Bismihi Ta`ala
A Hajj needs preparations. Allah Ta`ala exhorts us to prepare for it: ‘’The Hajj is to be performed in the months that are well known. So whoever undertakes Hajj, he should not be involved in intimate activities, nor in sins and quarrelling in the Hajj. Whatever good you do, Allah will know it. Take provisions along, for the merit of having provision is Taqwa(Piety and to abstain from begging), and fear me, O men of understanding!’’(2:197)

The preparation of Hajj is first to have all financial needs during your journey and also at home.

Also you need to be physically fit by exercising walking, because there is a great need for Hujaajs to walk in Tawaaf, jamarat and other rites. But above all, you need Taqwa to follow all the prescriptions of Hajj and abstain from the prohibitions. In all travelling, we need Taqwa because we have no more the conventional environment of our local society. Before you leave for Hajj, meet the imaam of your masjid or a grand `Alim of your area. It is sunnah to meet the spiritual leader before leaving. Reported in Abu Dawood and Tirmizi that Hazrat Umar r.a. asked permission from Rasouloullah SAW before leaving for Umrah. The beloved prophet SAW instructed us what to say to a person leaving for Hajj or Umrah:’’O my brother, do not forget me in your Du`as.’’(Tirmizi)عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ
جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ سَفَرًا
فَزَوِّدْنِي قَالَ زَوَّدَكَ اللَّهُ التَّقْوَى قَالَ زِدْنِي قَالَ وَغَفَرَ ذَنْبَكَ قَالَ زِدْنِي بِأَبِي أَنْتَ
وَأُمِّي قَالَ وَيَسَّرَ لَكَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُمَا كُنْتَ
ترمذي
Once a sahabah came to the prophet Swalallahou `Alaihi Wasallam and informed him that he intended for a travel. He asked the prophet SAW some provision advices useful for his journey. The beloved prophet SAW gave him this du`a: ‘’May Allah Ta`ala give you the provision of Taqwa. He asked for more. The prophet added: ‘’And forgive your sins.’’ He asked for more. The prophet SAW said: ‘’And facilitate blessings towards you wherever you are.’’(Tirmizi)

But the most important provision is the provision of having the spirit of Hajj as the beloved prophet SAW had. This spirit of Hajj can be easily found by going in the path of Allah before going for Hajj. Sheikh Abdullah of Makkah, a jamaat saathi, relates that he did about 45 Hajjs. But the Hajj he did as from he went 4 months was enormously different and had an enormous high spirit of Hajj. In fact, M Yousuf Kandlewi r.a. initiated the effort of Da`wat in Hajj. As a result that the work of Da`wat reached the four corners of the world.

We have seen that those who went in the path of Allah could cope better than anyone in difficult circumstances of Hajj. That is why M Yousuf r.a. requested that we set jamaats especially to involve future Hujaajs so as they may prepare better for the spiritual and da`wat spirit of Hajj.

Establish Talims/gasht/bayaans in your respective floor of your hotels. In fact the beloved prophet SAW`s duas was more for his ummah. He asked forgiveness for us repeatedly in Arafah. Some were not accepted then. But he repeated the same dua after Fajr in Muzdalifah where the du`as were fully accepted.(Ibn Majah)

Fikr for Hidayat of the ummah, giving individual da`wah to every Haji and du`as for the whole Ummah is a request for all Hajis. Please make du`a for us and the ummah, especially for Syria, Palestine and Kashmir.