Friday was the last day of Hajj. Mina the tent city, which came to life only during the days of Hajj is now suddenly empty, again. The Hajj season is officially over.

While you read through this article, the hujjaj will be wrapping up their things and folding their mats and tents to head toward their hotels in Makkah or perhaps to the airport to return home. For some, they’re getting ready for the next leg of their spiritual journey, going to Madinah.

On the last day of Hajj, the hujjaj who stayed two days in Mina or chose to stay the extra day on Friday, were obligated to continue the same rites of Ayyam-ut-tashreeq, explained in a pervious post. They were required to throw stones at the three posts of jamarat, seven pebbles each, before they leave Mina.

The sight of an empty Mina is really depressing, especially after getting used to the hustle and bustle and the hectic schedule of Hajj and life in Mina. Now they’re all gone, the people whom they met for the first time in their lives and made friends with and perhaps this will be their last time to see them again.

During their final stay in Makkah, the hujjaj make sure nothing of their obligations is left without being fulfilled or compensated for. So if there was any violation committed during their Ihram or stay in Mina, they make sure to amend it in the proper way. In some cases, the hujjaj are required to pay ransom for some of these mistakes. The ransom can be paid in the form of fasting, feeding the poor or offering a sacrificial animal. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala said:

“And complete the Hajj or ‘umra in the service of Allah. But if you are prevented (from completing it), send an offering for sacrifice, such as you may find, and do not shave your heads until the offering reaches the place of sacrifice. And if any of you is ill, or has an ailment in his scalp, (necessitating shaving), (he should) in compensation either fast, or feed the poor, or offer sacrifice;…” al-Baqara 2:196

And in another scenario in Hajj, Allah says:

“O you who believe! Kill not game while in the sacred precincts or in pilgrim garb. If any of you does so intentionally, the compensation is an offering, brought to the Ka’ba, of a domestic animal equivalent to the one he killed, as adjudged by two just men among you; or by way of atonement, the feeding of the indigent; or its equivalent in fasts: that he may taste of the penalty of his deed. Allah forgives what is past: for repetition Allah will exact from him the penalty. For Allah is Exalted, and Lord of Retribution.” al-Ma’edah 5:95

Once the hujjaj have taken care of all the essentials of Hajj, they prepare themselves for their departure from Makkah. The sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) is to perform Tawaf al-Wadaa’ or the Farewell Tawaf right before the departure from Makkah. It is considered wajib or obligatory to perform this Tawaf for those who are physically fit. In case of woman whose menstruating period already started, according to the majority of Muslim jurists she is not obligated to perform that Tawaf nor is she obligated to have someone do it on her behalf. This is according to hadith of Aisha (radiyallahu anha) who reported that Safiyyah the wife the Prophet had her period right before they were about to leave Makkah, and when the Messenger of Allah heard the news he said in awe and shock: “Is she going to hold us all back?” Speaking of the entire Hajj congregation, but then he asked if she has already done her Tawaf al-Ifaada, which is the major Tawaf of Hajj. Upon learning that she had already done it, he ordered all to depart (Bukhari and Muslim).

Some of the hujjaj who were unable to perform Tawaf al-Ifaada earlier due to their legal excuses, would do that Tawaf in place of Tawaf al-Wadaa’. They perform their Tawaf around the Ka’bah and then do the Sa’i between the hills of Safa and Marwa, if needed.

The best scenario for the hujjaj is to take care of their last minute shopping before they do their Tawaf, for it’s better to keep the last memories in Makkah around the Ka’bah instead of the market place. There is no harm in getting anything from the market on the way back to the hotel as long as the hujjaj are still in transit awaiting their final departure. If they decide to stay longer, such as spending the night in Makkah, in this case another Tawaf should be performed because the previous one is no longer considered a Farewell Tawaf anymore.

Many of the hujjaj depart from Makkah with sorrow and grief, and just as they arrived with tears and joy, they are now leaving with tears and a mixture of perplexing sadness and happiness. Nevertheless, they all leave with hope that their Hajj was Mabroor or faultless and that Allah has accepted their offerings during these days of great sacrifice. They all leave with hope that this experience was a true redemption from sin and an emancipation from the snares of this dunya.

And here are some signs, among others, of a successful Hajj experience:

A great feeling of comfort and relief.

Experiencing overwhelming peace and tranquility.

Being grateful and full with gratitude.

Repenting to Allah and showing remorse.

Committing one’s life afterwards to the worship of Allah.

Overwhelming feeling of kindness and generosity.

To return back to normal life but with a completely different perspective.

May Allah accept the Hajj of hujjaj, make it Mabroor and faultless and bring them all back home safe and sound, with their sins forgiven just like the day when they were born. Ameen

The days of Tashreeq are the days following the Eid day. These are the appointed days Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) mentioned in Surat al-Baqara:

وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَعْدُودَاتٍ ۚ فَمَنْ تَعَجَّلَ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ فَلَا إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ تَأَخَّرَ فَلَا إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ لِمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ ۗ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

“Celebrate the praises of Allah during the Appointed Days. But if anyone hastens to leave in two days, there is no blame on him, and if anyone stays on, there is no blame on him, if his aim is to do right. Then fear Allah, and know that ye will surely be gathered unto Him.” [al-Baqara 2:203]

The strongest opinion on why they are called Ayyam-ut-tashreeq or the days of Tashreeq is because prior to the invention of the refrigeration system, the hujjaj used to slice the meat they acquired from the udhiya and qurbani, season it with salt and then let it dry in the sun in a proto and traditional style of food preservation. The dehydrating of the meat allows the hujjaj to preserve it and carry it with them on their long journey back from wherever they came.

This process in itself is called tashreeq, and it was derived from the the Arabic word شروق or إشراق which means sunrise or sunshine. The process entails the exposure of the meat to the sun for a long time. And although most of the hujjaj don’t practice this anymore, if you look carefully in the camps of Mina, perhaps you will see some people still practice that tradition, and you might see the meat “jerky” already hung on ropes and on different sides of their tents.

These days are considered days of celebration and worship. It is not recommended for the hujjaj to fast on these days, rather they should enjoy the celebration of the Eid by feasting, eating and drinking. The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “The days of Tashreeq are days of eating and drinking.” (Muslim) i.e. feasting.

The wisdom behind these days is to allow the hujjaj to celebrate the season and encourage them to eat from the meat they have offered for the sake of Allah. The hujjaj in the past used to come from far distances, and meat for them was a very precious meal. Now that they have plenty of it, they were given the incentive and encouragement to consume it during the days of Eid without any feeling of guilt. It was normal during these days to walk around the camps of Mina seeing smoke all over the place and smelling nothing but barbecue. Today things are different, and pre-catered meals are becoming the standard. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

وَالْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَاهَا لَكُمْ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ ۖ فَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا صَوَافَّ ۖ فَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُهَا فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْقَانِعَ وَالْمُعْتَرَّ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرْنَاهَا لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

“The sacrificial camels We have made for you as among the symbols from Allah: in them is (much) good for you: then pronounce the name of Allah over them as they line up (for sacrifice): when they are down on their sides (after slaughter), eat ye thereof, and feed such as (beg not but) live in contentment, and such as beg with due humility: thus have We made animals subject to you, that ye may be grateful.” [al-Hajj 22:36]

It is only permissible to fast these days for the hujjaj if they were unable to offer the had’y or the sacrificial animal, and therefore these hujjaj become obligated to fast three days during the Hajj and seven when they arrive home. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

فإِذَا أَمِنْتُمْ فَمَنْ تَمَتَّعَ بِالْعُمْرَةِ إِلَى الْحَجِّ فَمَا اسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ الْهَدْيِ ۚ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ فِي الْحَجِّ وَسَبْعَةٍ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ ۗ تِلْكَ عَشَرَةٌ كَامِلَةٌ ۗ

“…and when ye are in peaceful conditions (again), if any one wishes to continue the ‘umra on to the Hajj, he must make an offering, such as he can afford, but if he cannot afford it, he should fast three days during the Hajj and seven days on his return, making ten days in all…” [al-Baqara 2:196]

The days of Tashreeq are minimum of two: the 11th and the 12th; the 13th is an optional day for those who desire to stay longer, as Allah mentioned in the ayah previously quoted:

“But if any one hastens to leave in two days, there is no blame on him, and if any one stays on, there is no blame on him, if his aim is to do right.” [al-Baqara 2:203]

The routine of these days which the hujjaj will continue to follow for the two upcoming days and the optional extra day as well until the end of the Hajj season is as follows:

1. The hujjaj are required to spend most of the night, preferably the entire night, of the days of Tashreeq in Mina. During the Eid day at night, the hujjaj should have already been in Mina and after Fajr they will be allowed to move out to Makkah whether to go to the hotel or go to the Haram for prayer and worship. Some hujjaj, if not even most of them, don’t have hotels anymore, and therefore they spend their days and nights in Mina and that is also valid, and as a matter of fact that was the practice of the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam).

