Notes for the host of Harams, Hajees & Mu’tamirs

Alhamdulillah, we have been blessed from the All Mighty with His deen. The centre direction and place of return of all muslims is the Ka`bah and the haram. In fact Hajees and Mu`tamirs should know that they are going in the most sacred and protected place on earth. Hence even outside ihram, during your stay in Makkah in your hotel, know that the sanctity of the haram requires that you respect the trees, people and even wild animals and birds. We cannot act freely in haram and no quarrel or scolding allowed in the haram. Sinning in haram is more grave than sinning elsewhere in the world. So the hajee or Mu`tamir should behave well during their stay in Haram.

The blessed ummah of the prophet SAW is set on an equilibrium status in every aspect of life. Allah Ta`ala said: ‘’In the same way We made you a moderate Ummah(community), so that you should be witness over the people, and the Messenger a witness to you.’’(2:143) The moderation of Islam is the secret for it to be accepted by all nations: Arabs, Africans, the gulf, Europe, Asia, Russia and even the American Indians. The beloved prophet SAW left the ummah on the moderation of tolerance when there are differences of opinion. One may stick to own well guided opinion of masla, but at the same time should tolerate other concrete guided opinions.

At the times of Umar r.a., he used to perform Hajj Qiraan(stay with ihram of umrah until finishes hajj), but he never stopped Ibn Abaas r.a. to perform his group of Hajj Mutamatti`(becomes halaal after umrah before performing hajj). There was no imposition of maslas and opinion during the best of eras. We should be aware that any extreme way of conduct would be corrected by another extreme of the ummah. A yell of Shirk and Innovation would be set to equilibrium by an extremist group on Tawhid. This is the scenario of the history of the ummah. When there was extremists to promote Ali r.a. on top, Allah Ta`ala sent another extremist group to equate the situation. Hence to leave the ummah on its equilibrium without extremes would be to follow the best of eras and its tolerance. Note that our ulamas accepted the witness of all sects of the ummah except Isna Ashariyah and Khattabiyah(Hidayah).

The tendency of imposing the opinion of ulamas of haramein upon the general ummah, upon visitors of the harams and upon the sacred monuments is an extreme pole tendency. If this extreme tendency is not corrected, then may be -May Allah protect- Allah Ta`ala will use other extremist group to set the ummah on equilibrium. No one will change the sunnah of Allah. ‘’And you will not find in the way of Allah any change.’’(33:62)

LET ME HOLD MY KA`BAH!

It is sad that when Hajees and Mu`tamirs comes to hold the curtain of the Ka`bah to supplicate Allah Ta`ala, some hosts of the haram comes to take out muslims from the Ka`bah! According to some of them, it is Bid`ah. And yet it is reported in a sahih hadith of Tirmizi that Ibn Mas`ood r.a. hold the curtain of the Ka`bah.

قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ كُنْتُ مُسْتَتِرًا بِأَسْتَارِ الْكَعْبَةِ فَجَاءَ ثَلَاثَةُ نَفَرٍ كَثِيرٌ شَحْمُ بُطُونِهِمْ قَلِيلٌ فِقْهُ قُلُوبِهِمْ قُرَشِيٌّ وَخَتَنَاهُ ثَقَفِيَّانِ أَوْ ثَقَفِيٌّ وَخَتَنَاهُ قُرَشِيَّانِ

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ

Allamah Ibn Taimiyah brought a riwayah in his book Minhajus Sunnah An Nabawiyyah that Hazrat Abu Zar r.a. hold the curtain of the Ka`bah interceding of favour of Hazrat Ali r.a.:

منهاج السنة النبوية [ جزء 5 – صفحة 59 ] وعن ابن عباس قال رأيت أبا ذر وهو متعلق بأستار الكعبة وهو يقول من عرفني فقد عرفني ومن لم يعرفني فأنا أبو ذر لو صمتم حتى تكونوا كالأوتار وصليتم حتى تكونوا كالحنايا ما نفعكم ذلك حتى تحبوا عليا

Hazrat Juweiruyyah r.a. hold longly the curtain of the Ka`bah in supplication and du`as. (Akhbaar Makkah):

