Life after Hajj
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IT SURE CHANGES YOU FOR BETTER AS IT MAKES YOU CONSCIOUS OF YOUR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, WRITES DR. FAIZ FAZILI
Hajj is Islam's fifth principle. In other words, it is mandatory (Farz) on all the Muslims who can afford it, once in a lifetime. The lexical meaning of Hajj is 'to mean, to do, to wish.'. How fortunate are these souls who are blessed with the following words from Prophet (saw):
"Whoever performs Hajj for the Pleasure of Allah and therein utters no word of evil, nor commits any evil deed, shall return from it (free from sin) as the day on which his mother gave birth to him “(Bukhaari, Muslim). Hajj is a preparation for our mission of Islam because the pilgrim starts his or her Hajj with repeating the slogan of “labaik,” which means “I am here to listen and obey.”
So the Hajj training is supposed to train us to carry this mission of Islam when we are back. Unfortunately many of us have witnessed actions and celebrations after Hajj which are in total contradistinction to the philosophy of Hajj. Religious scholars throughout the world have cautioned these Hajis against these undesired practices. Those whom Allah has favoured to perform Hajj and `Umrah should be thankful to Allah (glorified and exalted be He) Who has chosen them from among His servants to perform these acts of worship, and they should implore Almighty Allah to accept their good deeds. It is hoped that all the pilgrims were sincere in their intentions and had travelled great distances only to secure the pleasure of Allah by fulfilling the obligation laid down upon them. Now that you are a Haji, certain things demand your attention.
Firstly the sincerity of intention should remain even after the performance of Hajj. There should be no pomp or show. One should not wish to be called or recognized as a Haji, which with the time unfortunately is reduced to status symbol. Many people adopt the habit of talking frequently about their journey in order that people may come to know of their Hajj pilgrimage. They talk about the expenses incurred in the way of Allah, their charity amongst the poor and needy, their devotion and worship, their assisting the weak and old, etc.; This is a deceit from Satan who ruins the “ibaadat”, without the person even knowing. It is therefore of great importance that the pilgrim does not talk about such acts of devotion without necessity as it may lead to 'Riyaa' (show). However, if necessity arises and one must talk about his Hajj experience which can benefit the future pilgrims . The hadith that explains that the sign of a 'Mabroor Hajj, or an accepted Hajj, is that upon one's return, his life changes for better - the sign of an accepted Hajj —a Hajj mabroor—that a person after Hajj becomes more caring about the Hereafter and less interested in the pleasures of this life. He becomes totally punctual in fulfilling the commands of Allah (ST).Therefore, it is essential that the pilgrim is watchful over his actions and should try his utmost to instill in himself good characters and refrain from all types of evil acts. He should try his best to fulfill the obligations laid down by Allah and avoid all the things forbidden by Him. We also urge the pilgrims, after they return from the sacred land, to keep their minds and souls attached to Allah, remembering Him constantly because Almighty Allah says, “And when ye have completed your devotions, then remember Allah as ye remember your fathers or with a more lively remembrance…” (Al-Baqarah: 200) “Hajj , as the Prophet (pbuh) said in the hadith, washes out sins and makes a person like a newborn and thus closer to Allah. It is therefore important for Hajis to try their best to preserve this pure state as best they can. Sheikh Ahmad Kutty recommends the following du`aa’ (supplication): Allaahumma yaa muqalliba al-quloobi thabbit qalbee `alaa ta'atika. (O Allah! You are the twister of hearts! Make my heart firm on obedience to You!).” The Haji should be very keen to avoid evil and .....deeds especially after Allah has obliterated them and forgave all his sins, as a reward of performing Hajj. This is based on the hadith in which the Prophet (pbuh) said, “The reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing but Paradise.” He also said, "(The performance of) `Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed between it and the previous one.”There are many acts of Hajj whose significance man cannot conceive by his limited intellectual powers. However, a Muslim accepts these acts and fulfills them out of his obedience and surrender to Almighty Allah. All these endless questions may intrigue one’s mind, but the clear fact is that their answers are beyond man’s limited faculty, and only what he is required to say is: I hear and obey Your Command, O Allah! Yours is to order and mine is to obey. Therefore, it behoves every Haji to forward due gratitude to Allah for being chosen to perform those acts of worship and, at the same time, to beseech Him for acceptance. The advice for such a person, upon returning home, to be conscious of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) when performing all what Allah has obligated him to do of the other worships such as steadfast in performing salah (ritual Prayers) and other religious duties like Zakah, Fasting, dutifulness to his parents, visiting kith and kin, being charitable and benevolent to Allah’s creatures, experiencing the etiquettes of Islam, taking the morals of the Qur’an as a model and the like of what the Muslim should do. Keep away from the,` haraam `(forbidden) because after Hajj a person should start a new life that is supposed to be clean. Carry the message of Islam by inviting people to it and showing a good example. Pray to Allah to make your heart steadfast in obeying Him in the manner of the Prophet (pbuh).Hajj is considered an honour and a blessing, the more it entails responsibility on which man will be asked concerning on the Day of Judgment in case he misbehaves after returning from Hajj. Almighty Allah says, (Lo! Allah enjoineth justice and kindness, and giving to kinsfolk, and forbiddeth lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He exhorteth you in order that ye may take heed. Fulfil the covenant of Allah when ye have covenanted, and break not your oaths after the asseveration of them, and after ye have made Allah surety over you. Lo! Allah knoweth what ye do.) (An-Nahl: 90-91).The epitome of this is that this worship (Hajj) is obligated once in lifetime. No doubt, Hajj is a golden opportunity to have one’s sins forgiven, one’s soul refined, and one’s heart filled with faith, so the pilgrim will make use of this for the rest of his life, reminiscing about the sacred places and all rituals (of Hajj), for that will strengthen his faith and help him to obey Allah. I hope those who have gone to Hajj learnt good lessons from this journey, and apply all these in daily life and fulfill the responsibility towards the other Muslim brethren and society. The one who performs Hajj is supposed to be a role model for others after returning. Is it right to write `Haji `, before anyone’s name? Many scholars have not approved of it - as they think it is just adding prefix like ` nimazi,zakati `etc to your name. Allahumma ijal leesanee ‘amiran bi thikrika wa qalbi bi khashyatika. O Allah! Make my tongue full of Your remembrance, and my heart with consciousness of You. Aameen
(Dr. Faiz Fazili is a Saudi-based Kashmiri doctor)