2. During these days the hujjaj continue to offer their udhiya and had’y if they haven’t done so yet. They pray every Fard salat in the short format just like the traveler but performed on time without the need to combine between them. They also continue their recitation of the Takbeer until the end of the season. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says:

لَنْ يَنَالَ اللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَٰكِنْ يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَىٰ مِنْكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُمْ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

“It is not their meat nor their blood, that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you, that ye may glorify Allah (takbeer) for His Guidance to you and proclaim the good news to all who do right.” [al-Hajj 22:37]

Abdullah ibn Umar (radiya Allahu anhu) used to raise his voice with Takbeer while staying in Mina in his camp, and the people will follow his lead and recite their Takbeer until they rock the entire camp with their voices. (Bukhari)

3. The most important practice of these days is the throwing of stones رمي الجمرات at the jamarat site (singular: jamra جمرة the place where the pebbles are thrown and collected). Some call it rajmu-sh-shaytan or the stoning of the devil after the incident of Ibrahim (alayhi salam) with the shaytan or the devil. According to some Muslim scholars and historians, when the shaytan appeared to Ibrahim, he tried to tempt him three times on these sites, and Ibrahim had to cast him away by throwing stones on him.

4.The jamarat are three, located on the northern boundaries of Mina east from Makkah. The closest one from Mina is called al-jamra as-sughra or the minor jamra, then al-wus’ta or the middle one and then the farthest and closest to Makkah al-kubra or the major.

Just few hundred yards away, northeast from the major jamra, a small old masjid is found indicating the location where the early pledge of allegiance known in seerah as bay’ah-tul-aqaba, was given to the Messenger (salla Allahu alayhi was sallam). This was the pledge the people of Yathrib, later known as Madinah and its people the Ansar, had given to the Messenger of Allah to protect him and support his message. This incident prompted the hijra or immigration to Madinah afterwards, marking a new milestone in the history of Islam.

5. With seven pebbles, the hujjaj throw each and every one of the three jamrat. The pebbles should not be too large, rather each should be as small as a chickpea, and it can be collected from anywhere, even from Makkah itself. The pebbles don’t have to be washed or perfumed as some hujjaj might do, after all it will be thrown at the devil anyways according to some. The hujjaj are required to make sure the pebbles land in the pool of stones not outside, and with each stone they say Allahu Akbar. It is disrespectful for the ritual to throw whatever someone might have in his or her hand such as slippers or umbrellas, and it should be treated with full respect for it is the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi was sallam).

6.The timing of this rite of Hajj is critical. The standard opinion is that this should be performed after the time of zawal or when the time of dhuhr is already in until right before sunset. The size of the Hajj congregation in our modern time and the limited time window allocated to perform it has created a hazardous condition and a situation prone to disaster. Therefore, to preserve the human life Muslim scholars made concession for the hujjaj to use anytime of the day or night to perform this rite of hajj.

7. After finishing throwing the stones at each station the hujjaj stand on the side away from the traffic, facing Makkah and raise their hands with du’a and praise and then move on to the next station starting from the minor, the middle and then the last and major one.

8. Once the hujjaj are done, they move on to Makkah if it is still daylight or go to their camps in Mina if it is already night. Because they need to spend the night in Mina anyways, many hujjaj delay this practice until close to time of sunset so they come from their hotels in Makkah the last hour of the day, perform the jamarat rites and head to camp right away all in one trip.

9. The fifth day of Hajj is the 12th of Dhul Hijjah. Any pilgrim who desires to hasten and leave early can end his or her Hajj after they perform the throwing of the stones on that day, and they have to be out of Mina before sunset. If they stayed in Mina after sunset then they are required to remain there for the extra day, the 13th, which is the last and final day of Ayyam-ut-tashreeq.

10. It is during this beautiful time the hujjaj get to connect with each other, learn about different cultures, meet scholars from different parts of the world and also make business and trade with each other among many other things they do there. Ironically, it is a time to celebrate the diversity and yet the unity of the whole Muslim Ummah.

The Eid Day

The third day of Hajj is known in Arabic as يوم النحر (Yawm-un-Nahr) or the Day of Sacrifice, it is also known as Eid-ul-Adha. There are two opinions on the origin of this name Yawm-un-Nahr:

The first refers it back to the time of Ibrahim alayhi-s-salam. When Allah tried Ibrahim and commanded him to sacrifice his son Ismael, the practice itself is called نحر Nahr or slaughter and sacrifice. Muslim scholars reported this incident to happen on that day of the year.

The strongest opinion is based on the actual practice of نحر the massive slaughter of sacrificial animals on the day of Eid. On this day of hajj which is the day of Eid-ul-Adha or the day of sacrifice, millions of Muslims around the globe, whether in Hajj or not, will be commemorating the event of the trial of Ibrahim and his son Ismael and will be offering their sacrificial animals or Udhiya and Qurbani, following the example of their forefather Ibrahim alayhi-s-salam.

This day by far is the most blessed and virtuous day of the entire year. The Messenger of Allah said:

(إنَّ أَعْظَمَ اْلأيَّامِ عِنْدَ الله تبارك وتعالى يَوْمُ النَّحْرِ ثُمَّ يَوْمُ الْقَرِّ)

“The best day with Allah is Yawm-un-Nahr, the day of sacrifice and then Yum-al-Qarr (the day that follows, when the pilgrims reside in the camps of Mina for worship).” (Ahmad, Abu Dawood and an-Nasa’iee)

It is considered so virtuous because of the amount and variety of acts of worship offered on that day by the millions of pilgrims and Muslims around the world. A list of these acts were mentioned in a previous post on the virtues of the ten days of dhul hijjah.

What do the pilgrims do on that day?

In the early hours of Yawm-un-Nahr the majority of the hujjaj will start their day from the plains of Muzdalifa. Once they finish Fajr prayer, they stay in the Mash’ar al-Haram or the site of Muzdalifa until close to sunrise then they start their march to Mina.

On their way to Mina the pedestrian pilgrims will go through the opened valley of Wadi Mu’hassir, where many Muslim historians believe the incident of the elephant of Abraha the Abyssinian took place.

On Yawm-un-Nahr, the pilgrims are obligated to perform four specific rites of Hajj, these four are done in no specific order.

To stone the major jamarat or the jamra of the major Aqaba with seven stones. This station is on the site of Mina is the farthest from Muzdalifa and the closest to Makkah. It is also positioned on the boundaries that separate Mina from Makkah.

This station of the Hajj used to be the most dangerous station, over which many lives perished in multiple stampedes right until the development of the new facility in Mina.

One misconception is that people think they’re obligated to get the pebbles from Muzdalifa when in reality they can get pebbles from anywhere in the area as long as it is not directly from around the post of the jamra.

To shave the head or shorten the hair for men and to clip a bit of the hair for women. This practice is done as a symbolic gesture to remove the sin and filth of one’s soul and body.

To offer the had’y or the sacrificial animal whether by hand which is the most preferable method or by proxy. The sacrifice can be made of any of the permissible stock animals. This rite is an obligation on those who perform the hajj in the form of Tamatu’ or Qiran in which the hujjaj perform both Umrah and Hajj joined or separate. Anyone who performs the Hajj as a single ritual without Umrah is not obligated to offer this sacrifice.

To perform Tawaf (circling seven times around the Ka’bah) and Sa’y (to run between the two hills of Safa and Marwa). This Tawaf is known in Hajj as Tawaf-ul-Ifaadah or Tawaf-uz-Ziyaarah. It is this particular rite that is most important of the four.

The pilgrim remains in a full state of Ihram until three of the four are done. He remains in a partial state of Ihram as long as the Tawaf is not done yet. Once the Tawaf is done then he or she can leave the state of Ihram.

In some cases where the pilgrim would not be able to perform the Tawaf on the first day due to legal excuse such as illness for men or having the beginning of menstruation for women, the pilgrim in this case has to delay the Tawaf until the excuse no longer exists. There are other Fiqh opinions which permit menstruating women in particular to do their Tawaf if their company cannot wait for them until they become pure, and in this case they do the Tawaf out of necessity.

These four rites have no specified order according to the majority of the schools of thought in Fiqh. The Messenger of Allah was asked about these rites and the how they were performed by the hujjaj and he was not asked about anything the was made before or after but he said: “Do and there is no harm.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Once the hujjaj throw the stone on the major Aqbah, they can stop their Talbiyah and start their Takbeer of the Eid. “Allahu Akbarul Allahu Akbarul Allahu Akbar, Laa Ilaaha Illa Allah. Allahu Akbarul Allahu Akabr, wa lilla-hil hamd.”

If the pilgrim is unable financially to perform the had’y or sacrificial animal, he or she is then required to fast three days during their stay in the Hajj season and seven at their convenience when they get back home.

If the hujjaj are caught in the Haram in Makkah in Tawaf and the Eid salat starts, they are not supposed to stop their Hajj practice to join Eid prayer. They should continue with their Hajj.

Some of the Hujjaj go straight to Makkah first, they do their Tawaf, they shave their heads and they know that the sacrifice has already been done on their behalf. At night they head to Mina in civilian clothes to do the throwing of the jamra and then stay in Mina to spend the night as part of their Hajj obligation.

Regardless of whether the hujjaj completed their jamra or not, they are all required to continue their Hajj by moving to Mina again to spend the night or most of the night in the camps there. They continue their worship, and get to know each other and learn more about Muslims from all over the world.

