In the spirit of our upcoming Hajj season. (Tariq...I see you in the back...lol)
11:108
20 hours ago
Showing posts with label hajj. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hajj. Show all posts
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Expansion of Masjid ul-Haram
I thought I did a post on this a while back...but I recently came across this video so I'm posting it again.
You ready for this?
You ready for this?
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
From Hollywood to Hajj
Well the Hajjis have returned...for the most part. Those that are still in route we pray for their safe return. I thank my friends for their Hajj gifts and I can't wait to hear more about their experience. I knew quite a few people who went this year.
Upon my own brother-in-law's arrival home, my mother-in-law spoke to him on the phone...all I heard was:
I couldn't help but laugh. Hajj is no joke. That journey is a serious struggle (a jihad for women and children). And with sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many people...its almost promised that your going to get sick a little. But we do it all for Allah, and inshAllah we come back clean as a whistle, like a new baby.
But, moving into the topic of my post...I wanted to show one more clip of this year's Hajj that I thought was SO FUNNY. This guy sounds JUST like Chris Tucker. lol....enjoy
Upon my own brother-in-law's arrival home, my mother-in-law spoke to him on the phone...all I heard was:
"How was Hajj? Was it all you dreamed it would be?
What do you mean Nightmares?"
I couldn't help but laugh. Hajj is no joke. That journey is a serious struggle (a jihad for women and children). And with sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many people...its almost promised that your going to get sick a little. But we do it all for Allah, and inshAllah we come back clean as a whistle, like a new baby.
But, moving into the topic of my post...I wanted to show one more clip of this year's Hajj that I thought was SO FUNNY. This guy sounds JUST like Chris Tucker. lol....enjoy
"One of the millions of people making the pilgrimmage to Mecca was Omar Regan, a Hollywood actor who appeared as a double for Chris Tucker in the film Rush Hour 2."
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Muslim pilgrims complete annual journey to Mecca
Muslim pilgrims complete annual journey to Mecca
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI
The Associated Press
December 10, 2008
On foot and on the roofs of overflowing buses, Muslims poured into the holy city of Mecca for a final day of the hajj on Wednesday, many of them saying they felt reborn and cleansed of sin as they completed the annual pilgrimage.
Around midday, the Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest shrine, was packed with pilgrims performing the Tawaf al-Widaa, or the 'farewell circling' of the Kaaba _ walking seven times around the cubical structure while praying and reading the Quran, Islam's holy book.
Many of the nearly 3 million pilgrims came by bus or on foot from the nearby plain of Mina, where they had completed the ritual known as the stoning of the devil earlier in the day. Others sat on mats along the three-mile route, reciting passages from the Quran while waiting for the crowds to ease.
Some said they felt their journey of faith, which began last week, had washed away their sins.
'I feel I'm reborn,' said Iranian pilgrim Parviz Karimi. 'Words cannot tell how I am feeling now. I feel I'm purified and that God has forgiven all my sins.'
In prayers before leaving Mecca for home, pilgrims ask God to accept their pilgrimage, a once in a lifetime requirement for every able-bodied Muslim who can financially afford the trip.
Mecca's streets were filled Wednesday with pilgrims buying clothes, electronic equipment and plastic bottles to fill up with Mecca's holy water that is later given to friends and relatives back home as gifts.
Some pilgrims telephoned loved ones to give them the news they'd completed the pilgrimage's rituals.
The hajj began last week with the circling of the Kaaba, which Muslims around the world face during their five daily prayers. Pilgrims then went to nearby Mount Arafat, where Islam's seventh-century prophet, Muhammad, gave his last sermon in A.D. 632. Then, many spent two or three days at the stoning ritual in Mina.
The Kaaba, an ancient structure in Mecca's Grand Mosque, is Islam's holiest site, believed by Muslims to have first been built by Adam, then again later by Abraham.
According to Islamic teachings, the hajj is a spiritual journey that cleanses the soul.
'I feel more responsibility now after completing the hajj. God has washed away all my sins and I don't want to commit any more sins in the future. And that is a grave responsibility for the rest of my life,' said Malaysian pilgrim Haji Abu Hassan Morad.
On the last day of the hajj, pilgrims also walk between the hills of Safa and Marwa inside the Grand Mosque, re-enacting the search by Abraham's wife, Hagar, for water for her infant son, Ishmael, in the desert. After her seventh run, a spring known as Zamzam emerged miraculously under Ishmael's feet.
