important day during the Hajj activities in Makkah. An extremely blessed and rewarding day for believers and for those who are seeking out Allah’s mercy and forgiveness. This day is the essence of hajj, when a person has the opportunity to proudly declare himself the servant of Allah and to show his gratitude.

Today pilgrims perform their hajj obligation, the fifth pillar of Islam, and they are very close to Allah, both spiritually and in their hearts.  They seek only one thing; the pleasure of Allah, reminding themselves of His majesty and greatness, while offering their gratitude.

Tomorrow is the Eid al Ad`ha, or the festival of sacrifice; the second Eid of Muslims. It is a day of accomplishment and happiness. Its significance is due to many things; a person's accomplishment of the fifth pillar of Islam, one's sacrifices as tokens of one’s dedication to God, the story of Ibrahim and Ishmael and their struggle to establish Allah’s eternal message of Tawheed and turning of one's life back to God, Allah the Most High and Almighty.

However, I would like to mention two other outstanding aspects of this blessed occasion. Firstly, it was on this day that the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, performed his only and last hajj. On this blessed day a great Qur`anic verse was revealed  announcing to the people that God’s message to humanity has been accomplished through His last message; the Qur`an. The teachings and guidance that Allah had sent to different nations and peoples, through all His prophets and Messengers, had been completed and perfected and there would be no more prophets.

The Quranic verse that declared the perfection of Allah’s Message to humanity was this one: “This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”.

This is the most outstanding announcement in the history of all the prophets and their peoples. In the past, Prophets and Messengers faced rejection, as did the Prophet Mohammad and never achieved such a blessed and accomplished outcome. Most of the nations and peoples of past Prophets were destroyed when they rejected their message, indeed many prophets had no followers. Previous prophets had to build on the scriptures or legacy of those before them, but the Prophet Mohammad was honoured with the title of the Seal of the Prophethood and Allah’s message culminated with that.

So, this is the day when all Muslims should proudly relate themselves with the honour of being the followers of the Prophet Mohammad. It is a day when we all need to return to understanding and comprehending the message which Allah announced as being the completion of His favour upon us. Until and unless we go back to embracing the spirit of Quranic guidance we will not be able to understand the meaning of the accomplishments and perfection of this religion.

The second outstanding aspect of the day of Arafah is the Prophet’s sermon on the Mount of Arafah. What a glorious reminder it was for all believers of all time. This was the last reminder given and last effort made by our Prophet Mohammad to reaffirm God's message and to encourage the followers to be straightforward in their lives.

I will quote some of the points that he tried to convey to people. He said: “O people! Indeed your blood, your property and your honour is sanctified and forbidden on you until the Day you would meet your Lord, in exact the same manner as the sanctity of this day, in this sacred month and in this sacred city”

Through this statement, the Prophet proclaimed the protection of three basic but essential human rights;  life, ownership and personal honour I. e. dignity, freedom and equality.  This message should be taught vigorously and practised as a spiritual obligation. In the present worldwide climate of mass murders, plundering and the violation of the human rights of Muslims at the hands of others, calling themselves Muslims, this guidance should be the beacon that shows those who carry out such acts what they should fear from their accountability to the Most Powerful the Almighty.

Also, in the sermon, the prophet reminded people to treat women well. He said: ‘always treat women with goodness’. Domestic violence, family breakdown, dishonouring women, violating their rights is all but the result of not treating women well. The prophet also reminded us saying: “Your women have rights on you and you have rights on them. Your rights on them is to protect your honour and dignity and their rights on you is to provide for them their needs”.

The prophet said: ‘the best among you is the one who is the best to his wife and I am the best among you in my treatment to my wives’. A message for all to take on board.

The prophet also said: “O people! The believers are brothers. It is not allowed for a person to take the property of his brother but with his permission”.

The Prophet reminded us that all forms of usury or the taking of interest on financial loans is forbidden.  This issue is extremely important in the guidance and ethics of the Islamic economy. Exploitation of one man by another is forbidden in any form or manner, especially when it relates to money and when it may place a person in a perpetual cycle of human misery, and make him a slave. The dignity of a man requires a dignified system which serves both parties and benefits them both equally.

The prophet finally reminded people of one very important guidance by saying: “O people! Your Lord is one and your father (Adam) is one. You all belong to Adam and Adam was made of earth. The most honoured among you in the Sight of Allah is the one who is most fearful of Him (in his duties). No Arab has excellence on a non-Arab, neither a non-Arab has any excellence on an Arab except by the way of piety and righteousness”.

An excellent and glorious ending to the last sermon of the last Prophet who reminded people that their creator was one and their origin is to one human father and we are all equal. No one has extra privileges over anyone else except by the way of being most dutiful to the Lord.