Hajj is ‘Arafah

The name Arafah عَرَفَة was mentioned in many ahadith such as hadith of the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam): “ الحج عرفة “ or Hajj is Arafah (reported by Imam Ahmad and the four sunan). The name Arafat was mentioned in Surat al-Baqara 2:198

“It is no crime in you if ye seek of the bounty of your Lord (during pilgrimage). Then when ye pour down from (Mount) Arafaat, celebrate the praises of Allah at the Sacred Monument, and celebrate His praises as He has directed you, even though, before this, ye went astray”

There are different interpretations on why that day was called Arafah or Arafaat, none of these opinions was authenticated by a solid textual evidence that can be traced to the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam). Nevertheless, the scholars of the past recorded them in their books as akhbar or stories of the past and therefore I quote for you few of these opinions here:

1. Arafah was the place were Adam and Eve met once again when they were sent down to reside on earth. They came down on two different spots but eventually were able to meet and recognize each other on this plain. Arafah here means “to get acquainted”, so based on this opinion Adam and Eve got acquainted to each other on that very same land we call today Arafah.

2. When angel Jibreel came down to Prophet Ibrahim (alayhis salam), he taught him the rituals of Hajj and took him around the Holy Sites. For every ritual explained Jibreel would say to Ibrahim “A’raft?” or “Did you learn (this one)?” and Ibrahim would reply with “Araft” or “I did”. Thats why it was called Arafah i.e. he got to know or learn.

3. It is a place where people get to know “ عرف or arafa” each other. Since the hujjaj or pilgrims spend most of that day on the same place and perhaps spot, many will get to know new people and learn more about them. So it is a place of تعارف or getting to know one another, and because of the great number of people who get to know each other the word عرفات or Arafaat came about.

4. The word عَرْف or A’rf means fragrance, and because the plains of Arafah are sites on which Allah’s mercy (rahmah) and forgiveness descend, the people would describe the day, the place and its dwellers of being perfumed with this spiritual and mystical fragrance “Arafah”. Moreover because of the rahmah or mercy descending upon the gathering, the small mountain on the plain on which many hujjaj desire to stand was called the mountain of Rahmah “Mercy”.

Despite the difference of opinion on why the day was called so, no scholar would argue the importance and significance of Arafah for the hajj and hujjaj.

In a previous post we mentioned some of the virtues of this blessed day, and now we mention the actual practices on Hajj needed done on this day.

1. On that day most of the pilgrims will still be in Mina. They pray Fajr in their camps in Mina, and after sunrise they start their final preparation for the journey ahead.

2. Marching or riding to Arafah is not supposed to be that far from Mina, but the crowd and traffic jams make it seem like hundreds of miles.

3. As they all march and head to Arafah, their chanting will be continuously Talbiyah “lab-bayka Allahuma lab-bayk, lab-bayka laa sharika laka lab-bayk, in-nal hamda wan-ni’mata laka wal Mulk, laa sharika lak”. “Here I am in Your service, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner.” [Muslim] This chanting definitely symbolizes the purpose of this whole journey, that is to serve Allah and worship Him and Him alone.

4. Once the pilgrims reach Arafah, they take their places in their pre-assigned camps and wait until the call for the prayer is announced.

The Messenger of Allah, upon his arrival to Arafah, camped outside the plains of Arafah prior to the time of Dhuhr in the location where the Masjid of Namira is now built, once called Wadi ‘Urana.

Unlike the back part of the masjid today, the front part of the masjid is actually outside the boundaries of Arafah where the Messenger had delivered his khutbah or sermon. When he finished delivering the sermon, the Messenger (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) lead the hajj congregation in combined prayer between Dhuhr and Asr, then he moved inside the plains of Arafah until the end of the day.

5. When the time for prayer approaches, the khateeb or Imam who delivers the sermon stands to remind the congregation who gathered in Masjid Namira and the surrounding areas with what is known as the sermon of Arafah. The adhan or call for the prayer is then announced, the Imam then leads the congrgation in Dhuhr and Asr prayer combined and shortened, each performed in units of two rak’ah with one adhan and two Iqamas.

6. The sermon will be broadcasted live on many national and international media outlets. One mistake many pilgrims fall into, is that they follow the Imam in salat or prayer even if they were staying in their own camps miles away from masjid Namira where the prayer is held. Instead every camp should have their own congregational prayer but without the need for an extra khutbah or sermon.

7.Once the prayer is done, the hujjaj move back to their camps, seeking shelter from the scorching sun of Arabia. They have to stay within the boundaries of Arafah which are marked by huge yellow billboards all around. The hujjaj are obligated to stay in Arafah until pass sunset. Anyone who fails staying there risks invalidating his entire Hajj.

8. People spend the rest of the day in active devotion performing many acts of worship. It is recommended for the pilgrims to engage in constant dhikr and remembrance of Allah. The best dhikr for the hujjaj will still be the Talbiyah aforementioned. They can read the Qur’an, supplicate and invoke Allah for mercy and forgiveness too if they will.

9. Even though fasting the day of Arafah is so virtuous, it is still not recommended for the pilgrims to fast. The practice of the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) was not to fast on the day of Arafa while performing Hajj. [Bukhari and Muslim]

It is important for the hujjaj to save their energy for the most important day of the Hajj.

10. After Asr time, the plains of Arafah transforms into a completely different sight. Hundreds of thousands of people are now realizing the imminence of the end of this blessed day and hence engage in a passionate and vigorous du’a and festivity of praise and supplication.

People will be standing or sitting everywhere, on the side of the road, on the mountain of Rahmah and on the top of their cars and buses raising their hands and voices with du’a and shedding tears and worries in a hope that they will be forgiven all their sins.

There is no day better in the sight of Allah than the Day of Arafah. On this day Allah descends to the nearest heaven in a manner that suits His Majesty, and He is proud of His slaves on the earth and says to those in heaven, “Look at My servants. They have come from far and near, with hair disheveled and faces covered with dust, to seek My mercy, even though they have not seen My chastisement. Far more people are freed from the Hellfire on the Day of Arafah than on any other day.” (Abu Ya’la, Ibn Khzayma, al-Bazzar and Ibn Hibban)

Abu Ad-Darda reported that the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “On no other day does the Satan feel so belittled, humiliated, and angry as he does on the Day of Arafah.” The reason for this is the mercy of Allah that descends this day and the forgiveness that He grants to people for major sins, except the day of the battle of Badr, which witnessed a far greater mercy of Allah descending upon people, which caused great sadness to Satan.

11.Once the day comes to an end, and right at sunset the hujjaj start heading back towards Mina. On their way to Mina there will be one stop for the night, the plains of Muzdalifah. Whether they go riding or walking the hujjaj have to stop in Muzdalifah to pray Maghrib and Isha combined, where Maghrib is done in full three rak’ah and Isha is shortened into two.

12. It is the sunnah of the Prophet and therefore for the hujjaj to spend the entire night in Muzdalifah resting, and hence the best act of worship on Muzdalifah is to go to sleep. The hujjaj needs to get some rest after a long day of worship and they also need to prepare well for a longer day of various acts of worship, the day of Nahr “the day of Eid”.

13. It is permissible for people of legitimate excuses to leave the plains of Muzdalifah after half of the night had passed, in order to avoid being caught in the crowd and the heavy traffic. The elderly men and women, the sick, the disabled and those who work to serve the hujjaj are permitted to leave earlier and continue with the rituals of Hajj before the great crowd arrives.

14. At Fajr time a new day would arrive and the journey continues on the 10th day of dhul hijjah, the Eid day.

The official day of Hajj is the 8th day, known in Arabic as Yawm at-Tarwiyah or “the day of fetching water and quenching the thirst.”

Arafah is the main day of Hajj, in which the pilgrims spend a whole day from forenoon until sunset and then spend the night, between Arafah and Mina, on the plain of Muzdalifah. Back in the days before the establishment of the modern facilities in Arafah and Muzdalifah there was no source of water available on the actual plains of Arafah and Muzdalifah. As matter of fact, the plains there are until this day wide open valleys, dry and barren except for few shrubs and desert trees.

Because of the scarcity of water in the area, the pilgrims were instructed to get ready for this long day and night by feeding their animals and making sure their camels had enough water for the long journey ahead. The pilgrims would also fetch water for themselves and fill their containers and waterskin bags. It is for this reason the day was given the name Yawm at-Tarwiyah or “the day of fetching water and quenching thirst.”

Yawm at-Tarwiyah is the official day of commencing the actual rituals of Hajj. Those who have already arrived to Makkah prior to this day most likely had performed the Tamattu’ form of Hajj in which they offer Umrah upon their arrival to the Holy Sites and come out of the state of Ihram back to the civilian clothes. They would live in their hotels in Makkah or wherever their camps might be until the official start of Hajj. Now that Yawm at-Tarwiyah has arrived the pilgrims are now required to get back into the state of Ihram and start their sacred journey.

What do the pilgrims do on the 8th day of Hajj?

1. Regardless of their location, whether they are in a hotel, already in Mina or at home in Makkah, the Hujjaj or pilgrims prepare themselves to enter the state of Ihram.

2. The pilgrims will prepare themselves with the proper hygiene, such as clipping their fingernails, trimming their mustaches, shaving the underarms and pubic areas and take a thorough shower. They then wear perfume and put on their two white garments, in the case of men, and their regular clothes for women.

3. Once they are ready to start their move to Mina, they pronounce their words of Ihram “Lab-bayka Allahuma Hajj” which symbolizes the purpose of this journey “in Your service, O my Lord.”

4. Now that the pilgrims have entered their sacred journey, they will not be able to get out of it, except in emergency cases, until they return back from Arafah. That means they stay in Ihram for almost two days, and in some cases, even a bit more.

5. The pilgrims then move in bus convoys, cabs and even on foot to the tent city camp of Mina.

6. Some pilgrims take advantage of the return back into the state of Ihram and go to the Haram or the Sacred Masjid first, do tawaf around the Ka’ba and then head to Mina.

