Monthly Archives: December 2007

Hajj 1428-12

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THE HAJJ SEASON 1428 

The Hajj is over for this year but the season continues for another few weeks as pilgrims continue to arrive and depart from this City of Light and Delight. The crowds are not as dense as before Hajj, but the thrill of being able to visit our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam adds to the permanent air of joy and smiles. Winter has finally arrived, such a contrast for the Hujjaj from the heat of Hajj. The scene now is one of Hujjaj wrapped in thick shawls, or newly acquired jackets that are being snapped up from the street vendors and shops.

 

One local brother has set up a makeshift cafe, tempting passers by with hot drinks from the large urn sending puffs of steam into the crisp air.

I have often uploaded photos of this overpass with the minarets of Masjid Nabawi just visible in the background and the building being constructed behind the bridge. The last time this building was just peeking over the bridge, now several floors have rapidly appeared. Soon the time will be when the minarets will no longer be seen from here. The pathway leading all the way to Haram from here is lined with temporary stalls and the ‘trolley sisters’, all hoping that rizq is written for them from this Hajj Season. 

 

The couryard between Jannatul Baqi on the right and Masjid Nabawi to the left becomes a bustling bazaar in the warmth of the after Asr sun. Sounds of so many languages bargaining fill the space with an excited resonance….

 

 ….. Jabal Uhud sends calming vibes from the north, its warm glow adding to the mellow tones…

 

….while love and light embrace and are embraced.

 

The view from a room of a sister I was visiting…also overlooking Jabal Uhud, but also soon this will be blocked by the addition of yet more hotels….the ring road is seen here, delineating the dense inner central district surrounding Haram.   

 

zooming in…beyond the ring road the typical suburban landscape. 

 

Looking down from the seventh floor at the loading of a truck with luggage…..some companies send the luggage separate from the bus… 

 

….the foundations for the next building on the opposite side of the street to where I was…

….a detail of the excavation….

 

….a sister with her trolley of fabric and clothing….they spend hours every day selling and then walking miles to their home pushing heavy loads….

 

….the view to the other direction…a line of hotels leading to Jabal Sala’ in the background. Traffic is constantly heavy in this central area.

Insha’Allah I will be back into a more regular blogging routine soon….am still enjoying the company of many visiting Hujjaj….just quickly sharing the above for the moment. May Allah Ta’ala’s bounteous blessings be surrounding you all, Ameen.   

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

 

Makkah on Arafat day

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 Trackbacking to our day in Makkah last Tuesday, sharing a few miscellaneous photos….

 

One of the hundreds of Ottoman antique light fittings on the second level of Haram Makkah. Amazing to think of all the artworks, weaponry, decorative features and architectural materials that were transported from so many Muslim countries as gifts to the Haramain, and mostly by camel caravans.

 

One of the Haram Captors experienced machanical troubles… 

 

Alhumdulillah, the quick thinking of all the workers in attendance averted a major disaster…within seconds fire extinguishers were in action.  

 

Partially demolished buildings line many of the streets leading to Haram. Owners seem to try to keep retail outlets functioning as long as possible at street level. This building and the next were only minutes from Haram. 

 

One of the few traditional styles of architecture for Makkah with the original wooden carved mashrabiyah shutters and balconies….and still inhabited. 

 

Detail of the above…a Grecian urn feature and a finely welded iron balcony. 

 

Typical of the mountainous region…buildings built abutting into solid rock…which later is also blasted  accessing every available space. Usually the local neighbourhood is perched on top….being far too difficult to house pilgrims in such extreme locations.

 

Dozens of tunnels connect mountain suburbs to Haram.

Hujjaj fresh from their Hajj are already entering Madinah, SubhanAllah! We are expecting many visiting during this post-Hajj period, so I am taking time off blogging for a short time so I can be in Khidmah for them. Back soon!!!

May Allah Ta’ala shower you and yours with the best from His Treasuries. Ameen.

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

 

 

Eid Mubarak

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EID MUBARAK EID SAEED EID KAREEM

EID MUBARAK EID SAEED EID KAREEM

EID MUBARAK EID SAEED EID KAREEM

Taqabbal minna wa minkum!    

 The harmonious pattern woven into the black pure silk cloth of the Kiswa. The Kalimah Tayyib, or the words of Unity.

LA ILAHA ILLA ALLAHU MUHAMMADUR RASULULLAH.

There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is His Messenger.

This is the sacred pledge between the believer and Allah Ta’ala, it is asserting our firm Yaqeen, or belief that He is the One and Only God, and that nothing is worthy of worship except Him, Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, and that Muhammad, SallAllahu alaihi wasallam is His last and final Messenger.

