Hajj -the Pilgrimage of a lifetime

The season for performing the Hajj is here again.

Those who have saved up for this once in a lifetime experience of setting their feet on the holy lands are busy preparing for this 5th Pillar of Islam by getting in order all their travelling needs and documentation plus the inner self to face the Holy Kaaba in Makkah, Arabia.

I have yet to perform my Hajj but with the advent of technology and satellite imagery, get to share the visual spectacle of the teeming millions of mankind who converge to the centre of the Islamic world.

It is here that our Father , the Prophet Adam (Alaihi salam-Peace be upon him) first set up building the House of Allah, God Almighty with the help of the Angels.

When the Great Floods during the times of Prophet Nuh (Alaihi salam-pbuh) destroyed the Kaaba, it was later rebuilt by Prophet Ibrahim (Alaihi Salam-pbuh) at the very same foundations together with his son, the Prophet Ismail (Alaihi salam-pbuh).

Information about the Origins of the Holy Kaaba are passed on from generations to generations of Muslims, and many documentaries have been made by various agencies and media organisations to capture the spirit of faith that expounds itself from the most known historical religious structure today on the face of this Earth!

I have listened to some of my friends and relatives who have made the pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah and marvel to hear how they were so moved by the very sight of this holy structure that has been touched by the hands of so many Prophets of Allah, that deep down in this heart, a yearning is growing; to be able to set my feet on the holy grounds of Makkah Al Mukarramah and Madina Al Munawarrah before my soul is collected by the Angel of Death, Hazrat Ezrael (Alaihi salam-pbuh). May Allah grant me this wish. Amin.

We all live our lives according to our situations. We make mistakes, knowingly and unknowingly and we sin continuously against Allah and His Creation.

Prayer, performed sincerely in repentance, would nullify our transgressions but whether our prayers and good deeds are accepted by Allah the Most Merciful remains to be His Prerogative!

In this life, none can claim to be so holy moly and better than the other save for those whom Allah accepts as His Dutiful Servants and Forgives them.

There are many signs of how one is blessed with Forgiveness and at times we come across individuals who shine out with peace, calmness and serenity on their faces and their self’s.

Mankind has always been quick to prejudge and condemn one another and there are many Revelations in the Holy Qur’an that points this out and reminds us to be fair and not to slander one another.

The one who gets to perform his or her Hajj gets a unique unforgettable experience of a lifetime by witnessing the Spectacle of the Annual Hajj! Seeing with one’s own eyes and hearing the Call to Prayer from the Masjidil Haraam with one’s own ears has been told to me that it moves one to tears and the feeling is just unimaginable!

Standing there before the House of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala together with millions of other pilgrims from all over the world, simply can’t be experienced by watching a live telecast or reading about it!

One has to be there to savour it all. Insha’Allah. May Allah SWT grant me and my beloved the opportunity to join the millions of others in performing our Hajj to His Sanctuary. Amin.