Khutba on the Primary Position of the Hajj
Video
الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي فرض الحج على من استطاع إليه الطريق، وأمرهم بالسعي والقيام في عرفات والطواف حول البيت العتيق، نحمده تعالى ونستعينه، ونشكره تعالى ونستغفره ونستغيثه، نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد له وليا مرشدا، ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير، ونشهد أن سيدنا و مولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، وحبيبه وصفيه، بلغ الرسالة وأدى الأمانة ونصح الأمة، النبي الأمي الذي أرسله الله بالهدى والدين الحق، بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة، صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيا عباد الله اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون. يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم. ومن يطع
الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما. اتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر. قال الله سبحانه وتعالى في كتابه الكريم: وَأَذِّنْ فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَى كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَى مَا رَزَقَهُمْ مِنْ بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ
Allah says in His Noble Book, the translation of which is, “Announce the Hajj to mankind. They will come to you on foot and on every sort of lean animal, coming by every distant road so that they can be present at what will profit them and invoke Allah’s name on particular days over livestock He has provided for them.” These words according to one group of the mufassirin were directed to Ibrahim and according to the second to the Prophet, although in either case they apply to us, to mankind. It is we who are commanded and encouraged to make this epic and profitable journey, using whatever means with which our Lord has provided us to get to the House of Allah. Qurtubi says in his tafsir, that when Ibrahim was commanded to announce the Hajj, he was worried that his voice would not carry far enough, but Allah told him that all he had to do was to call out and He would take care of making it carry. So Ibrahim climbed to the summit of mount Abu Qubays and called out,
يا أيها الناس، إن الله قد أمركم بحج هذا البيت ليُثِيبَكم به الجنةَ ويُجِيرَكم من عذاب النار، فحُجّوا
“Mankind, Allah has commanded you to make pilgrimage to this House so that He can reward you with the Garden and protect you from the punishment of the Fire, so make pilgrimage to it.”
فأجابه من كان في أصلاب الرجال وأرحام النساء: لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمّ لَبَّيْك
“And all who were as yet in the loins of men and the wombs of women responded to the call, saying, “At Your service, O Allah, at Your service.” In other words, every human being from then until now, and that includes us sitting here in this mosque, heard this call and gladly expressed their readiness to obey and make the journey. Hajj is a part of our make-up – we feel the pull of the House at a cellular level, the drive and desire to make this journey is hardwired into our DNA. It is part of our contract with the Divine and has been for every human being who ever walked this planet. For the House of Allah has been an ever-present part of this world, being as it was the first structure ever constructed. Allah says,
إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِلْعَالَمِينَ
the translation of which is, “The first House established for mankind was that at Bakka, a place of blessing and a guidance for all beings,” In his tafsir of these Words, Mujahid said,
خلق الله موضع هذا البيتِ قبل أن يخلق شيئاً من الأرض بألفي سنة
“Allah created the place wherein lies this House two thousand years before He created anything else on this earth.” And then He placed Adam on the earth, And Adam and the Prophets after him all came to Mecca to make tawaf. The House of Allah called to them and called to all of mankind, an expression of their inbuilt need to worship their Creator. Those who understood the call and had the knowledge made their way from all parts of the Earth, those who did not instead built their own places of pilgrimage closer to home and performed their rites there, rites involving circles and straight lines. Nearly every country has evidence of structures of this kind, such as stonehenge in England. But today, more than at any other time, the connection of the human being with his essential nature, his fitra, has been broken and severed. The majority of mankind deny what they see as primitive instincts, and have forgotten what it actually means to be human, Their identities are based on their whims and appetites, not on their essence and needs. It is only this umma, the Umma of the Messenger of Allah, who remember, and even among us, there are those whom the alluring distractions of this world threaten to overwhelm.