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ، عَنِ الْأَصْمَعِيِّ قَالَ: ثنا أَبُو عَمْرِو بْنُ الْعَلَاءِ قَالَ: ” بَيْنَمَا أَنَا أَطُوفُ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ بِالْبَيْتِ إِذَا أَنَا بِجُوَيِّرَةَ، مُتَعَلِّقَةً بِأَسْتَارِ الْكَعْبَةِ، وَهِيَ تَقُولُ: يَا رَبِّ أَمَا لَكَ عُقُوبَةٌ وَلَا أَدَبٌ إِلَّا بِالنَّارِ ؟ ” حَتَّى قَالَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ: اللهُ أَكْبَرُ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ،

Ibn Jawzi brought a riwayah in Sifatus safwah that a lady was making du`as holding the curtain of the Ka`bah :

عن ذي النون المصري قال: كنت في الطواف فسمعت صوتاً حزيناً وإذا بجارية متعلقة بأستار الكعبة وهي تقول: أنت تدري يا حبيبي … من حبيبي أنت تدري

It is sad that to say that the peace and security of the Ka`bah that the Qur-aan established ‘’as place of security’’(3:97) is nowadays trampled upon.

ANOTHER UMRAH FROM TAN’EEM.

Although it is better to perform the maximum number of Tawaaf, but times to times it is good to go perform an Umrah from Tan`eem. The beloved prophet SAW said:’’Do Hajj and Umrah frequently one after the other, as these two annihilate poverty and sins..’’(Tirmizi) So after your first Umrah as a Mutamatti`, you may proceed to Tan`eem(Masjid Aisha) for another Umrah. The fact that the point of Ihraam for Umrah for anyone staying in Makkah, even as a musafir, is Tan`eem is proven from numerous ahadiths. The beloved prophet SAW was a musafir during the Victory of Makkah and he performed a Umrah from Ji`ranah, not far from Tan`eem(Bukhari):

عَنْ قَتَادَةَ أَنَّ أَنَسًا أَخْبَرَهُ قَالَ اعْتَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ الْجِعْرَانَةِ حَيْثُ قَسَمَ غَنَائِمَ حُنَيْنٍ

Imaam Malik r.a. mentioned the same opinion in Muatta Imaam Malik. Ibn Sireen, imaam Ahmad et Ibn Qudamah also have the same opinion. And know that Hazrat Ibn Abbaas r.a. prescribed those people in Makkah that their point for Ihraam of a Umrah is from Tan`eem (Mustadrak Hakim) :

عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما ، قال : « الحج والعمرة فريضتان على الناس كلهم إلا أهل مكة فإن عمرتهم طوافهم فليخرجوا إلى التنعيم ، ثم ليدخلوها ، فوالله ما دخلها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلا حاجا أو معتمرا » « هذا حديث صحيح على شرط مسلم ، ولم يخرجاه ، وقد أسند عن محمد بن كثير بإسناد آخر

So definitely, the point of formulating intention for another Umrah is Tan`eem(Masjid Aisha r.a.) when you would be in Makkah. But when travelling to Makkah from your respective country, then you should do intention of your Umrah as from before Miqaat.

NOTE TO THE HOST OF BAQI’ AL GHARQAD:

It is sunnah for men only to visit grave yard. It is not sunnah to remove shoes in the grave yard. It is a mistake of some to prescribe removing shoes by the qabrs. The proof to wear shoes in the qabrastaan is found in Bukhari, where the beloved prophet SAW said that the angels come to the dead even before the shoe walking sound of the people distant from the qabr(Bukhari):

عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ الْعَبْدُ إِذَا وُضِعَ فِي قَبْرِهِ وَتُوُلِّيَ وَذَهَبَ أَصْحَابُهُ حَتَّى إِنَّهُ لَيَسْمَعُ قَرْعَ نِعَالِهِمْ أَتَاهُ مَلَكَانِ فَأَقْعَدَاهُ

And it is sunnah to read Qur-aan to benefit the qabr. Hazrat Ibn Umar r.a. made a will to his sons to read the beginning verses of Baqarah and the ending part after his death by his qabr.(Mudi` et Ibn Qudamah)

وفي المبدع من كُتب الحنابلة: وقد صحَّ عن ابن عمر أنه أوصى إذا دُفن أن يقرأ عنده بفاتحة البقرة وخاتِمتِها

Dourre Mansoor:

وأخرج الطبراني والبيهقي في الشعب عن ابن عمر قال : سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول « إذا مات أحدكم فلا تحبسوه وأسرعوا به إلى قبره ، وليقرأ عند رأسه بفاتحة البقرة ، وعند رجليه بخاتمة سورة البقرة ، في قبره » .