7. In Mina, the pilgrims remain there for the entire day and night until after Fajr (dawn prayer) the next day.

8. During their stay, which is not obligatory to begin with, the Hujjaj pray Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and Fajr prayers in their respective times in the form of Qasr (shortening the four units into two) but without combining any prayer with another.

9. There are no specific rituals to complete during this day except for the general requirement to engage in a constant state of worship and praise, particularly the words of Talbiya “Lab-bayka Allahuma Lab-bayk…” or” In Your service, O my Lord.” Remember, this day was initially for taking the proper preparation for the following day.

10. Even though water and other food supplies can easily be found today and already exist in the modern facilities in Arafah and Mina, the Hujjaj are still required to spend the day and night in Mina.

11. Although acts of worship are definitely recommended on that day, qiyamul-layl or night prayers might not be the best thing to do the night before Arafah. The pilgrims need to preserve their full energy for the most important day of Hajj, Arafah.

It’s that time of the year again, the last month of the lunar calendar for the year 1431 after the Hijrah of the Prophet Muhammad, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam. This is the time when more than two million people from all around the globe will be meeting together for at least five days in the plains of Makkah, Mina, Arafa and Muzdalifa to perform their sacred journey to Makkah, known to us as al-Hajj, the pilgrimage. What bonds them together? One thing: al-Islam.

If you are already reading this, most likely you are not going to Hajj. And if you’re there already, then what on earth are you doing wasting your time online? Go to the Haram and enjoy your tawaf.

There are two chances in life: the one which you have already missed and the one which you don’t want to miss. What you already have is no longer a chance, its reality.

Therefore, for those of us who were unable to be there in Makkah, why should we value these special days of the year? Here are my top five reasons.

Allah subahanahu wa ta’ala valued these days so much that he swore by them in the Qur’an. And If Allah swore by something, then it is definitely profound and of the greatest value. Allah says:

والفجر وليال عشر
“by the dawn, and by ten nights” alfajr 89:1-2

Ibn Kathir rahimahullah in his tafsir referred to these ten days as the ten days of Dhul Hijjah. He also attributed this opinion to Ibn Abbas, Ibn az-Zubair and others of the righteous predecessors.

The good deeds performed during these ten days are most rewarded, more than any other time of the year.
Ibn Abbas narrated the Messenger salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:

(مَا مِنْ أيَّامٍ العَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيهِنَّ أحَبُّ إلى الله مِنْ هَذهِ الأيَّامِ العَشْرِ) ، فقالُوا يا رسولُ الله: ولا الجِهَادُ في سَبِيلِ الله؟ فقالَ رسولُ الله : ( ولا الجِهَادُ في سَبِيلِ الله، إلاّ رَجُلٌ خَرجَ بِنَفْسِهِ ومَالِهِ، فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ من ذَلِكَ بِشَيْءٍ).

“There are no days during which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days. The companions asked: not even jihad in the cause of Allah? The Messenger of Allah replied: Not even jihad in the cause of Allah except for the one who went to fight taking himself and his wealth but did not return with either of them.” (Bukhari and Tirmidhi.)

These ten days host one special day in which there are so many blessings. It is the day of Arafa, the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah and the day preceding the Eid day. Some of the blessings of Arafa are:

• Fasting that day expiates the sins of two years, the previous one and the coming year. (Muslim)
• It is a day in which Allah completed the revelation of the religion, perfected this bounty bestowed upon us and was satisfied with Islam as our religion. This was mentioned in surat al-Ma’edah 5:3. (Bukhari and Muslim)
• It is the day when Allah AlMighty descends, in a manner that suits His Majesty, to the closest heaven and shows his pride to the angels about the presence of the pilgrims. (Muslim)
• In this day Allah promises the pilgrims to bestow his mercy on them and forgive their sins so that when they return home they return free of sins just like the day when their mothers gave birth to them. (Bukhari and Muslim)
• It is a day when many people will be emancipated from the fire of Hell.

The season of the ten days of Dhul Hijjah is a festivity of worship. No other days of the year hold so many diverse acts of worship as done in such a short time, not even in Ramadan. And here is a list of some of what good deeds are done during these days in Makkah and elsewhere around the globe:

• Hajj and multiple Umrahs by millions of people.
• The sacrifice of the dunya and this world for the sake of attending the Hajj.
• The display of humility, humbleness and devotion in the actual rituals of Hajj.
• Tawaaf around the Ka’bah and Sai’ between the two hills of Safa and Marwa.
• Abundance of Dhikr, the praise of Allah especially takbeer and tahleel and what other pilgrims say the most, Talbiyah.
• Fasting for the non-pilgrims.
• Being extra charitable.
• Offering the hadi’y and udhiyah or qur’ban the sacrifice of livestock and feeding the poor.
• The inclination towards repentance.
• The engagement in long du’a or supplications as a sign of humility and humbleness.
• Maintaining the prayers in the sacred sites al-Haram in Makkah and the Masjid of the Prophet in Madinah.
• The recitation of the Qur’an.

The ten days of Dhul Hijjah also host the greatest day of the year, Yum-an-Nahr the day of the sacrifice, the 10th which is the actual day of Eid. The Messenger of Allah said:

(إنَّ أَعْظَمَ اْلأيَّامِ عِنْدَ الله تبارك وتعالى يَوْمُ النَّحْرِ ثُمَّ يَوْمُ الْقَرِّ)

“The best day with Allah is yum-an-Nahr, the day of sacrifice and then yum-al-qarr (the day that follows, when the pilgrims reside in the camps of Mina for worship).” (Ahmad, Abu Dawood and an-Nasa’iee).

So, now that you know the significance of this season, what do you need to do? Here some suggestions for you:

• Increase your level of worship during the day and during the night.
• Try to achieve one khatma of the Qur’an (reading it from cover to cover).
• Keep your tongue moist with dhikr and praise of Allah wherever you are.
• Maintain a state of tahara and wudu at all times.
• Make most of your dhikr Takbeer (like the one you recite on Eid day).
• Fast a few days while the days are short and cold, particularly the 9th, the day of Arafa.
• If you haven’t paid for the qurban (sacrificial animal) yet, make sure to do so. Perhaps you should donate one to those who are most in need of it in areas such as Pakistan and Gaza.
• Wake up before Fajr time and pray Qiyam-ul-Layl.
• Pray your Fard salat on time.
• Make sure you don’t miss any of the Nafl and Sunnah prayers.
• Give charity and help those who are less fortunate prepare for the Eid day.
• Share the spirit of the season and be cheerful with all people.

There is so much you can do for the ten days of Dhul Hijjah, but you are the one who knows your schedule better than any one else. Make sure to make this season a priority and may Allah grant you all Jannatul Firdous.

Remember, there are two chances in life: the one you already missed, and the one you don’t want to miss. So don’t miss out on the ten days of Dhul Hijjah.

Whenever you buy a new device, a machine or an appliance, or a computer for instance, the first instruction that comes with it is visual. Everyone regardless of their level of education is apt to follow it, and because you can easily recognize it, you would have no excuse not to do so. It’s a matter of common sense. Did you guess what it is? It’s the arrow marked on the side of the box pointing towards one direction (up), and it says “This Side Up”.

This sign alerts the recipient of this product about the importance of keeping it in an upright position. If you are looking to benefit from this machine in the optimum fashion, you first have to follow this rule. If you decide to turn a blind eye to this very first rule by choosing to place the device upside down, and then if it does not operate the way it was made to, you can blame no one except yourself.

The device we’re talking about here is YOU the Insan or the human, and the very basic instruction given to you is for you to keep an upright character “Istiqaamah”.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“So stand you firm and straight as you are commanded…” Hud 11:112

All people of sound mind know that keeping an upright character is the right thing for a human being to do. It’s the first command the Maker (subhanahu wa ta’ala) mandates for you. If you decide not to follow it, then you will mess up the operation of your own self, and live a miserable life. So keep this side up.

The Operating Manual:

Boxes should be opened from the top. If you try to outsmart the manufacturer and open the box from the bottom instead of the top, you might break what is inside. Aside from that, if you insist on opening it from the bottom, you may most likely lose a very important document that comes with the machine you just bought: the instruction manual!

Every device comes with an operating instruction manual. In order to enjoy your purchase for a long time, the manual provides instructions on how to install, operate, care for and troubleshoot your machine. Most people, men in particular, just throw the manual away. Why? Because they think know better. You know they like to figure things out on their own; they are so proud of themselves and their intellect that they don’t need instructions. As a matter of fact, most men hate instructions. Ask their wives if they know what I’m talking about, and they’ll tell you.

Therefore, as men we like to put things together blindfolded, if possible, and see if we can do it right. Or at least that’s our wishful thinking. As a result, we always end up with extra pieces in our hand which we don’t really know where they came from and where they go, and when we realize that, we start looking for the instruction manual, if it is still there. We start looking to figure out what went wrong, if anything was right to begin with, and try to find out how we can fix it.

You see, if you try to play smart and start the machine on your own, you might cause great damage to it. Sometimes the damage is remediable only if you admit your fault, repent and return back to the manual before it’s too late, and sometimes the damage caused is too colossal to remedy - it’s permanent and perpetual. Do you really think a maker would put so much investment and so much effort in the making of a product only to leave you without an instruction manual? Even a baby toy comes with a mini instruction manual you call a tag.

