As we celebrate Idd -el-Hajj in a couple of days time, I would like to greet you Idd Mubarak with the following message about the esoteric understanding or interpretation of Hajj.
In one of the Ginans, Pir Hassan Kabirdeen says:
"Mune didhaa Deedar Mowlaa e
Kaabaa to maru dil chhe, hardam hajj thaae"
Meaning:
The Lord has granted me the Deedar (spiritual enlightenment) . Kaba has now become my heart and Hajj happens all the time!
In the following most celebrated poem of Nasir Khusraw entitled "The Wasted Pilgrimage", he alludes to the esoteric dimension of the various rites that are performed during Hajj. I enjoy reading it occasionally and I hope you will as well!
A wasted Pilgrimage
The pilgrims had returned, reverenced and honoured,
giving thanks to God for His compassion and mercy,
from the dangers and hardships of the Arabian journey,
and saved - no doubt - from hell and painful chastisement,
having walked from Arafat to Mecca and answered
the pilgrim s call with joy, having performed
all the duties of the Hajj and retuned home
hale and hearty. I decided to go and welcome them back
but I m afraid I asked too many questions
and put my foot in it. Among the caravan, one
was a particular friend of mine, a dear man.
Tell me how you made it through this dangerous
journey I said.All the time you have been away
I ve had nothing but sorrow for companionship.
Congratulations, Haji! There s no one like you
in our whole province, I m sure. Tell me
how you visited that sacred place, with what
honour and dignity you beheld it. Tell me
about the donning the pilgrim s robe, and what
your inner intentions were at that moment.
Did you prohibit to yourself everything other
than the Eternal Lord?
Well . . . . no , he admitted.
Did you answer the call out of knowledge
and with due reverence? Did you hear the summons
of the Lord, and answer back, like Moses?
Well . . . . um . . .
At Arafat, when in the presence of God, did
you welcome His Knower, and the denyer of your self?
Did the breeze of Gnosis blow upon your you?
. . . uh . . . to tell the truth I . . .
When you sacrificed the obligatory sheep
did you see yourself in proximity to Him
and think of the sheep as your carnal soul?
My what? I say . . .
When you entered the Sacred Grounds were you safe
from the evil of your lower self and from the sorrow
of separation, the chastisement of Hell?
You see, actually . . . .
When you threw stones at the Accursed One
did you fling out of yourself all bad habits
and reprehensible acts?
Umm . . . um . . .
When you prayed at the Station of Abraham
did you, in truth, faith and certitude, submit
the very core of your being to the Absolute?
The what?
At the time of circumambulation, when you
were no doubt running around fast as an ostrich,
did you remind yourself of the circling cherubim
around the Celestial Throne?
Really, Nasir, what . . .?
Did you behold in your purity of heart the Two Worlds
and become inwardly free of both Paradise and Hell?
NO, NO, NO!
Now that you have come back, is your heart
pained by separation from the Kaaba?
Did you bury your selfish ego in the tomb
. . . or are you still no better than a
decaying bag of bones?
I must admit
he answered,that in all these matters
I seem not to have known the true from the false.
Then, my friend , I said,you have not made
a pilgrimage, and have not taken up residence
in the Abode of Annihilation. You have simply
visited Mecca and come back, having purchased
the toils of the desert with your silver.
If you ever go again, bear in mind
all that I have said.
HAJJ
When I went to Karachi in 1981, I was told the following anecdote:
Mowlana Shah Karim visited the Sulan Muhammad Shah Takri in Karachi with some leaders. From the top, he asked them where is the Qaba? The leaders started looking east and west, searching for direction but could not reply.
One of the caretaker [he was from Hunza] was summoned and he was asked the same question. I felt at the feet of Hazar Imam and kissed-it. Crying loudly, he said Khudawind, here is the Qaba. Hazar Imam said, you are right.
Nagib
Mowlana Shah Karim visited the Sulan Muhammad Shah Takri in Karachi with some leaders. From the top, he asked them where is the Qaba? The leaders started looking east and west, searching for direction but could not reply.
One of the caretaker [he was from Hunza] was summoned and he was asked the same question. I felt at the feet of Hazar Imam and kissed-it. Crying loudly, he said Khudawind, here is the Qaba. Hazar Imam said, you are right.
Nagib
Technology Changing Hajj Pilgrimage
Technology Changing Hajj Pilgrimage
Mon Jan 17, 8:08 AM ET Technology - AP
By ADNAN MALIK, Associated Press Writer
MECCA, Saudi Arabia - Modern technology has changed the way Muslims experience the hajj pilgrimage, a rite required of able-bodied faithful who can afford it at least once in a lifetime. It has also perhaps changed the way they experience being Muslims, as Islamic militants have popularly seized on the Internet as a tool for publicizing their extremist, often violent, version of the religion.
Dressed in a seamless white robe, Algerian pilgrim Tayyeb Bouguettaya circled the Kaaba several times Monday with a prayer booklet in one hand and a mobile phone in the other, reciting religious mantras in unison with his wife a continent away.
"This is the last tawaf (round). Now recite with me, 'In the name of Allah, Allahu Akbar,' "an overwhelmed Bouguettaya, 30, said to his wife, Mina, as he began his final counterclockwise circuit around the sacred black cubic structure.
Outside the holy Kaaba, which Muslims around the world face in prayer five times a day, Bouguettaya was thrilled to have had the technology to share his pilgrimage with his wife, who stayed at home in Algiers.
"I am so happy, it felt like both me and my wife were facing Allah together," Bouguettaya said, standing in front of Islam's holiest shrine.
Moments later, his Nokia mobile phone rang again. "It's my business contact in China," said the electronics dealer with a smile. "I'll e-mail you a little later," he said to the caller, and then returned to his rituals.
Nearby, several other mobiles were ringing, one of them to the tune of pop star Michael Jackson's "Beat It."
Prepaid mobile phone chips are selling easily for 125 riyals (US$33), and Internet cafes are a flourishing business in this holy city.
Outside the Grand Mosque, pilgrims were clicking digital photos to later e-mail home.
"It's my first time using the Internet during the pilgrimage, but it helps me mix work and worship," said Bayo Salau, a 38-year-old businessman from Lagos, Nigeria, who was e-mailing his hajj reflections to his wife from a hotel computer.
But Salau acknowledged that though modern communications were "a blessing," there was a negative side.
Dozens of Islamic Web sites have been launched in recent years, many of them reflecting on the punitive or violent side of the faith followed by the world's 1 billion Muslims. Some are chat-based, allowing for a dialogue about the religion, but many take a militant stance, advocating violence against Westerners in Islamic countries, promoting holy war and boasting of attacks.
"You don't want to get too carried away with this stuff, there's a lot of bad things out there," Salau said, referring to pornography and also violent footage of beheadings and other violence posted by Islamic extremists.
Pilgrim and cleric Sheik Armiyawo Shaidu, 47, of Accra, Ghana, agreed, saying the extremists have taken better advantage of technology than moderate Muslims.
"This kind of advancement in communication has provided a very unnecessary but prominent platform to the extremists who are sending across negative messages that is not only harming people but also our peaceful religion," Shaidu said, referring to the violence in Iraq.
"These people (terrorists) have successfully used these tools to confuse the minds of Muslims who are open to extremist views," he said adding that most modern Muslims were "voiceless."
"I think we need a more pro-active approach to the problem and plan ahead of time to beat them to their own game," he said.
Mon Jan 17, 8:08 AM ET Technology - AP
By ADNAN MALIK, Associated Press Writer
MECCA, Saudi Arabia - Modern technology has changed the way Muslims experience the hajj pilgrimage, a rite required of able-bodied faithful who can afford it at least once in a lifetime. It has also perhaps changed the way they experience being Muslims, as Islamic militants have popularly seized on the Internet as a tool for publicizing their extremist, often violent, version of the religion.
Dressed in a seamless white robe, Algerian pilgrim Tayyeb Bouguettaya circled the Kaaba several times Monday with a prayer booklet in one hand and a mobile phone in the other, reciting religious mantras in unison with his wife a continent away.
"This is the last tawaf (round). Now recite with me, 'In the name of Allah, Allahu Akbar,' "an overwhelmed Bouguettaya, 30, said to his wife, Mina, as he began his final counterclockwise circuit around the sacred black cubic structure.
Outside the holy Kaaba, which Muslims around the world face in prayer five times a day, Bouguettaya was thrilled to have had the technology to share his pilgrimage with his wife, who stayed at home in Algiers.
"I am so happy, it felt like both me and my wife were facing Allah together," Bouguettaya said, standing in front of Islam's holiest shrine.
Moments later, his Nokia mobile phone rang again. "It's my business contact in China," said the electronics dealer with a smile. "I'll e-mail you a little later," he said to the caller, and then returned to his rituals.
Nearby, several other mobiles were ringing, one of them to the tune of pop star Michael Jackson's "Beat It."
Prepaid mobile phone chips are selling easily for 125 riyals (US$33), and Internet cafes are a flourishing business in this holy city.
Outside the Grand Mosque, pilgrims were clicking digital photos to later e-mail home.
"It's my first time using the Internet during the pilgrimage, but it helps me mix work and worship," said Bayo Salau, a 38-year-old businessman from Lagos, Nigeria, who was e-mailing his hajj reflections to his wife from a hotel computer.
But Salau acknowledged that though modern communications were "a blessing," there was a negative side.
Dozens of Islamic Web sites have been launched in recent years, many of them reflecting on the punitive or violent side of the faith followed by the world's 1 billion Muslims. Some are chat-based, allowing for a dialogue about the religion, but many take a militant stance, advocating violence against Westerners in Islamic countries, promoting holy war and boasting of attacks.
"You don't want to get too carried away with this stuff, there's a lot of bad things out there," Salau said, referring to pornography and also violent footage of beheadings and other violence posted by Islamic extremists.
Pilgrim and cleric Sheik Armiyawo Shaidu, 47, of Accra, Ghana, agreed, saying the extremists have taken better advantage of technology than moderate Muslims.
"This kind of advancement in communication has provided a very unnecessary but prominent platform to the extremists who are sending across negative messages that is not only harming people but also our peaceful religion," Shaidu said, referring to the violence in Iraq.
"These people (terrorists) have successfully used these tools to confuse the minds of Muslims who are open to extremist views," he said adding that most modern Muslims were "voiceless."
"I think we need a more pro-active approach to the problem and plan ahead of time to beat them to their own game," he said.
15 November 2010
Are British Muslims being priced out of pilgrimages?
By Robert Pigott BBC News religious affairs correspondent
Jahangir Akhtar Jahangir Akhtar says it will be a tragedy if he does not get to Hajj
Even in Luton, the Holy City of Mecca looms large.
In the town's Central Mosque, Muslims turn to face in the direction of Mecca, kneel and touch their faces to the floor in prayer.
Dominating the wall in front of them are two large photographs, showing teeming crowds of pilgrims swirling in a broad river of people around the al-Haram mosque at the spot where their religion was founded.
An estimated 100,000 British Muslims are already in Mecca for the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage that Muslims are called upon to make once in their lifetimes.
But many more have been left behind, excluded from what they regard as a sacred duty by an extraordinary increase in prices.
Jahangir Akhtar is one of them.
At a stone's throw from the mosque Mr Aktar and his wife look wistfully through colourful brochures advertising "Hajj packages" they stand almost no chance of buying.
The Akhtars are in their 50s, unemployed and live on benefits.
They know that Muslims are obliged to go on the pilgrimage only if they can afford to, and are well enough.
Richer person's privilege?
But Hajj is also one of the five "pillars" of Islam.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
Most British Muslims, who would love to go to Hajj - whose earnings are meagre like mine - can no longer afford it, and that hurts”
End Quote Ajmal Masroor Islamic Society of Britain
These are the central obligations - such as giving to the poor and fasting during Ramadan - which according to Islam every Muslim must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life.
It means people like the Akhtars are desperate to go, but can see no prospect of ever doing so.
"I am unemployed. I get £52 a week to live on," says Jahangir Akhtar, "and the packages are getting more and more expensive.
"I saw in a newspaper advertisement that they cost £2,500 or £2,800 with different companies. I don't want to blame anyone but my point of view is 'think about the poor people'. In Islam they teach you to think about the poor people, not the rich people."
But there is a growing perception that Hajj is becoming a richer person's privilege.
Small, cheaper, hotels in Mecca have been replaced by larger, more expensive ones.
Ajmal Masroor, of the Islamic Society of Britain, claims that increasing bureaucracy connected with the Hajj in Saudi Arabia is also inflating the cost.
Muslim pilgrims pray around the Grand Mosque in Mecca on November 12, 2010 Some 2.5 million pilgrims descend on the Saudi holy city for the annual Hajj
He says there has been a proliferation of agents and middlemen, each intent on taking a share.
"I went on Hajj four years ago and I only paid £1,400, and that was affordable, or just about," says Mr Masroor.
"Now you're talking about £4,000 or £5,000. That's almost impossible for middle class and middle income families to be able to go to Hajj, and they're the majority.
"So most British Muslims, who would love to go to Hajj - whose earnings are meagre like mine - can no longer afford it, and that hurts."
But the Saudi government insists that it is committed to keeping prices "affordable".
A statement from the Saudi embassy in London hinted at other reasons for the increasing cost of Hajj.
It said: "The cost of services provided by travel companies which operate Hajj tours is however a factor of the marketplace in the UK, over which the Saudi Arabian government has no control."
'Unregulated'
Some travel companies have been blamed by British Muslims for the surge in prices, and some have been accused outright of overcharging vulnerable people.
Sean Tipton, of the Association of British Travel Agents, says part of the problem is that many of the companies are unregulated, and ready to squeeze as much revenue as they can out of a market where demand is rising.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
It is every Muslim's dream to go to Hajj. I hope my dream will come true, but I don't think so. It would be a tragedy for my life”
End Quote Jahangir Akhtar
However, the pilgrimage has become increasingly crowded - a million people went in 1996, and 2.5 million went last year.
That makes it partly a matter of demand and supply.
"Prices can rise just as much in registered companies as in non-registered companies," says Mr Tipton.
"When you have large numbers of people wanting to go away in a limited period of time on Hajj, then unfortunately it's going to cost more than if you were to go away at another time of year."
Muslims can visit the holy sites in Mecca at other times of the year - a pilgrimage known as Umrah.
But only the Hajj - which falls in the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar - will satisfy the longing of Jahangir Akhtar.
"Half my life is gone," he says. "I don't know how long I will survive, it could be five years, it could be five minutes.
"It is every Muslim's dream to go to Hajj. I hope my dream will come true, but I don't think so. It would be a tragedy for my life. I am a very sad person, you know."
During Hajj, Muslim men dress alike, in the simplest of white clothes - rich and poor, equal before God.
But poor Muslims say this spirit of equality will be undermined if the rising price of pilgrimage excludes them from their holy city.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11749511
Are British Muslims being priced out of pilgrimages?
By Robert Pigott BBC News religious affairs correspondent
Jahangir Akhtar Jahangir Akhtar says it will be a tragedy if he does not get to Hajj
Even in Luton, the Holy City of Mecca looms large.
In the town's Central Mosque, Muslims turn to face in the direction of Mecca, kneel and touch their faces to the floor in prayer.
Dominating the wall in front of them are two large photographs, showing teeming crowds of pilgrims swirling in a broad river of people around the al-Haram mosque at the spot where their religion was founded.
An estimated 100,000 British Muslims are already in Mecca for the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage that Muslims are called upon to make once in their lifetimes.
But many more have been left behind, excluded from what they regard as a sacred duty by an extraordinary increase in prices.
Jahangir Akhtar is one of them.
At a stone's throw from the mosque Mr Aktar and his wife look wistfully through colourful brochures advertising "Hajj packages" they stand almost no chance of buying.
The Akhtars are in their 50s, unemployed and live on benefits.
They know that Muslims are obliged to go on the pilgrimage only if they can afford to, and are well enough.
Richer person's privilege?
But Hajj is also one of the five "pillars" of Islam.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
Most British Muslims, who would love to go to Hajj - whose earnings are meagre like mine - can no longer afford it, and that hurts”
End Quote Ajmal Masroor Islamic Society of Britain
These are the central obligations - such as giving to the poor and fasting during Ramadan - which according to Islam every Muslim must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life.
It means people like the Akhtars are desperate to go, but can see no prospect of ever doing so.
"I am unemployed. I get £52 a week to live on," says Jahangir Akhtar, "and the packages are getting more and more expensive.
"I saw in a newspaper advertisement that they cost £2,500 or £2,800 with different companies. I don't want to blame anyone but my point of view is 'think about the poor people'. In Islam they teach you to think about the poor people, not the rich people."
But there is a growing perception that Hajj is becoming a richer person's privilege.
Small, cheaper, hotels in Mecca have been replaced by larger, more expensive ones.
Ajmal Masroor, of the Islamic Society of Britain, claims that increasing bureaucracy connected with the Hajj in Saudi Arabia is also inflating the cost.
Muslim pilgrims pray around the Grand Mosque in Mecca on November 12, 2010 Some 2.5 million pilgrims descend on the Saudi holy city for the annual Hajj
He says there has been a proliferation of agents and middlemen, each intent on taking a share.
"I went on Hajj four years ago and I only paid £1,400, and that was affordable, or just about," says Mr Masroor.
"Now you're talking about £4,000 or £5,000. That's almost impossible for middle class and middle income families to be able to go to Hajj, and they're the majority.
"So most British Muslims, who would love to go to Hajj - whose earnings are meagre like mine - can no longer afford it, and that hurts."
But the Saudi government insists that it is committed to keeping prices "affordable".
A statement from the Saudi embassy in London hinted at other reasons for the increasing cost of Hajj.
It said: "The cost of services provided by travel companies which operate Hajj tours is however a factor of the marketplace in the UK, over which the Saudi Arabian government has no control."
'Unregulated'
Some travel companies have been blamed by British Muslims for the surge in prices, and some have been accused outright of overcharging vulnerable people.
Sean Tipton, of the Association of British Travel Agents, says part of the problem is that many of the companies are unregulated, and ready to squeeze as much revenue as they can out of a market where demand is rising.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
It is every Muslim's dream to go to Hajj. I hope my dream will come true, but I don't think so. It would be a tragedy for my life”
End Quote Jahangir Akhtar
However, the pilgrimage has become increasingly crowded - a million people went in 1996, and 2.5 million went last year.
That makes it partly a matter of demand and supply.
"Prices can rise just as much in registered companies as in non-registered companies," says Mr Tipton.
"When you have large numbers of people wanting to go away in a limited period of time on Hajj, then unfortunately it's going to cost more than if you were to go away at another time of year."
Muslims can visit the holy sites in Mecca at other times of the year - a pilgrimage known as Umrah.
But only the Hajj - which falls in the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar - will satisfy the longing of Jahangir Akhtar.
"Half my life is gone," he says. "I don't know how long I will survive, it could be five years, it could be five minutes.
"It is every Muslim's dream to go to Hajj. I hope my dream will come true, but I don't think so. It would be a tragedy for my life. I am a very sad person, you know."
During Hajj, Muslim men dress alike, in the simplest of white clothes - rich and poor, equal before God.
But poor Muslims say this spirit of equality will be undermined if the rising price of pilgrimage excludes them from their holy city.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11749511
Hajj Diaries: The Multiple Dimensions of Muslim Pilgrimage
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-zahra- ... 77913.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-zahra- ... 77913.html
There is an interesting anecdote below related to Rumi about hajj.
There was a woman in Konya named Fehrunnisa, which means "the glory of women." She often participated in the meetings at Rumi's house, and he often visited hers. They were great companions in their love for God. Some of Fehrunnisa's friends suggested that she go on hajj. She said she would consult with Jelaluddin about it. As she entered his presence, he called out, "Great idea! Have a fine journey. God willing, we'll go together!" She heard, but said nothing. The others present were baffled by this exchange. That night she stayed as a guest, deep in conversation with Rumi until midnight, when he went up on the roof to worship and perform the vigil. As he finished praying, he fell into an ecstatic trance, sighing and shouting. He lifted the skylight to the room below and called Fehrunnisa to join him. As she came up unto the roof, she saw very plainly the cube of the Kaaba turning in the sky like a dervish, every detail perfectly clear. She screamed out in joy and lost consciousness. When she revived, she realized she did not need to make the trip to Mecca.
Source: Say I am You Rumi
Poetry Interspersed with Stories of Rumi and Shams
translated by John Moyne and Coleman Barks.
There was a woman in Konya named Fehrunnisa, which means "the glory of women." She often participated in the meetings at Rumi's house, and he often visited hers. They were great companions in their love for God. Some of Fehrunnisa's friends suggested that she go on hajj. She said she would consult with Jelaluddin about it. As she entered his presence, he called out, "Great idea! Have a fine journey. God willing, we'll go together!" She heard, but said nothing. The others present were baffled by this exchange. That night she stayed as a guest, deep in conversation with Rumi until midnight, when he went up on the roof to worship and perform the vigil. As he finished praying, he fell into an ecstatic trance, sighing and shouting. He lifted the skylight to the room below and called Fehrunnisa to join him. As she came up unto the roof, she saw very plainly the cube of the Kaaba turning in the sky like a dervish, every detail perfectly clear. She screamed out in joy and lost consciousness. When she revived, she realized she did not need to make the trip to Mecca.
Source: Say I am You Rumi
Poetry Interspersed with Stories of Rumi and Shams
translated by John Moyne and Coleman Barks.
Hujj
By: Ahmad Al-Akhrad
Every year, Muslims from all over the world take part in the largest gathering on Earth, the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. The Hajj is a religious obligation that every Muslim must fulfill, if financially and physically able, at least once in his or her lifetime. During these historic days, white, brown and black people, rich and poor, kings and peasants, men and women, old and young will all stand before God, all brothers and sisters, at the holiest of shrines in the center of the Muslim world, where all will call upon God to accept their good deeds. These days represent the zenith of every Muslim's lifetime.
The Hajj symbolizes the lessons taught by the final prophet, Muhammad, who stood on the plain of Arafat, proclaimed the completion of his mission and announced the proclamation of God: "This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam, or submission to God, as your religion" (Quran 5:3).
This great annual convention of faith demonstrates the concept of equality of mankind, the most profound message of Islam, which allows no superiority on the basis of race, gender or social status. The only preference in the eyes of God is piety as stated in the Quran: "The best amongst you in the eyes of God is most righteous."
During the days of the Hajj, Muslims dress in the same simple way, observe the same regulations and say the same prayers at the same time in the same manner, for the same end. There is no royalty and aristocracy, but humility and devotion. These times confirm the commitment of Muslims, all Muslims, to God. It affirms their readiness to leave the material interest for his sake.
The Hajj is a reminder of the Grand Assembly on the Day of Judgment when people will stand equal before God waiting for their final destiny, and as the Prophet Muhammad said, "God does not judge according to your bodies and appearances, but he scans your hearts and looks into your deeds."
The Quran states these ideals really nicely (49:13): "O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other)). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)."
While Malcolm X was in Mecca performing his pilgrimage, he wrote to his assistants: "They asked me what about the Hajj had impressed me the most. . . . I said, `The brotherhood! The people of all races, colors, from all over the world coming together as one! It has proved to me the power of the One God.' . . . All ate as one, and slept as one. Everything about the pilgrimage atmosphere accented the oneness of man under one God."
This is what the Hajj is all about.
By: Ahmad Al-Akhrad
Every year, Muslims from all over the world take part in the largest gathering on Earth, the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. The Hajj is a religious obligation that every Muslim must fulfill, if financially and physically able, at least once in his or her lifetime. During these historic days, white, brown and black people, rich and poor, kings and peasants, men and women, old and young will all stand before God, all brothers and sisters, at the holiest of shrines in the center of the Muslim world, where all will call upon God to accept their good deeds. These days represent the zenith of every Muslim's lifetime.
The Hajj symbolizes the lessons taught by the final prophet, Muhammad, who stood on the plain of Arafat, proclaimed the completion of his mission and announced the proclamation of God: "This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam, or submission to God, as your religion" (Quran 5:3).
This great annual convention of faith demonstrates the concept of equality of mankind, the most profound message of Islam, which allows no superiority on the basis of race, gender or social status. The only preference in the eyes of God is piety as stated in the Quran: "The best amongst you in the eyes of God is most righteous."
During the days of the Hajj, Muslims dress in the same simple way, observe the same regulations and say the same prayers at the same time in the same manner, for the same end. There is no royalty and aristocracy, but humility and devotion. These times confirm the commitment of Muslims, all Muslims, to God. It affirms their readiness to leave the material interest for his sake.
The Hajj is a reminder of the Grand Assembly on the Day of Judgment when people will stand equal before God waiting for their final destiny, and as the Prophet Muhammad said, "God does not judge according to your bodies and appearances, but he scans your hearts and looks into your deeds."
The Quran states these ideals really nicely (49:13): "O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other)). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)."
While Malcolm X was in Mecca performing his pilgrimage, he wrote to his assistants: "They asked me what about the Hajj had impressed me the most. . . . I said, `The brotherhood! The people of all races, colors, from all over the world coming together as one! It has proved to me the power of the One God.' . . . All ate as one, and slept as one. Everything about the pilgrimage atmosphere accented the oneness of man under one God."
This is what the Hajj is all about.
The Meaning of Hajj:
the Hajj of the Heart
1. The Hajj is an inward journey to the Ka'bah of the heart and soul.
2. The Hajj consists of the Hajj of the Body (walking, standing, collecting and throwing), the Hajj of the Mind (performing the rites with understanding) and the Hajj of the Heart (performed in total submission to The Almighty).
3. The Ka'bah is not the destination; it is the starting point of one's commitment to cast away one's bad ways and to begin afresh a new Allah-centred life.
4. In tawaf, the pilgrim is like a drop of water that has become part of the river that is flowing to its origin, the ocean of Eternity. This life is a journey of return to The Merciful.
5. Sa'ee makes one aware that the Allah-centred life must be filled with "effort" (meaning of sa'ee). It is effort anchored in complete submission to Allah The Merciful that will bring the right results, just as it did for a mother who ran several times from one end of the valley to another in search of water in the harsh desert environment.
6. When the pilgrim leaves the Ka'bah in the direction of Arafah to begin his Hajj, he is moving away from The House to meet The Lord of The House. Arafat is outside the boundary of The Holy Land (Haram), signifying that The Lord of The House is everywhere, and is closer to man than he is to his own jugular vein. [The Holy Qur'an, 50:16]
[Excerpts from Hajj of the Heart by Dr Y Mansoor Marican, Ph. D.]
the Hajj of the Heart
1. The Hajj is an inward journey to the Ka'bah of the heart and soul.
2. The Hajj consists of the Hajj of the Body (walking, standing, collecting and throwing), the Hajj of the Mind (performing the rites with understanding) and the Hajj of the Heart (performed in total submission to The Almighty).
3. The Ka'bah is not the destination; it is the starting point of one's commitment to cast away one's bad ways and to begin afresh a new Allah-centred life.
4. In tawaf, the pilgrim is like a drop of water that has become part of the river that is flowing to its origin, the ocean of Eternity. This life is a journey of return to The Merciful.
5. Sa'ee makes one aware that the Allah-centred life must be filled with "effort" (meaning of sa'ee). It is effort anchored in complete submission to Allah The Merciful that will bring the right results, just as it did for a mother who ran several times from one end of the valley to another in search of water in the harsh desert environment.
6. When the pilgrim leaves the Ka'bah in the direction of Arafah to begin his Hajj, he is moving away from The House to meet The Lord of The House. Arafat is outside the boundary of The Holy Land (Haram), signifying that The Lord of The House is everywhere, and is closer to man than he is to his own jugular vein. [The Holy Qur'an, 50:16]
[Excerpts from Hajj of the Heart by Dr Y Mansoor Marican, Ph. D.]
It is obvious. Those who cannot afford it, Allah will forgive them.kmaherali wrote:For the majority of the Muslims it is an unrealistic aspiration. They simply cannot afford it. Have you performed hajj?zznoor wrote: The Hajj is a religious obligation that every Muslim must fulfill, if financially and physically able, at least once in his or her lifetime.
Yes I have performed hajj. May Allah accept it.
How do you perform "Batini Hajj"?
Are you physically and financially able to perform Hajj? If yes then as a Muslim, and as per Quran is it not obligatory on you?
Admin:
Is there any harm in knowing Zahiri meaning and method of hajj. Is there Farman on that?
Salaam
We believe that the Imam is the Qibla and he is everpresent in Jamat Khana. Hence attending JK is performing the Batini Hajj. It is available to all including the poor.zznoor wrote: How do you perform "Batini Hajj"?
Whether I am financially and physically able or not, I will never perform the Zaheri Hajj because I get all the benefit by attending Jamat Khana.zznoor wrote: Are you physically and financially able to perform Hajj? If yes then as a Muslim, and as per Quran is it not obligatory on you?
There is no harm in knowing the Zahiri meaning and method of hajj. We are always encouraged by MHI to seek knowledge of other faiths and their practices. But this would be purely for acedemic reasons as opposed to the purpose of practising. In fact in the first post of this thread, I highlighted the meaning of the various rituals of Hajj as expounded by Nasir Khusraw.zznoor wrote: Admin:
Is there any harm in knowing Zahiri meaning and method of hajj. Is there Farman on that?
Salaam
The article below is about the growing desire for pilgrimages across all faiths.
The New Allure of Sacred Pilgrimages
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/12/21/su ... rrer=&_r=0
There is a small reference to Muslim hajj.
"But pilgrimage has exploded recently for a variety of reasons, including the ease of international travel. Though all Muslims are called to make the hajj at least once, in 1920 only 50,000 people did. Last year it was more than two million.
.....
The idea of suffering links many pilgrimages. Often the food is bad, the accommodations uncomfortable, the weather unpleasant. Traveling in congested places, with little sleep and upset stomachs, is taxing. This is especially true in Mecca, where busloads are assigned slots to visit popular sites, often in the middle of the night.
Amira Quraishi, the Muslim chaplain of Wellesley College, was especially disappointed by the disjointed schedule and, as a woman, by being kept from Muhammad’s tomb. “I couldn’t see anything from the women’s section,” she said. “It was all blocked off.” For a second, she started to cry. “Sorry, I get emotional at random moments. But it just feels like the prophet is farther away.” Later she twisted her knee and finished the hajj in a wheelchair — a journey she ultimately called “enlivening.”
The New Allure of Sacred Pilgrimages
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/12/21/su ... rrer=&_r=0
There is a small reference to Muslim hajj.
"But pilgrimage has exploded recently for a variety of reasons, including the ease of international travel. Though all Muslims are called to make the hajj at least once, in 1920 only 50,000 people did. Last year it was more than two million.
.....
The idea of suffering links many pilgrimages. Often the food is bad, the accommodations uncomfortable, the weather unpleasant. Traveling in congested places, with little sleep and upset stomachs, is taxing. This is especially true in Mecca, where busloads are assigned slots to visit popular sites, often in the middle of the night.
Amira Quraishi, the Muslim chaplain of Wellesley College, was especially disappointed by the disjointed schedule and, as a woman, by being kept from Muhammad’s tomb. “I couldn’t see anything from the women’s section,” she said. “It was all blocked off.” For a second, she started to cry. “Sorry, I get emotional at random moments. But it just feels like the prophet is farther away.” Later she twisted her knee and finished the hajj in a wheelchair — a journey she ultimately called “enlivening.”
PBS goes on the Hajj with Muslim pilgrims from around Boston
http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-12-23/p ... und-boston
There is a radio interview and a video as well.
For a small group of Muslims from the Boston area, making the Hajj pilgrimage is a matter of fulfilling an Islamic duty. But each of them is also seeking something more personal.
A recently divorced man wants help from God to move on; a Muslim chaplin looks for spiritual meaning; her husband, a physician, will check something off his lifelong to-do list; another man will be leaving the United States for the first time.
These are main characters in "The Hajj," an episode from a new PBS series called "Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler."
The Hajj is the pilgrimage that begins and ends in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. For the world's 1.5 billion Muslims — nearly a quarter of the global population — it's a religious obligation to make the Hajj at least once in their lifetime. That means several million people crowd into Mecca every single year.
“The Hajj is the iconic pilgrimage on earth,” says Bruce Feiler, whose six-part television series about religious pilgrimage also includes episodes from Lourdes, France; Shikoku, Japan; and Jerusalem. But the Hajj presented a unique logistical problem. As a non-Muslim, Feiler is prohibited from setting foot inside Mecca. That's where Anisa Mehdi came in.
http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-12-23/p ... und-boston
There is a radio interview and a video as well.
For a small group of Muslims from the Boston area, making the Hajj pilgrimage is a matter of fulfilling an Islamic duty. But each of them is also seeking something more personal.
