INNER STATES AT VARIOUS STAGES OF HAJJ
The role of sincerity in intention. The way to respect the noble shrines, the manner in which to contemplate them and to reflect upon their mysteries and meanings, from the start of the Pilgrimage to the end.
The Pilgrimage begins with understanding, by which I mean the understanding of its place in the religion. The subsequent steps are then: yearning for it; resolving upon it; severing the ties that keep one from it; acquiring the seamless garments to be worn during consecration (iḥrām); purchasing the necessary provisions; hiring transport; setting out from home; crossing the desert; consecration at the assembly point, with the cry of ‘Labbayk’ (‘Doubly at Your service, Lord!’); the entry into Makka; and then the completion of all the rites of Pilgrimage. Every one of these steps serves as a reminder to the mindful, a lesson to the heedful, an exhortation to the faithful aspirant, an instruction and indication to the sagacious. Let us therefore signify their key points, so that when the door to them is opened and their reasons known, some of their mysteries may be revealed to every Pilgrim, sufficient to afford him tranquillity of heart, inner purity and fullness of understanding.
UNDERSTANDING
As for understanding it must be realised that there is no way of attaining to God, Glorified and Exalted is He, except by divesting oneself of desires, abstaining from pleasures, confining oneself to necessities and devoting oneself exclusively to God, Glorified is He, in every movement and rest. It was for this reason that the ascetics of previous religions used to isolate themselves from the people, retiring to mountain caves and preferring solitude to the company of others, in quest of intimacy with God, Great and Glorious is He. For the sake of God, Great and Glorious is He, they forsook worldly pleasures and applied themselves to strenuous exertions in pursuit of the Hereafter. God, Great and Glorious is He, commends them in His Book, where He says:
‘That is because among them there are priests and monks, and because they are not arrogant.’ [al-Mā’idah, 5:82]
(Dhālika bi-anna minhum qissīsīna wa-ruhbānan waannahum lā yastakbirūn.)
But when all that had vanished, and people had become interested only in chasing their desires, shunning exclusive devotion to God, Great and Glorious is He, and getting lax about it, then God, Great and Glorious is He, sent His Messenger Muhammad, on him be peace, to revive the way of the Hereafter and to renew the method of travelling along it in accordance with the practice of God’s Envoys.
Members of the earlier religious communities asked God’s Messenger, on him be peace, if the ways of the monks and anchorites were followed in his religion and he replied: ‘God has replaced them for us with the Jihad and the declaration of His supremacy on every elevated place.’
49 (Alluding to the Pilgrimage.) When asked about the anchorites, God’s Messenger, on him be peace, said: ‘They are the ones who Fast.’
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So God, Great and Glorious is He, has favoured this Community by making the Pilgrimage its form of monasticism and has honoured the Ka’ba, the Ancient House, by calling it His own, Exalted is He. He has made it a goal for His servants, consecrating its surroundings as a sanctuary for His House and for the glory of His cause. He has made ‘Arafāt as it were the pipe supplying water to the pool of His heavenly court. He has emphasised the dignity of the place by declaring its game and its trees inviolate. He has modelled it on a royal durbar, the goal of visitors from every deep ravine and every distant scene, who come dishevelled, dusty and humble to the Lord of the House, meekly submissive to His majesty and might, (acknowledging, of course, that He is beyond being contained by any house or confined to any town) so that their homage and adoration may be more intense, their compliance and obedience more perfect. That is why they have been enjoined to perform there certain actions to which the soul does not readily conform, and the significance of which is not easily grasped by the mind, like the stoning of the pillars and the running back and forth several times between al-Ṣafā and al-Marwa. The Pilgrim demonstrates through such actions the perfection of his homage and adoration.
The Zakat has the rational appeal of an intelligible humane purpose. Fasting breaks the hold of desire, which is the tool of God’s enemy, and is conducive to worship because it dispels distraction. Bowing and prostration in ritual Prayer promote humility toward God, Great and Glorious is He, through actions symbolic of humility, and the soul enjoys intimacy in the veneration of God, Great and Glorious is He. In actions like running to and fro or throwing pebbles, on the other hand, there is no pleasure or satisfaction and nothing to suggest any rational significance. The sole inducement to perform them is therefore the command itself and the intention to comply with it inasmuch as it is an order that must be obeyed.