The manual is usually placed on the top side of the product, from above if you know what I mean. And because the manufacturer knows his product best, he sends you the instructions by which you should operate and benefit from his product in the very best way. So listen to the Maker and follow His instructions.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is your Maker; He is your Creator ‘al-Khaaliq’, and He knows best what He makes. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“Should not He Who has created know (best His creation)? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous (to His slaves) All-Aware (of everything)” Al-Mulk 67:14

For this reason, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) sent, from above, an instruction manual by which you can install, operate, care for and troubleshoot this nafs (yourself) to ensure an upright character that will function properly for the purpose it was made and created for: worshipping Allah.

The manual is the Qur’an, and operating according to the manual guarantees satisfaction at all times and ensures an everlasting use of this product in an eternal realm: the Akhira (hereafter). On the other hand, not operating according to it will result in a great damage, more than what your soul can really bear.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“So fear Allah as much as you can; listen and obey and spend in charity, for this is for the benefit of your own soul…” At-Taghaabun 64:16

And Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“…for any that disobey Allah and His Messenger, for them is Hell: they shall dwell therein for ever.” Al-Jinn 72:23

Installation Software:

Intelligent machines such as computers and robots usually come with a gift from the manufacturer: a free pre-installed software. This is to give you a head start and help you operate your machine immediately. However, if you need more programs and software, or if you need to upgrade, then you will have to work hard for it, ask for it, earn it, and put some time and money into it so that you can buy and install them yourself.

When you were born, you came with a gift from the Maker: a pre-installed software that carries the basics of your operating system called the fitrah, which is the natural, innate disposition and the inclination to believe in the Maker (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and believe in Him alone.

“So direct your face [i.e. self] toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.” Ar-Room 30:30

Abu Hurayrah (radhi Allahu ‘anhu) reported the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Every child is born but on this fitrah - natural innate…” Bukhari and Muslim

The fitrah is a software that ensures that all rights of worship are protected and preserved to only the One Maker; it’s a sweet Divine patent. It’s the license agreement between the Maker and the creation, a license that was established right at the beginning of the creation of the first version of this product: Adam.

“When your Lord drew forth from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): ‘Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?’ They said: ‘Yes! We do testify!’ (This), lest you should say on the Day of Judgment: ‘Of this we were never mindful.’” Al-A’raaf 7:172

The fitrah is something similar to an automated demo that runs constantly and continuously in the cache memory of the computer to ensure that the device follows the maker’s protocol of operating. It also helps in repairs if needed. If for any reason the device gets messed up while using some rough application or if it was completely misused, the fitrah will give you the core instructions on how to reverse things and how to re-install the operating system correctly. It’s your backup software; therefore, keep it safe and out of the heat of fitna. Lock it in your heart and protect it from any scratches that might damage it. If you let it get scratched with shirk, nifaaq, philosophy or any other heart disease, you will definitely regret it when you look for it and need it badly.

It’s important to keep your fitrah up to date by installing ‘ilm and iman frequently and regularly. This shall provide you with vital upgrades to your operating system from one version to a higher one and from one operating system to an upgraded one (i.e from Islam to iman to ihsan). However, if you never upgrade, your pre-installed software will still keep you running on the basics, and you will be like the common folks who posses very pure nature and unaltered fitrah. To upgrade, you need to ask for guidance, work hard for it, seek proper knowledge of it and then install it in your heart. The heart will then take it from there.

Plug It in First:

Now, before you start using your new machine, a basic installation of few things is needed. The installation instruction can be found in this ayah:

“It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and (the heart of) intelligence and affections: that you may give thanks (to Allah).” An-Nahl 16:78

Simply put, make sure to correctly plug in your hearing (sam’) and your sight (basar) so that you can collect the sound and correct data your software requires. Then you have the processor - the heart or al-fu’aad - which utilizes the data collected to help with the decision making. It controls all the operations your device makes. If the installation is not done correctly, then most likely the product will begin to malfunction.

The 1-2-3 Easy Install Guide:

With almost every instruction manual comes a quick 1-2-3 step easy instruction guide, a quick reference to summarize the installation and the operating procedure. It’s the 1-2-3 easy install guide towards understanding the manual. It also serves as a handy reference for whenever you need a quick look at the manual and its message. The Divine manual, the Qur’an, also comes with this most important summary of the entire Book called Surat al-Fatiha, the opening.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“And We have bestowed upon you the seven oft-repeated (verses) and the Grand Qur’an.” Al-Hijr 15:87

Omar, Ali, Ibn Masoud and Ibn Abbas, among other sahaba (may Allah be pleased with them all), interpret this ayah as referring Surat al-Fatiha.

Similar to this easy install guide you find with any device you buy, al-Fatiha brings to you the most important instructions before you start working on yourself. Surat al-Fatiha has the whole summary of the message of the Qur’an.

Warning:

On the top of the first page of the instruction manual, the first thing you usually read is: WARNING. This warns against that which might hurt you or damage the product in your hand. It also instructs you to take the proper protection before you start working on your device. This is what we call isti’aadha.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“When you read the Qur’an, seek Allah’s protection from Satan the rejected one.” An-Nahl 16:98

The warning page emphasizes the importance of reading and following these rules outlined by the manufacturer.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“When the Qur’an is read, listen to it with attention, and hold your peace: that you may receive Mercy.” Al-A’raaf 7:204

Reading the manual is not enough until you understand it.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“(Here is) a Book which We have sent down unto you, full of blessings, that they may meditate on its signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition.” Saad 38:29

It’s important to only use the manual provided by the Maker. Reading the manual ensures consistency and operating the device will become so easy and will make your life easy; otherwise, trying other manuals might create confusion in the operating system.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“Do they not consider the Qur’an (with care)? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy.” An-Nisaa’ 4:82

Praise to the Maker:

Now that you are ready to use the manual, you should start reading it with a guarantee from the Maker (subhanahu wa ta’ala). Therefore, when you read you should begin by reading in His Name and by His Name. We call this the “Basmala” or saying:

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful (bismillahir rahmanir raheem).

Just like in any other manual, the next thing you read is the praise for the manufacturer, getting to know his name, the unique qualities of the maker, the international brand and the superiority of the name and the maker over all other names and brands around the world. You will also read about copyrights, the right to preserve the ownership of this brand and the right of the maker to prosecute the violators in court.

To Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) belongs the best example in the manner that suits His Majesty. Next in the Divine manual is the praise of the Maker (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and His Uniqueness and His ultimate Ownership of all things and the subtle warning for the violators for their court date on Judgment Day.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds;”

“Most Gracious, Most Merciful;”

“The Owner of the Day of Judgment.”

Customer relations:

Next, in the manual, the Maker encourages the communication between Him and us, the recipients of the product, or in other words the customers. He asks us to acknowledge Him and ultimately follow His instructions. Making sure that we receive proper guidance and technical support, the Maker orders us to register this product with Him and Him alone and then send our full submission, like in Islam, to Him.

“Turn to your Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will), before the penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped.” Az-Zumar 39:54

Our Maker is Unique and wants to keep His relation with every one of us unique; therefore, He asks us all to send our submission to Him alone directly with no need for a third party or medium. This is the exclusive Tawheed brand, no shirk accepted.

To ensure the receiving of all blessings and the latest updates from His subtle qadar and Divine Will, the Maker asks that we seek guidance from Him and Him alone at all times 24/7. Always search for updates because there are no automatic updates here, and you have to look for these updates manually. So raise your hands, make du’a and get connected.

“You do we worship, and Your aid we seek.”

“Show us the straight way,”

“The way of those on whom You hast bestowed Your Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.”

This communication with the Maker (subhanahu wa ta’ala) was mentioned in a hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah (radhi Allahu ‘anhu) in Sahih Muslim. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has said: ‘I have divided the prayer between Myself and My slave, into two halves, and My slave shall have what he has asked for.’ [From Surah Fatiha] When the slave says, ‘Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,’ Allah says, ‘My slave has praised Me.’ When the slave says, ‘The Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy,’ Allah says, ‘My slave has extolled me.’ When the slave says, ‘Master of the Day of Judgment,’ Allah says, ‘My slave has glorified me.’ When the slave says, ‘It is You alone we worship and it is You alone we ask for help,’ Allah says, ‘This is between Me and My slave, and My slave shall have what he asked for.’ When the slave says, ‘Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom You have favored, not the path of those who receive Your anger, nor of those who go astray,’ Allah says, ‘All these are for My slave, and My slave shall have what he asked for’” (Muslim).

No Doubt in It:

In almost every book you read, the author normally begins with an acknowledgment page. In this crucial page, thanks to all those who helped in making this human effort possible is expressed warmly. If some people really helped you in writing a book, whether by collecting information, typing, proofreading, publishing or in any other way, you just cannot deny them the right to be mentioned in it even if it their efforts was just brief and short. You are definitely indebted to all those who helped you.

In the Divine manual, the Qur’an, it’s different. You won’t find this acknowledgment page because it is the Word of Allah and it is His Book. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) praises no one at all but Himself, and He (subhanahu wa ta’ala) indeed deserves all the praise.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds;”

“Most Gracious, Most Merciful;”

“The Owner of the Day of Judgment.”

Next, in any book or manual, the author points out in the forward or introduction the fact that the material of the book was put together according to the best of his ability to research the subject and to the best of his knowledge. Moreover, the author states that he or she is open to any feedback or criticism.

In the Divine manual, the Qur’an, it’s different. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) begins the second surah (in the order of the Mus-haf), Surat al-Baqara, by saying:

“A.L.M.”