All pilgrims should remember these messages, as hajj is ibadah and training in Islamic teaching and ethics. For all other Muslims it is an occasion to rediscover the guidance of their prophet and find the right way that brings success, dignity, accountability, honour and rights. May Allah bless us all on this most blessed and sanctified day.

Eid Mubarak to all

Hajj – commitment towards Tawheed

The hajj season is upon us again and as usual has engendered great excitement in all Muslims. This excitement applies equally to those who are pilgrims in Makkah or those who are just celebrating their festival of Sacrifice, Eid al-Ad`ha, at home. This Eid is the celebration of the memory of a great Prophet, Ibrahim, from whom God demanded the ultimate sacrifice – the life of his son.

The Prophet Ibrahim was chosen to lead and establish the core purpose behind the missions of all prophets and Messengers sent down by Allah throughout the whole of human history. This core purpose was to induce people to a commitment to their Creator, without associating with Him any other deity or partnership with any other kind of imagined divine being. Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala says in the Qur`an: “And remember when We appointed for Ibrahim the site of the sacred House (saying) associate not anything with Me, and sanctify My House for those who encompass it round or stand up or bow or prostrate themselves therein in prayer”. S22 V26

The Hajj is regarded as one method whereby the core purpose of the message of the Quran and the Mission of the Prophet Mohammad is reinforced, by firmly establishing the notion of tawheed in the life of all people, who are the creation of God the Almighty and the Creator of all.

What is tawheed and why is it the core purpose behind all the divine messages from Allah?

Tawheed is the Islamic doctrine of Faith designed to draw people to the fact that they are all the creation of the one God, to whom He has given guidance and freedom of choice in their beliefs and who they should worship. Tawheed presents a difficult test of people’s choices, but persuades them to turn to the one God who is worthy of all praise and worship, for He is the Lord and He is the Sustainer.

Tawheed negates any notion of belief in the creation of any associate with God in worship, divinity or power. Tawheed does not oppose the notion of negating God’s existence, as that is an act of disbelief and atheism. Those who do not believe in God, and in His existence, are invited to reflect on the  most powerful of signs – the existence of the universe, the heavens and the earth and on the harmonious accomplishment of all that has and continues to happen therein, and to think about the Most Wise Creator and Sustainer. They should then turn to Him alone, without associating anything with Him, in their devotion and commitment to Him.

Hajj is the great manifestation and display of the first pillar of Islam on which all other pillars are based. The first pillar of Islam is to testify that there is no deity worthy of worship and devotion other than Allah, the Almighty alone.

When a pilgrim enters his Ihraam, or the state of sanctity, his commitment starts with declaring the talbiya: “Labbaik allahumma labbaik, labbaik laa shareeka laka laibbaik, innal hamda wan ne`mata laka wal mulk laa shareeka laka”, meaning: “Here I am O Allah here I am, here I am  there is no partner with you, here I am, indeed all praise and favours and dominion belong to you and you have no partner”.

Pilgrims continue to utter this declaration throughout their performance of the hajj or whilst they are in the hajj period.

Islam champions the cause of Tawheed and it acts as a beacon that brings light everywhere with its message. This message provides a moral compulsion for people to submit to the will of God in complete subordination and surrender. It enables a person to envisage a purpose to their life from a divine perspective and not from a personal or someone else’s perspective.

Anyone who commits evil in the name of Islamic teachings is a wrongdoer and fails to surrender to the will of God. Those who surrender to the will of God are humble, reflective in their actions, fearful of the consequence of their wrongdoings and recognise their accountability.

To embrace Tawheed is to acknowledge the Majesty of God in every aspect of His creation and pronounce His praise and to recognise that it is only God who is praiseworthy. He is the beautiful originator (badee3) of the heavens and the earth.

Tawheed is the core message of the Quranic teachings. That is its main argument which endeavours to bring people to God who is Almighty, the Creator of all and each existence in this universe. All Islamic practices revolve around it. If there are any defects in this belief then they lead to defects in all other practices and so nothing remains in its pure or original form or as they should be. 

The Ka`bah, the sacred House in Makkah, is pivotal to the notion of Tawheed, as it is a focal point in the pilgrimage and for the daily offering of the salaah. It is an obligation on all Muslims to protect its sanctity, by not surrendering to shirk or polytheism, and to turn to the one God in it either in hajj or in Salaah.

Sacrifice on this occasion is an act that is meant only for God, not the meat and not the blood, but as a demonstration that He is the core purpose behind that sacrifice. Any display of arrogance, competition, might, wealth or rank, would nullify the original purpose. We need to be very careful about the possibility of 'showing off' in the manner in which we offer our sacrifice.