Rationality is thus put aside, and the natural self is deflected from where its comfort lies; for if this was something readily comprehensible to the mind, there would be a natural inclination towards it. That inclination would then back up the command and provide an added incentive to act upon it, in which case it would hardly represent a perfect demonstration of homage and obedience. This is why God’s Messenger, on him be peace, singled out the Pilgrimage when he said: ‘Doubly at Your service, through a Pilgrimage in truth, devotion and homage!’
51 He did not say that about ritual Prayer or any other act of worship. If it were necessary to question the wisdom of God, Glorified and Exalted is He, in linking our salvation to actions that run counter to natural inclination and that are subject to the control of the Sacred Law, we would vacillate in the practice of obedience and following the dictates of submission. The performance of inexplicable duties is a form of devotion most effective in purifying the soul, and in deflecting it from its natural propensities into the habit of servitude. If you have grasped this, you will have understood that perplexity concerning these strange actions stems from inattention to the mysteries of devotions. This much will suffice,
God willing, to impart an understanding of the essence of the Pilgrimage.
YEARNING
As for yearning: this arises only after understanding and the realisation that the House is truly the House of God, Great and Glorious is He, that it is modelled on the royal durbar so that he who goes there goes as a visitor to God, Great and Glorious is He, and that he who goes to the House in this world deserves that his visit should not be in vain. He will be accorded the object of his visit at the time appointed for him, namely the vision of God’s Noble Countenance in the abode of eternity. For the inadequate mortal eye we possess in this earthly abode is unfitted to receive the vision of the Face of God, Great and Glorious is He, lacking the capacity to bear it or the equipment to take it in. But in the abode of the Hereafter, when it has been granted perpetuity and immunity to the causes of change and decay, it will be prepared for that vision and sight. Meanwhile, by betaking oneself to the House and beholding it, one earns the right to meet the Lord of the House in accordance with the noble promise.
To be sure, the yearning to meet with God, Great and Glorious is He, creates a longing for all that will lead to that meeting; for the lover craves everything in any way connected with his beloved. The House is connected with God, Great and Glorious is He, so this connection is surely enough in itself to make one yearn for it, quite apart from the wish to attain the abundant reward that is promised.
RESOLVE
As for resolve: the Pilgrim should be aware that by his resolve he is purposing to leave his family and homeland behind, forsaking pleasures and desires as he sets out to visit the House of God, Great and Glorious is He. He should hold in high esteem both the House and the Lord of the House. He must know that he has resolved upon a matter of high consequence and an affair of great moment. Where great things are at stake, the risks are also greatest. He should make sure his resolve is purely for the sake of God, Glorified is He, untarnished by hypocrisy and desire for fame. Let him be fully aware that only what is sincere in his intention and action will find acceptance, and that there is no offence more outrageous than to visit the House of God and His Sanctuary for ulterior motive. He should check with himself to verify his resolve: the verification is in his sincerity, and his sincerity lies in shunning all taint of hypocrisy and desire for fame. Let him therefore be careful to replace what is unworthy with something better.
SEVERING TIES
As for severing ties: this means the rejection of all iniquities and sincere repentance to God, Exalted is He, for all acts of disobedience, for each iniquity is a tie, and every tie is like having a creditor with you, clinging to your collar. He cries: ‘Where are you heading for? Are you bound for the House of the King of kings, when you are neglecting His command here at home, belittling and ignoring it? Are you not ashamed to approach Him as a disobedient servant, since He will reject you and refuse you?’ So if you hope to have your visit accepted you should carry out His commandments, cast off iniquities, repent to Him first of all for all acts of disobedience, and sever your heart’s connection from concern with what is behind you. You can then turn your heart to face Him, as you turn your visible face in the direction of His House. Unless you do this, you will get nothing from your journey except trouble and hardship at the outset and dismissal and rejection at the end.
The Pilgrim should sever all ties with his homeland, cutting himself off completely as if he were going into exile, never to return. He should also write down his will and testament for his children and family, for the traveller and his money are at risk unless protected by God, Glorified is He.
While severing ties for the journey of Pilgrimage, one should also remember to be detached for the journey to the Hereafter, for that is soon to come. All that is suggested for this earthly journey is desirable in preparation for the other, which is to eternity and the ultimate return. One should therefore not be heedless of that final journey while getting ready for the Pilgrimage.
PROVISIONS
As for provisions: these must be acquired from a lawful source. If the Pilgrim feels himself impelled to take a lot, seeking enough to last him the whole journey without spoiling or going bad before he reaches his destination, let him remember that the journey to the Hereafter is a much longer one than this and that the provision for it is true piety. Apart from piety, whatever one supposes to be provision will be left behind when you die, leaving you in the lurch. It will no more keep than the fresh food that goes bad on the first leg of the journey, leaving one dismayed and helpless in the moment of need. Beware therefore, in case the deeds which make up your provision for the Hereafter do not go with you after death, but get spoiled instead by the taint of hypocrisy and the turbidity of remissness.
TRANSPORT
As for transport: when the Pilgrim procures a riding-beast, he should give heartfelt thanks to God, Great and Glorious is He, for putting animals at his disposal to relieve him of pain and hardship. At the same time he should call to mind the vehicle that will carry him to the abode of the Hereafter, namely his coffin, for the Pilgrimage presents a certain parallel to the final journey. He should therefore consider whether the journey he is about to make, riding this mount, will help to equip him for that other journey aboard that other vehicle. How close at hand it is! For all he knows, death may be so near that he will be riding the coffin before he has time to ride the camel. The coffin-ride is a certainty, whereas there is doubt about whether one can secure all one’s needs for this trip. So where is the point in making careful preparations to equip oneself with provisions and transport for a doubtful journey, while neglecting the matter of one that is sure and certain?
PURCHASE OF IḤRĀM
As for the purchase of the two seamless garments of consecration: when buying his ‘iḥrām’ the Pilgrim should recall the shroud in which he will be wrapped for burial. When he nears the House of God, Great and Glorious is He, he will put on the two sheets, wearing one of them over one shoulder and the other as a sarong. While he may never finish his journey to the House of God, what is certain is that he must go to meet God, Great and Glorious is He, wrapped in the cloth of the shroud. He should therefore remember: just as he goes to meet the House of God, Great and Glorious is He, in unusual garb and attire, so after death he must go to meet God, Great and Glorious is He, dressed in a fashion different from that of this world. And the Pilgrim-garb is close to the other, being unstitched like the shroud.
LEAVING HOME
As for leaving home: the Pilgrim should know that he has now left hearth and home, bound for God, Great and Glorious is He, on a journey unlike any worldly voyage. He should be conscious in his heart of what he wishes, where he is heading and Whom he intends to visit. He should be aware that he is wending his way toward the King of kings, along with a host of visitors who have been summoned and have answered the call, in whom a great longing has been awakened, who have been roused and have risen, who have severed connections and said farewell to relations, and who have set out for the House of God, Great and Glorious is He, which is splendid in majesty and of lofty esteem. To encounter the House consoles them for not meeting its Lord, till they are granted their ultimate wish and rejoice in the contemplation of their Master.
The Pilgrim should also nourish in his heart the hope of attainment and of finding acceptance, not by virtue of his deeds in faring far from his family and property, but through trust in the bounty of God, Great and Glorious is He, and in hope of confirming His promise to those who visit His House.
He should nurture the hope that, if fate overtakes him en route and he does not arrive, he will meet God, Great and Glorious is He, coming to him, since He says (Glorious is His Majesty):
‘Whoever sets out from his home, migrating to God and His Messenger, then death overtakes him, his recompense is incumbent upon God.’ [al-Nisā’, 4:100]
(Wa-man yakhruj min baytihī muhājiran ilā-illāhi warasūlihī thumma yudrikuhu-lmawtu faqad waqa’a ajruhū ‘alā-llāh.)
