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Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

Hajj – a Lesson in Submission

By Shaykhul-Hadith, Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Saleem Dhorat damat barakatuhum

On 6th Dhul Hijjah 1426 after the jumu‘ah salah, we arrived at Dhul-Hulayfah, outside Madinah, and made preparations to enter into ihram. Dhul-Hulayfah was chosen because it is where Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam and his Companions radhiyallahu ‘anhum had entered the state of ihram. It was our desire to begin the hajj by observing this sunnah of Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam. The thought persisted in my mind that the Beloved of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam performed only one hajj during his lifetime, and Allah ta‘ala had chosen this place for him to enter into ihram. Thus, there could not have been a better place for this act.

After making all the preparations, attired in only two sheets, we performed two raka‘at, made the intention for hajj and recited the talbiyah:

Labbayk, allahumma labbayk. Labbayk, la sharika-laka labbayk. Innal-hamda wan-ni‘mata laka wal-mulk. La sharika-lak.

Here I am (at Your service), O Allah, here I am. Here I am, no partner do You have, here I am. Truly, the Praise and the Favour is Yours, and the Sovereignty. No partner do You have. (Al-Bukhari)

It is impossible to express how I felt at that moment. Tears trickled down my cheeks wetting my beard. In my mind echoed the thought: ‘You are so careless regarding the Din of Allah ta‘ala. You are not worthy of being invited by Allah ta‘ala to His Blessed House. How Merciful and Kind is your Creator that despite all your negligence and shortcomings, He has listed you amongst the hujjaj of 1426.’

We were now in the state of ihram and many things had now become prohibited, including the use of ‘itr (perfume) and covering the head, both of which are sunnah at other times.

On 8th Dhul Hijjah, we arrived in Mina. According to the sunnah practice, we were to spend the whole day and perform all our salah there. On this day, being present in the Haram for us pilgrims was less rewarding than remaining in Mina.

On the next day, 9th Dhul Hijjah, we moved to ‘Arafah. Those who performed the Zuhr salah in Masjid Namirah behind the Imam of hajj combined the ‘Asr salah with it before its prescribed time. We remained in ‘Arafah until sunset, after which we left, delaying the Maghrib salah until we combined it with the ‘Isha salah in Muzdalifah, as this is the sunnah of Nabi sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam.

I came across hundreds of hujjaj from all walks of life, young and old, men and women, and masha’allah, not a single person questioned any of the above. Each individual carried out what had been commanded without raising any objection whatsoever. No one was concerned that covering the head and applying perfume, both prophetic practices, were forbidden. No remarks were to be heard regarding the reward of salah in the Haram during the stay in Mina. The performance of ‘Asr salah in ‘Arafah before its appointed time did not raise any questions, nor did delaying the Maghrib salah. Every single haji was an embodiment of Islam, submitting his/her will to the Will of the Creator, unquestioningly carrying out all the Commands of Allah ta‘ala.

Alhamdulillah, throughout my journey, amidst the thousands of hujjaj who had come from all corners of the world, I witnessed nothing but Islam i.e. submission to the Will and Command of Allah ta‘ala. This made me think that the greatest lesson of hajj is that Allah ta‘ala is telling His bondsmen: ‘If you are able to submit totally to my commands without any hesitation during these five days, surely you have the ability to do the same after hajj. Islam is not difficult, as long as you resolve to follow it.’

Once this lesson has been learnt, the haji resolves to submit himself to his Creator. By pelting the Jamarat and sacrificing an animal he practically begins his battle against those two things that prevent a person from fully submitting to Allah ta‘ala: Shaytan and the nafs. The act of pelting is an open declaration of enmity towards Shaytan, whilst sacrificing an animal is a vow to sacrifice the desires of the nafs. Once these two, Shaytan and the nafs, are under control, submission is no longer difficult. Allah ta‘ala and His Rasul sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam have warned us against both these obstacles:

O believers, enter into Islam completely and do not follow the footsteps of Shaytan; surely, he is your open enemy. (2:208)

As for the one who feared to stand before his Rabb and restrained his nafs from (evil) desire, Jannah will be his abode. (79:40-41)

The clever one is he who subjugates his nafs and works for what is to come after death… (At-Tirmidhi)

If the haji returns with a resolution to submit wholeheartedly to his Creator, then definitely his life will change. And this change is a sign that he has performed al-hajjul-mabrur (accepted hajj) and the reward for al-hajjul-mabrur is nothing other than Jannah.

Taken  from ‘Inspirations’ (Volume 1) published by Islamic Da’wah Academy

© Islamic Da’wah Academy

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Current Affairs articles

Three Electoral Commitments Every Muslim Should Make


21st Dhul-Hijjah 1445 AH ~ Thursday 27th June 2024     
Like the rest of the country, the UK’s Muslim community is also gearing up to vote on Thursday 4th July 2024. The political parties have been campaigning in earnest for some time, outlining their manifestos and stressing their commitments to the nation. During the days preceding polling day, Britain’s Muslims should be asking themselves what commitments they have made when it comes to casting their votes. Below is an article by Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Saleem Dhorat damat barakatuhum, containing valuable advice for the Muslim voter. 

Three Electoral Commitments Every Muslim Should Make

By Shaykhul-Hadith, Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Saleem Dhorat damat barakatuhum   

Reaping the Benefits of Progress Allah ta‘ala has placed the desire for progress, and the spirit of mutual competitiveness that accompanies it, into the very nature of man. It is natural for individuals and communities to strive to better themselves and achieve progress. As Muslims, we should open the pages of history to discover those factors which make a nation progressive and prosperous and adopt them, as long as they are consistent with the teachings of our Din. As a result, we too will reap the benefits of progress, insha’allah.Our study should commence with trying to ascertain the secret behind the success of the noble Sahabah radhiyallahu ‘anhum, for they are the ideal role models of a community that attracted success in its every endeavour. A thoughtful investigation will reveal three prominent qualities which can be attributed to their success. In this election season, every Muslim should commit him/herself to observing these three principles, regardless of their preferred party, in order to secure success and achievement, both on a personal and communal level.

Taqwa Abstention from sins is the essence of taqwa and through it Allah ta‘ala has promised relief from every difficulty. The Sahabah radhiyallahu ‘anhum shunned all disobedience to Allah ta‘ala; they neither had a habit of sinning nor were they inclined towards sins.In dealing with the election issue, we must not say or do anything that displeases Allah ta‘ala. Of all the sins to beware of, backbiting and slander are major sins which are a particular threat at such times. One inclined towards a particular party should not backbite or slander a supporter of another party, for in doing so the requirements of taqwa will be compromised; and Divine assistance and blessings cannot be expected in the absence of taqwa.

Ikhlas Every decision taken by the Sahabah radhiyallahu ‘anhum was only for the Pleasure of Allah ta‘ala. Whether standing for election, supporting a party or voting, a Muslim must be pure in his intentions. This intention should be to elect the candidate who will best serve humanity in general, including the Muslim community. If a Muslim has sincerity then his vote will go to the right candidate, for he will expend his energies in finding out who is the best candidate.

Unity Unity is a key factor for the success of any nation; a truly united community can withstand any competition. Individuals should have the courtesy of mutual respect despite their political rivalries. Sadly, the Muslim community is a divided one. Every individual has the right to his own opinion and his own preference, within Dini boundaries; but our mutual differences often transform into malice and enmity towards each other. We go to extremes: if we like something in a particular person, we praise him to the extreme, whereas if we disagree with someone on one issue, we become blind to all the good qualities he possesses. Our dealings are but a faint shadow of the Islamic concept of brotherhood, taught to us by our Beloved Nabi sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam. True brotherhood demands that whatever our political stripe, we should be able to sit at a table and sacrifice our political allegiances for the sake of Allah ta‘ala and agree to support the candidate who is best for not only the Muslims, but all communities in general. All that is needed to achieve unity is a little sacrifice and the willingness to swallow one’s pride. We should be willing to marginalise our differences in order to progress in a common direction.It may be a good idea for the Muslims of each constituency to unite on a single platform and form a committee which is responsible for recommending the best candidate to Muslim voters. In this way, political parties will try to persuade such committees and as a result, seriously consider the needs of the Muslim community. May Allah ta‘ala grant us all the longing to strive for taqwa, ikhlas and unity. Amin.

Important Points
Every Muslim should keep the following points in mind:
1.    In all circumstances hold fast to taqwa, ikhlas and unity.
2.    The vote is very important. It is a means of electing the person most beneficial for the community and our country.
3.    Voting is a big responsibility. Not voting or voting incorrectly will give authority to the wrong person.
4.    The best candidate deserves our vote.
5.    We should become politically aware.
6.    We should read every party’s manifesto.
7.    We should study party policies and also refer to sincere people in our communities, who possess political acumen.
8.    We should find out which party offers us the best in all spheres of life: education, housing, health, social issues, foreign policy etc. Deciding on a party by just looking at one issue does not constitute farsightedness.
9.    We should think rationally and not make judgements based on emotions.
10. Finally, we should make du‘a to Allah ta‘ala, asking Him to enable us to make the right choice and that He grants success to those who will serve the country and its citizens without any prejudice or wrong. May Allah ta‘ala grant us all success and progress with khayr and barakah. Amin. 
Taken from Riyadul Jannah, Vol. 26 No. 4, Apr 2017 © Islamic Da’wah Academy 

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