When people talk about the heritage of Makkah, they talk about the places where people were born or buildings were built. There is no sanctity in any of them. The only heritage in Makkah is the Ka`bah and the only building to be protected is this sacred House, so that people can turn to God through their focus on this House.

The Prophet Ibrahim was chosen to be the source of this great pillar of Islam- Hajj. By purifying people’s belief in God and rejecting all notion of associating any other with Him, it remains a great and blessed occasion and when we celebrate it we all need to understand its purpose. By celebrating this festival, and performing this great pillar of Islam, Muslims are demonstrating the strength of their belief in Tawheed. This occasion can be life changing   and could forever be a source of guidance that will keep us on the true path and be the main factor that prevents us from any wrongdoing in the future.   

The importance of the first ten days of Dhul-Hijah

We are about to enter Dhul-Hijjah the 12^th month of the Islamic calendar.  This sacred month, sandwiched between two other sacred months of Dhul-Qa`dah and Muharram, gains its name from the fact that it is the month in which Muslims perform pilgrimage, the fifth pillar of Islam.

We will talk in our next blog about the hajj itself, but here I am going to highlight the importance of the first ten days of this month.

In a very famous hadith about the significance of this month, our prophet Mohammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, says: ‘There are no other days in which good deeds are so beloved to Allah the Almighty than these days which are the first ten days of Dhul-hijjah', The companions asked: 'Not even the jihad in the path of Allah?' He replied saying: 'Not even that except for a man who left with his soul and wealth and did not return with either of them’.

The whole cycle of each day is important, just not the day or night on their own but the whole period of these ten days carry significance in the sight of Allah. Their degree of significance is indicated in the Quranic verse in which Allah swears about the importance of these ten days: ‘I swear by the Fajr and by the ten nights’. These ten nights are interpreted by scholars as being the first ten days of of Dhul-Hijjah.

Included in these ten days are seven which precede those in which hajj is performed. On the eighth day pilgrims leave for Mina, outside Makkah, in preparation for the performance of hajj on the ninth day. The tenth day is the day of Eid, in which Muslims, if able, celebrate the tradition of the Prophet Ibrahim by offering a sacrifice to Allah. For the pilgrims it is also the day in which they will come out of their hajj ihram by accomplishing most of hajj obligations.

The background to these ten days makes it clear why they are so significant in the Sight of Allah and why Allah loves dedications to good deeds in this period more than on other days. They are the build-up to the days in which one of the most important pillars of Islam will be accomplished.

Unlike other Islamic obligations, hajj is the one in which all other Islamic obligations  come together, and demand the most from us in terms of hardship, financial sacrifice, fasting, attending to the call, surrendering to the Will of Allah and falling into the Path of Tawheed (oneness of Allah).

Hajj is the melting pot of all Islamic obligations and the Islamic spirit of dedication to Allah and these ten days epitomise the importance of these Islamic dedications.

While it may be obvious what a pilgrim would do, or should do, once he or she is there in Makkah, what about those believers who is not on pilgrimage? How should they dedicate themselves to ‘good deeds’?

Let us refer to some of the Prophet's hadith , peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, in respect of what a Muslim should do in these days. In a hadith narrated from Abu Hurairah by Tirmidhi and ibn Majah, the Prophet says: ‘No days are more beloved to Allah to be worshipped in than these ten days. One day of fasting in them is the equal of fasting for a whole year and the dedication of one night in ibadah equals the Night of Power (lailatul Qadr).

The message on fasting during this time is made very clear and those who are able to fast, even for one day, should do so. We should also try to spend part of the nights in remembrance of Allah, performing extra prayers, dua and reciting the Quran, and commit to    as many good and charitable acts as we can. 

In another hadith, the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, says: ‘There are no greater days in the Sight of Allah or more beloved to Him from the perspective of good deeds than these ten days. So intensify in them the (recitation) of the glory of Allah, his praise and gratitude, His oneness and greatness'.

This is extremely important guidance as they all carry very particular rewards for their completion. One needs to learn how to engage with these very important ways of remembering Allah.

Additionally, the day of Arafah is one of the most important days, about which the Prophet says: ‘When it comes the day of Arafah , everyone,  in whose heart is left an atom's weight of Imaan, is forgiven. The Prophet was asked: ‘Is it only for those who were at Arafah, or is it for all people?' He replied saying: ‘It was for all people’.

The prophet further said: ‘The best dua is one made on the day of Arafah and the best that I said on the day and other prophets before me is this: ‘There is no God worthy of worship than Allah alone. He has no partner with Him. To Him belongs dominion of everything.  To Him belongs all praises and He is powerful over all things’.

So, for a believer, Dhul-Hijjah presents a golden opportunity to dedicate one's self, to gain from one's good deeds, from the infinite mercy of Allah and from the acceptance of dua by the Lord Who is the creator and Sustainer of every and all things.