A recently divorced man wants help from God to move on; a Muslim chaplin looks for spiritual meaning; her husband, a physician, will check something off his lifelong to-do list; another man will be leaving the United States for the first time.
These are main characters in "The Hajj," an episode from a new PBS series called "Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler."
The Hajj is the pilgrimage that begins and ends in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. For the world's 1.5 billion Muslims — nearly a quarter of the global population — it's a religious obligation to make the Hajj at least once in their lifetime. That means several million people crowd into Mecca every single year.
“The Hajj is the iconic pilgrimage on earth,” says Bruce Feiler, whose six-part television series about religious pilgrimage also includes episodes from Lourdes, France; Shikoku, Japan; and Jerusalem. But the Hajj presented a unique logistical problem. As a non-Muslim, Feiler is prohibited from setting foot inside Mecca. That's where Anisa Mehdi came in.
Esoteric Hajj: From the Physical Ka’bah to the Living Imam
http://ismailignosis.com/2015/01/02/eso ... ving-imam/
http://ismailignosis.com/2015/01/02/eso ... ving-imam/
Some Sufi views of hajj.
Hujwiri cites two kinds of Hajj:in absence from God and in the presence of God,remarking that in his view,which followed that of Junayd,"anyone who is present with God in his own house is in the same position as if he were present with God in Mecca,"and that"Hajj is self-mortification for the sake of contemplation as a means to knowledge of God."Here we should recall the legal device for justifying the executioner of Hallaj,the three-time pilgrim to Mecca: he was accused of advocating the overthrow of the religious Law by preaching that the Hajj can be fulfilled by sincere prayer performed in one's own home.
****
"God had established the Ka'ba as the focus for every Muslim,for man to prostate before Him,where the Ka'ba is nothing in between."
.....Abu Sa'id.
Hujwiri cites two kinds of Hajj:in absence from God and in the presence of God,remarking that in his view,which followed that of Junayd,"anyone who is present with God in his own house is in the same position as if he were present with God in Mecca,"and that"Hajj is self-mortification for the sake of contemplation as a means to knowledge of God."Here we should recall the legal device for justifying the executioner of Hallaj,the three-time pilgrim to Mecca: he was accused of advocating the overthrow of the religious Law by preaching that the Hajj can be fulfilled by sincere prayer performed in one's own home.
****
"God had established the Ka'ba as the focus for every Muslim,for man to prostate before Him,where the Ka'ba is nothing in between."
.....Abu Sa'id.
Pilgrims received certificates upon completion of the Hajj
The first House established for the people was that at Bakka (Mecca), a holy place and a guidance to all beings. Therein are clear signs – the Station of Abraham and whosoever enters it is in safety. It is the duty of all men towards God to make a pilgrimage to the House if they are able. (Qur’an 3:96-97)
Tile dated 17th century, Turkey, inscribed with Sura 3:96-97. (Image: Aga Khan Museum)
Tile dated 17th century, Turkey, inscribed with Sura 3:96-97. (Image: Aga Khan Museum)
The Ka’ba, situated in Mecca, is the focal point of orientation (qibla) of the daily canonical prayers (salat) of Muslims, of the deceased buried in their graves, and of the Pilgrimage (hajj), which takes place during the first two weeks of the month of Dhu’l Hijjah. The minor hajj, or umra, may be undertaken at any other time. The Ka’ba and its nearby large mosque are referred to in the Qur’an as the House of God (bayt Allah) and the sacred mosque (masjid al haram).
In pre-Islamic Arabia, people from all over Arabia flocked to the Ka’ba once a year to worship the over 300 idols that it housed. In the year 629, Prophet Muhammad removed the idols from the Ka‘ba and restored it to its original role as the symbol of a monotheistic faith and affirmed it as the site of the hajj. He also linked the Ka‘ba to Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), who, with his wife Hagar and son Ismail (Ishmael), is believed to have established a place of worship there upon God’s command.
Kiswa fragment with the names of the Prophet's family. (Image: The British Museum)
Kiswa fragment with the names of the Prophet’s family. (Image: The British Museum)
Nearby, just east of the Ka‘ba, is the Well of Zamzam, which is also linked with the Abrahamic tradition in which the well sprang forth by God’s grace in response to the intense prayers of Hagar. Its water is made available to pilgrims through a modern system of pipes.
The four corners of the Ka’ba, an irregular cube, are generally aligned with the four points of the compass. A black silk cloth, the kiswa, embroidered with Qur’anic verses covers the Ka’ba and is replaced annually, a practice that originated during medieval Muslim history. The fabrics of the previous kiswa were traditionally distributed between the ruler of Mecca, the gatekeepers of the Ka’ba, and other prominent people of Mecca who cut the textiles into fragments and sold them to pilgrims as souvenirs of the hajj. Hence, a large number of fragments of these fabrics now exist in museums and private collections. The empty interior of the Ka’ba is customarily cleaned before the hajj.
Hajj certificate (Image: Aga Khan Museum)
Hajj certificate (Image: Aga Khan Museum)
Pilgrims were often given an illustrated certificate to mark the completion of the pilgrimage. This certificate, dated 1778-79, in the Aga Khan Museum’s collection, depicts the Masjid al-Haram with the Ka’ba in the centre. The Persian text below indicates that the certificate belonged to Bibi Khanum who required the services of Sayyid Ali Wali to perform the hajj; Sayyid Ali guaranteed the performance of the hajj rites. Persian was the literary language of many Indian Muslims; some draftsmen may have been working ‘on site’ during the pilgrimage.*
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2015/ ... -the-hajj/
The first House established for the people was that at Bakka (Mecca), a holy place and a guidance to all beings. Therein are clear signs – the Station of Abraham and whosoever enters it is in safety. It is the duty of all men towards God to make a pilgrimage to the House if they are able. (Qur’an 3:96-97)
Tile dated 17th century, Turkey, inscribed with Sura 3:96-97. (Image: Aga Khan Museum)
Tile dated 17th century, Turkey, inscribed with Sura 3:96-97. (Image: Aga Khan Museum)
The Ka’ba, situated in Mecca, is the focal point of orientation (qibla) of the daily canonical prayers (salat) of Muslims, of the deceased buried in their graves, and of the Pilgrimage (hajj), which takes place during the first two weeks of the month of Dhu’l Hijjah. The minor hajj, or umra, may be undertaken at any other time. The Ka’ba and its nearby large mosque are referred to in the Qur’an as the House of God (bayt Allah) and the sacred mosque (masjid al haram).
In pre-Islamic Arabia, people from all over Arabia flocked to the Ka’ba once a year to worship the over 300 idols that it housed. In the year 629, Prophet Muhammad removed the idols from the Ka‘ba and restored it to its original role as the symbol of a monotheistic faith and affirmed it as the site of the hajj. He also linked the Ka‘ba to Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), who, with his wife Hagar and son Ismail (Ishmael), is believed to have established a place of worship there upon God’s command.
Kiswa fragment with the names of the Prophet's family. (Image: The British Museum)
Kiswa fragment with the names of the Prophet’s family. (Image: The British Museum)
Nearby, just east of the Ka‘ba, is the Well of Zamzam, which is also linked with the Abrahamic tradition in which the well sprang forth by God’s grace in response to the intense prayers of Hagar. Its water is made available to pilgrims through a modern system of pipes.
The four corners of the Ka’ba, an irregular cube, are generally aligned with the four points of the compass. A black silk cloth, the kiswa, embroidered with Qur’anic verses covers the Ka’ba and is replaced annually, a practice that originated during medieval Muslim history. The fabrics of the previous kiswa were traditionally distributed between the ruler of Mecca, the gatekeepers of the Ka’ba, and other prominent people of Mecca who cut the textiles into fragments and sold them to pilgrims as souvenirs of the hajj. Hence, a large number of fragments of these fabrics now exist in museums and private collections. The empty interior of the Ka’ba is customarily cleaned before the hajj.
Hajj certificate (Image: Aga Khan Museum)
Hajj certificate (Image: Aga Khan Museum)
Pilgrims were often given an illustrated certificate to mark the completion of the pilgrimage. This certificate, dated 1778-79, in the Aga Khan Museum’s collection, depicts the Masjid al-Haram with the Ka’ba in the centre. The Persian text below indicates that the certificate belonged to Bibi Khanum who required the services of Sayyid Ali Wali to perform the hajj; Sayyid Ali guaranteed the performance of the hajj rites. Persian was the literary language of many Indian Muslims; some draftsmen may have been working ‘on site’ during the pilgrimage.*
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2015/ ... -the-hajj/
Hundreds killed in Hajj stampede
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/24/world/gal ... index.html
A stampede during one of the last rituals of the Hajj -- the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca -- has killed and injured hundreds in Saudi Arabia. The stampede occurred Thursday, September 24, during the ritual known as "stoning the devil" in Mina, near Mecca, Islam's holiest city.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/24/world/gal ... index.html
A stampede during one of the last rituals of the Hajj -- the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca -- has killed and injured hundreds in Saudi Arabia. The stampede occurred Thursday, September 24, during the ritual known as "stoning the devil" in Mina, near Mecca, Islam's holiest city.
Science struggles to figure out what triggers stampedes
WASHINGTON — A stampede Thursday near Mecca is just the latest in a regular string of such events at the site.
MOSA’AB ELSHAMY/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Hundreds of thousands of Muslims gather on the first day of Eid al-Adha in Mina on Thursday for the annual hajj pilgrimage.
A deadly stampede Thursday is just the latest attached to the event.
It’s hard to imagine how a crowd — especially one gathered for a peaceful religious rite — can turn so deadly. While many researchers focus on how to prevent stampedes, there has been little research on what happens once a stampede starts — or why, exactly, they begin.
In 2010, a review of stampedes found, despite efforts, they’re on the rise. But the researchers noted little was known about the actual triggers for these events.
Mechanically, stampedes are tragically simplistic. Once people are pushed tightly against one another (about seven people per 10 square feet of space, according to one study) it’s vital those in the front keep moving as quickly as those behind them. Otherwise, the people in the back — unable to see the front of the crowd — will move forward seeking more space, assuming those in the front will continue to move to make way for them.
The front of the group then gets squeezed, sometimes producing enough force to crush people where they stand.
Experts have argued that blaming the behaviour of the crowd is a mistake, since most stampedes probably can be boiled down to the physical limits of their location. Even stampedes that occur at rowdier events such as soccer games, Black Friday sales or music festivals are more likely a result of physical strain than human behaviour.
When people do get panicked, it certainly doesn’t help. In a tightly packed crowd, we’re victims of our own biology. The typical “fight or flight” response, where one feels a surge of adrenalin, is anything but helpful.
If the thousands of people vying for space could be calm and collected, stampedes at this magnitude simply wouldn’t occur. But, faced with death, most will be slave to a racing heartbeat and hyperventilation — and an urge to run for safety at any cost.
********
Hajj Tragedy Inflames Schisms During a Pilgrimage Designed for Unity
BEIRUT, Lebanon — For the two million Muslims from across the world performing the hajj in Saudi Arabia this year, the annual pilgrimage is a time to forget the differences in race, sect, wealth and even nationality that divide believers and focus instead on their equality before God.