“This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who are righteous…”

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) makes it clear and decisive that this Book is unique and that there is no doubt in it. So save your breath on giving Him feedback on His unique word and save yourself the criticism because it’s eloquently and miraculously succinct.

If that were not enough, then the door is opened for challenge.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“Or do they say, ‘He forged it’? Say: ‘Bring then a surah (chapter) like it, and call (to your aid) anyone you can besides Allah, if it you speak the truth!’” Yunus 10:38

Even if all the creation on earth tries to fabricate something similar to it, they will fail miserably. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“Say: ‘If the whole of mankind and jinn were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support.’” Al-Israa’ 17:88

The manual is perfect. So “read in the name of your Lord who created”.

Customer Support:

Even if you were the smartest person on earth, you might still need some help with technical support. Every manual has a 1-800 number to call in order to seek help from an expert who can clarify things for you and help you understand the product and the manual provided with it.

In the Divine manual, the 1-800 number is in this ayah:

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“Before you (O Muhammad), also, the messengers We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: If you realize this not, ask of those who possess the knowledge (of this message).” Al-Anbiyaa 21:7

So if you can’t reach the CEO and you have no access to the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam), then ask the experts: the ulema and the scholars who have the knowledge.

Sometimes when you call customer support you get confused and you don’t feel satisfied with the answer, so you ask for one superior in knowledge, the rasikhoon fil ‘ilm, the supervisor. Even amongst the ulema and scholars there are those who know better and know more than others.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) said:

“It is He who has sent down to you, (O Muhammad), the Book; in it are verses (that are) precise – they are the foundation of the Book – and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation (from truth), they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation (suitable to them). And no one knows its (true) interpretation except Allah. But those (rasikhoona fil ‘ilm) firm in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it. All (of it) is from our Lord.’ And no one will be reminded except those of understanding,” Al-Imran 3:7

So always look for the most knowledgeable people to help you understand the manual correctly and operate the nafs in the best way you can.

Maintenance:

Now that you know how to run the product and your computer is running smoothly masha’Allah, don’t forget to schedule your operating system for maintenance. You can use an inexpensive software called Muraaqaba (Watchfulness).

Keep good care of your system and you will live a hassle-free life; let your guard down for a moment and viruses will attack you from all over the place. After all, you always leave your operating system exposed to the World Wide Web of this dunya. So it’s good to have an anti-virus software installed on your computer called “Strong Iman”. It will ensure that your heartware stays bright, clean and solid. By the way, you cannot buy this software from McAfee or Norton but have to build it up yourself, and it is custom made only by you.

Defragmentation:

Because you are living in this dunya, you have to multitask between work and home, professional and casual life, and other things of similar importance to you. This causes heartdisc fatigue. The solution to this is to use a “Muhasaba” software, which is amazing. It helps you become more accountable and more responsible for the work you do. It allows you to review your work and all the files on your heartdisc. It will definitely ask you to do some cleanup and then request that you defragment the entire heartdisc.

In order to do that, you will have to sacrifice and get rid of some of the unnecessary files you have already stored on it. You know the kind of files I’m talking about: all the time wasting downloads you have done while you were supposed to be doing your serious work in this life. You will have to get your priorities in order. You will also need to give your heartdrive a break and let it get defragmented. This will take some time, so relax and chill, rejuvenate and give yourself a recreational session until the cleanup session is over.

Troubleshoot:

It gets really frustrating when you try to run an application on your computer and then it keeps messing things up for you. You try again and again, but you still don’t know how to fix the problem. You try and cry and in the end you decide to call customer service. You call customer service and technical support and there they are to provide you with a magical solution: simply check the reset button.

Alhamdulillah, every human being is born equipped with a reset button as part of the heartware called Tawbah or the repentance button. When things get really messy and hard and you don’t think you can handle it anymore, seek the help of an expert. The expert usually gives you directions on how to fix your problem, but it has always been in your own hand to decide between pressing the reset button or just living with all the bugs roaming around in your operating system and causing you to become completely dysfunctional.

Sometimes the decision is hard, but you know deep in your heart that the only thing left for you to do is to rescue your heartware. So you go ahead and press the button, repent to Allah and let the backup software, your fitrah, re-install everything again. You will definitely lose some files, maybe valuable ones to you, but the cost of doing that is much better than losing everything all together. The Tawbah button refreshes your system, cleans your heartware and gives you more space on your heartdisc. You will be able to use your nafs again, but this time it will be just like new.

People are coming in large numbers to watch, they’re congregating in lines after lines. Standing on both sides of the road, they are cheering for you, waving their hands and calling your name. Confetti is filling the air, flying all over the place and balloons are ready to rise high in the sky. You’re almost there, you’re out of breath, out of energy and almost loosing heart, perhaps this race has taking too long, you’re telling yourself. And now you can see it, you can see the banner, the banner of the finish line. Congratulations, Eid is almost there.

Ramadan is just like a marathon, a race where, at the start, thousands of people participate, some of whom are professional athletes, others are amateurs, some are coming for a good cause and some others are participating just for the heck of it. In Ramadan, there are the professional worshipers, the masjid goers, there is the on and off crowd, the new comers and those who fast “just because”.

At the beginning of the marathon people are so excited, they run happily and they run full force, or maybe those who are not so experienced do that, but then as the race progresses, the crowd starts to space out and one group after the other starts trickling out of the race. The group that stays the course and continues until the end will cross the finish line and win the prize.
Even though winning a medal is enjoyable and something to look up to in a race, there is nothing like winning the prize of satisfaction for making it to the end. Those athletes are the great sportsmen and women, the grand achievers.

In the first few days of Ramadan, the masajid are full with every Ahmad, Arshad and Abdullah, and don’t forget Aisha, Fatima and Sumayyah. They are very excited for the new experience and ready to go. Soon after the launch of the race, they start falling behind and then leaving the race. At the end of the month, only the most dedicated stay the course and cross the finish line, the rest will be just spectators and wish they have been there with them at this glorious moment of victory.

The end of the month of Ramadan is like the Day of Judgment, everybody will be remorseful. The wrongdoer for not doing good and the good doer for not doing good enough. In a regular race, those who cross the finish line are supposed to be winners, but the truth is that they will still be remorseful. Those who come late will wish if they have come earlier, those who were not among the front runners would wish they had been so and those who ended front runners would wish they had come first place. And even the one who comes in first place will wish he did better in order to be able to break the record, and the one who just broke the record will wish he had done much more to secure his record for the future. See what I mean?Everybody, at the end of Ramadan, will be remorseful. Although they will be enjoying a degree of happiness, hidden underneath is the subtle feeling of grief, sorrow and regret.

So what is the solution then? What can I do to rectify my situation? For sure I cannot reverse the time and there isn’t much left to do anyways. Well, yes there is. Not much work, but still the most essential, al-Istighfaar, seeking Allah’s forgiveness.

Istighfaar استغفار means to solicit or seek forgiveness. Just like in any other Arabic word that begins with alif, seen and taa’ استـ this very simple prefix means the solicitation of something which is understood from the word annexed to the prefix. In our case its gha, fa and ra غفر which literally means to cover and conceal. So saying Istighfaar or seeking forgiveness means the solicitation of concealment and covering. But the question here is, concealing and covering what? Didn’t we just finish a marathon of good deeds? In one month, perhaps you have done variety of good deeds, such as reading the Qur’an, fasting, salat and giving to charity more than what you would do in one year if not even more. So what are we asking forgiveness for then?

You see, the perception in the minds of so many people is that you only ask to be pardoned or forgiven when you make a mistake or when you fall into the sin. But thats not what Allah asks of his servants. In the Qur’an Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala commands us to seek forgiveness after many righteous achievements. Take Hajj for an example.

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says:

ثُمَّ أَفِيضُوا مِنْ حَيْثُ أَفَاضَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

“Then depart from the place from where [all] the people depart and ask forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful..” Al-Baqara 2:199

Now this place the ayah speaks about is Arafa, and the most important part of Hajj is to witness the day of Arafa. For those who attended Hajj they will understand the concept. Its a whole day of sole and solo worship. You spend your time, every hour and every minute, if possible, in Ibadah until you drop, and at the end you are still required to seek forgiveness?!

In Qiyamul layl, the night prayer, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala said:

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَىٰ مِنْ ثُلُثَيِ اللَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الَّذِينَ مَعَكَ وَاللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ عَلِمَ أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ عَلِمَ أَنْ سَيَكُونُ مِنْكُمْ مَرْضَىٰ وَآخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَآخَرُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًا وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

“Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muhammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allah determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur’an. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah.

So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakah and loan Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves – you will find it with Allah. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful..” Al-Muz’zammil 73:20

Just right before the revelation of this ayah, the companions of the Messenger of Allah, who were only handful back then, were ordered to pray Qiyam - the night prayer - for a whole year and then this ayah came down to relieve them of this duty. Still, after spending an entire year in worshiping throughout most of the night, they were commanded to seek Allah’s forgiveness.

And after performing the Fard, the obligatory salat, we start our post-salah dhikr by saying istighfaar… that’s right after finishing your obligatory devotional offerings. What do you seek istighfaar for if you have just finished an act of devotion?!

In Sahih Muslim, Thouban, the servant of the Messenger of Allah salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said: “When the Messenger of Allah used to finish his Salat, he would seek Allah’s forgiveness three times.” Imam al-Awzaa’ee rahimahullah, a sub narrator explained the way one seeks forgiveness by saying أستغفر الله astaghfirullah, (I seek Allah’s Forgiveness).