The annual pilgrimage has so far been incident-free, unlike in previous years when the event was marred by fires and stampedes.
Saudi authorities set around 1,500 cameras to monitor the crowd at holy sites. Some 500 cameras watch pilgrims in the Grand Mosque as a way to manage the crowd and avoid congestion that may lead to stampedes.
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI
The Associated Press
December 10, 2008
On foot and on the roofs of overflowing buses, Muslims poured into the holy city of Mecca for a final day of the hajj on Wednesday, many of them saying they felt reborn and cleansed of sin as they completed the annual pilgrimage.
Around midday, the Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest shrine, was packed with pilgrims performing the Tawaf al-Widaa, or the 'farewell circling' of the Kaaba _ walking seven times around the cubical structure while praying and reading the Quran, Islam's holy book.
Many of the nearly 3 million pilgrims came by bus or on foot from the nearby plain of Mina, where they had completed the ritual known as the stoning of the devil earlier in the day. Others sat on mats along the three-mile route, reciting passages from the Quran while waiting for the crowds to ease.
Some said they felt their journey of faith, which began last week, had washed away their sins.
'I feel I'm reborn,' said Iranian pilgrim Parviz Karimi. 'Words cannot tell how I am feeling now. I feel I'm purified and that God has forgiven all my sins.'
In prayers before leaving Mecca for home, pilgrims ask God to accept their pilgrimage, a once in a lifetime requirement for every able-bodied Muslim who can financially afford the trip.
Mecca's streets were filled Wednesday with pilgrims buying clothes, electronic equipment and plastic bottles to fill up with Mecca's holy water that is later given to friends and relatives back home as gifts.
Some pilgrims telephoned loved ones to give them the news they'd completed the pilgrimage's rituals.
The hajj began last week with the circling of the Kaaba, which Muslims around the world face during their five daily prayers. Pilgrims then went to nearby Mount Arafat, where Islam's seventh-century prophet, Muhammad, gave his last sermon in A.D. 632. Then, many spent two or three days at the stoning ritual in Mina.
The Kaaba, an ancient structure in Mecca's Grand Mosque, is Islam's holiest site, believed by Muslims to have first been built by Adam, then again later by Abraham.
According to Islamic teachings, the hajj is a spiritual journey that cleanses the soul.
'I feel more responsibility now after completing the hajj. God has washed away all my sins and I don't want to commit any more sins in the future. And that is a grave responsibility for the rest of my life,' said Malaysian pilgrim Haji Abu Hassan Morad.
On the last day of the hajj, pilgrims also walk between the hills of Safa and Marwa inside the Grand Mosque, re-enacting the search by Abraham's wife, Hagar, for water for her infant son, Ishmael, in the desert. After her seventh run, a spring known as Zamzam emerged miraculously under Ishmael's feet.
The annual pilgrimage has so far been incident-free, unlike in previous years when the event was marred by fires and stampedes.
Saudi authorities set around 1,500 cameras to monitor the crowd at holy sites. Some 500 cameras watch pilgrims in the Grand Mosque as a way to manage the crowd and avoid congestion that may lead to stampedes.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Ruling, virtues and wisdom of Udhiyah
Fatwa on Eid Sacrifice...
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
"al-udhiya" Eid sacrifice is a Sunnah of Islam recommended for any Muslim who is able to do it. This is the opinion of the majority of the scholars of Islam.
It is also one of the good deeds of Islam as 'Aisha narrated from the Prophet as saying: "No son of Adam has done any deed on the Day of Immolation more likable to Allah than shedding blood (slaughtering the Eid sacrifice). So be pleased with it".
Most scholars believe that slaughtering the Eid sacrifice is better than giving its value as alms. The sacrificed animal should be from the livestock (cows, camels, sheep, goats). As for the prevailing view in this concern might be that the sheep and goats are the best animals for the sacrifice because the Prophet never slaughtered on the Eid sacrifice but these kinds of animals. But the camels, the cows and the buffaloes could all be slaughtered as Eid sacrifices.
The Eid sacrifice should be in a good state and fat enough so that its meat could be eaten as this is a symbol of Allah. And Allah Says (Interpretation of meaning): (And whosoever honours the symbols of Allah, then it is truly from the piety of the heart) .[22:32].