The Kalimah Tayyib, the excellent utterance, also known by many other names; the article of faith, the words of purity, the key to heaven and earth, the words of piety, the strong rope, the call to truth, the price of Paradise. Without these words there is no Iman, the nectar of Islam.  

And just as the Kiswa needs renewing each year, so too does our faith. Our Blessed Messenger SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said to the effect that Iman becomes worn and thin like an old piece of cloth, thus encouraging us to renew our Iman with constant repetition of these soothing euphoric words. A balm for all conditions, all souls, all times and all places. 

This glorious Kalimah Tayyib is an integral part of the weave of the Kiswa, not really visible until light shines on it….or one is so close you can see and feel it, so too are these words of Divine presence in our heart….an intricate weave of sublime trust and submission, a sole neediness on Allah Ta’ala with an unsullied love for all that He commands and acceptance for all that He wills. With such pure threads spun and firmly woven in the heart, nothing is able to tease the fabric apart. May we too reveal this rapturous pattern as we allow the inner mirror reflect the light from the Sunnah of our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, nurturing our Iman to be so strong that others are able to see and feel it when close like hidden texture of the Kiswa.

Eid is also time for a renewal….affirming, reflecting, and time for introspection. The Hujjaj are completing rituals that soon will deliver them back to their homes and family as new born babes. Allah Ta’ala invited them to Him, a journey encompassing the outer as well as inner realms. May we vicariously embrace these same inner dimensions, journeying to spaces we may have been neglecting, avoiding or simply ignoring and pledge a revival of our Iman so it will soar to new heights, like wearing a new cloak, just as the House of Allah is now wearing.  

EID MUBARAK EID SAEED EID KAREEM

EID MUBARAK EID SAEED EID KAREEM

EID MUBARAK EID SAEED EID KAREEM

Taqabbal minna wa minkum! 

 

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eidul Adha 1428

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EID MUBARAK EID SAEED EID KAREEM

EID MUBARAK EID SAEED EID KAREEM

EID MUBARAK EID SAEED EID KAREEM

Taqabbal minna wa minkum!    

Alhumdulillah, we made a speedy trip to Makkah yesterday for Umrah; wanting to experience how it is on the Day of Arafat when the Kiswa is changed and the Hujjaj assembled on the plain of Arafat in deep dedication to Allah Ta’ala. 

It was amazing to see so many Hujjaj still performing their Umrah up until Asr, obviously in no hurry to get to Arafat early. Some were travelling in private vehicles piled high with all their tents and cooking gear for the next few days, while many of the antique buses from the Russian states were lined up ready to depart. And many were seen hooked to tow trucks! They were having a field day with any vehicle parked on the streets in the immediate vicinity of Haram. On the roads leading to Arafat local drivers with vans and the larger 4×4 vehicles were calling to take passengers to Arafat after Asr.

I managed to ‘discreetly’ take the following photos. Funny….while trying to be ‘invisible’, (there were so many police and security men about), I noticed another sister taking shot after shot beside me with her phone camera. She then turned to me in shock and asked if I was using a CAMERA!

The new gold thread bands were truly glistening in the mid day sun. 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
How different from the beautiful scene below….now more than 200 men work all the year round to produce the annual new one with a price tag of SR20million. More here 1, 2, 3, 4, and much more by searching, along with images.
 
 
 
 

 

Looking from the new Masa’i over towards the birth place of our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, a detail below.  The work on the extension of the Sa’i is incomplete, but Alhumdulillah enough for one level to be available for these days of maximum numbers. Parallel to the second floor Sa’i is the new section, with each side having independent lanes from Safa to Marwa and return. The ground floor and basement are not open as yet.

 

The red barriers just visible to the right lead to the tunnel where many of the millions of Hujjaj will be walking back and forth from Mina to Makkah for their Tawaf. News a few moments ago was that the Haram is the most crowded it has been since the beginning of Hajj, SubhanAllah.  

A reminder that Arab News provides many articles on the Hajj, today and yesterday. Unfortunately they do not post the numerous pages of photos that appear in the print edition, but enough to relay much of the spirit, Alhumdulillah. Check the next few days for more. 

And by the grace and mercy of Allah Ta’ala we were back in this Radiant City to attend Salatul Eid in Masjid Nabawi this morning with thousands of locals, and visitors from neighbouring Gulf States, spilling over from the courtyards into the ajoining streets. The Haramain alive with a Ummah united. Masha’Allah.  

EID MUBARAK EID SAEED EID KAREEM

EID MUBARAK EID SAEED EID KAREEM

EID MUBARAK EID SAEED EID KAREEM

Taqabbal minna wa minkum!    

 
All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

 

 

 

Hajj 1428-11

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THE HAJJ SEASON 1428

The last khutbah by our Blessed Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.

Delivered in the Gregorian year of 632, the 9th day of Dhul al Hijjah, 10 A.H. in the ‘Uranah valley of Mount Arafat.

Time to read and reread this majestic khutbah from our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam….

’listen well to my words’…

a timeless message while mounted on his faithful camel Qaswa….may we all listen well, and more than that indelibly etch all that this sermon embodies onto the scroll of our heart and be determined to individually apply all that was said on this momentous day. As we read the following may we turn our attention to the representatives of the Ummah standing and imploring on the behalf of us all in this very place our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam entreated us with all that is good and all that will guarantee our superiority as the best of nations.

 

 

After praising, and thanking Allah, he said: "O People, listen well to my words, for I do not know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Treat others justly so that no one would be unjust to you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury (riba), therefore all riba obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital , however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer inequity. Allah has judged that there shall be no riba and that all the riba due to Abbas ibnAbd al Muttalib shall henceforth be waived.

Every right arising out of homicide in pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived and the first such right that I waive is that arising from the murder of Rabiah ibn al Harith ibnAbd al Muttalib.

O Men, the Unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calendar in order to make permissible that which Allah forbade, and to forbid that which Allah has made permissible. With Allah the months are twelve in number. Four of them are sacred, three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumada and Sha`ban. Beware of the Shaytan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights over your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah’s trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers. It is your right and they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste…

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, perform your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your financial obligation (zakah) of your wealth. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor does a black have any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

 Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and you will answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, NO PROPHET OR MESSENGER WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I am leaving you with the the QUR’AN and my SUNNAH, if you follow them you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness O Allah, that I have conveyed Your message to Your people.

 

 

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness O Allah, that I have conveyed Your message to Your people.

May we all understand these profound words….and diligently act upon them, bearing witness that we have been delivered Allah Ta’ala’s message by His Last Chosen Messenger SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, Ameen. 

 
All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

 

 

 

Hajj 1428-10

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THE HAJJ SEASON 1428

 

Hard work for our brothers loading and offloading the tons and tons of luggage that seems to be the ‘must have’ for the Hujjaj…..so every opportunity to rest is taken…. 

 

…the majority of hotels now use fork lift trucks, but the luggage still has to be lifted in and out of these crates….

…the home away from home kitchen, recessed into the side of the semi trailer of two Egyptian truckies, transporting dairy products across the Kingdom. They were proudly saying they cook many dishes as well as pointing to a recessed refrigerator to the right of their kitchen….

 

…Madinah is almost deserted now…the last of the buses preparing to leave for Makkah and Mina…. 

 

…opposite thousands of pigeons gather where they are fed by those purchasing wheat from children. There is a bird flu scare in and around Riyadh with the authorities saying that if it appears to spread to other parts of the Kingdom they will cull the infected pigeons only. When thousands gather in one small area like this one wonders how they would select the infected ones from the dense flock….(an article in Arabic on this topic)

….the progress on the underground carpark and courtyard extension to the east of Masjid Nabawi….   

….the section closest to the Oberoi Hotel now has reached ground level. There was an unfortunate accident on the site yesterday…. 

an iron bridge that is part of a Prophet’s Mosque parking expansion project collapsed yesterday, killing two workers. Eleven other workers were injured in the accident, which occurred around 2 p.m.

Firefighters managed to rescue some of the injured workers who became pinned in the rubble when a 22-meter section of the bridge came down. No information was provided regarding the identities and nationalities of the workers. (Arab News. See several other Hajj related articles in this same issue) Insha’Allah please make Du’a for these workers…they all sacrifice so much for such a small wage on all of these construction sites. May Allah Ta’ala reward them with the best of His promises as they journey back to Him. And may their families be blessed with an abundance of Sabr, Ameen.

 

The recently completed Health Centre…directly opposite Bab Jebreel. The area it occupies, under the viewing corridor of Jannatul Baqi’, was previously many trinket shops converted to clinics for brothers to the right and for sisters to the left. It was almost empty this afternoon compared to the crowds lining up over the past few weeks…..

….as was the courtyard directly opposite…SubhanAllah, the changes in such a short space of time are amazing…and in another few days the crowds will return, Insha’Allah. 

 

 

O Messenger of Allah! May salutations be upon you.

O Messenger of Allah! May salutations be upon you.

O the Most exalted by Allah! May salutations be upon you.