Even at the end of the great life of the Messenger of Allah salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, with all its glorious achievements, he was commanded to seek Allah’s forgiveness. A life full with an amazing devotion and dedication to Allah and to the service of His message had to end with a solicitation of forgiveness.

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says:

إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ
“When comes the Help of Allah, and Victory,

وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ أَفْوَاجًا
And thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds,

فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا
Celebrate the praises of thy Lord, and pray for His Forgiveness: For He is Oft-Returning (in Grace and Mercy).” An-Nasr 110:1-3

Why do we ask to be pardoned at the end of our offerings and at the end of our good deeds? Why do we seek forgiveness after we are done from doing what is supposed to be an act of righteousness? That is because, regardless how much we do and how much we offer we will always fall short fulfilling Allah’s rights upon us, therefore we seek his forgiveness. This way we ask Allah to conceal our shortcomings in that Ibaadah and cover our mistakes therein. Thats what istighfaar is all about.

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala said:

وَآتَاكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ

“And He giveth you of all that ye ask for. But if ye count the favours of Allah, never will ye be able to number them. Verily, man is given up to injustice and ingratitude.” Ibrahim 14:34

Even though we are mostly ungrateful to Allah, He is still the Most Merciful and Oft-Forgiving for our short comings and our insufficient show of gratitude. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala said:

وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

“If ye would count up the favours of Allah, never would ye be able to number them: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” An-Nahl 16:18

It is for this reason we are asking Allah to forgive us at the end of this marathon of good deeds. We ask Allah to forgive us for not doing enough when we could do more, to forgive us for not doing it as great as it should be and to forgive us for not doing at all what we were supposed to do during this blessed month of Ramadan.

Moreover, seeking forgiveness is an act of worship that follows immediately another act of worship. And following an act of worship with another is a sign of Tawfeeq, Divine guidance, that Allah wills good for the worshiper. Just as bad it is to follow a sin with a bad deed, it is a sign of goodness to be continuous in the state of worship to Allah Almighty.

In addition to that, seeking forgiveness is the attitude of the most righteous of all people, the anbiyaa’ and the messengers of Allah.

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala narrates to us the statements of these great men in the Qur’an:

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِمَنْ دَخَلَ بَيْتِيَ مُؤْمِنًا وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَلَا تَزِدِ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا تَبَارًا

“O my Lord! Forgive me, my parents, all who enter my house in Faith, and (all) believing men and believing women: and to the wrong-doers grant Thou no increase but in perdition!” Nuh 71:28

There is no better place for I’tikaaf during the last ten days of Ramadan than the Haram in Makkah. I truly miss those days. What better place do you need more than the hometown of Islam where the Qur’an was first revealed? The emotions and ecstasy experienced there are indescribable. It is one of those beautiful feelings which you cannot describe with words, you have to live it in order to see it and feel it. Although, I have done many I’tikaafs, alhamdulillah, in many different masajid in different places in the world, including the masjid of my beloved Rasulullah, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam in Madinah, but there were none like the experience of al-Masjid al-Haram, the Grand Masjid in Makkah, may Allah preserve it and protect it. The ambience there is just amazingly sensational.

As a student of the Islamic University of Madinah back in the early 1990’s, my colleagues and I were privileged to live in the city of Rasulullah salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam for a number of years. We were also privileged to only be four hours away from Makkah. Alhamdulillah, consequently we were able to visit Makkah for Umrah frequently and enjoy the sight of the Ka’bah every chance we could catch out of school days. I can never forget the sight of the beautiful sacred house, the Ka’bah and the enormous number of people of all colors and all walks of life going in circles around it. It was breathtaking.

One of the privileges we had back then was to take the last ten days of Ramadan off, and with an extra few days for the Eid we ended up with almost two weeks off. I remember how we used to start our planning ahead of time, because we knew that we would be leaving Madinah to go to Makkah. We used to spend most of the Ramadan hours, days and nights in the Masjid of Rasulullah salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam. Just thinking of who used to walk around in this same area 1400 years ago, and who used to spend his time in this place was electrifying.

When the last day of school was over, we rushed straight to Makkah for Umrah in order to make sure that we entered the Haram and our I’tikaaf before sunset. If you want your I’tikaaf of the last ten days of Ramadan to be counted for you, then you should be in the masjid right before the first night of the last ten nights start. That means just before sunset on the 20th day of Ramadan.

Regulations in the Haram in Makkah prohibit keeping any kind of luggage, suitcases, clothes or anything of the sort a traveler might need during his stay in the Masjid for I’tikaaf. You have to keep everything outside. This prohibition put limit on what we could really carry with us for the I’tikaaf. So we carried just two or three thoubs, the traditional Arab garb, shimagh or head cover which we also used as an eye cover so that we could get the feeling of dark night, one casual short sleeved thoub for the daily activities which also served as our pajamas, few number of underwear and t-shirts, general hygiene stuff and of course books to read. In the I’tikaaf in Makkah, you need to forget about the luxury of pillows and blankets, let alone a mattress or bed. You use the carpet as your bed and the ceiling as your cover. Well, we still used the stuff we had with us, we would pile them up to make a pillow, and then use the Ihram, the two white sheets, one for a mattress or a mat to be precise and one for a blanket.

With no lockers anywhere to keep your belongings safe and with millions of people, commuters and travelers from all over the world who come to visit for Umrah, keeping our stuff outside in the open was impossible for us, as there would be no way to keep all of your things for the duration of the I’tikaaf without losing them. So we had to smuggle them in, yes, smuggle them.

We first go back to the Haram right after we are done with our Umrah, as early as possible, to look around for a prime location. The Haram during the I’tikaaf season would be divided, unofficially of course, into small lots the size of a twin mattress each, just enough for you to lay down and get some sleep. A prime location meant a place in the corner far away from the traffic. Getting close to the balcony so you could overlook the beautiful sight of the Ka’bah and the Tawaf court, was nice in the beginning, but then as people start jumping all over you to enjoy watching the sight themselves, the location was no longer so prime.

If you couldn’t get a corner location, which was almost impossible, how many corners are there in a masjid, anyways, then you would look for the wall. Taking a wall site is good because it traps your items by the wall so they won’t go anywhere, and it also limits the traffic in that area. The third in the line of favorite locations was the side of one of the main and humongous pillars of the masjid. Although you would be surrounded by others all around you, but having one side of the cubic shaped pillars gives you the base of one side all for you. If you were unable to get any of these spots then you risk ending up in the middle of the crowd and that was never a good place to be during a long I’tikaaf.

It was like a ‘urf or common law among the dwellers of the Haram, that once you settle and unload your stuff in one location that it becomes yours until the end of the I’tikaaf or unless you abandon it and take your things out of that location. Everybody respected that. Well, almost because some visitors as they looked for a place to get their nap, acted like “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” They just didn’t care and would go ahead and violate the rule. They would find themselves a comfy place that did not belong to them and go to sleep. It was not that big of a deal to us but overall, people still honored the rule and respected the privacy of others.

One more thing about prime locations at the Haram is that it’s better to stay on the first floor than the ground floor where most of the heavy traffic exists. You should also stay away from the escalators and the stairways which feed the area with more visitors. And last but not least, stay in a location where you can easily have an access to the bathrooms outside, believe me its one of the most important criteria of your search. It’s not easy to remember your location when the Haram looks all symmetrical and sometimes confusing, but after getting lost a few times, you’ll get there. GPS won’t work there either, therefore you have to rely on your photographic memory, if you have one of course.

Now, how did we get our stuff in? Well, we used to take turns in getting our things through the doors. One would be outside keeping all our stuff with him, another would stay at the location to make sure it is reserved and then the third would be making trips going back and forth to get his things carried in. We would stuff the small things in our pockets, clothes under the books and look for a diversion by going through the most crowded doors. And even if you get caught with your clothes hidden between the books, you could still look for another gate and get through. The funny part was carrying the thoubs in. Some of us used to put them on one on top of another and then take them off as we entered the Haram.

Of course, we do understand why the authorities didn’t allow clothes and luggage to be brought into the masjid because if this was allowed people would abuse the system. Nevertheless, during the last ten days of Ramadan there should be some tolerance because this is temporary and for I’tikaaf purposes only. These items are very important to help those who are in I’tikaaf to stay in good health and good shape. Before we left our spot, we would make sure to fold up our stuff and squeeze them towards the wall so that they would not get messed up while people were praying Taraweeh.

After we have taken care of our accommodations, we began searching around to locate two things. First, where the scholars would be giving their daily and evening classes, and second, where the food spreads were over which some scholars and students of knowledge, especially coming from other countries, would be breaking their fast. We later learned that most of these food spreads were located on the top level of the Haram facing the gutter of the Ka’bah known as “al-Mizaab.” Every time you go there, you will be blessed with one or two or even more scholars coming from different places around the world. On these food spreads, I had the opportunity to meet scholars from Egypt, ash-Sham, India, N. Africa and other areas as well.

On the sunset of the first night of the I’tikaaf, we would already be on the top level asking around to find out who was coming and where they would be breaking their fast. If we received the news about some scholars coming over, we would make sure the others got to know about it as well.

Iftar is usually made of the magnificent, lightly roasted Arabic coffee cooked with cardamom and some other flavors, served with fresh “rutab,” the moist and early stage of the dates. Dates come in different shapes and tastes and it would be a blessing if you were served some of the most expensive Qaseemi dates that grows in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, such as sukkari, maktoomi and khalas. With that comes yogurt and freshly baked bread. Now, Bismillah.