Al Haisami :

وعن عبد الرحمن ابن العلاء بن اللجلاج قال قال لي أبي يا بني إذا أنا مت فالحد لي لحداً فإذا وضعتني في لحدي فقل بسم الله وعلى ملة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثم سن التراب على سناً ثم اقرأ عند رأسي بفاتحة البقرة وخاتمتها فإني سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول ذلك. رواه الطبراني في الكبير ورجال موثقون.

And in a grave yard, it is permissible to ask whose qabr it is and then make du`a by the qabr. Rasouloullah SAW asked : ‘Whose qabr is this ? ’(Tabrani)

من صاحب هذا القبر ركعتان أحب إلى هذا من بقية دنياكم (الطبرانى فى الأوسط عن أبى هريرة) أخرجه الطبرانى فى الأوسط . قال الهيثمى : رجاله ثقات

And in muslim shareef, it is reported that the beloved prophet SAW visited the Qabr of his mother. So we may specifically ask, visit and put to memory a particular grave. This is according to sunnah.
And ummul Mu-mineen Hazrat Aisha r.a. found out where was the qabr of his brother Abdur Rahmaan. So we may ask whose qabr is it and also read Qur-aan by the qabr.

VISITING THE PIOUS PACES OF MY NABI SAW.

It is a fact that the ground keep the effects of the persons that walked over it. The land and water of the wrathed people of Thamud had still that effect that the beloved prophet SAW hasten when passing by them and ordered to throw the water that the sahabas took from there.(Bukhari) That is why it is prohibited to use dead sea cosmetics,etc.

Moreover, likewise the land keep the good effect also of the pace prophets. The Qur-aan speak of the place where Ibrahim a.s. stood(maqame Ibrahim) as a clear sign of Allah. ‘’There(by the Ka`bah) are the clear signs of Allah, between them is the place where Ibrahim stood(Maqaame Ibrahim).’’(3:97) So the land preserve the goodness on it. Furthermore, reported in Bukhari that Hazrat Ibn Umar used to read salaah wherever the beloved prophet SAW read salaah:

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ قَالَ رَأَيْتُ سَالِمَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَتَحَرَّى أَمَاكِنَ مِنْ الطَّرِيقِ فَيُصَلِّي فِيهَا وَيُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ أَبَاهُ كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِيهَا وَأَنَّهُ رَأَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي فِي تِلْكَ الْأَمْكِنَةِ

It is reported in Musnad Ahmad that once Ibn Umar r.a. turned his camel to the edge of the road, paused and then continued the way. When they asked him the reason for his move, he answered :’’Because I saw the beloved prophet SAW did the same move.’’

In fact Hazrat Ibn Umar r.a. used to follow every pace of the beloved prophet SAW. And he had this distinction approved by Hazrat Aisha r.a.:’’No one excelled in following the prophet SAW as Ibn Umar.’’(Hayatus Sahabah) And is it not the pace of Hajirah a.s. that we are imitating during Safa and Marwa? And for those who advocate Hazrat Umar as ‘’demolisher of pious monuments’’, then know that it is reported in Musnad Ahmad that Hazrat Umar r.a. himself told Abbas r.a. to climb on his back and replace a pipe that he displaced by mistake. A pipe that was placed by the prophet SAW himself.

فقال عمر للعباس : عزمت عليك لما صعدت على ظهرى حتى تضعه فى الموضع الذى وضعه رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – ففعل ذلك العباس (ابن سعد ، وأحمد ، وابن عساكر)

So we should preserve those pious places, masjids and paces of the prophet SAW for future generations. We have no right to make mahroom those generations oncoming from the pious places where we should salaah and dourouds and take the benefits of that piety left on that land.

As such we should go to all those places that the beloved prophet SAW went. Do not take sand nor worship that place. Rather go like Ibn Umar, following the footsteps of the beloved prophet SAW. In fact each footstep of the beloved prophet SAW is a Ziyarat! And it is incumbent and important to keep these places, because sahabas kept these landmarks for tabi`eens and forthcoming generation. In fact the long hadith of Bukhari describing the minute detail of each place that the beloved prophet SAW prayed and rested. These landmarks are important and we should revive the sunnah of praying there.