KHUTBAH ON HAJJ   -

Masjidul Husnayn -Diep River -- November 13th. 2009.

Tennyson Street Mosque -Salt River  --November 20th. 2009.

Almighty Allah, Exhorts us in the Holy Quran: Surah Al Hajj: [ch22:v27:] - “And proclaim the pilgrimage among men, they will come to you on foot and [mounted] on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways…”

In Surah Al-Imraan, 3:97- we read:  “Pilgrimage is a duty men owe to Alláh; those who can afford the journey; but if any deny faith, Allah stands not in need of any of his creatures.”

“Perform the pilgrimage and the Umrah (visit) (to Mecca) for the sake of Allah (only)”. (Chapter 2:196) -

Our Prophet (Peace be upon him), declared: "A person who performs the Hajj with absolute righteousness – for him there is no other reward except paradise." –

All thanks and Praise is only due only to Almighty Allah only and benedictions, salutations, and blessings upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).

Hajj occurs during the highly respected month of Dhull-Hijjah'. The land of Makkah (Mecca) is tranquil and peaceful. Instead of fear, hatred, and war, the desert is characterized by security and peace. An atmosphere for worship where people are free to face Almighty God is prevalent.  Do you not hear Ibrahim's command:  Quran XXII: 27  -And call upon the people for Hajj. They will come to you on their bare feet or riding any weak camel and they come to you from every far desert.

You, oh creature created from Mud, search for and follow the spirit of Allah! Accept his invitation; leave your home in order to "see" Him. He is waiting for You!  Human existence is frivolous unless one's aim is to approach the spirit of Allah. Separate yourself from all those needs and greed which distract you from Allah. Therefore, join the eternal human migration to Hajj. "See" Almighty Allah!  Before departing to perform Hajj, all of your debts should be paid. Your hates and angers toward relatives or friends must disappear. A will must be drawn. All of these gestures are an exercise in the preparation for death (which will overtake everyone some day). These acts guarantee your personal and financial clearance. The last moments of farewell and the future of man are symbolized.  Now you are free to join eternity. On the day of resurrection, when "you can do nothing" in Allah's court, where "your eyes, ears, and heart are the best witnesses of what you have done,"  Quran XVII: 36  You and every organ of your body are responsible for your deeds. While you are in this "house of correction" get ready for the "house of justice". Exercise death before you die-go to Hajj!  Hajj represents your return to Allah, the absolute, who has no limitations and none is like Him. To return to Him signifies a definite movement toward perfection, goodness, beauty, power knowledge, value, and facts. On your way toward the eternal, you will NEVER approach Allah. He is to guide you in the right direction and not to be your destination!

Our goal is not to "perish", but to "bloom". This is done not "for Allah" but rather to bring us "toward Him". --Allah is not so far away from you; therefore, try to reach Him! Allah is closer to you than yourself!  Quran L:16  We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. On the other hand, everyone beside Allah is too far to be reached! Oh man, all the angels prostrated to you; yet, through the passage of time and societal influence you have changed greatly. You have not abided by your promise to worship none but Almighty Allah. Instead, you have become a slave to idols, some of which are man-made.  Quran LIV: 54  ---In an assembly of truth, in the presence of a sovereign omnipotent. Your nature is characterized by loyalty to other individuals, self devotion, cruelty, ignorance, a lack of direction, fearfulness, and greediness! This life has caused you to acquire animalistic traits. Now you are like a "wolf", "fox", "rat", or "sheep".  Oh man, return to your origin. Go to Hajj and visit your best friend who created you as the best creature. He is waiting to see you! Leave the palaces of power, the treasures of wealth and the misleading temples. Dismember yourself from the flock of those animals whose shepherd is the wolf. Join the flock at Miad who is going to see the house of Allah or the house of the people.