After Maghrib prayer, we go back to congregate around the shuyukh and scholars, to listen, learn, take notes and drink a fresh cup of tea made with ‘hasawi’ mint. That tea used to give the session a whole different flavor, literally.

Later on, we would start getting ready for Isha prayer and Taraweeh afterwards. The prayer in the Tawaf court would have been the best place to stand in salat. However, since we loved to attend the sessions of Sh. al-Uthaymeen rahimahullah after Taraweeh, we had to stay on the top floor and pray right next to his official seat. If you wanted to benefit from the Ilm of the sheikh, you would need to sit as close to him as possible. Thousands attended his sessions and coming after salat to look for a space meant that you would be sitting at least a hundred yards away from him. The place would be crowded with waves of people. I have seen some very dedicated students who would preserve their spot from Asr time, and I really admire them for their devotion to the knowledge.

In the early years, the sheikh used to start right after Taraweeh and finish when they start the Tahajjud at night, that was more than four hours. SubhanaAllah, I have no idea how he was able to keep his energy level during this time for the entire ten nights. In the later years, the sessions where cut short and lasted until one hour before the Tahajjud, and even then, it was still a very long session.

The sheikh used to start by commenting on some of the ayat recited in Salat at-Taraweeh that night for about 20-25 minutes and then the session would be opened to Q & A. SubhanaAllah, the amount of Ilm one was exposed to in such a short time was amazing. Even today, I still have some of the original notes that I’d taken over the years from these sessions.

When we finished the session, we would go out to get some food for our main Iftar meal. You know the custom there was to delay the main course until after Taraweeh, which I love and enjoy. The initial Iftar was nutritious, easy and not overwhelming so that you can survive during Salat at-Taraweeh, and once you’ve finished your salat, you get to eat your main meal.

Right after that, we used to start our own personal night activities which included reading and reviewing the Qur’an, praying more qiyam, reading books using this time for devotion and meditation and the best of all doing Tawaf, as many times as we were able, around the Ka’bah. There was no way you would get bored at the Haram because every second the scene changes and the experience is different.

We stayed up during the night waiting for Salat at-Tahajjud where eight more rak’as would be performed at a slower pace than the Taraweeh, until it was finished about an hour or so before Fajr time. After that, we would go to eat our modest suhoor which we had purchased earlier when we had our Iftaar and then we prepared ourselves for Fajr prayer.

Right after Fajr, Sheikh al-Uthaymeen rahimahullah used to have another session on the ground level for almost two hours. I sometimes felt extremely tired and very sleepy, but subhanaAllah, seeing the energy of the sheikh who was at my grandfather’s age doing what he doing would empower me again to stay until the end of the session.

Thereafter, we used to get back to our hiding places, our sleeping spots, and drop down like dead bodies. We stayed asleep for the rest of the morning until Dhuhr time when we awoke for Salat. We stayed up for a while and then went back to sleep taking a power nap so that we can stay up all night again. After all, there wouldn’t be much going on during that time, anyway. Even the halaqat and sessions of knowledge are scarce and they don’t start until after Asr. Sometimes we seized the opportunity to make a relatively easier Tawaf before we head to bed.

Once Asr time starts, our day officially starts with it. We joined the few halaqat scattered around and then it would be time to get ready for Maghrib. Sometimes, we did Tawaf before we went to the top level and other times, we just went into seclusion for reading and reviewing the Qur’an. As the time of Iftar approaches, our preparation for the night increased. Once the adhan for Maghrib is announced, a new evening begins.

The program continues the same for the rest of the month except for some occasional changes based on rising opportunities such as receiving guests or family and sometimes meeting new people and old friends. Subhana’Allah, even though the space in the Haram is so huge, and the number of people is so great, but it is still a small world. You always meet some old acquaintance, as if they fell from the sky. One year, I even met my own mother who decided at the last minute to come for Umrah with my father! We didn’t have cell phones back then and there was no way to send me a message about their arrival. It was a friend of mine who met my father and sent me to him.

Although, the entire season is special but two nights were the most special nights in the entire month of Ramadan, the night of the 27th and the 29th. At least that’s how people behaved on these two nights. The 27th is regarded as Laylatul Qadr, and the 29th is the night of Khatmul Qur’an, the completion of the recitation of the Qur’an. I remember when Sheikh as-Sudays used to pray the witr after finishing the Taraweeh and then he would pray the witr again after the Tahajjud, but then it was announced that the witr in the last ten nights would be performed only once after Tahajjud. And even this, was later changed to only after Taraweeh. Another year, the sheikh did not pray the Tahajjud and it was left for other shuyukh to lead but without praying witr at the end.

One of the most dramatic changes that I witnessed during those years of I’tikaaf was moving the Khatmul Qur’an to the night of the 27th. The Imam of al-Haram, announced using the loud speakers, which was unusual, that in order to receive the blessings of that night in particular they wanted to join the Khatmul Qur’an with what is regarded as Laylatul Qadr. Another reason for this change, was in order to help people, and the visitors in particular, to attend the completion of the Qur’an and then get a chance to travel back home and attend Eid day with their families.

This change created a very dangerous and hazardous situation in the Haram. After the change was announced, people came from all over the country and from the surrounding countries as well, just to witness that night. It was within driving distance for the most of them. The Haram, as huge as it appears, was overpopulated to the extent where people started praying on top of the walls on the top level exposing themselves to an extremely perilous situation. People filled every space you can think of and spaces you cannot even think of. The escalators crashed and the stairways were closed because people were trying to get to the upper levels as the gates to the lower levels were closed. The authorities tried to keep people out but visitors would push their way through. It was a very dangerous situation. In addition to this, once the Imam finished, people were trying to leave as early as possible and the situation almost caused stampedes all over the area of the Haram. The Imams of the Haram, realizing the danger, announced the following night that this combining of events would not happen again next year and that the Khatmul Qur’an would be restored back to the night of the 29th.

That year, when they moved the Khatmul Qur’an to the night of the 27th, the following two or three nights left of the month of Ramadan were the most peaceful nights of the month. Most of the visitors left and the Haram became almost empty. Overall, it was a one-of-a-kind experience that I was able to attend and witness.

I still remember one night when I had to leave quickly with a guest, a friend who was visiting with his mother for Umrah, and we had to go after Maghrib to get ourselves and his mother some food, it was impossible. People were like in a disaster zone, they were all trying to buy food. We didn’t know why it was so different that night but it appeared that they were getting ready for their journey after the Salat. We couldn’t get anything neither for his mother nor for ourselves, and when we tried to get back to the Haram the guards were already closing the doors to the upper levels and the escalators were all closed. I had to take him to some unknown paths, at least unknown to the common visitors, and then find our way up. To our surprise, there was no space at all. We had to wait until the Iqama was called and struggle to squeeze ourselves into the line even if we were standing somewhat sideways. It was an amazing and unforgettable night, which not too many people have had the good fortune to experience.

The blessings of the I’tikaaf are so many, and some of the lessons Imam Ibnul Qayyim, rahimahullah, suggested we learn from this experience are:

1. It is a form of ‘Khalwa’ that is living in seclusion - to a certain extent - where you can focus on your nafs and personal Ibadah and worship.
2. It is a chance to connect with the Divine subhanahu wa ta’ala because your focus is solely on pleasing Him and Him alone.
3. It is a spiritual rehab and escape from the pressure of this life. You live a stress-free life for few days only for the sake of Allah.
4. You learn to limit your interaction with people and increase your interaction with your own self. It is like a moment of ‘muhasaba’ were you review your ‘amal -work- and check and balance your book of deeds.
5. It is a chance to explore your potential and an opportunity to see how much you can really bear of the different acts of Ibadah you expose yourself to in such a very short time.

The last part of this experience for us was witnessing the Eid day. During the last night of Ramadan, everyone is in a high level of excitement in anticipation for the Eid announcement. If the next day was still Ramadan, then alhamdulillah, we would get to pray one more night of Taraweeh and Tahajjud and if Eid was the next day, then there would be an important thing to do before anything else. You had to run to your sleeping space and pick everything up with you, otherwise it would be swept out with everything on the floor. You see, during the last ten nights of Ramadan, other than the vacuum cleaners, the janitorial work would stop temporarily until the night of Eid. So right after Isha, in preparation for the Eid salat, the workers would start to take everything off the floor. Literally, everything. They sweep and wash and mop the floor of the entire Grand Masjid and then they place new carpet. Whatever is left down there will be piled up in one corner and you would be blessed if you can find anything of your own belongings.

SubhanaAllah, that night was one of the most depressing nights for us. After living for ten nights in the Haram, when it was full with people and full with duroos and activities, suddenly the hustle and bustle is gone and you are back to the reality of life. The place would be empty, absolutely empty. A temporary feeling of void would fill your heart and you would suddenly break into tears. At the end, you realize that you’re once again back on your own.

Once Salatul Eid is performed in a majestic ambience and atmosphere, in the Grand Masjid in Makkah, we headed straight to the bus station. We took a bus ride back to Madinah and returned with some unforgettable memories of I’tikaaf.

Yaser Birjas

Ramadan 26, 1431 H.

September 5, 2010

Wednesdays classes (The Sealed Nectar and Mustalah al-Hadith) are still on until further notice.

Jazakum Allahu khayran.