CROSSING THE DESERT
As for crossing the desert to the assembly point, with all attendant hardships: the Pilgrim should there recall the crossing at death between this world and the assembly point on the Day of Resurrection, with the terrors and trials that intervene. The terror of highway robbers should remind him of the terror of the inquisition by Munkar and Nakīr;
* the savage beasts of the desert should make him think of the scorpions and worms of the tomb, with its vipers and serpents; his separation from family and relatives should put him in mind of the desolation of the tomb, of its agony and solitude. Through all these terrors he should equip himself by word and deed for the horrors of the tomb.
PUTTING ON IRĀM AND CRYING ‘LABBAYK’
As for donning the garb of consecration and crying ‘Labbayk’ from the assembly point onwards: the Pilgrim should know that this signifies a response to the summons of God, Great and Glorious is He. Hope, therefore, to be accepted and dread being told: ‘No favour or fortune for you!’ Oscillate between hope and fear; rid yourself of your power and strength, and rely on the grace and generosity of God, Great and Glorious is He. The moment of talbiya (calling ‘Labbayk’) is the real starting point – this is the critical instant. Sufyān ibn ‘Uyayna said: “Alī, the son of al-Ḥusayn, may God be pleased with them both, once went on Pilgrimage. When he had put on his iḥrām and his camel was ready for him to ride, he suddenly turned pale and began to tremble. He shivered and quaked and could not utter “Labbayk”, and when they asked him what was wrong he said: “I dread being told: ‘No favour or fortune for you!’” When he did eventually cry “Labbayk”, he fainted and fell from his camel. This kept on happening to him until he had completed his Pilgrimage.’
Aḥmad ibn Abīl Ḥawārī said: ‘I was with Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī, may God be pleased with him, when he wished to enter the state of consecration. He did not utter “Labbayk” until we had travelled a whole mile. He fell in a swoon, saying when he came to: “Ahmad! God, Glorified is He, inspired to Moses, on him be peace: ‘Tell the wrongdoers among the Children of Israel to remember Me seldom, for I shall remember with a curse those of them who remember Me.’ Alas, Ahmad, I have heard that to those who make Pilgrimage on ill-gotten gains, God, Great and Glorious is He, says: ‘No favour or fortune for you, until you return what you have in hand.’ And we cannot be sure that this will not be said to us.”’
On raising his voice at the assembly point with the cry of ‘Labbayk’, the Pilgrim should recall that he is responding to the summons of God, Great and Glorious is He, since He said:
‘And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men.’ [al-Ḥajj, 22:27] (Wa-adhdhin fī-lnāsi bi-lḥajj.)
He should also recall that mankind will be summoned by the trumpet’s blast, gathered up from the tomb and crowded together at the site of the Resurrection, responding to the call of God, Glorified is He, divided into the favoured and the abhorred, the accepted and the rejected, and oscillating initially between fear and hope – like the Pilgrims at the assembly point, when they do not know whether or not they will be enabled to complete the Pilgrimage and have it accepted.
ENTERING MAKKA
As for entering Makka: The Pilgrim should remember at this time that he has arrived safely at the Sanctuary of God, Exalted is He. As he enters he should hope to be safe from the punishment of God, Great and Glorious is He, and should dread not being worthy to approach Him, for in that case his entry into the Sanctuary would leave him frustrated and fit to be abhorred. At all times his hope should be uppermost, for God’s generosity is comprehensive, the Lord is Compassionate, the honour of the House is tremendous, the visitor’s right is respected, and protection is secure for all who seek refuge.
SEEING THE KA‘BA
As for setting eyes upon the House: at this moment the Pilgrim should be conscious in his heart of the majesty of the House, venerating it with such intensity that he seems to anticipate beholding the Lord of the House. He should hope that God, Exalted is He, will grant him the vision of His noble countenance, just as He has afforded him the sight of His mighty House. Thank God, Great and Glorious is He, for bringing you to this high degree, and for including you in the company of those who reach Him. Remember at the same time how at the Resurrection people will stream towards Paradise, all hoping to enter there, and how they will be divided into those who are admitted and those who are turned away, just as the Pilgrims are divided into the accepted and the rejected. In all that you see, take care to recall the things of the Hereafter, for every aspect of the Pilgrimage reflects some aspect of the Hereafter.
CIRCUMAMBULATING THE HOUSE (ṬAWĀF)
As for the circumambulation of the House: realise that it is a ritual Prayer. While making it, you should fill your heart with reverence, fear, hope and love. Know that in your circuit you resemble the angels near the Divine presence, who ring the Throne and circle around it. Do not suppose the purpose to be your bodily circumambulation of the House. No, the true purpose is the circling by your heart in remembrance of the Lord of the House, till remembering begins with Him alone and ends with Him alone, just as the circumambulation starts from the House and ends at the House. Know that the noble circumambulation is the circling by the heart in the Divine presence, and that the House is the external symbol in the visible world for the unseen Divine court which lies in the invisible universe. For those to whom God opens the door, the material and visible world is but the threshold of the invisible, angelic universe. This parallel is suggested by the correspondence between the Populous House (al-bayt alma’mūr) in heaven and the Ka’ba.
The heavenly circling of the angels is like the human circumambulation of this House, but since most people are incapable of achieving that level of circumambulation, they have
been commanded to imitate as best they can, with the promise that: ‘He who imitates a set of people is one of them.’
52 Of those who are capable of that kind of circumambulation, it is said that the Ka’ba visits them and makes circuit around them; visionaries have seen this happen to certain intimates of God, Glorified and Exalted is He.
TOUCHING THE BLACK STONE
As for touching the Black Stone: believe when you do this that you are swearing allegiance to God, Great and Glorious is He, and vowing obedience to Him. Make firm your resolve to be loyal to your oath, for the wrath of God is the traitor’s due. Ibn ‘Abbās, may God be pleased with him and his father, relates that God’s Messenger said: ‘The Black Stone is the right hand of God, Great and Glorious is He, on earth; with it he shakes hands with His creatures, just as a man shakes hands with his brother.’
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STANDING AT MULTAZAM
As for clinging to the coverings of the Ka’ba, and pressing one’s breast against its wall (at the part called al-multazam): your intention in the latter should be to draw close in love and yearning to the House and the Lord of the House, seeking grace through the contact and hoping for immunity from the Fire, not in the House but in every part of your body. In clinging to the coverings of the Ka’ba, your intention should be earnestly to seek forgiveness and to beg for mercy, just as one who has sinned against another will cling to his clothes while imploring his pardon, demonstrating that he has no refuge or recourse except to his munificence and forgiveness and that he will not let go until he is granted pardon and the assurance of future protection.
RUNNING BETWEEN AL-ṢAFĀ AND AL-MARWA (SA’Y)
As for running between al-Ṣafā and al-Marwa in the courtyard of the House: this resembles the constant to-ing and fro-ing of a servant in a royal palace. The Pilgrim demonstrates devotion to duty and hopes to be viewed with compassion, just like one who enters the presence of a king and leaves without knowing whether the sovereign has decided to accept or to reject him. He keeps going back across the courtyard time after time, hoping to receive mercy the second time if not the first. While going back and forth between al-Ṣafā and al-Marwa, the Pilgrim should recall how he will oscillate between the two scales of the Balance at the site of the Resurrection. He should let al-Ṣafā represent the scale of good deeds and al-Marwa the scale of bad deeds. Let him recall how he shall go from one of these to the other, seeing which is heavier or lighter, fluctuating between punishment and forgiveness.