The deen of Islam is the deen of fitra – every one of its teachings and instructions are in place to reconnect us with our essential form, to remind us of what it actually means to be human. And for that reason the Hajj is given pride of place, its practice being part of what of defines Islam and gives it its reality. The Prophet said,
بني الإسلام على خمس: شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمداً رسول الله، وإقام الصلاة، وإيتاء الزكاة، وصوم رمضان، وحج بيت الله الحرام
“Islam is built upon five things: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer, paying the zakat, fasting Ramadan, and making the Hajj pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allah.” Hajj is one of the pillars of the Deen of Allah, at an individual level as well as a communal one. It is not an optional extra, it is not an icing on the cake, it is one of its core ingredients, just as much as prayer, fasting or zakat. Every sane adult Muslim, male or female, is commanded to make the journey to the House of Allah in the moussem of Hajj once in their lifetime if they have the capacity to do so. Allah says,
وَلِله عَلَى النَّاسِ حَجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا
the translation of which is, “Hajj to the House is a duty owed to Allah by all mankind – those who can find a way to do it.” This condition of finding a way, of capacity, applies to all the five pillars – you only have to say the shahada if you have the capacity to speak, you only have to do sajda, standing and ruku in the prayer if you can physically do so without causing yourself harm, you only have to fast if you are strong enough and you only have to give zakat if you have a level of excess wealth above the nisab for a full year. But Allah mentions it specifically with respect to the Hajj, because the difficulties associated with Hajj are far greater than the difficulties associated with any of the other pillars. The journey is long and often arduous, and the financial outlay daunting, especially in this day and age when a majority live hand to mouth.
In the past, people would be away from their families and friends for as much as a year, travelling overland and oversea, braving the elements and the threat of robbers and wild animals. So people made sure their affairs were completely in order before setting out, knowing that they might not come back. Now the physical side of the journey is much easier, but the financial side has been placed out of the reach of many. Costs associated with the trip have become prohibitive and the limited availability of visas too has prevented many who wished to go from making the trip. If you find yourself in this position, do not despair. You have not left a pillar of your Deen unfulfilled because that pillar has not fulfilled the conditions for it to be obligatory on you. Your deen is not deficient. The Hajj only becomes obligatory on you in this day and age when all three aspects of capacity are met.
Firstly, that you have the physical strength to make the journey. If you are desperately ill or frail, you are not required to go even if this year might be your last chance to do so.
Secondly, that you have the financial means to get there and back and survive while you are there, without getting yourself into debt or leaving those who depend upon you at home, such as a wife, parents or children, in desperate straits. If your finances do not stretch that far, then you do not have to go, and it may well be that it is reprehensible for you to go.
And thirdly, that you obtain the hajj visa. This is not something you will find in the books of fiqh, nor is it something that our forefathers had to put up with, but it is part of the existential reality of the world in which we live. Without this visa, no matter how much money you have, no matter how strong and fit you are, you will not be let past the border. If you have met the other conditions, and applied for this visa, but been denied, then do not worry, you have not fallen short in your obligation. Allah does not require anything of us that is beyond us. Allah says,
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللهُ نَفْساً اِلَّا وُسْعَهَا
the translation of which is, “Allah does not impose on any self any more than it can stand.” We ask Allah to enable us to complete and fulfil this great part of his deen and give us the strength, permission and capacity to do so. We ask Him to give us intentions that are firm and unwavering, and rank us among those who receive His invitation.
أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرَّحيم.
الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، صلى الله وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه، والتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته وأحذركم وإياي عن معصيته ومخالفته.
