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Hajj: Leaving Worldly Matters and Preparing for the Hereafter
Author : An Article by the Secretary General Dr. Ahmad Al-Hassanat
Date Added : 25-06-2023

 

Hajj: Leaving Worldly Matters and Preparing for the Hereafter

 

After making the intention of entering into the holy rite of Hajj, a pilgrim takes off worldly pleasures the moment he takes off his clothes and wears the Ihram clothing. He/she resembles the angels in shunning desires and ornaments, and dedicating themselves for worshipping Allah, their Lord. Just as a pilgrim casts off his everyday clothes, he/she should cast off sins and seek refuge in Allah.

 

During this holy rite, people become as equal as the spikes of a comb in the sense that there is no difference between a white man and a black man. A pilgrim answers the call of the truth: "And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men: they will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways;" {Al-Hajj, 27} by chanting Talbiyah (“Labbayka Allahumma labbayk (Here I am, O Allah, here I am)." By doing so, he/she seeks the mercy and bounty of Allah to be admitted into Paradise and spared Hellfire.

 

Hajj isn`t a journey for seeing sights and discovering places. Rather, it is about seeking the pleasure of Allah and coming closer to Him. The moment a pilgrim takes off his/her clothes, he/she knows that Allah looks at the hearts and intentions, not the form or appearance. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah does not look at your figures, nor at your attire but He looks at your hearts and accomplishments".[Muslim].

 

The heart casting off worldly concerns is what is required in this sacred journey of Hajj and this is the gist of the supplication of Our Father Ibrahim, which reads: "So fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them, and feed them with fruits: so that they may give thanks." {Ibrahim, 37}. During this journey, a pilgrim leaves his/her homeland and family, races to Mecca to which his/her heart yearns, and escapes to Allah seeking His forgiveness.

 

Once a pilgrim arrives in Mecca, it welcomes him/her warmly. On Seeing the Ka’abah for the first time, he/she says the Du`a: "O Allah! Increase this House in honor and reverence and nobility and awe, and increase those who honor and revere it as pilgrims for Hajj and Umrah in nobility and goodness and status and righteousness." 

 

Next, a pilgrim makes the Tawaf of arrival, like a mother hugging her long gone children. During this Tawaf (Circumambulation around the Kabah), he/she makes the Du`a: "O Allah! This House is Yours, this Haram is Yours….."

 

Then, pilgrims go to perform Sa`ee ( the act of Sa'ee refers to the ritual of walking or running between the two hills of Safa and Marwa) with sincere hearts putting their trust in Allah and remember the words of Hajar who said: "Allah won`t cause us to be lost."

 

They perform Sa`ee and ask their Lord for forgiveness and mercy. They keep repeating this seeking to please Allah the Almighty and win Jannah. Allah says {What means}: "And there are others who say, 'Our Lord, give to us in this world good, and good in the Hereafter, and guard us against the chastisement of the Fire'." {Al-Baqarah, 201}.

 

After that, pilgrims gather in the plain of Arafah the land of the mercies of Allah." the day when neither wealth nor children will avail, except him who comes to God with a heart that is sound." {Al-Shu`ara`, 88-89}. Indeed, on that day nothing avails but coming to Allah with a sound heart.

And all perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds.

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Summarized Fatawaa

Does Laylat al-Qadr move between the nights of Ramadan?

Laylat al-Qadr is definitely in Ramadan, and it is most likely in the last ten nights, especially on the odd-numbered nights.
For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ commanded observing worship in the last ten nights, and he himself used to dedicate those nights to worship. Many people put special effort into the 27th night of Ramadan, and they are rewarded in any case, whether they actually coincide with Laylat al-Qadr or not, because worshiping on any night of Ramadan carries great rewards.
 

What is the ruling on someone who possesses gold with the intention of saving/hoarding it, and owns nothing else — is he obligated to sell a portion of it in order to pay the zakāh due on it?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Zakāh becomes immediately obligatory on cash, and likewise on gold — that which is not designated for a woman's personal adornment— once both reach the niṣāb (minimum threshold liable for zakah) and a full ḥawl (lunar year) has passed over them. It is not permissible to delay payment when it is genuinely possible to pay — meaning, when the wealth and the eligible recipients are both available. It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.2/p.129): "Zakāh is obligatory immediately once it becomes feasible to pay it, meaning when the wealth and the eligible recipients are both present."
The one paying zakāh must discharge the obligatory zakāh due on saved (hoarded) gold either from the gold itself, or from its equivalent monetary value, in the event that no other funds are available — since paying from the gold itself is the original default (al-aṣl). It becomes permissible to pay from other funds instead only because zakāh is built upon the principle of ease and leniency, as stated in Asnā al-Maṭālib (Vol.1/p.366): "When a full ḥawl has elapsed on wealth other than trade goods... zakāh attaches to the actual asset itself (al-‘ayn), and the poor effectively become partners in it — even, for example, [becoming partners] in camels through the value of a sheep [owed as zakāh on them]... Paying from other wealth is permitted only because zakāh is built upon the principle of ease and leniency."
Accordingly: the one paying zakāh must discharge it either from the actual saved gold itself, or by selling a portion of the gold equal to the amount of zakāh owed. He may also borrow money to pay the zakāh, or pay the zakāh in installments before the ḥawl is complete [as an advance payment]. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What are the conditions governing the portion that must be distributed to the poor from a voluntary uḍḥiyyah (sacrificial offering)?

 
 
 
 
 
 

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
The following conditions apply to the portion distributed to the poor from the sacrificial animal:
First: It must be meat — it isn`t valid to give the poor organs or offal such as the liver.
Second: It must be given raw — cooked meat does not fulfil the requirement.
Third: It must amount to no less than half a kilogram. And Allah Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible to include others in the reward of one`s sacrifice?

 

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible for the person offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) to include others in the spiritual reward of the sacrifice. However, it is not permissible for multiple people to jointly share the purchase price of a single sheep or goat, unless one person gifts the money to the other.
 
It is stated in Mughni al-Muhtaj (6/137) by Al-Khatib al-Shirbini:
 
"If a person includes someone else in the reward of his sacrifice and slaughters it on his own behalf, it is permissible."
 
It should be carefully noted that including someone else in the reward of one's sacrifice is completely distinct from offering a sacrifice on behalf of someone else. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

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