STANDING AT ‘ARAFAT
As for standing at ‘Arafāt: recall – when you behold the thronging crowds, hear the loud voices speaking in many tongues, and see the various groups following their Imams through the ritual observances, matching their actions to theirs – recall the site of the Resurrection, the gathering of the communities with their Prophets and leaders, each community following its Prophet, aspiring after his intercession, all wavering with equal uncertainty between rejection and acceptance. After that recollection, set your heart on supplication and entreaty to God, Great and Glorious is He, that you may be resurrected in the company of the mercifully successful; make certain your hope of being answered, for the place is noble and mercy reaches all creatures from the majesty of the Divine presence through the venerable hearts of the mainstays of the earth. The standing-place is never devoid of a generation of the saintly and holy, nor of a generation of the righteous and magnanimous. When their aspirations are joined, their hearts devoted exclusively to humble supplication and entreaty, their hands raised to God, Glorified is He, their necks outstretched and their eyes turned heavenward, as they aspire of one accord in quest of mercy, do not suppose that He will disappoint their hopes, frustrate their endeavour or begrudge them an overwhelming mercy. That is why it is said that it is a most grievous sin to be present at ‘Arafāt and to imagine that God, Exalted is He, does not forgive one. It would seem that the conjunction of aspirations, and the strength derived from contiguity with the saintly and holy people assembled from all quarters of the earth, constitute the secret of the Pilgrimage and its ultimate purpose, for there is no way to obtain the mercy of God, Glorified is He, in such abundance as by the conjunction of aspiration and the simultaneous mutual support of all hearts.
CASTING PEBBLES (RAMY)
As for the casting of pebbles (at pillars representing the Devil): your purpose in this should be obedience to the Divine command, to demonstrate submissiveness and servitude and readiness to comply without any obvious rational or psychological justification.
It should also be one’s intention to imitate Abraham, on him be peace, since it was in this place that Iblis, on him be the curse of God, Exalted is He, appeared to him to insinuate doubt about his Pilgrimage or to tempt him to disobey, whereupon God, Great and Glorious is He, commanded him to throw stones at him to repel him and thwart his design. If it should occur to you to think: ‘Satan appeared to him and he actually saw him – that was why he stoned him – but the Devil is not showing himself to me,’ you must realise that this very notion comes from the Devil; it is he who has lodged it in your heart, to weaken your determination in casting the stones, to make you imagine that it is a useless action, like some kind of game, so why should you bother with it? Therefore you must drive him from your soul by being earnest and brisk in stoning him, putting the Devil’s nose out of joint.
You should be aware that, while outwardly casting pebbles at the pillar, you are really throwing them in the face of Satan and dealing him a mortal blow, for the only way to spite him is through your compliance with the command of God, Glorious and Exalted is He, in simple deference to His order without psychological or intellectual justification.
SACRIFICING ANIMALS
As for the slaughter of the sacrificial offering: be aware that this is a means of drawing close to God, Exalted is He, by virtue of obedience, so make the sacrifice perfect and hope that for every part of it God will deliver part of you from the Fire. A promise to this effect has come down to us.
54 The bigger the sacrificial animal and the more ample its parts, therefore, the more comprehensive your redemption from the Fire.
VISITING MADINA
As for the visit to Madina: when your eyes alight on the city walls, remember that this is the town which God, Great and Glorious is He, selected for His Prophet, on him be peace, that he made it the goal of his migration, that this was his home where he promulgated the binding decrees of his Lord, Great and Glorious is He, established his own exemplary precedents, strove against his foes and proclaimed his religion until God, Great and Glorious is He, took him to Himself. It then came to house his tomb, and the tombs of two of his aides who upheld the truth after him, may God be pleased with them.
Envisage, next, the footprints of God’s Messenger, on him be peace, as he went about the city. Aware that his precious feet have trodden in every place where feet may tread, you must walk with dignity and caution. Recall how he used to walk about its streets, picturing to yourself his humility and his graceful gait. Think of the tremendous wisdom God, Glorified is He, entrusted to his heart, how He has exalted his memory along with His own, Exalted is He, even linking remembrance of him to remembrance of Himself,
* and how He frustrated the work of those who showed him disrespect, if only by raising their voices above his. Reflect then on the great favour God, Exalted is He, bestowed on those who enjoyed his fellowship, and who were so fortunate as to see him in the flesh and to hear him speak. You should feel a great regret at having missed his companionship, and that of his Companions, may God be pleased with them. Go on to recall how you have missed seeing him in the Hereafter. Perhaps you will see him, but only in remorse, prevented from being accepted by him because of your evil conduct, for as he said, on him be peace: ‘God will raise certain people to me and they will say: “O Muhammad!” I shall say: “Lord, these are my Companions.” But He will say: “You do not know what practices they introduced after you had left them.” Then I shall say: “Let them be far removed from me!”’