But when tragedy strikes, as with the massive human crush that killed more than 700 pilgrims near a holy site on Thursday, those differences come rushing back to the surface.
A Saudi official blamed the tragedy on African pilgrims, prompting accusations of racism. Iran fired up its state apparatus to lambast Saudi Arabia, its sectarian and regional rival, over its crowd management. And some questioned Saudi Arabia’s right to solely oversee sites of pre-eminent importance to the world’s nearly 1.6 billion Muslims.
The fact that such schisms can so swiftly cloud a mass rite meant to emphasize Muslim unity disappoints many who wish for greater international cooperation.
“Hajj is the great unifier,” said Khaled Almaeena, a Saudi writer and editor who has taken part in the rite many times. “But it is unfortunate that you can’t use the hajj for a greater good, because the concept of hajj in Islam is to get people together.”
Worldly divisions often intrude, even though all the pilgrims wear simple, white gowns meant to promote the sense of equality, and the theological rifts that divide Shiites, Sunnis and other sects are easily set aside in Mecca since all perform the same rituals.
“You could be an Arab prince, you could be a South Asian construction worker, you could be an Afghan warlord and you are all wearing the same clothes and you just walk through this barren landscape and it is miserably hot,” said Basharat Peer, an Indian journalist who has written about Mecca and the hajj.
“But when you look a little more carefully,” he added, “what you see is that even during the hajj, the distinctions of wealth and class do not disappear.”
Many have criticized the Saudi authorities’ development of the sites, replacing nearby mountains with luxury hotels where wealthy Muslims can pay huge sums for hotel rooms with a view of the Kaaba, the black structure in the middle of the Grand Mosque toward which Muslims pray.
That is a profoundly different pilgrimage from that of the many poor Muslims from Africa, Southeast Asia and elsewhere who sleep far from the holy sites and have little recourse from the often sweltering weather, Mr. Peer said.
The Saudi government said that 719 people were killed in the stampede, and many of the victims were from countries across Africa and Asia, highlighting the great diversity of the pilgrimage but also revealing the Muslim community’s fractures.
The highest confirmed death toll came from Iran, which said 131 of its citizens were killed. A Shiite-led state, Iran is locked in a fierce regional battle for influence with Sunni Saudi Arabia, and Tehran swiftly used the crisis to condemn the Saudi kingdom and to question its right to control the holy sites.
During Friday Prayer at Tehran University, one imam, Ayatollah Mahmoud Emami Kashani, dismissed Saudi allegations of disorderly behavior by the pilgrims as “absurd.” Addressing a crowd of thousands who chanted for the death of the Saudi royal family, he called for Saudi officials to be tried on charges of incompetence.
After the prayer, worshipers poured into the streets to demonstrate, urged by text messages from a cellphone company calling for “spontaneous protests.” Waving black flags, they shouted, “The Saudi regime is friends of Satan” and “The security of pilgrims is no longer guaranteed.”
Iranian allies across the Middle East carried the same tune. Former Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq said the episode was “proof of the incompetence of the organizers of the pilgrimage season.” In Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, said the hajj tragedies reflected a “malfunction in the administration.”
While Saudi officials appealed for all to await the results of an official inquiry, initial reports said that large groups of pilgrims had collided on streets that had few escapes, causing the human crush. Some said that security forces had temporarily blocked passageways, causing panic and aggravating the crowding.
The head of the central hajj committee, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, blamed the accident on “some pilgrims from African nationalities,” eliciting charges of racism from those who accuse Gulf Arabs of looking down on blacks. Other Saudi citizens cast the blame back at Iran.
Dr. Khalid al-Saud, a member of the royal family, wrote on Twitter that “the time has come to think — in a serious way — about banning ‘Iranians’ from coming to Mecca, for the safety of the pilgrims.”
Sabq, a prominent Saudi news site, published a report based on unnamed “eyewitnesses” claiming that the stampede was caused by Iranian pilgrims.
Officials in Pakistan said that eight of its citizens had been confirmed dead in the stampede and that 236 people were missing, although 86 of them were later found to be safe, The Associated Press reported.
While Pakistan has received much military and financial aid from Saudi Arabia, relations were strained this year after Pakistan refused to contribute troops to a Saudi-led offensive in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia’s control of the pilgrimage and of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina is a relatively new development in Islam, so it was not without reason that officials from other predominantly Muslim countries called for oversight to be given to others. But the idea has not gained much traction.
“Our pain is so great,” wrote Ibrahim Melih Gokcek, the mayor of Ankara, on Twitter. Turkish authorities said that at least four Turks were among the dead.
“Let them deliver the problem to us; let us solve it,” Mr. Gokcek wrote online, apparently calling for a return to the arrangement of previous centuries when the pilgrimage was overseen by the Ottoman Empire. He later deleted his post.
Most pilgrims say that such political issues have no effect on how they experience the hajj, a once-in-a-lifetime duty for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford the trip and one of the five pillars of Islam.
For many, the hajj is a milestone reached only after years of saving, a fact that only increases the anger when Saudis get caught, say, doing their religious duties without bothering to get out of their S.U.V.s.
Mr. Almaeena, the Saudi writer and editor, said that the Saudi government had worked to make the hajj affordable to all by providing health care and other services as well as a train to carry pilgrims between Mecca and Medina. Still, he acknowledged that the hajj was easier for some pilgrims than for others.
“If there are people who want to have caviar in the morning they can, but for me the spirit of hajj goes away,” he said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/26/world ... 05309&_r=0
WASHINGTON — A stampede Thursday near Mecca is just the latest in a regular string of such events at the site.
MOSA’AB ELSHAMY/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Hundreds of thousands of Muslims gather on the first day of Eid al-Adha in Mina on Thursday for the annual hajj pilgrimage.
A deadly stampede Thursday is just the latest attached to the event.
It’s hard to imagine how a crowd — especially one gathered for a peaceful religious rite — can turn so deadly. While many researchers focus on how to prevent stampedes, there has been little research on what happens once a stampede starts — or why, exactly, they begin.
In 2010, a review of stampedes found, despite efforts, they’re on the rise. But the researchers noted little was known about the actual triggers for these events.
Mechanically, stampedes are tragically simplistic. Once people are pushed tightly against one another (about seven people per 10 square feet of space, according to one study) it’s vital those in the front keep moving as quickly as those behind them. Otherwise, the people in the back — unable to see the front of the crowd — will move forward seeking more space, assuming those in the front will continue to move to make way for them.
The front of the group then gets squeezed, sometimes producing enough force to crush people where they stand.
Experts have argued that blaming the behaviour of the crowd is a mistake, since most stampedes probably can be boiled down to the physical limits of their location. Even stampedes that occur at rowdier events such as soccer games, Black Friday sales or music festivals are more likely a result of physical strain than human behaviour.
When people do get panicked, it certainly doesn’t help. In a tightly packed crowd, we’re victims of our own biology. The typical “fight or flight” response, where one feels a surge of adrenalin, is anything but helpful.
If the thousands of people vying for space could be calm and collected, stampedes at this magnitude simply wouldn’t occur. But, faced with death, most will be slave to a racing heartbeat and hyperventilation — and an urge to run for safety at any cost.
********
Hajj Tragedy Inflames Schisms During a Pilgrimage Designed for Unity
BEIRUT, Lebanon — For the two million Muslims from across the world performing the hajj in Saudi Arabia this year, the annual pilgrimage is a time to forget the differences in race, sect, wealth and even nationality that divide believers and focus instead on their equality before God.
But when tragedy strikes, as with the massive human crush that killed more than 700 pilgrims near a holy site on Thursday, those differences come rushing back to the surface.
A Saudi official blamed the tragedy on African pilgrims, prompting accusations of racism. Iran fired up its state apparatus to lambast Saudi Arabia, its sectarian and regional rival, over its crowd management. And some questioned Saudi Arabia’s right to solely oversee sites of pre-eminent importance to the world’s nearly 1.6 billion Muslims.
The fact that such schisms can so swiftly cloud a mass rite meant to emphasize Muslim unity disappoints many who wish for greater international cooperation.
“Hajj is the great unifier,” said Khaled Almaeena, a Saudi writer and editor who has taken part in the rite many times. “But it is unfortunate that you can’t use the hajj for a greater good, because the concept of hajj in Islam is to get people together.”
Worldly divisions often intrude, even though all the pilgrims wear simple, white gowns meant to promote the sense of equality, and the theological rifts that divide Shiites, Sunnis and other sects are easily set aside in Mecca since all perform the same rituals.
“You could be an Arab prince, you could be a South Asian construction worker, you could be an Afghan warlord and you are all wearing the same clothes and you just walk through this barren landscape and it is miserably hot,” said Basharat Peer, an Indian journalist who has written about Mecca and the hajj.
“But when you look a little more carefully,” he added, “what you see is that even during the hajj, the distinctions of wealth and class do not disappear.”
Many have criticized the Saudi authorities’ development of the sites, replacing nearby mountains with luxury hotels where wealthy Muslims can pay huge sums for hotel rooms with a view of the Kaaba, the black structure in the middle of the Grand Mosque toward which Muslims pray.
That is a profoundly different pilgrimage from that of the many poor Muslims from Africa, Southeast Asia and elsewhere who sleep far from the holy sites and have little recourse from the often sweltering weather, Mr. Peer said.
The Saudi government said that 719 people were killed in the stampede, and many of the victims were from countries across Africa and Asia, highlighting the great diversity of the pilgrimage but also revealing the Muslim community’s fractures.
The highest confirmed death toll came from Iran, which said 131 of its citizens were killed. A Shiite-led state, Iran is locked in a fierce regional battle for influence with Sunni Saudi Arabia, and Tehran swiftly used the crisis to condemn the Saudi kingdom and to question its right to control the holy sites.
During Friday Prayer at Tehran University, one imam, Ayatollah Mahmoud Emami Kashani, dismissed Saudi allegations of disorderly behavior by the pilgrims as “absurd.” Addressing a crowd of thousands who chanted for the death of the Saudi royal family, he called for Saudi officials to be tried on charges of incompetence.
After the prayer, worshipers poured into the streets to demonstrate, urged by text messages from a cellphone company calling for “spontaneous protests.” Waving black flags, they shouted, “The Saudi regime is friends of Satan” and “The security of pilgrims is no longer guaranteed.”
Iranian allies across the Middle East carried the same tune. Former Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq said the episode was “proof of the incompetence of the organizers of the pilgrimage season.” In Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, said the hajj tragedies reflected a “malfunction in the administration.”
While Saudi officials appealed for all to await the results of an official inquiry, initial reports said that large groups of pilgrims had collided on streets that had few escapes, causing the human crush. Some said that security forces had temporarily blocked passageways, causing panic and aggravating the crowding.
The head of the central hajj committee, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, blamed the accident on “some pilgrims from African nationalities,” eliciting charges of racism from those who accuse Gulf Arabs of looking down on blacks. Other Saudi citizens cast the blame back at Iran.