If you have not yet made the journey and you rank among those who have been granted the physical capacity and the necessary finances, then do not delay. Apply now for your visa and keep on applying until you are accepted. Exhaust every possibility and try every door. And if they remain shut, then start your process for next year. For hajj is wajib ala-l-fawr according to the great alim of Madina, that is to say, Hajj becomes obligatory on you in the moment that its conditions are fulfilled. You must go and do it then and there. The Prophet said,
تَعَجَّلُوا إِلَى الْحَجِّ يَعْنِي الْفَرِيضَةَ فَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَا يَدْرِي مَا يَعْرِضُ لَهُ
“Hurry to do your Hajj (when you have the means), for you never know what will happen to you (i.e. to prevent you going in the future).” This is an opportunity granted to you by Allah to fulfil one of the pillars of His deen. And by treating such opportunities lightly, you are opening yourself up to kufr and the wrath of Allah. For Abu Umamah narrated the Prophet said,
من لم يمنعه عن الحج حاجةٌ ظاهرة أو سلطانٌ جائر أو مرضٌ حابس فمات ولم يحجَّ فليمت إن شاء يهودياً وإن شاء نصرانياً
“If anyone who is not prevented by illness, or by obvious need, or by a tyrannical ruler, fails to perform hajj, he might as well die a Jew or a Christian.” This is quite a warning, so do not let the petty concerns of this world stand in your way when the time comes. Put them to one side and hurry to the House of Allah. Place yourself at His service completely and you will have success. Follow in the footsteps of your Messenger and his Companions and all those who have followed them in guidance in every age. Go where they have gone, do what they have done, and say what they have said. And gladly and joyously fulfill its pillars and obligations.
View it as an opportunity and a means of getting closer to your Lord and closer to your fellow believers. Do not waste a moment while you are there. Every act is rewarded 100,000 fold. You can make great headway and huge advancements on your path to Allah.
See only good and never bad, no matter what you are confronted with. For if you start to see bad, all you will see will be bad and you will get nothing from your hajj. It will consume and absorb all your time and energy, and your constant state will become one of frowning and disapproval – the behaviour of the guards, the encroachment of all the ugly skyscrapers onto the haram, the jostling and the shoving, the preponderance of people taking selfies as they do tawaf around the House of Allah. Ignore them, do not let them bother you. Instead, concentrate on where you are, why you are there and who you are visiting. Nothing else matters.
You are the guest of All-Merciful, and are immensely privileged to have received the invitation to His House. It is a gift beyond compare, no journey you will ever undertake will ever have such significance and meaning. Your life has reached his pinnacle, you have fulfilled the fifth and last pillar of your deen. You are a complete human being.
And you have entered the ultimate bath house. Never will you ever be so clean as when you complete your Hajj with correctness and sincerity. Every wrong action will have been washed from your heart and body until not a single one remains. You become as blameless and unblemished as the new-born baby. The Prophet said,
من حج البيت فلم يرفث ولم يفسق خرج من ذنوبه كيوم ولدته أمه
“If anyone performs Hajj and keeps away from sexual intercourse and wrong action during it, then all his wrong actions will be washed away so he will be like the day his mother gave birth to him.” Those who come back from the Hajj are not the same beings as those who went. The cares and worries of this life do not have the same hold over them – their perspective has been realigned and their purpose renewed. Their lives will never be the same.
We ask Allah to accept the Hajj of all those who go this year, and protect and safeguard them throughout their journey. And bring them back from it refreshed and revitalised, and ready to do all that is necessary to put His deen back in place. We ask Him to reunite the hearts of the Muslims through this Hajj and heal the divisions that have formed. We ask Him to make whole what has been broken and restore this Muslim umma to its former glory. And we ask Him to grant victory to all those who are fighting and struggling in His Way and keep them safe from His enemies. We ask that He grant victory to His deen and thwart the plots and machinations of those who reject Him.
إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُهَا الذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ. وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، وعن أم المومنين عائشة التي أمرنا الله في سورة النور أن ندافع عنها، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً اِلأَنْصَارَ مِنْهُمْ وَالمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَعَنِ التَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ وَلِاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ المُسْتَقِيمِ، وَأَصْلِحْهُمْ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى شَيْخِنَا، وَعَلَى أَمِيرِنَا، وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمَرَاءِ وَزُعَمَاءِ المُسْلِمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى المُسْلِمِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا تُحِبُّهُ وَتَرْضَاهُ يَا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلَامَ وَالمُسِْلمِينَ، وَاخْذُلِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ، وَانْصُرِ المُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ. وَاجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وَكَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلَى.
رَبَّنَا ءَاتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقَِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ.
إِنَّ اللهَ يَامُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَّكَّرُونَ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ. وَقُومُواْ إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللهُ.