Oh, pilgrims of Hajj:

Congratulations on being the guests of Allah, may Allah SWT accept your Hajj & may you become as purified from sins as you were at the time of your birth.

Oh, guests of Allah:

Tying your Ahram, doing the tawaf around the Ka’ba, drinking from the Zamzam, doing the Sa’i of Safa’ & Marwa’, staying in Mina, staying in Arafat, spending the night in Muzdalfah, throwing pebbles at Satan, offering sacrifice, analyse your lives at every step of Hajj  & do your self’s assessment before the great Day of Judgment & remember it will surely occur.

Think about it:

Why did our forefather Abraham offer these rituals? What was the spirit behind them & what was its true essence, & why was Allah SWT pleased so much that this ritual became compulsory for the Muslims to perform till eternity. As you know that a body without soul is of no use & that is why when any of your loved ones die it is you who makes haste in the burial. Do you ever realize why you do so? If your answer is in negative then let me tell you the truth:

You do so because:

This body is of no use to you… you want to talk to it but it doesn’t reply… you want it to hear you but it doesn’t hear you…you want to show it the most adorable thing but it can’t see anything…if you let it remain at home for some time it can become rotten.

So all these things identify that the real thing is soul not the body & without soul body is worse than a toy because a toy can be used for playing.

Do remember!

Your Hajj must not remain soulless. If it is deprived of its soul then it is not more than a dead body that only contains hazards & no usage at all.

Oh, followers of Abraham!

Don’t forget the coffin-cloth when you are tying the Ahram because it will be your last dress. During Tawaf-e-Ka’ba do ponder over its universality.

While drinking zamzam keep in mind the thrust of Ishmael & the devotion of Hajira for the future planning of your life.

And in Sa’i concentrate on Hajira’s uneasiness & her struggle to attain her objectives.

When you stay in Mina, do remember the blessings of Allah because once it had been a barren land, today it is a splendid valley & tomorrow it will again turn into a barren land.

On the plain of Arafat, keep in view the Doomsday because on that day all will be gathered again in the same dress & in the same place. In the valley of Muzdalfah, seek repentance from Allah for all kinds of pride. Whoever wants to share in His domain, remember that sometimes even the littlest birds can do much.

While throwing pebbles to Satan, never forget to kill the Satan that is deep inside you. If it remains alive it will surely take you to hell.

In offering sacrifice, make a vow to be ready for all kinds of sacrifices only for the sake of Allah Almighty.

And in the last while putting off your Ahram get ready to join again the world you left behind; but this time you have to give an edge to the eternal life over this worldly life.

Now if you have performed Hajj with its true spirit then you will notice surely the vast & prominent changes in your life. The sins you have committed earlier must be omitted this time & never forget to take every chance of doing good.

Do ponder:

On each new day of your life, you are turning a new page in your book of life. In fact, you are the sole writer of your book & all your activities; whatever you do, whatever you think, see, hear, & listen are all written in this book of your life. No one has the right to make any changes in this book without your permission. One day the last page of this book will be turned & you will be accountable for everything inscribed there. If you have changed your life as per the prescription of Allah than it will be given to you in your right hand & it means you have are successful.

When his charge sheet will be given to him in his right hand, he will exclaim, ‘Oh, see & read this, I knew one day I would be given this”. Thus he will be in Jannah, in the happy state where the fruits of his labour will be available. They will be asked to eat & drink what ever they want in return for the good deeds they have done in this world.”

If unfortunately your book will be given to you in your left hand then you will be among those who have gone astray. For them Quran says:

Those who will be given (their books) in their left hand, will cry: ‘Would that my charge sheet were never given to me & I never knew my record!’”

By: Mohammad Wali Razi