Dr. Khalid al-Saud, a member of the royal family, wrote on Twitter that “the time has come to think — in a serious way — about banning ‘Iranians’ from coming to Mecca, for the safety of the pilgrims.”
Sabq, a prominent Saudi news site, published a report based on unnamed “eyewitnesses” claiming that the stampede was caused by Iranian pilgrims.
Officials in Pakistan said that eight of its citizens had been confirmed dead in the stampede and that 236 people were missing, although 86 of them were later found to be safe, The Associated Press reported.
While Pakistan has received much military and financial aid from Saudi Arabia, relations were strained this year after Pakistan refused to contribute troops to a Saudi-led offensive in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia’s control of the pilgrimage and of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina is a relatively new development in Islam, so it was not without reason that officials from other predominantly Muslim countries called for oversight to be given to others. But the idea has not gained much traction.
“Our pain is so great,” wrote Ibrahim Melih Gokcek, the mayor of Ankara, on Twitter. Turkish authorities said that at least four Turks were among the dead.
“Let them deliver the problem to us; let us solve it,” Mr. Gokcek wrote online, apparently calling for a return to the arrangement of previous centuries when the pilgrimage was overseen by the Ottoman Empire. He later deleted his post.
Most pilgrims say that such political issues have no effect on how they experience the hajj, a once-in-a-lifetime duty for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford the trip and one of the five pillars of Islam.
For many, the hajj is a milestone reached only after years of saving, a fact that only increases the anger when Saudis get caught, say, doing their religious duties without bothering to get out of their S.U.V.s.
Mr. Almaeena, the Saudi writer and editor, said that the Saudi government had worked to make the hajj affordable to all by providing health care and other services as well as a train to carry pilgrims between Mecca and Medina. Still, he acknowledged that the hajj was easier for some pilgrims than for others.
“If there are people who want to have caviar in the morning they can, but for me the spirit of hajj goes away,” he said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/26/world ... 05309&_r=0
Mecca Then and Now, 128 Years of Growth
Alan Taylor
In the late 1880s, the photographer Al Sayyid Abd al Ghaffar carried cumbersome equipment to the desert city of Mecca, capturing scenes of thousands of Muslim pilgrims camped in the surrounding hills and valleys during the Hajj. Today, more than 125 years later, more than two million Hajj pilgrims descended on Mecca, which has grown drastically to accommodate the annual gathering. Gathered here is a series of photographs from al Ghaffar taken sometime around 1887, compared with images from similar locations taken in 2015.
http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2015/0 ... _page=true
******
Hajj 2015: the precarious balance between pilgrimage and consumerism
Excerpt:
"The developments outlined above reflect a common pattern central to the nature of pilgrimage across religious cultures. Although often portrayed as a journey of faith and even asceticism, pilgrimage has long served a simple desire to get away from home and has served as a mechanism for travel and tourism as well as for faith."
More....
http://theconversation.com/hajj-2015-th ... rism-46970
Alan Taylor
In the late 1880s, the photographer Al Sayyid Abd al Ghaffar carried cumbersome equipment to the desert city of Mecca, capturing scenes of thousands of Muslim pilgrims camped in the surrounding hills and valleys during the Hajj. Today, more than 125 years later, more than two million Hajj pilgrims descended on Mecca, which has grown drastically to accommodate the annual gathering. Gathered here is a series of photographs from al Ghaffar taken sometime around 1887, compared with images from similar locations taken in 2015.
http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2015/0 ... _page=true
******
Hajj 2015: the precarious balance between pilgrimage and consumerism
Excerpt:
"The developments outlined above reflect a common pattern central to the nature of pilgrimage across religious cultures. Although often portrayed as a journey of faith and even asceticism, pilgrimage has long served a simple desire to get away from home and has served as a mechanism for travel and tourism as well as for faith."
More....
http://theconversation.com/hajj-2015-th ... rism-46970
My experiences during ‘ Hajj’ 2015 - Dr.M.K.Sherwani
What I felt in my heart, what I said with my tears, what I perceived though the Divine aura, what I saw with my faithful eyes, and what I heard with my devoted ears – all lie within the ambit of my faith. But millions of devotees, representing hundreds of colors, languages and cultures from around the entire world, moving in an extremely disciplined manner, and performing the rituals within specific time frame, is really a living wonder. The hospitality of the locals – distributing various items at hundreds of places with utmost affection, coupled with the extreme politeness of security forces are really something which I can never forget in my life.
One may criticize the Saudi government on many counts as monarchy , but in their capacity as ‘ Khaadime Haramain Shareefain’ ( Custodian of two Holy Mosques) , one can not even imagine better arrangements than what they make for this mammoth gathering. They deserve the deepest appreciation from every Muslim of the world. Even on other fronts, let me mention that when after ‘Hajj’ I fell seriously ill, the tour operators took me to a big hospital near ‘ Aysha Masjid’ at Makkah’, where I remained admitted for about six hours. Dozens of tests were conducted, medicines given but was not charged a single paise. Two Indian doctors from Gorakhpur and one nurse from Pakistan proved a boon for me, as because of the language problem, we feel so happy when anywhere we come in contact with Indians, Pakistanis or Bangladeshis
While vast majority of the devotees are obsessed with religious fervor and also try to help each other, the irresponsible behavior of a negligible percentage- taking selfies and clicking photographs of each other during ‘ Tawaaf’ ( moving around ‘Kaaba’) is really something which at least I condemn. Besides, the excessive zeal of some who keep standing at ‘ green light’ ( (Muqaame Ibrahim)- others offering ‘ namaaz’ within the ‘ Tawaaf rings’- forgetting that their so-called prayers are obstructing the movement of , and creating commotion for thousands and thousands – thus destroying the collective spirit which is the foundation of Islam. Besides, hundreds of the people , having small kids- ranging from infants on their shoulders to seven or eight year babies – with boys wearing ‘Ahraam’, gives an impression as if they have come for family picnic ,giving it the sanctity of ‘ Hajj’
While making a comprehensive analysis , let me also draw the attention of Saudi government towards the following things which produced a negative picture in my mind.
1. When we were moving from ‘Muzdalfa’ to ‘Mina’ ,we found that half of about 300 ft. wide road was occupied, not only on both sides, but even in the middle, by buses- all standing started, emitting smoke. It left the narrow space for the millions of the people to move.It can be termed as nothing but sheer negligence of the administration. God Forbid, if there was stampede, thousand would have perished
2. V.I.P.s during ‘Hajj’ – The most disgusting aspect that came to my knowledge was the special treatment of V.I.P.s who come for ‘Hajj’. At all places,i.e. ‘Mina’ ‘ Arafat’ and ‘Muzdalfa’ special arrangements are made for them, so much so that they are dropped at the helipad near ‘Jamaraat’ for ‘rummy’, i.e. stoning the ‘shaitan’. In my view, these V.I.P.s are not the guests of the King, but of Allah. The king, as ‘ Khaadime Haramain’ must not make any distinction between those who have come in ‘Ahraam’. If anybody wants V.I.P. status, he must not come for ‘Hajj’. Anyhow, I did not notice any such treatment for anybody during ‘Tawaaf’ or ‘Sa-ee’. I was pained to see at Television in my hotel the king according reception to the V.I.Ps. day after the horrible ‘Mina’ stampede. There may be many others, but somebody told me that when Late General Ziaul-Haque, the then President of Pakistan, and the former Iranian President Mr. Ahmadinejad came for ‘Hajj’ they refused to avail special status.
3. Horrors at Jeddah airport- The bitterest experience we had at the emigration counter of Jeddah airport, both at arrival and departure . I have never seen such a worthless and inefficient staff. On 24th October, when we were coming back, the two boys deployed there were simply joking and talking with each other. Astonishingly, the emigration of about 10 people – two of my group – was not cleared,while their luggage had been loaded and boarding passes issued, but the plane flew, leaving them in the lurch. These two-husband and wife- from my neighborhood’ sought the help of a local acquaintance who took them to Saudi Hajj office outside the airport, which provided them the best of help and hospitality, and arranged their flight the next day. About the remaining, I have no information.
In the end, I express my gratitude to the staff at the Amausi Airport , Lucknow, whose quickness and hospitality towards ‘ Hajis’ deserve all the praise. The government of India is also making wonderful arrangements, as at both Makkah and Madina they have opened Indian hospitals , with sufficient facilities and free medicines for Indian ‘Hajis’
Dr. Mustafa Kamal Sherwani537F/30, Sherwani Nagar, Sitapur RoadLucknow, U.P. [email protected]: 9919777909
What I felt in my heart, what I said with my tears, what I perceived though the Divine aura, what I saw with my faithful eyes, and what I heard with my devoted ears – all lie within the ambit of my faith. But millions of devotees, representing hundreds of colors, languages and cultures from around the entire world, moving in an extremely disciplined manner, and performing the rituals within specific time frame, is really a living wonder. The hospitality of the locals – distributing various items at hundreds of places with utmost affection, coupled with the extreme politeness of security forces are really something which I can never forget in my life.
One may criticize the Saudi government on many counts as monarchy , but in their capacity as ‘ Khaadime Haramain Shareefain’ ( Custodian of two Holy Mosques) , one can not even imagine better arrangements than what they make for this mammoth gathering. They deserve the deepest appreciation from every Muslim of the world. Even on other fronts, let me mention that when after ‘Hajj’ I fell seriously ill, the tour operators took me to a big hospital near ‘ Aysha Masjid’ at Makkah’, where I remained admitted for about six hours. Dozens of tests were conducted, medicines given but was not charged a single paise. Two Indian doctors from Gorakhpur and one nurse from Pakistan proved a boon for me, as because of the language problem, we feel so happy when anywhere we come in contact with Indians, Pakistanis or Bangladeshis
While vast majority of the devotees are obsessed with religious fervor and also try to help each other, the irresponsible behavior of a negligible percentage- taking selfies and clicking photographs of each other during ‘ Tawaaf’ ( moving around ‘Kaaba’) is really something which at least I condemn. Besides, the excessive zeal of some who keep standing at ‘ green light’ ( (Muqaame Ibrahim)- others offering ‘ namaaz’ within the ‘ Tawaaf rings’- forgetting that their so-called prayers are obstructing the movement of , and creating commotion for thousands and thousands – thus destroying the collective spirit which is the foundation of Islam. Besides, hundreds of the people , having small kids- ranging from infants on their shoulders to seven or eight year babies – with boys wearing ‘Ahraam’, gives an impression as if they have come for family picnic ,giving it the sanctity of ‘ Hajj’
While making a comprehensive analysis , let me also draw the attention of Saudi government towards the following things which produced a negative picture in my mind.