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If you have ceased to respect his Sacred Law, be it only for one instant, you have no guarantee that you will not be debarred from him because of your deviation from his way. Great should be your hope, nonetheless, that God, Exalted is He, will not keep you from him after He has granted you faith and sent you forth from your homeland in order to visit him, not for purposes of trade or worldly gain, but purely from love of him and longing to behold his relics and the wall of his tomb. Since you embarked on this journey for that reason alone, having missed the opportunity of seeing him in the flesh, you surely deserve the compassionate regard of God, Exalted is He.
On reaching the Mosque, you should recall that this is the site selected by God, Glorified is He, for His Prophet, on him be peace, and for the first and most virtuous of the Muslims. Remember that the laws decreed by God, Glorified is He, were first observed at this spot, and that the best of God’s creatures, living or dead, have gathered here. Be most hopeful, therefore, that God, Glorified is He, will mercifully bless your entrance, and make that entrance in all humility and veneration. How worthy is this place to inspire humility in the heart of every believer! As Abū Sulaymān is reported to have said: ‘Uways al-Qaranī, may God be pleased with him, went on Pilgrimage and entered Madina. When he stood at the gate of the Mosque he was told: “This is the tomb of the Prophet, on him be peace.” He fell in a faint, and when he revived he said: “Send me away, for I cannot enjoy myself in a town where Muhammad, on him be peace, lies buried!”’
VISITING GOD’S MESSENGER
As for visiting God’s Messenger, on him be peace: you must stand before him in the manner we have described, visiting him in death as you would have visited him in life. Do not approach his tomb except as you would have approached his noble person if he had been alive. Just as you would have considered it respectful to refrain from touching or kissing his person, rather standing back and bowing before him, you should now act accordingly. Touching and kissing tombs is a custom of Christians and Jews. Realise that he is aware of your presence, of your standing there and of your
visit; that he is receiving your greeting and benediction. Imagine his noble form as it lies in the tomb in front of you. Feel in your heart his tremendous dignity. For he is reported as saying that God, Exalted is He, has appointed to his tomb an angel who conveys to him the salutations of those members of his Community who salute him.
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This refers to those who are not actually present, so how about those who leave home and cross desert wastes from longing to meet him, content merely to behold his noble shrine since they have no possibility of witnessing his noble countenance? He said, on him be peace: ‘When someone blesses me once, God blesses him ten times.’
57 This refers to the reward for oral benediction, so how about the reward for coming in person to visit him?
Next, you should go to the pulpit of God’s Messenger, on him be peace, imagining you can see the Prophet, on him be peace, ascending it. Picture to yourself his radiant appearance, as if he were there on the pulpit, surrounded by the Emigrants and Helpers, may God be pleased with them, as he urges them in his sermon to be obedient to God, Great and Glorious is He. Ask God, Great and Glorious is He, not to part you from him at the Resurrection.
Conclusions
Such are the duties of the heart at all stages of the Pilgrimage. When all have been completed, your heart should be beset with sadness, anxiety and fear, for you do not know whether you have had your Pilgrimage accepted and been firmly placed in the company of the loved ones, or had your Pilgrimage rejected and been included among the outcasts. The Pilgrim should discover this from his heart and its conduct. If he finds his heart extremely adverse to this world of delusion and inclined to that of intimacy with God, Exalted is He, and if he finds its conduct to have been weighed with the balance of the Sacred Law, then he may count on acceptance, for God, Exalted is He, accepts only those He loves. To those He loves He extends His care and the marks of His affection, guarding them from the onslaught of His enemy Iblis, on him be the curse of God. If these signs are apparent, they point to acceptance. Otherwise, it would seem likely that the Pilgrim has nothing to show for his journey but trouble and toil. From that we seek refuge with God, Glorified and Exalted is He!
* al-Rakīya is a halt between Makka and al-Ṭā’if.
* Some other opinions allow for eating from both.
* Two angels who will question the dead in his grave.
* In the affirmation of faith: ‘There is none worthy of worship but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.’