For an Accepted Hajj and its Lasting Blessings

Blessings of Hajj

Free from Sins

“Whoever performs Hajj for the Pleasure of Allah and therein utters no word of evil, nor commits any evil deed, shall return from it (free from sin) as the day on which his mother gave birth to him." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Reward of Paradise

“Verily there shall be no reward for a Mabroor (accepted) Hajj except Paradise.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Things to do for a "Mabroor (accepted) Hajj"

It is hoped that all the pilgrims were sincere in their intentions and had traveled thousands of miles only to secure the pleasure of Allah by fulfilling the obligation laid down upon them. May Allah the Almighty grant all the pilgrim’s acceptance and grant them opportunity again and again to visit the Sacred bud. Ameen.
Nevertheless, we wish to draw the attention of the pilgrims towards certain points which are necessary and of utmost importance to observe and for which many pilgrims are seen neglectful of their significance.

First

The sincerity of intention should remain even after the performance of Hajj. There should be no pomp or show. One should not wish to be called or recognized as a Hajji (pilgrim).

Many people adopt the habit of talking frequently about their journey in order that people may come to know of their Hajj. They talk about the expenses incurred in the way of Allah, their charity amongst the poor and needy, their devotion and worship, their assisting the weak and old, etc.; and all is mentioned only with the intention of gaining fame. This is deceit from Satan who ruins the `ibadat (acts of worship) without the person even knowing.
It is therefore of great importance that the pilgrim does not talk about his Hajj without necessity as it may lead to riyaa’ (show, insincerity). However, if the necessity arises and one must talk about his Hajj then he is at liberty to do so. But, he must not indulge in this type of conversation unnecessarily.

Second

It is noted through experience, that many pilgrims return with only the bad side of the journey and make it a habit of talking about nothing except the hardships they have encountered during Hajj. The pilgrims should strictly refrain from this.

On the contrary, they should talk about the greatness of the sacred places, the spiritual gains, the enjoyment in devotions of Haramayn (the sacred sanctuaries of Makkah and Madinah; `Umrah, Tawaf, feeling of peace at the Prophet’s grave, salah in Masjid All-Haram and Masjid-un-Nabawi etc).

If one looks at his journey of Hajj carefully he will find that the good things far outweigh the bad. Every second spent in these sacred places is incomparable with anything in the world.

The journey of Hajj is a long journey; one has to travel by air, pass the immigration, go through the customs, encounter people who speak foreign languages, etc. In these circumstances, difficulties are certain to arise. when we travel in our country do we always travel with comfort and ease? Do we never encounter difficulty? Do we not find ourselves held up in traffic for hours on a motorway?

Considering the fact that 2-3 million pilgrims perform the rituals of Hajj at one time, in one place and that they all come from different countries and backgrounds and that many of them have never before used or seen the facilities available to them.

We think the difficulties encountered are insignificant. Moreover, the pilgrims are rewarded abundantly by Allah (Exalted be He) upon every difficulty encountered in their journey whereas tile same is not tile case whilst we are on another journey.

Those people who engage in these types of conversation become the cause of discouragement to others who have not yet had the opportunity to perform Hajj. These unfortunate pilgrims fall into the category; … and would keep back (men) from the Way of Allah, and from the Sacred Mosque,… (Al-Hajj 22:25). They should take heed that if people are discouraged by their conversation and postpone their Hajj then those who have discouraged them will be equally responsible.

Third

The sign of a ‘Mabroor Hajj’ or an ‘accepted Hajj’ is that upon one’s return, his life changes from worst to good. He becomes totally punctual in fulfilling the commands of Allah. His love and inclination towards the Hereafter increases and love for the worldly pleasures decline.
Therefore, it is essential that the pilgrim is watchful over his actions and should try his utmost to instill in himself good characters and refrain from all types of evil. He should try his best to fulfill the obligations laid down by Allah and avoid all the things forbidden by Him.

source:- newmuslim.net

Importance of Eid-ul-Adha in Islam

In religion, Islam Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr after the end of Ramadan and Eid-ul-Adha also known as greater Eid, which marks the willingness of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) to sacrifice His son Hazrat Ismail (AS) in obedience to Almighty Allah. Eid means to celebrate and Adha refers to sacrifice so Eid-ul-Adha is also known as the festival of sacrifice in which Muslims sacrifice a domestic animal that is a cow, sheep, goat, or camel in one of the three days of Eid-ul-Adha for the sake of Allah Almighty. Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Adha on 10th of Zil Hajj.

Muslims from all over the world who are physically and financially stable visit Makah to perform sacred pilgrimage Hajj in the holy month of Zil Hajj. We all should know that Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and is obligatory on every Muslim once in a life if he/she is financially stable. After performing Hajj Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Adha and slaughter animals by saying the name of Allah at the time of slaughter, we are reminded that life is sacred. The meat from the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha is mostly distributed among others. One-third is eaten by immediate family and relatives, one-third is given away to friends, and one-third is donated to the poor and needy. This act of giving symbolizes our willingness to give up things that are of benefit to us or close to our hearts, in order to follow Allah’s commands.

The act of sacrificing and then distributing also symbolizes our willingness to give up some of our own bounties, in order to strengthen ties of friendship and help those who are in need. We recognize that all blessings come from Allah, and we should open our hearts and share with others for the pleasure of Allah (SWT). The Greater Eid or Eid-ul-Adha also marks the end of Hajj, which is the five-day religious journey that takes Muslims to the Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

On the day of Eid-ul-Adha Muslims pray to Almighty Allah and glorify His name in order to remember His favors. On this occasion, Muslims remember the needy by extending a helping hand towards them and also by distributing the meat among them. May Almighty Allah give us the chance to perform Hajj once in a life and also to slaughter animals for the sake of Allah (SWT)! Ameen.

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source: quranreading.com

Social Role of Muslim Women in Islam

The Holy Book Quran declares that men and women are created from one soul to be partners to each other, that male and female have the same religious responsibilities, and both genders will receive like rewards on the Day of Judgment. There is a difference between Islam and tradition. Some Muslim countries or societies may be seen as oppressive to women but if you take a closer look, it is their traditions and culture rather than Islam that suppresses and deprives women of their rights. Islam, on the other hand, liberates women and gives them rightful standing in society, unlike any religion or race.

When we talk about the role of women in Islam then we have to discuss it in detail which we are going to discuss in this article about women and Islam and her role in Islam and society in which she is living as a Muslim woman. Islam has given dignity and respect to Muslim women in society and in religion Islam that didn’t give in any other religion.

Role of Muslim women in Islam:

There have been many misconceptions about the real role of Muslim women in Islam. Many people view Islam as a religion that oppresses and suppress women but they are wrong. Most non-Muslims who are completely unfamiliar with the teachings and belief of Islam turn to paint Islam with a brutal brush. From the beginning, Islam worked on creating equality among people and tried to eliminate the different barriers created by people that distinguished them from one another and let them feel superior or inferior.

Allah (SWT) stated many times in the Holy Book Quran about the role of women and even dedicated a whole Surah to them (Surah An-Nisa). Clearly Allah does not make any distinguishing about the importance of men and women, to Allah both men and women are equal as he stated in the Quran “To whomever, male or female, does good deeds and has faith, We shall give a good life and reward them according to the best of their actions.” (Quran, 16:97). From this ayah, it can be clearly proved that in the eyes of Allah both men and women are equal.

Islam considered to give women an equal entity and declared their status as a beneficial and important part of the society and did whatever possible to ensure that women experienced and enjoyed the same respect in the society like men. Women make up half of society and they are responsible for the nurturing, guidance and transformation of the successive generations. It is the woman who pervades principles and faith into the souls of the nation.

The Prophet (SAW) said. “The pursuit of knowledge is a duty of every Muslim, man, and woman.”From this saying of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), we can say that education is compulsory for both men and women and Islam gave an equal right to women to get the education but also opened the door to a better understanding. When a woman will be educated then she can up bring her children in a good and an Islamic way according to the teachings of Allah Almighty.

The biggest example of the rising of women can be seen in the Quran, where Allah Almighty addresses both men and women alike related to the giving of commandments. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:

“The Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the worshipping men and worshipping women, the truthful men and truthful women, the pious men and pious women, the alms-giving men and the alms-giving women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who are chaste and the women who are chaste, the men who remember Allah much and the women who do likewise, Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward for all.” (Quran, 33:35)

From above ayah, we can conclude that Allah Almighty has associated the same qualities of dignity and piety with women the same as He has associated with men. Allah Almighty said women are equal to men and women must also possess the same level and kind of dignity as men must.

Social Role of Muslim Women

Now we will discuss the role of Muslim women in different areas of life in a society which gave her by Almighty Allah. At a social level, Islam recognizes the different roles that women have in society and makes sure that women receive respect and devotion for their place in the society. In Islam, women are great mothers, obedient daughters, caring wives and equal sisters. We will discuss these roles of women in light of some verses and hadiths:

• Women as Mother: Islam holds great respect for mother and endorses the followers to respect their mothers. “Paradise is at the feet of the mother.” Islam recognizes the great role that women play in the upbringing of the children and that the future of mankind and of societies depends on mothers. The paradise mentioned by the Holy Prophet (SAW) refers to both the social paradise that can be achieved in Islam and the heavenly paradise. Therefore, mothers have been placed in a position of the highest respect. Referring to respecting the parents in their old age, Allah Almighty says in Quran: “Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and that you be kind to parents. When one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor repel them but address them in terms of honor.”(Quran, 17:23). From an ayah, we can conclude that the mother has the same rights in old age on children as the father. No Muslim is allowed to discriminate between father and mother.

• Women as Sister and Daughter: Women as a daughter, her importance is such that the Holy Prophet (SAW) tells us: “He who brings up his daughters well, and makes no distinction between them and his sons, will be close to me in Paradise.” Islam ensures that in both these roles sister and daughter women enjoy absolute respect, care, and protection. In Islam both male child and female child are equal and a parent is as responsible for the education and upbringing of female children as they are responsible for the male. Moreover, as far as the brother-sister relation is concerned, it is respected in Islam and brothers and sisters are to respect and treat each other well. In the Quran, Allah Almighty says: “He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills.”(Quran, 42:49). In Islam, there is no discrimination between male and female children and they both should get an equal education.

• Women as Wife: The character of men in an Islamic society is established in relation to their treatment of women. As our beloved Prophet (SAW) mentioned: “The best from among you is one who behaves best towards his wife.” Islam is the first religion that settled the rights of women as wives and associated the element of giving respect to them. Allah says in Holy Quran: “And among His signs is this that He created wives from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility, with them, and He put love and mercy between your (hearts).”(Quran, 30:21). Therefore, the love that produces tranquility is put in the heart of both the partners; hence, husband and wife both have the duty of caring and loving each other for a healthy relationship. Also, women are the caretakers of men in the same way men are the caretakers of women.

Muslim women should understand the rights and roles that Islam has given to her and then in the light of those rights and roles, she must perform all the social and Islamic roles with absolute dedication and commitment. Islam is really the complete way of life and a divine religion that is not lacking in any sense, let alone upholding women’s right.

source: quranreading.com