The Eid sacrifice should be more than six months old if it is a sheep as narrated by Ibn Majah in a Hadith traceable in ascending order to The Prophet as saying: "Only a Jaz'a of sheep can suffice as Eid sacrifice'' and the Jaz'a is the sheep that is at least six months old. As for Eid sacrifice from the goats, it should be at least one year old. The cow, if chosen to be Eid sacrifice, two years old. But the camel should not be less than five years old".
On the other hand, one should avoid making sacrifice with a defective animal. Al-Bara Ibn Azib said the Prophet stood before us and said: "Four (kinds of animals) are not sufficient in the sacrifices: The one-eyed whose loss of one eye is evident, and the sick whose sickness is evident ,the limp whose limpness is evident and the skinny one which has no flesh on it". [al-Bukhari].
The majority of scholars are agreed that the four defects that are mentioned in the previous Hadith could be taken as a reference for other kinds of defects. So any defect that is equal to one of them or worse than it makes the sacrifice invalid like (the blind or one which lacks one foot).
The castrated animal can suffice because the Prophet Muhammad (Blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) made Eid sacrifice with two castrated rams.
Also the sheep that was born without a fat tail or which has at least half of its fat tail can suffice as Eid sacrifice. But the sheep whose fat tail was completely cut off does not suffice.
One sheep or one goat is sufficient as Eid sacrifice for the man as well as his own family. It is also lawful for 7 people to slaughter one cow as Eid sacrifice. Jaber Ibn Abdullah said: " In the year of Hudaibiya, we along with Allah's Messenger, sacrificed a camel for seven persons and a cow for seven persons". Narrated by Muslim.
The participant among the seven involves his family with him because the seventh here is the same as a sheep or a goat.
The time for slaughtering it is after the Adha prayer and slaughtering it before the prayer does not suffice as the Prophet said: " The first (act) with which we start our day (the day of 'Id-ul Adha) is that we offer prayer. We then return and sacrifice the animals and he who does that in fact has adhered to our Sunnah (practice). And he who slaughters the (animal on that day before the 'Id prayer), for him (the slaughtering of animal is directed to the acquiring of) meat for his family, and there is nothing of the sort of sacrifice in it".
He also said: " He who sacrifice the (animal) before offering (Eid) prayer, he should offer again in its stead, and he who did not sacrifice the animal should slaughter it by reciting "the name of Allah".
It is likable for one to witness slaughtering his sacrifice or to slaughter it himself and to divide it into three parts. He eats one third with his family, he gives out one third as alms and one third as gifts as the Prophet said to his daughter Fatima: " Be present when your Eid sacrifice is slaughtered. Allah forgives you as the first drop of its blood comes out". Narrated by al-Bayhaqi ' and Abdul Razaq in their collections of Hadith.
He should also say when slaughtering it, "Bismillah, O Allah! It is from Your favor and for You".
Allah knows best.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
"al-udhiya" Eid sacrifice is a Sunnah of Islam recommended for any Muslim who is able to do it. This is the opinion of the majority of the scholars of Islam.
It is also one of the good deeds of Islam as 'Aisha narrated from the Prophet as saying: "No son of Adam has done any deed on the Day of Immolation more likable to Allah than shedding blood (slaughtering the Eid sacrifice). So be pleased with it".
Most scholars believe that slaughtering the Eid sacrifice is better than giving its value as alms. The sacrificed animal should be from the livestock (cows, camels, sheep, goats). As for the prevailing view in this concern might be that the sheep and goats are the best animals for the sacrifice because the Prophet never slaughtered on the Eid sacrifice but these kinds of animals. But the camels, the cows and the buffaloes could all be slaughtered as Eid sacrifices.
The Eid sacrifice should be in a good state and fat enough so that its meat could be eaten as this is a symbol of Allah. And Allah Says (Interpretation of meaning): (And whosoever honours the symbols of Allah, then it is truly from the piety of the heart) .[22:32].
The Eid sacrifice should be more than six months old if it is a sheep as narrated by Ibn Majah in a Hadith traceable in ascending order to The Prophet as saying: "Only a Jaz'a of sheep can suffice as Eid sacrifice'' and the Jaz'a is the sheep that is at least six months old. As for Eid sacrifice from the goats, it should be at least one year old. The cow, if chosen to be Eid sacrifice, two years old. But the camel should not be less than five years old".