All Muslims, who have the means to do so, physically and financially, must do the pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime. It is a duty, but not merely a duty. It is an integral part of being Muslim. For a few precious days we participate in one of the greatest annual events in human history. We complete the rituals whose origins go way back beyond the time of Prophet Muhammad, sws, to the time of Prophet Ibráhím alyhis salaam, and even further back to the time of Ádam, alayhis salaam. During these momentous days, pilgrims remove their normal clothing, removing all outer signs of nationality, of wealth and social status, and everyone wears the same simple sheets of white cloth, the ihrám. From the starting point or méqát, they chant those deeply stirring words, “labbaik, Allahumma labbaik, labbaik, Here I am, O Alláh, Here I am!” They are answering the call of Alláh, which began with the first time they recited their kalima shahádat. Hajj is the response to Alláh’s call, His invitation, to visit His house, at least once before we die. It is also the fulfilment of a promise that we all make. Every time we recite our kalima shahaada, and we say, …”wa hajjul bayt, manis tataw-‘a, ilayhi sabeelaa.” … It is part of our Declaration of Faith that we promise to perform Hajj when we have the means to do so.

What is the significance of Hajj? What does Hajj really mean to us, and how does Hajj affect our lives, and our destiny? - Hajj is both an outward and inward journey. It is an outward journey, from our homes and families and familiar things, to the centre of Islam; It is also an inward journey, to find our own centre. The outward journey to reach the Ka'abah in Makkah, helps us to meet our Muslim brothers and sisters, from around the world. It must also be our inward journey, to reach the Kaaba of our own heart and own soul. Here we need to reflect, to take stock of ourselves. Where have we come from, and where are we going? What have we done with our lives? How have we used the health, education, wealth and opportunities, which Alláh has provided for our benefit? We ask these questions at every level, but most importantly, at the spiritual level. Where have we come from, and where are we going?-  The answer comes from deep within the innermost chambers of the heart, from within the deepest depths of the soul: In the words of the Holy Quran:  “Inna lilláhi wa inna ilayhir rájioon”.- “ From Allah do we come, and to Him is our return”.

That is it! What could be more simple, more profound, more complete! Our origin is from Allah, and our destiny is to return to Him. About that we have no choice. But how will we return? Will we return to him, eagerly, willingly, excited to meet with our Lord, or will we return kicking and screaming, our hearts filled with dread, heavy with guilt and remorse? Will we return in a manner that pleases Alláh, or displeases him? Here we do have a choice, a most important choice. And the wonderful news is that we still have time to make that choice, and to act on it.

Hajj is a journey of full of meaning and purpose. By wrapping ourselves in 2 sheets of plain white cloth, the Ihram, we symbolically prepare ourselves for death; it is the only time we will wrap ourselves, in our own Burial Shroud. When we die, someone else will do it for us. Here we remind ourselves of the fleeting nature of our life on earth; yet it is also an opportunity to put matters right, to make a fresh start; a chance for rebirth, and renewal. We can take a new look at ourselves, consider the direction of our lives, and if needed, we can still rearrange our priorities.

Hajj brings together some of the fundamental teachings of Islam. The concept of Tawhíd, the unity and oneness of Allah, is visibly expressed here, in a most powerful way. We see the oneness of Allah, through the oneness of those who worship Him. We see the essential unity that underpins the great diversity of Muslims. Every race, every language, every colour of the human species, is represented here. On Hajj, we are not merely passive witnesses and we are not like couch potatoes watching TV. We are an active part of the great Ummah of Islam.

We see and experience the true brotherhood of all believers. Before Hajj, we were used to praying and observing our Islamic duties in smaller groups. For example, prayer, Salaah, is a duty we all must observe, on time, 5 times a day. When we are alone, we pray alone, but as soon as there is at least one other person, we are encouraged to pray together. If we are near a mosque, we are encouraged to go there, and join a larger group. Once a week, we attend Juma'a prayers, and twice a year, we join even larger groups for the ‘Eid prayers. Finally, we are obliged, at least once in our lives, to make the pilgrimage to Makkah. Hence, Islam urges us to seek active association in ever widening circles. So, clearly, Islam is not a religion of the loner or the recluse. It fosters the idea of community, from gatherings of just 2 people at home, to over 2 million on Hajj.

