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The Straight Path has been laid out. Our job is only to follow it, not to try to discover new paths.

By Khalid Baig

Once some Jewish scholars said to Sayyidna Umar bin Khattab, Radi-Allahu unhu, “The Qur’an contains a verse that if it had been revealed to us, we would have designated a day to celebrate its revelation.” Upon enquiry they mentioned the verse: “This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” [Al-Maida 5:3] “Yes, I know, the time and place when it was revealed,” he replied.  Read more... (1030 words, 3 images, estimated 4:07 mins reading time)

4. LOWERING THE GAZE

The temptation to look at that which Allah Ta’ala has forbidden is the root of all evil desires. Ibne Qayyim (Rahmatullahi alaihi) writes: “The gaze is the prowler and the messenger of desires. Its protection is, in reality, the protection of the private-parts. The person who does not control his gaze throws himself into the places of destruction. Allah has made the eyes the mirror of the heart.  Read more... (1057 words, estimated 4:14 mins reading time)

In the same way that there are obligatory (fardh) salaats, which must be, said at specific times and some voluntary (nafl) salaats for the devoted to present himself in Allah’s presence when he so desires. There is a specific time when it is compulsory to present himself at the Home of Allah for Haj and also a time when in a voluntary manner he may perform some of the acts which are also performed in Haj by performing umrah. Apart form five days (when it is makrooh from the 9th to 13th Zil Haj) umrah may be performed at any time during the year.  Read more... (414 words, estimated 1:39 mins reading time)

The virtues of these two places-Makkah and the Ka’ba has been expounded in many verses of the Qur’aan and the Hadith. We shall now look at a few of these. Allah says in the Qur’ an “The first House (of worship) appointed for men was that at Bakka, full of blessing. On this Hazrat Ali R.A. said that houses for residence had been erected before the Ka’ba but the very first place for Hs worship was this one. It is reported above by many companions that this portion of the earth first appeared above the water after its creation and from it the rest of the earth was spread and rolled out, in the same manner as a roti is rolled out by a roller, to a large round flat bread, from a small round piece of dough.  Read more... (663 words, estimated 2:39 mins reading time)

Hazrat Shah Abdul Aziz saheb (Rah) of Delhi; the famous scholar of hadith and tafseer; says in his commentary of the Qur’an ‘Fathe Azizee’: ‘Whosoever deals lightly; and discards, the aadaab of any duty shall be deprived of the sunnah by way of punishment, and whosoever thinks lightly of the sunnah and discards it shall be deprived of the obligatory duties (Fardh) by way of punishment, and whosoever deals lightly with obligatory duties shall as punishment be deprived of the true knowledge and recognition of Allah’. The above quotation is a reason why we find in the hadith that a verdict of kufr (disbelief or rejection of faith); is given against some people, because disregard of proper procedure in action leads to it. In the light of this it is deduced that importance of following the proper etiquette and aadaab of any Islamic injunction is necessary. Should one be forced to neglect any etiquette for a special reason; then there shall be no blame attached to that; although one should never loose the sight of the importance of that point. Under no circumstances should such action be left aside willfully as if it is of no consequence. The Ulama of Islam have divided the duties of a Muslim into various stages of importance, and with great care did they preserve and compile them. Careful study of these compilations and to seek and avail oneself of the company of the learned ones will bring all these things home to us. Here I only wish to mention some of the aaddaab of Haj in broad outlines.  Read more... (1036 words, estimated 4:09 mins reading time)

Various ulama have written numerous booklets on Haj and how it should be performed; and the etiquette of every obligatory act. For most people a Haj journey comes but once in a lifetime. For this reason it is advisable that the intending Haji should acquire a few such booklets by acknowledged ulama; some time before his departure; and study them thoroughly. How unworthy and unfortunate will it be that after spending so much money; one finds that it has been wasted as result of wrong and prohibited acts rendering the Haj invalid.  Read more... (818 words, estimated 3:16 mins reading time)

When you enter Masjid-e-Nabavi you should step in with your right footstep forward while reciting Darood Sharif and

“O Allah ! Open for me the gates of Thy mercy.”  Read more... (222 words, estimated 53 secs reading time)

There is a verse of the ‘Holy Quran’
“And pilgrimage to the house is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can afford the journey thereunto. And whosever disbelieves (i.e. he does not come to the house despite his being able to do so) then (he does Harm only to himself) Allah stands not in need of any of his creatures.” (3 : 97)
To afford journey to that House (i.e. the Ka’ba) means that apart from one’s day-to-day necessities of life one has sufficient funds to meet all the expenses of journey to and from the house of Allah at Mecca as well as the Expenses during the period of one’s stay there. Moreover, one should be able to manage the Wajib (obligatory) maintenance of one’s dependants upto one’s return from the journey. There are severe warnings in the ‘Holy Quran’ and ‘Hadith’ for a man who does not perform the ‘Hajj’ Pilgrimage despite his being capable as mentioned above.  Read more... (759 words, estimated 3:02 mins reading time)

Bismillah-hi-Al-Rahman-Al-Raheem

Nahmaduhu Wanusale Alaa Rasulihil Kareem

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

We praise Him and solicit blessings for His noble Messenger. Hundreds of Ulama have written a large number of books on the precepts of Hajj in different languages at different times. Some of them are very detailed while some are brief. The Purpose of this small treatise is only to give an account of the necessary dictates for Hajj in easy language with easy classification. These dictates have been derived from the same detailed books to which necessary reference have mostly been made. In edition to the generally referred books on ‘Hadith’ and ‘Fiqh’ , the sources of this treatise are as follows :-  Read more... (237 words, estimated 57 secs reading time)

“This day have I perfected your religion for you; completed my favor upon you; and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”
(Surah 5-4)

One of the great virtues of Hajj is that the verse announcing the completion of the Deen was revealed at the time of Hajj. Hazrat Imaam Ghazali R.A. writes in his ‘Ilyas’: Hajj is one of the fundamental principles of Islam. Upon it the foundation of Islam became completed and upon it the Deen was completed. It was at the time of Hajj that this Ayah was revealed.  Read more... (456 words, estimated 1:49 mins reading time)