1. When we were moving from ‘Muzdalfa’ to ‘Mina’ ,we found that half of about 300 ft. wide road was occupied, not only on both sides, but even in the middle, by buses- all standing started, emitting smoke. It left the narrow space for the millions of the people to move.It can be termed as nothing but sheer negligence of the administration. God Forbid, if there was stampede, thousand would have perished
2. V.I.P.s during ‘Hajj’ – The most disgusting aspect that came to my knowledge was the special treatment of V.I.P.s who come for ‘Hajj’. At all places,i.e. ‘Mina’ ‘ Arafat’ and ‘Muzdalfa’ special arrangements are made for them, so much so that they are dropped at the helipad near ‘Jamaraat’ for ‘rummy’, i.e. stoning the ‘shaitan’. In my view, these V.I.P.s are not the guests of the King, but of Allah. The king, as ‘ Khaadime Haramain’ must not make any distinction between those who have come in ‘Ahraam’. If anybody wants V.I.P. status, he must not come for ‘Hajj’. Anyhow, I did not notice any such treatment for anybody during ‘Tawaaf’ or ‘Sa-ee’. I was pained to see at Television in my hotel the king according reception to the V.I.Ps. day after the horrible ‘Mina’ stampede. There may be many others, but somebody told me that when Late General Ziaul-Haque, the then President of Pakistan, and the former Iranian President Mr. Ahmadinejad came for ‘Hajj’ they refused to avail special status.
3. Horrors at Jeddah airport- The bitterest experience we had at the emigration counter of Jeddah airport, both at arrival and departure . I have never seen such a worthless and inefficient staff. On 24th October, when we were coming back, the two boys deployed there were simply joking and talking with each other. Astonishingly, the emigration of about 10 people – two of my group – was not cleared,while their luggage had been loaded and boarding passes issued, but the plane flew, leaving them in the lurch. These two-husband and wife- from my neighborhood’ sought the help of a local acquaintance who took them to Saudi Hajj office outside the airport, which provided them the best of help and hospitality, and arranged their flight the next day. About the remaining, I have no information.
In the end, I express my gratitude to the staff at the Amausi Airport , Lucknow, whose quickness and hospitality towards ‘ Hajis’ deserve all the praise. The government of India is also making wonderful arrangements, as at both Makkah and Madina they have opened Indian hospitals , with sufficient facilities and free medicines for Indian ‘Hajis’
Dr. Mustafa Kamal Sherwani537F/30, Sherwani Nagar, Sitapur RoadLucknow, U.P. [email protected]: 9919777909
-
mazharshah
- Posts: 263
- Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2015 5:08 pm
Ka'ba is at fixed position in Mecca
My Ka'ba is in motion all the time
Keep running to Tawaaf around him
He is so busy unable to catch him
Hajj is one of the 7 pillars of Islam as mentioned by Imam Ja'far Sadiq.
Pir Shams performed Hajj several times, one of Pir Sadruddin's title is Haji Baba. Mata Salamat performed Hajj 3 times, though the Ka'ba was in her house. From Mawla Ali to Imam Ja'far our Imams performed Hajj.
My Ka'ba is in motion all the time
Keep running to Tawaaf around him
He is so busy unable to catch him
Hajj is one of the 7 pillars of Islam as mentioned by Imam Ja'far Sadiq.
Pir Shams performed Hajj several times, one of Pir Sadruddin's title is Haji Baba. Mata Salamat performed Hajj 3 times, though the Ka'ba was in her house. From Mawla Ali to Imam Ja'far our Imams performed Hajj.
Ya Ali Madad:
Ibnul Waqt or Momin follow the farmans of MHI n not even his own personal action.hobbies or passion.
There is no farman for xxxx outdated ritual.
Finito.IT IS DONE WITH.
In ibadat one realize its soul from ages can recollect that is obeyed orders if any to the IMAM OF THE TIME then.
Our faith spiritual advancement as people get educated n wise then Circling like in rings rings roses see it has act of no value.
Any act of a deceased person is also not valid in court of Law.
It is time for somebody to realize that this not a fooling n jokes forum of dead era stories & unwarranted act NOT a part of our tariqa today.
Remember pillars how many their number can come crumbling down in an earthquake if ALI wishes.
Only Sufi tariqa stand unshaken as ROCK SOLID n not a pillar in any given case.
Ibnul Waqt or Momin follow the farmans of MHI n not even his own personal action.hobbies or passion.
There is no farman for xxxx outdated ritual.
Finito.IT IS DONE WITH.
In ibadat one realize its soul from ages can recollect that is obeyed orders if any to the IMAM OF THE TIME then.
Our faith spiritual advancement as people get educated n wise then Circling like in rings rings roses see it has act of no value.
Any act of a deceased person is also not valid in court of Law.
It is time for somebody to realize that this not a fooling n jokes forum of dead era stories & unwarranted act NOT a part of our tariqa today.
Remember pillars how many their number can come crumbling down in an earthquake if ALI wishes.
Only Sufi tariqa stand unshaken as ROCK SOLID n not a pillar in any given case.
Fortunately in our Tariqah our Kaba is always present in JK and hence no need to chase him around.mazharshah wrote:Ka'ba is at fixed position in Mecca
My Ka'ba is in motion all the time
Keep running to Tawaaf around him
He is so busy unable to catch him.
Have you heard any Farman mentioning the requirement to perform Hajj?mazharshah wrote: Hajj is one of the 7 pillars of Islam as mentioned by Imam Ja'far Sadiq.
Pir Shams performed Hajj several times, one of Pir Sadruddin's title is Haji Baba. Mata Salamat performed Hajj 3 times, though the Ka'ba was in her house. From Mawla Ali to Imam Ja'far our Imams performed Hajj.
We do not follow what the Imams/Pirs do but what they tell us to do. Pir Sadardeen performed Hajj but has never mentioned Hajj in any of his Ginans!
Verses from Moman Chetamni:
620) Eji Ali jina chaltra samoon nav joi ae
Sri satguru ne vachane seva kari ae saar
Jem jem kalikar vadhase monivaro
Tem ali rajo chaltra karshe aapar
Cheto.....
620. Do not look at what Ali does, but obey what He says, for as the times
will change, Ali's actions may be beyond your comprehension.
624) Eji Te aapana gurnar na chaltra dekhi ni boliaa
Aapana gurnar opar nahi aaniyo aet baar
Tene murkhe te manas rupe karine janiyo
Te gurnar ne vachane thar na rahya lagaar
Cheto....
624. Those who have doubted Ali by looking at His actions are foolish
because they have considered Him as their equal.
-
mazharshah
- Posts: 263
- Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2015 5:08 pm
kmaherali wrote:Fortunately in our Tariqah our Kaba is always present in JK and hence no need to chase him around.mazharshah wrote:Ka'ba is at fixed position in Mecca
My Ka'ba is in motion all the time
Keep running to Tawaaf around him
He is so busy unable to catch him.Have you heard any Farman mentioning the requirement to perform Hajj?mazharshah wrote: Hajj is one of the 7 pillars of Islam as mentioned by Imam Ja'far Sadiq.
Pir Shams performed Hajj several times, one of Pir Sadruddin's title is Haji Baba. Mata Salamat performed Hajj 3 times, though the Ka'ba was in her house. From Mawla Ali to Imam Ja'far our Imams performed Hajj.
We do not follow what the Imams/Pirs do but what they tell us to do. Pir Sadardeen performed Hajj but has never mentioned Hajj in any of his Ginans!
Verses from Moman Chetamni:
620) Eji Ali jina chaltra samoon nav joi ae
Sri satguru ne vachane seva kari ae saar
Jem jem kalikar vadhase monivaro
Tem ali rajo chaltra karshe aapar
Cheto.....
620. Do not look at what Ali does, but obey what He says, for as the times
will change, Ali's actions may be beyond your comprehension.
624) Eji Te aapana gurnar na chaltra dekhi ni boliaa
Aapana gurnar opar nahi aaniyo aet baar
Tene murkhe te manas rupe karine janiyo
Te gurnar ne vachane thar na rahya lagaar
Cheto....
624. Those who have doubted Ali by looking at His actions are foolish
because they have considered Him as their equal.
IN old days there used to be a throne in JKS and mostly senior jamaitis said, we see Imam sitting on throne; well that was imagination. In imagination one can see Imam any where but that will not be called real Hajj.
Quran says; "LAQAD KAANA LAKUM FI RASULLILLAHI USWATUN HASANAH"
(O Muslims) In the life of Prophet there is best example (model) fot you.
Proohet and Imam is the best model to follow.
Hazar Imam Shah Karim never said do not perform Hajj. Thousands of Ismailis perform Hajj and Umrah each year, you should be aware of it.
Let me quote few parts from Bhuj Nirijan;
SUNI GAI YU(N) GUR THI BAAT
DEEPAK SHARAI LEWAY HAATH ( Part# 11)
SHARIYAT KI JO RAHA NA MAANEY
ANDALLA HAI WOH KIA PICHHANEY (Part# 12)
AAPEY MULLA NE AAPEY QAZI
AAPEY PARHEY SO AAP NAMAI (Part# 24)
WAJIB FARZ JO SATT KARI JANEY
SAB AHKAAM ARKAAN PICHHANEY (Part# 33)
PARHAY QURAN KITAABA BHUJEY
TOU TUJHEY RAHA NABI KI SUJHEY (Part# 33)
Ya Ali Madad
The creeping creature must know that Fatman at minimum level to be accepted n have basic understanding forget the baatin as they made at tariqat level.
a Fatman extract which K maherali recently posted.
Of Imam SMS that to understand the spiritual ( enrich) ginans for Fatman.not any xyz ginan.
They are now not more than 200 ginans from thousand selected for inspiration.
This is rational sense.below that mixing all categories is a heinous n develish act to distort the point of view.
A Fatman extract from a moron.the imam SMS referred to Hz Ali sermon of why medidate if one cannot see God.
Simple common sense of a 12 years old child.can tell,if imam SMS can make similar farm an why refer to Hz Ali.it is simple that to accept n VALIDATE the concept, practice n belief of both ibaadat n baatin deedar existed from Hz Ali time.if he said it then validity would have of that date of Imam SMS Fatman.
To understand simple Fatman,even a wise member whom I respect and refers to it at times unable to diffrentciate between ginans with spiritual essence n zahiri,or vedic background,
N story telling ginans.
Here a non Muslim.
IF ONE DOES NOT SIMPLE words like tawhid,mazhar,sajida wajihu,my dear spiritual children,a simple line of a farman is UNFIT to be even to debate with a child of 12 years with common sense. It is simple a clash of Ignorance as MHI said in recent speech.
Ignorance with blind n wholesale posting is a serious issue which Admin must look into.
Serpents played the similar ginan extract strategy to to influence then to weak faith during
Khoja intashari split.
I feel members must disclose if the ginan from extracts are referred is in current circulation by ITREB or withdrawn for Good.
I know what problems it created in past by enemies of Imam to show that ginan = farm an.
N here are the part of ginans ,so follow them.
This modus operandi is disastrous.
It is not soul of human over that mind.IT IS ABSOLUTE DEVIL.
Admin will sorry for sleeping too long.
ALI SPARES NO ROD OVER INTENDED MISCHIEF.it can take time.punishment is for next million years n not few.
The creeping creature must know that Fatman at minimum level to be accepted n have basic understanding forget the baatin as they made at tariqat level.
a Fatman extract which K maherali recently posted.
Of Imam SMS that to understand the spiritual ( enrich) ginans for Fatman.not any xyz ginan.