On the other hand, one should avoid making sacrifice with a defective animal. Al-Bara Ibn Azib said the Prophet stood before us and said: "Four (kinds of animals) are not sufficient in the sacrifices: The one-eyed whose loss of one eye is evident, and the sick whose sickness is evident ,the limp whose limpness is evident and the skinny one which has no flesh on it". [al-Bukhari].
The majority of scholars are agreed that the four defects that are mentioned in the previous Hadith could be taken as a reference for other kinds of defects. So any defect that is equal to one of them or worse than it makes the sacrifice invalid like (the blind or one which lacks one foot).
The castrated animal can suffice because the Prophet Muhammad (Blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) made Eid sacrifice with two castrated rams.
Also the sheep that was born without a fat tail or which has at least half of its fat tail can suffice as Eid sacrifice. But the sheep whose fat tail was completely cut off does not suffice.
One sheep or one goat is sufficient as Eid sacrifice for the man as well as his own family. It is also lawful for 7 people to slaughter one cow as Eid sacrifice. Jaber Ibn Abdullah said: " In the year of Hudaibiya, we along with Allah's Messenger, sacrificed a camel for seven persons and a cow for seven persons". Narrated by Muslim.
The participant among the seven involves his family with him because the seventh here is the same as a sheep or a goat.
The time for slaughtering it is after the Adha prayer and slaughtering it before the prayer does not suffice as the Prophet said: " The first (act) with which we start our day (the day of 'Id-ul Adha) is that we offer prayer. We then return and sacrifice the animals and he who does that in fact has adhered to our Sunnah (practice). And he who slaughters the (animal on that day before the 'Id prayer), for him (the slaughtering of animal is directed to the acquiring of) meat for his family, and there is nothing of the sort of sacrifice in it".
He also said: " He who sacrifice the (animal) before offering (Eid) prayer, he should offer again in its stead, and he who did not sacrifice the animal should slaughter it by reciting "the name of Allah".
It is likable for one to witness slaughtering his sacrifice or to slaughter it himself and to divide it into three parts. He eats one third with his family, he gives out one third as alms and one third as gifts as the Prophet said to his daughter Fatima: " Be present when your Eid sacrifice is slaughtered. Allah forgives you as the first drop of its blood comes out". Narrated by al-Bayhaqi ' and Abdul Razaq in their collections of Hadith.
He should also say when slaughtering it, "Bismillah, O Allah! It is from Your favor and for You".
Allah knows best.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Mecca transforms in preparation for Hajj 2008
I just hope it doesn't get too bad....yup that little black dot is the Ka'ba.
Future of Masjid Al-Haram (at the rate of Muslim Conversions):
Friday, December 5, 2008
Weekly Wisdom - 12/5 10th Day of HAJJ
Imam WD Mohammed; 10th Day of HAJJ
Lamb without spot was Ismail, Jesus and Mohammed
Quran 37.102. was recited.
"It is the day of sacrifice it is the 10th day of the Hajj, on this day we sacrifice whatever you can afford, poor may sacrifice a chicken or something smaller that is halal, fit to eat. Those who have more money will sacrifice a cow and a sheep. The sheep is the symbol associated with Abraham because it was his son. Because of his son Ismail being the son that he thought he should sacrifice. He saw in a vision that he should sacrifice him, but G'd showed him when he was about to sacrifice him, He showed him a sheep, a lamb instead of Ismail.
Lamb symbolic of Prophets, wise, pious people in religion.
So Abraham, the father was shown in a vision by G'd a lamb not his son Ismail, he was to see a lamb. The lamb was to be slaughtered, not Ismail but his son is symbolic of the lamb without spot or blemish a lamb pure, untainted, unspoiled by the world. That is symbolic also of Jesus Christ as you know he was called a lamb and before him we talk about Ismail as the lamb. And Mohammed the Prophet (saw) in his nature was also a lamb without spot or blemish before he was even called by G'd.
The 10th day we sacrifice whatever we can afford to sacrifice but it is a sacrifice of life isn't it? It is a living thing that you are sacrificing, and there was an ancient philosopher he said" In man can be found all the creatures of the earth." So he said this long before people brought us the teachings on these things in religion, this is in myth or in Greek philosophy. We don't sacrifice inferior or something offensive to good human taste, you can't sacrifice a coon it won't be accepted. What does sacrifice mean? It deceives us, what is happening it appears that you are getting rid of this thing, but you did not get rid of it, you made it more tasty and then you consumed it, you put it in yourself. So it is symbolic of what is in ourselves, but what is not quite ready for G'd, it is not quite good enough for G'd.