Hajj is therefore an extremely important act of collective worship. Those who do not perform Hajj when they are capable of doing so, are considered to be no better than Jews or Christians. In an authentic Hadith, Prophet Muhammad said, “Whosoever fails to complete his Hajj before his death, he dies as a Jew or a Christian.”

Despite our many different languages, races, cultures and social backgrounds, we Muslims are all one. While in ihram, we cannot see any distinction between rich and poor, high born or low born. The professor and student, the prince and the farmer, the businessman and window-cleaner, all wear the same 2 sheets of plain white cloth. In ihram, there is no distinction between anyone. We see ourselves exactly as Allah sees us. Stripped of all our outer pretensions, it is the inner person, the essential human being, that we have to cultivate, strengthen and purify.

Hajj is a reminder of death. We are clothed in the same simple white cloth that will cover us on our final journey to the grave. Hajj is therefore an opportunity for new beginnings, for taking stock of our lives. It’s a wake up call. When the angel of death comes to return us to our maker, we will have no opportunity to delay, or to complete any unfinished business. Hajj is therefore an excellent time to start setting things right.

Throughout the rites of Tawaaf, and Saai, the journey to Mina, Muzdalifah and ‘Arafát, we seek Allah's mercy and forgiveness for our sins, and we rededicate ourselves to His service. If those prayers are sincere, if we honestly and truthfully turn away from our bad and shameful behaviour, and if we strive with great effort to seek Alláh’s pleasure, then the Hajj becomes a significant milestone in our lives. On Hajj we are able to reflect on our past deeds, from a distance, and consider our future direction. Hajj is not only the completion of an important Islamic duty. A true Hajji returns home with a solemn determination to steer his life in the direction that pleases Allah. He no longer is a slave of his own vain desires, but a true Ambassador of Islam.

CONCLUSION: _ For the pilgrim, what follows after HAJJ is a new life. Our Prophet (saws), declared: -- "A person who performs the Hajj without indulging in obscenity and wickedness returns to his home sinless, as on the day when his mother gave birth to him." (Born Again), This means that Hajj gives the pilgrim a new and pure life. The entire journey of Hajj is a complete Ibadah and one must do everything to keep it up. Hajj is indeed a reformation and transformation of the person in the path of Allah and he or she should strive to make it permanent.

On this occasion of HAJJ - let us reflect as to what extent the concerns of this world have consumed us? What amount of time has this worldly concern left us with to remember Almighty Allah and to prepare for the Hereafter? In fact it often happens that the little time when we do remember Him outwardly, such as in Salaah, etc., we are mentally engaged in the world. This lesson on the occasion of Hajj exhorts us to shift our focus to the Akheera and Almighty Allah will ease the worldly matters for us.

Someone we know may well be making their Hajj this year: Many will have left already. We pray for their safety and good health, May Allah take good care of them on their journey to Makkah, Madinah and all the Holy Places. May Allah accept their Hajj, and when they have completed their duties, may Allah return them safely to their homes, Insha-Allah.

Dua!! -- We pray for the safety and good health of all Hujjaaj, - May Almighty Allah take good care of them on their journey to Makkah, Medina and all the Holy Places. - May Almighty Allah accept their Hajj, and when they have completed their duties, may Allah return them safely to their homes and families, Insha-Allah.

Rabbanaa (Our Lord!) Help us always to remember You, so that we may dedicate our lives to Your full service -- not out of any fear, but out of love for the One Who is most perfect, the Lord of the unseen, the Lord of this life and the life to come. Amen.

We Pray Allah Most Gracious, to accept this prayer, that each and every one of us here, should find the means and the opportunity, to perform our sacred duty, and complete our own Hajj, at Allah’s invitation, in the near future. We pray Almighty Allah to grant an accepted and a righteous Hajj to all our pilgrims and that He blesses this congregation and the Muslim Ummah In Shaa Allah.