May Allah grant us all that is beautiful in this world and in the Hereafter and make us true believers.   

Dua – the believers’ weapon

Dua, an essential part of a Muslim's life, is the Islamic term for a believer's supplications to Allah, when calling upon Him to seek help, support and blessings.  A person is expected to remember Allah in both good and bad times and in both pleasure and adversity. It is such a powerful tool in the daily life of a believer that it has been termed  ‘the weapon of the believer’. It connects a person with Allah and brings their religious and spiritual life into focus.

Dua’s importance is such, that the Prophet Mohammad, Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon him, said that ‘dua is Ibadah’ (narrated by Tirmidhi). It is also called  'an act of ibadah’, worship to Allah, in this verse from the Quran: '‘And your Lord said that call upon Me and I will respond to you. Indeed those who are  arrogant to serve (worship) Me, will surely enter  Hell contemptible’'. S40 V60

According to the Quran, man is tested by both the ‘ways of good and the ways of evil’. In both cases, a believer is expected to react in the most positive manner – either by offering his thanks to Allah or by seeking his protection against evil and his adversaries.

In a beautiful hadith, our Prophet Mohammad says: '‘the affairs of a believer are truly amazing as they contain only good. That is not the case with everyone, except for the believer. If he was bestowed with goodness and he shows gratefulness that becomes good for him. If he was afflicted by adversity and he shows patience and endurance it brings him goodness (as well). (Sahih Muslim)

Both cases, mentioned in the above hadith, gratefulness and patience require an act of dua delivered with the strength of imaan and belief.

The act of Dua, when resorting to the Lord in one's need,  is called tawakkul’. When a believer calls upon his Lord in his adversity, he seeks out His support by surrendering all his matters and problems to the One Who is the Bestower of all goodness. As a Muslim we must all surrender our will to the most Powerful Will of Allah that oversees every happening in this world. The Quran says: ‘And you do not will until it was willed by Allah, the Lord of worlds’.  S81 V29

The Quran also speaks of the ‘tawakkul’ frequently and says: ‘and those who have trust must place it in Allah. Tawakkul brings a person to Allah and that is the ultimate form of trust and faith in Allah.

Dua and tawakkul are, in a way, intertwined. People who do not place complete trust in the Almighty or fail to accept that all affairs are settled and destined by the creator and nothing can alter the fortunes of their lives, may not become enthused enough to lift their hands in supplication to Allah.

Allah has said in the Quran: ‘and your Lord said call upon  Me and I will respond to you’. 

Therefore it is the noblest of acts to come to your Lord with your praise and thanks, as well as to seek His assistance in matters that need to be resolved in your lives. Additionally, making dua is an act of obedience to Allah, and further opens our hearts to the Almighty when seeking a solution to our problems.

Dua is an act of tawheed and keeps a believer away from the act of shirk (polytheism). It is a condition for all dua that they must be purely and sincerely proffered, with the firm belief that He is the only one Who can bring any change to the situation.

The act of Dua, however, contains its own manners and etiquette and we must ensure it is done correctly. Following are some of those recommended by Islamic scholars:

1-                  To be on wudu and spiritual purity, with raised hands while facing the direction of Ka`bah

2-                  When making dua and supplicating to Allah it has to start with Allah’s praise and gratitude for His favours upon us as well as sending our prayers and mercy of Allah on to the Prophet Mohammad.

3-                  One has to own up to his mistakes and wrongdoings and surrender to the ways of goodness.

4-                  One has to be precise and insistent in his dua. The Prophet said: ‘when someone calls on to Allah he should determine his needs. He should not say: O Allah! If you would like grant me my needs, because no one can compel Allah’. (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim)

5-                  One has to lower his voice and make dua  as though he was whispering. There is no need to raise one's voice and become loud. The Quran says: ‘and call on to your Lord in humility and secrecy. Surely He does not love the transgressors’.   Also the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said: ‘you are not calling upon a deaf or an absent person. You are calling upon someone who is All Hearing and close to you and who is with you’.

6-                  One also needs to seek the best and most blessed times for this purpose, i.e. at the end of obligatory prayers, at the time of adhan, between adhan and iqamah, in the last third part of the night etc.

7-                  If possible people should choose a dua from among the many mentioned in the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Mohammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him.

Dua is also ‘zikr’ or remembrance of Allah the Almighty and it helps us remember Him often and strengthen our love for Him. Dua also helps us seek the right path and reflect upon our deeds and failings more closely.

This subject is very important as it helps all of us to learn how to call upon our Lord in humility and in secret so that we can purify our acts, strengthen our spirituality and make our dua more acceptable.