A sheep nature in a man is not quite good enough for G'd, but if you could take that social nature in man, that spiritual also, the lamb goes up on the mountain and the lamb can stand on a little edge, it is sure footed, it has great balance. It is not the real lamb, it is symbolic of the social nature of the wise and pious people in religion. Those who have the knowledge of not only spiritual science but they have the knowledge of the spiritual sciences that help us free the social life for it's destiny that G'd wants for it. These are great pious men of science and they are called the sheep in the scriptures. So these are great pious men of science and they are called sheep and Ismail was going to be that kind of leader and Abraham was a rational man he doesn't like to have secrets and mysteries"
"So Abraham wanted liberal education for the people he didn't want the knowledge to be held by people who were mystics who kept it secrete for their elects, so he wanted to break that order. So Abraham broke from that order, and that is the meaning of slaying the lamb and feeding it to the multitudes. He broke from that order and gave the keys to their sciences to the multitudes..".
Lamb without spot was Ismail, Jesus and Mohammed
Quran 37.102. was recited.
"It is the day of sacrifice it is the 10th day of the Hajj, on this day we sacrifice whatever you can afford, poor may sacrifice a chicken or something smaller that is halal, fit to eat. Those who have more money will sacrifice a cow and a sheep. The sheep is the symbol associated with Abraham because it was his son. Because of his son Ismail being the son that he thought he should sacrifice. He saw in a vision that he should sacrifice him, but G'd showed him when he was about to sacrifice him, He showed him a sheep, a lamb instead of Ismail.
Lamb symbolic of Prophets, wise, pious people in religion.
So Abraham, the father was shown in a vision by G'd a lamb not his son Ismail, he was to see a lamb. The lamb was to be slaughtered, not Ismail but his son is symbolic of the lamb without spot or blemish a lamb pure, untainted, unspoiled by the world. That is symbolic also of Jesus Christ as you know he was called a lamb and before him we talk about Ismail as the lamb. And Mohammed the Prophet (saw) in his nature was also a lamb without spot or blemish before he was even called by G'd.
The 10th day we sacrifice whatever we can afford to sacrifice but it is a sacrifice of life isn't it? It is a living thing that you are sacrificing, and there was an ancient philosopher he said" In man can be found all the creatures of the earth." So he said this long before people brought us the teachings on these things in religion, this is in myth or in Greek philosophy. We don't sacrifice inferior or something offensive to good human taste, you can't sacrifice a coon it won't be accepted. What does sacrifice mean? It deceives us, what is happening it appears that you are getting rid of this thing, but you did not get rid of it, you made it more tasty and then you consumed it, you put it in yourself. So it is symbolic of what is in ourselves, but what is not quite ready for G'd, it is not quite good enough for G'd.
A sheep nature in a man is not quite good enough for G'd, but if you could take that social nature in man, that spiritual also, the lamb goes up on the mountain and the lamb can stand on a little edge, it is sure footed, it has great balance. It is not the real lamb, it is symbolic of the social nature of the wise and pious people in religion. Those who have the knowledge of not only spiritual science but they have the knowledge of the spiritual sciences that help us free the social life for it's destiny that G'd wants for it. These are great pious men of science and they are called the sheep in the scriptures. So these are great pious men of science and they are called sheep and Ismail was going to be that kind of leader and Abraham was a rational man he doesn't like to have secrets and mysteries"
"So Abraham wanted liberal education for the people he didn't want the knowledge to be held by people who were mystics who kept it secrete for their elects, so he wanted to break that order. So Abraham broke from that order, and that is the meaning of slaying the lamb and feeding it to the multitudes. He broke from that order and gave the keys to their sciences to the multitudes..".
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Hajj Mabrur (accepted Hajj) makes a muslim pure and free of sins
Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaho anha) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) said,
"Whoever performs Hajj (pilgrimage) and does not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commits sin, nor disputes unjustly (during Hajj), then he returns from Hajj as pure and free from sins as on the day on which his mother gave birth to him.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) said,
"Whoever performs Hajj (pilgrimage) and does not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commits sin, nor disputes unjustly (during Hajj), then he returns from Hajj as pure and free from sins as on the day on which his mother gave birth to him.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
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