They are now not more than 200 ginans from thousand selected for inspiration.
This is rational sense.below that mixing all categories is a heinous n develish act to distort the point of view.
A Fatman extract from a moron.the imam SMS referred to Hz Ali sermon of why medidate if one cannot see God.
Simple common sense of a 12 years old child.can tell,if imam SMS can make similar farm an why refer to Hz Ali.it is simple that to accept n VALIDATE the concept, practice n belief of both ibaadat n baatin deedar existed from Hz Ali time.if he said it then validity would have of that date of Imam SMS Fatman.
To understand simple Fatman,even a wise member whom I respect and refers to it at times unable to diffrentciate between ginans with spiritual essence n zahiri,or vedic background,
N story telling ginans.
Here a non Muslim.
IF ONE DOES NOT SIMPLE words like tawhid,mazhar,sajida wajihu,my dear spiritual children,a simple line of a farman is UNFIT to be even to debate with a child of 12 years with common sense. It is simple a clash of Ignorance as MHI said in recent speech.
Ignorance with blind n wholesale posting is a serious issue which Admin must look into.
Serpents played the similar ginan extract strategy to to influence then to weak faith during
Khoja intashari split.
I feel members must disclose if the ginan from extracts are referred is in current circulation by ITREB or withdrawn for Good.
I know what problems it created in past by enemies of Imam to show that ginan = farm an.
N here are the part of ginans ,so follow them.
This modus operandi is disastrous.
It is not soul of human over that mind.IT IS ABSOLUTE DEVIL.
Admin will sorry for sleeping too long.
ALI SPARES NO ROD OVER INTENDED MISCHIEF.it can take time.punishment is for next million years n not few.
It depends with the niyat of the individual. If he has real Iman that the Imam is present, then he is present. Our Imams have always said that they are present in JK so it is not just imagination, it is the truth according to the Farmans. If you do not accept the Farmans then it is your problem. One can indeed perform Hajj everyday by attending JK.mazharshah wrote:IN old days there used to be a throne in JKS and mostly senior jamaitis said, we see Imam sitting on throne; well that was imagination. In imagination one can see Imam any where but that will not be called real Hajj.)
There are Prophetic Hadiths indicating that he is NOT our role model. Prophets and Imams are not our equals! Yes Hazar Imam has never said we should not perform Hajj, because there is no need to say that. It is a matter of common sense. If Ismailis choose to go for Hajj nobody will prevent them. There is no compulsion in religion.mazharshah wrote: Quran says; "LAQAD KAANA LAKUM FI RASULLILLAHI USWATUN HASANAH"
(O Muslims) In the life of Prophet there is best example (model) fot you.
Proohet and Imam is the best model to follow.
Hazar Imam Shah Karim never said do not perform Hajj. Thousands of Ismailis perform Hajj and Umrah each year, you should be aware of it.)
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 3.183
Narrated Abdullah Ibn Umar:
Allah’s Apostle forbade al-Wisal. The people said (to him),"but you practice it?”He said, "I am not like you, for I am given food and drink by Allah.” (Qala: Inni lastu mithlikum).
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 3.184
Narrated Abu Sa’id:
That he had heard the Prophet saying, "Do not fast continuously (practice al-Wisal), and if you intend to lengthen your fast, then carry it on only till the Suhur (before the following dawn).”The people said to him, "But you practice (Al-Wisal), O Allah’s Apostle!”He replied, "I am not similar to you, for during my sleep I have One Who makes me eat and drink.”(Qala: Inni lastu ka Hay’atikum).
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 3.185
Narrated Aisha:
Allah’s Apostle forbade al-Wisal out of mercy to them. They said to him, "But you practice al-Wisal?”He said, "I am not similar to you, for my Lord gives me food and drink.”(Qala: Inni lastu ka Hay’atikum)
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 3.188
Narrated Abu Said al-Khudri:
Allah’s Apostle said, "Do not fast continuously day and night (practice al-Wisal) and if anyone of you intends to fast continuously day and night, he should continue till the Suhur time.”They said, "But you practice al-Wisal, O Allah’s Apostle!”The Prophet said,
"I am not similar to you; during my sleep I have One Who makes me eat and drink."
sunee gaee yu(n) karate baatmazharshah wrote: Let me quote few parts from Bhuj Nirijan;
SUNI GAI YU(N) GUR THI BAAT
DEEPAK SHARAI LEWAY HAATH ( Part# 11)
SHARIYAT KI JO RAHA NA MAANEY
ANDALLA HAI WOH KIA PICHHANEY (Part# 12)
AAPEY MULLA NE AAPEY QAZI
AAPEY PARHEY SO AAP NAMAI (Part# 24)
WAJIB FARZ JO SATT KARI JANEY
SAB AHKAAM ARKAAN PICHHANEY (Part# 33)
PARHAY QURAN KITAABA BHUJEY
TOU TUJHEY RAHA NABI KI SUJHEY (Part# 33)
dipak sharaee leve haath..........................................5(11)
They who are on the path say that all the sorrows have gone and they become enlightened. Variant: A person who talks about Marifat gets enlightened and finds the right path
shareeat kee jo raahaa na maane
a(n)dhlaa(adanaa) hae vo kiyaa peechhaane.........................3(12)
If one does not believe in the way of the Shariah, how can such a blind person get himself to understand(the higher mysteries).
aape mullaa aape kaazhee
aape padde so aap namaazee........................................5(24)
He himself is the priest and He is the judge and He is the prayer leader and He is the performer of prayer.
vaajab farazh jo sat karee jaane(maane)
sab ehakaam arkaan pichhaane......................................5(33)
If he/she accepts all the religious duties and obligations, and knows all the articles of faith
padde kuraan kitaabaa buje
to tuje raah nabeekee suje........................................7(33)
And then he/she studies the Holy Quran, he/she gets the real understanding of the Path of the Prophet.
So what is your point. Our Sharia is to follow the Farmans of the Imam and our Qur'an are the Ginans.
-
mazharshah
- Posts: 263
- Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2015 5:08 pm
kmaherali wrote:It depends with the niyat of the individual. If he has real Iman that the Imam is present, then he is present. Our Imams have always said that they are present in JK so it is not just imagination, it is the truth according to the Farmans. If you do not accept the Farmans then it is your problem. One can indeed perform Hajj everyday by attending JK.mazharshah wrote:IN old days there used to be a throne in JKS and mostly senior jamaitis said, we see Imam sitting on throne; well that was imagination. In imagination one can see Imam any where but that will not be called real Hajj.)There are Prophetic Hadiths indicating that he is NOT our role model. Prophets and Imams are not our equals! Yes Hazar Imam has never said we should not perform Hajj, because there is no need to say that. It is a matter of common sense. If Ismailis choose to go for Hajj nobody will prevent them. There is no compulsion in religion.mazharshah wrote: Quran says; "LAQAD KAANA LAKUM FI RASULLILLAHI USWATUN HASANAH"
(O Muslims) In the life of Prophet there is best example (model) fot you.
Proohet and Imam is the best model to follow.
Hazar Imam Shah Karim never said do not perform Hajj. Thousands of Ismailis perform Hajj and Umrah each year, you should be aware of it.)
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 3.183
Narrated Abdullah Ibn Umar:
Allah’s Apostle forbade al-Wisal. The people said (to him),"but you practice it?”He said, "I am not like you, for I am given food and drink by Allah.” (Qala: Inni lastu mithlikum).
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 3.184
Narrated Abu Sa’id:
That he had heard the Prophet saying, "Do not fast continuously (practice al-Wisal), and if you intend to lengthen your fast, then carry it on only till the Suhur (before the following dawn).”The people said to him, "But you practice (Al-Wisal), O Allah’s Apostle!”He replied, "I am not similar to you, for during my sleep I have One Who makes me eat and drink.”(Qala: Inni lastu ka Hay’atikum).
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 3.185
Narrated Aisha:
Allah’s Apostle forbade al-Wisal out of mercy to them. They said to him, "But you practice al-Wisal?”He said, "I am not similar to you, for my Lord gives me food and drink.”(Qala: Inni lastu ka Hay’atikum)
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 3.188
Narrated Abu Said al-Khudri:
Allah’s Apostle said, "Do not fast continuously day and night (practice al-Wisal) and if anyone of you intends to fast continuously day and night, he should continue till the Suhur time.”They said, "But you practice al-Wisal, O Allah’s Apostle!”The Prophet said,
"I am not similar to you; during my sleep I have One Who makes me eat and drink."sunee gaee yu(n) karate baatmazharshah wrote: Let me quote few parts from Bhuj Nirijan;
SUNI GAI YU(N) GUR THI BAAT
DEEPAK SHARAI LEWAY HAATH ( Part# 11)
SHARIYAT KI JO RAHA NA MAANEY
ANDALLA HAI WOH KIA PICHHANEY (Part# 12)
AAPEY MULLA NE AAPEY QAZI
AAPEY PARHEY SO AAP NAMAI (Part# 24)
WAJIB FARZ JO SATT KARI JANEY
SAB AHKAAM ARKAAN PICHHANEY (Part# 33)
PARHAY QURAN KITAABA BHUJEY
TOU TUJHEY RAHA NABI KI SUJHEY (Part# 33)
dipak sharaee leve haath..........................................5(11)
They who are on the path say that all the sorrows have gone and they become enlightened. Variant: A person who talks about Marifat gets enlightened and finds the right path
shareeat kee jo raahaa na maane
a(n)dhlaa(adanaa) hae vo kiyaa peechhaane.........................3(12)
If one does not believe in the way of the Shariah, how can such a blind person get himself to understand(the higher mysteries).
aape mullaa aape kaazhee
aape padde so aap namaazee........................................5(24)
He himself is the priest and He is the judge and He is the prayer leader and He is the performer of prayer.
vaajab farazh jo sat karee jaane(maane)
sab ehakaam arkaan pichhaane......................................5(33)
If he/she accepts all the religious duties and obligations, and knows all the articles of faith
padde kuraan kitaabaa buje
to tuje raah nabeekee suje........................................7(33)
And then he/she studies the Holy Quran, he/she gets the real understanding of the Path of the Prophet.
So what is your point. Our Sharia is to follow the Farmans of the Imam and our Qur'an are the Ginans.
I have no problem with genuine farman of Imam. Noor is present evey where and in each particle, but Imam's physical body is not present. Remove the 2 photographs on L/R BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN NOOR AND NOT IN PHOTOS.
Ismails are allergic with Bukhari and Abu Hurraira, what about Ma'iraj did Prophet asked Muslims not to attempt, Ma'iraj is difficult and hard task. Should a momin stay away from achieving Ma'iraj, and do not follow model or uswaa i hasanah of Prophet.
You are good at twisting the meaning of ginans but I take the literal meaning of words. I wish Admin should allow analytical study of ginans, by the way ginans are not Quran.
You are right Shariyah is explained in farmans but Ismailis are scared of word Shariyah, they hesitate and shy to use word namaz instead they use the word prayer.
-
ismaili103
- Posts: 542
- Joined: Wed Mar 20, 2013 1:40 am