LifeStyle After Hajj- What Change should it bring?

Fiaz Fazili Attachments Tue, Jul 25, 9:48 AM to editorgawahexpress A Journey to Hajj and Umrah, 31ST JULYGAWAH EXPRESS LifeStyle After Hajj- What Change should it bring? MashaAllah , Hajis are returning back after performing pilgrimage , fortunate are those who reached there and completed all Hajj rituals . 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 by 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. Welcoming and Greeting Returning Hajj Pilgrims: A Guide to Embracing Their Journey. As they meet you and have arrived home, Hajjis themselves must express gratitude and seek blessings for their journey. You may also recite this dua when welcoming them: May Allah accept your Hajj, forgive your sins ,and recompense your expenses. (At-Tsins,,,ni) O Allah, forgive the sins of these pilgrims and the sins of those whom these pilgrims ask for forgiveness. (Abu Hurairah).Encourage the returning pilgrims to share their reflections and experiences from the Hajj pilgrimage to inspire others to fulfil this religious obligation at their earliest stage of life. Community Gatherings and Celebrations. Best way is the sunnah way. When you welcome the pilgrims, you can try to do the things that Rasulullah (saw )used to do: “When you meet a haji (on his way home) then greet him, shake hands with him and ask him to beg forgiveness of Allah on your behalf before he enters his home, for his prayer for forgiveness is accepted since he is forgiven by Allah for his sins.”Remember to do it modestly and try to avoid flaunting wealth as it is not something that Allah encourages, and even might cancel out the benefits they got during the Hajj. 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 Haji, s 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. Nevertheless, it is worth drawing the attention of the pilgrims towards certain points that are necessary and of utmost importance to observe and for which many pilgrims are seen neglectful of their significance. 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 prefix Haji to their name or recognize him as a Hajji, which with the time unfortunately is reduced to status symbol. Many people adopt the habit of talking 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 leading to 'Riyaa' (exhibitionism, show,). However, if necessity arises one must talk about his Hajj experience which can benefit the future pilgrims. The reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing but Paradise.” The hadith that explains that the sign of a 'Mabroor Hajj, or an accepted Hajj, is that upon one's return, his life changes from worst to good, purification to perfection, 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). “Hajj , as the Prophet (pbuh) said in the hadith, purifies 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, keen to avoid evil especially after Allah has obliterated them and forgave all his sins, as a reward of performing Hajj. 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!).”Therefore, it is essential that the pilgrim is watchful over his actions and should try his utmost to instil in himself good characters and refrain from all types of evil acts. 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) Pilgrims' Reflections; 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 gave 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 ,``imaan and tranquility ``,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 fulfil 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 asked people against 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 ((Author besides being a Medical Practitioner and is very active in positive perception management of various moral and social issues. He can be reached at drfiazfazili@gmail.com & twitter @drfiazfazili) --