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Tuesday 29 August 2017

Significance of Hajj (pilgrimage) in Islam By Yahya Garba Al-Yolawi



131st  FRIDAY SERMON DELIVERED AT AREA 10 JUMA’AH  MASJID ABUJA, BY YAHYA GARBA AL-YOLAWI, ON 4TH AUGUST 2017/ 11TH ZUL QA’IDAH  1438 AH

TOPIC:significance of Hajj (pilgrimage) inIslam

In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the most Merciful

 Dear respected brothers and sisters in Islam, as we are all aware, last week Sundaythe first flight with over four hundred Nigerian pilgrims took-off to Saudi Arabia to mark 2017 Hajj exercise hence we will like to remind ourselves and highlight some of the significance of Hajj in today’s sermon in shaa Allah.

The term Hajj literally means "to visit or heading to
a place for the sake of visitation; in Islam, Hajj implies going to Makkah to observe the rites of pilgrimage stipulated by Allah and his messenger (SAW). It take place annually from the 8th to 12th  or 13th) of Dhu al-Hijjahof Islamic calendar.

Hajj is an obligatory duty obliged by Allah upon every Muslim, male and female, who is physically and financially capable. It is obligatory only once during the lifetime of a Muslim. Allah (SWT)Says : “ Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Makkah - blessed and a guidance for the worlds.In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of ibrahim. And whoever enters it shall be safe. And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds”.

SIGNIFICANCE OF HAJJ (PILGRIMAGE)  IN ISLAM

 Some of the verses and ahadith on hajj include:

1.      Hajj was prescribed in the ninth 9th year after Hijrah: upon the revelation of the verse in which Allah Says: And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way.”.


2.      Hajj one the five pillars of islam:
It was narrated from Abdullahibn Umar (RA) that the Prophet (SAW) said: “Islam is built upon five (pillars): the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the establishment of the prayer, paying Zakat, Hajj to the House (i.e. Ka’bah,) and fasting in Ramadan.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

3.      Hajj is once in a muslim’s life time:
The Prophet ( SAW) also said: “Hajj is mandated once, so whoever does it more (than that), then it is supererogatory.” [Abu Daawood and Ahmad]


4. Hajj is one of the best righteous deeds in Islam: Abu Huraira  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  him reported that the Prophet (SAW ) was once asked: “What is the best deed?” He replied: “To believe in Allah and His Messenger.” The enquirer then asked: “What next?” The Prophet  (SAW)   replied: “To fight in the cause of Allah.” He again asked: “What is the next best thing?” He   replied: “Hajj ‘Mabrur’ (i.e., the Hajj that is acceptable ( free of sin and all its pillars and conditions are fulfilled).”[Al-Bukhari]

5. It is a form of Jihad:
The Prophet  SAWsaid: “Hajj is the Jihad for the old, the weak and the women.” [An-Nasa'i]

6. It wipes away past sins:

Abu Hurayrah  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  him reported that the Prophet  [SAW]said: “He who performs Hajj seeking Allah's pleasure and avoids all lewdness and sins (therein) will return after Hajj free from all sins, just as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

7. Pilgrims are the Guests of Allah:

The Prophet [SAW] said: “Pilgrims and those performing 'Umrah are Allah's guests; their prayers are answered and their supplications for forgiveness are granted.” [An-Nasaa'i and IbnMaajah]

8. The Reward of Hajj is Paradise:

The Prophet  [SAW] said: “All sins committed in between the performance of one 'Umrah and the next are expiated and erased, and the reward of Hajj ‘Mabroor’ is nothing except Paradise.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

9.. Hajj eliminates Sins and poverty
Abdullah ibnMasood (R.A) said that the Prophet (SAW) said: “Keep on doing Hajj and Umrah, for they eliminate poverty and sin just as the bellows eliminate impurities from iron and gold and silver.” (al-Tirmidhi, 810; al-Nasaa’i, 2631)

10.Prayers inkaaba are equal to one Hundred Thousand ( 100 000) prayers elsewhere. Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “A prayer in this mosque of mine is a thousand times greater than a prayer in other than it, except for the Masjid al-Haram.” [SahihBukhari; Sahih Muslim] he also stated, “A prayer in the Masjid al-Haram is similar to a hundred thousand prayers, a prayer in my mosque to a thousand prayers, and a prayer in the Bayt al-Maqdis to five hundred prayers.” This increase of a hundred thousand in the Masjid al-Haram, as mentioned by Tabarani, was also narrated by Bazzar in his Musnad. IbnHajar, in his Fath al-Bari, states that, “Bazzar said it is authentic (hasan).”


BRIEF HISTORY OF HAJJ

The whole origin of Hajj is rooted to the acts of devotion of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), His wife Hajara and his son Ismail ( AS). This shows that the messenger (SAW) did not innovate this tradition; all he did was to clear it of all the evil practices that had sneaked into it. After a few centuries of the death of Ibrahim (AS)  and  his son Isma’eel (AS) people abandoned their teachings and gradually went astray, like all other people around them. Hundreds of idols were installed in the Ka’bah, which was built by Ibrahim and Isma’eel as a center for the worship of the One True Creator. Ironically enough, idols were made and kept there. The Ka’bah was turned into a type of temple for idol-worship and superstition. This mess lasted for about two thousand years, until the arrivalof  the messenger (SAW) with the light of Islam.

ADVICE FOR THE PILGRIMS

 Here, I will like to call on our  of  pilgrims, that they should fear Allah and do what is expected from them, and become good ambassadors  of islam and their country Nigeria. As you can have some of our pilgrim travels to makkah or madina with  the intention of stealing, prostitutions, pocked and bags picking, drugs trafficking as the case  may be,these  type of people you can see them, fighting, backbiting, protesting for food or delay in flight schedules, taking kolanute and other contra ban luggage  etc. All these are result of  theirweak iman and lack of   knowledge and clear picture of the magnitude of their actions and it consequences.  May Allah SWT  protect us all.

We ask Allah the most high, to continue to protect our religion and safe guard our pilgrims as they take-off peacefully, may He accept their prayers, grant their supplications and  bring them back to us safely and peacefully. Ameen


We ask Allah the most high, to continue to protect our religion and safe guard our pilgrims as they went peacefully, may He bring them back to us safely and peace fully. Ameen
Innahuwaliyyuzaalikawalqaadirualaihi.

Kindly extend it to others…

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