O the Best of all the creations of Allah! May salutations be upon you.

O the Beloved of Allah! May salutations be upon you.

O the Leader of all Messengers! May salutations be upon you.

O the Last of all the Messengers! May salutations be upon you.

O the Messenger of the Lord of All the worlds! May salutations be upon you.

O the Leader of the persons having enlightened faces and hands (on the Day of Judgement)! May salutations be upon you.

O the Harbinger of good tidings! May salutations be upon you.

O the Warner! May salutations be upon you.

O the Messenger , May salutations be upon you, and upon your chaste and pious family members.

O the Messenger, May salutations be upon you, and upon your chaste wives who are the mothers of the believers.

O the Messenger, May salutations be upon you and your Companions.

O the Messenger! May salutations be upon you and upon all the Prophets and Messengers of Allah; and upon all the righteous servants of Allah.

O Messenger of Allah! May Allah give you the best reward on your behalf, such reward which was never given to any messenger on behalf of his people. May Allah shower His Blessings upon you whenever people may talk about you and even when negligent people neglect your remembrance. May Allah shower His Blessings upon you among all the ancient people and among all the modern people; such choicest, perfect and pure blessings which never before were showered by Allah upon any of His servants. May Allah shower blessings upon you in the similar way as He guided us from the wrong path and removed our blindness because of your auspicious station.

I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and I bear witness that you are His servant and Messenger, trustworthy and the Best of all His creation. I bear witness that you have conveyed the message of Allah and discharged the duty of the trust; and advised the Ummah and struggled in the path of Allah with right endeavor.

O Allah! Bestow Thy choicest Blessings upon our Beloved Last Messenger beyond the expectations of those who ask of You.

O Allah! bless the Hujajj, the families of the Hujjaj, and the Ummah of Your Chosen Mustafa SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. 

It is related in Tawthiq ‘Ura al-Ayman, "It is known that someone who stays behind because of a valid excuse shares with those who go since the Prophet, SallAllahu alaihi wasallm, said when he returned from the expedition to Tabuk that there were people in Madinah who had not travelled at all nor crossed a desert, but they had been with them. A valid excuse had kept them behind. A poet said:

"O travellers to the Ancient House,
     you have travelled in body while we have travelled in spirit!

We stayed behind with valid excuse while they travelled.
     Whoever stays behind with a valid excuse has travelled."

 

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

Hajj 1428-09

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THE HAJJ SEASON 1428

 

The Light

the light is ethereal

a deluge of beams flood the soul

drowning

drown the dross

illuminate all that is made to glisten

a diffusing convergence

a rarefaction of the temporal

with the Divine

 

LIGHT fills hearts emptied of nothing but

LA ILLAH ILLA ALLAH

Light from the LIGHT SUPREME Subhanahu wa Ta’ala

Lovers of the beauty of Light SallAllahu alaihi wasallam

congregate

yearning to be pierced

by the Light emanating from beneath his serendipitous Dome

 

a glow of radiant eternity

an invitation

take it

open it 

reply

as the frenzied locusts

unabashed with passion do

 

and the last of the Hujjaj

seek a final dance in this intoxicating swirl

before Labbaik

and the LIGHT

of the House of Light.

* 

 

O Allah shower Thy Blessings upon our Beloved Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam who is light, actual light and the mystery amongst the mysteries and the leader of excellents.

ALLAH HUMMA SALLE ALA SAI-YAE-DAE-NA MUHAMMADIN NOO-RIL AN VA RAE VA SIRIL AS-RA-RAE VA SAI-YAE-DIL AB-RA-RAE. AMEEN (Durood Nur)

Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas RadhiAllanu anhu has related that he heard the Prophet SallAllahu Alaihi wasallam while going for Salatul Fajr reciting the following Du’a:

O Allah,

 Pour Nur in my heart,

Nur in my seeing,

Nur in my hearing,

Nur on my right,

Nur on my left,

Nur behind me,

Nur in front of me,

Nur above me,

Nur below me,

O Allah bestow me with Nur,

Make me Nur,

Nur in my nerves,

Nur in my flesh,

Nur in my blood,

Nur in my hair,

Nur in my skin,

Nur in my tongue,

Make my whole being Nur.

Grant me profuse Nur,

Make me Nur.

AMEEN. 

* 

O Allah, make all the Hujjaj transmitters of Your Nur, Ameen.

Two articles from Arab News today, one about Madinah, the other Makkah during these auspicious days preceding the ebullient Hajj. Arab News usually provide a good coverage of Hajj stories, Insha’Allah check their site for updates.

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.