Sermons- Radio sermons- Lesson (53): Ability to Perform Hajj

Transcription

1 Sermons- Radio sermons- Lesson (53): Ability to Perform Hajj Praise be to Allah, the Lord of Creations, and Peace and blessings be upon our prophet Muhammad, the faithful and the honest. Oh, Allah, w e know nothing but w hat You teach us. You are the All- Know er, the Wise. Oh Allah, teach us w hat is good for us, and benefit us from w hat You taught us, and increase our know ledge. Show us the righteous things as righteous and help us to do them, and show us the bad things as bad and help us to keep aw ay from them. O Allah our Lord, lead us out from the depths of darkness and illusion, unto the lights of erudition and know ledge, and from the muddy shallow s of lusts unto the heavens of Your Vicinity. Dear subjects of Allah, I call on you and on myself to abide by Allah's consciousness and urge you to obey Him and I commence my sermon w ith all that is good. Definition of Hajj (Pilgrimage) Dear Believing brethren in the w orld of the Arabs and Muslims, in Islam, in addition to the creeds that are the foundation of religion,- acts of w orship that regulate man's relations w ith his Sustainer, and interactions that regulate man w ith his brother, so that if such acts of w orship are correctly performed, the dealings betw een men w ould be elevated to a high level, w hich elevation w ould be an indication of appropriate performance and execution of the acts of w orship, w hose primary aim is to lift man's soul, statements and actions through the guidance of the Sustainer of the w orlds and consolidate connection w ith Him, enjoy His proximity, partake of His Mercy and reap the fruits of His Bounty and Grace. Such are the rituals that emanate from those acts of w orship, such as prayer, fasting and Al-Hajj. Al-Hajj (pilgrimage to Mekka) is a set of verbal, genial, bodily, financial and ritualistic acts of w orship that are discharged at specially designated places, times and in specific manners. Al-Hajj is a mandatory, individualistic obligation to be discharged by each male and female Muslim, w ho should be an adult, sane, free, and can afford it, once in a life time. Those w ho deny it are considered unbelievers and those w ho abandon it are considered iniquitous. Ali is reported to have said, "The Messenger of Allah has said, 'It is all the same for those, w ho possess money and a mount that can take them to Allah's House but do not perform Al-Hajj, if they die as Jew s or Christians, as Allah says in His Scripture: "Al-Hajj onto the Temple is a duty ow ed to Allah by all people w ho are able to undertake it..'" (Reported by At-Tirmidhi on the authority of Ali) Now if prayer is repeated five times every day, and if the Friday duty is performed every w eek, and the duty of fasting is performed for one month every year, the duty of Al-Hajj is a duty to be performed only once in a life time. Ibn Abbas is reported to have said, "Al-Aqra' bin Habis has asked the Messenger of Allah, saying: "O, Messenger of Allah, is Al-Hajj due only once or every year? The Messenger said, "It is due only once. If performed more than once, it w ould be by w ay of voluntary acts of w orship."' [Quoted by Abu Dawood on the authority of Ibn Abbas]. It is that unique trip in the w orld of travel w hereby a Muslim moves w ith his body and heart to the safe country by w hich Allah has sw orn in the Quran, w here he stands in Allah's Arafat and circumnutates His Holy House, w hich Islam has ordained as a symbol of Allah's unicity, the unity of Muslims, and ordained for every Muslim to turn tow ards it five times in his/her prayers.

2 The Price of Al-Hajj as reported in the Prophet's Sunnah: This w orship, i.e. Al-Hajj, is characterized by the fact that it requires total dedication. It is performed only in the Holy House of Allah, Thus it involves leaving one's homeland, family and friends, bearing travel hardships and being exposed to its hazards and the spending of money in order to w in His pleasure. Now just as the price of this w orship involves exorbitant costs, the fruit of this w orship involves tremendous consequences as reported by Allah's Messenger, as reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abi Hurairah: "A person w ho performs Al-Hajj and abstains from lew d speech and from all w icked conduct w ill emerge from pilgrimage as w hen his mother has given birth to him. He also said to Amr bin Al-Ass: (Unanimously approved and reported by Abi Hurairah, may Allah be pleased wit him.") "Didn't you know that Islam expiates its antecedents, that em igration negates pre-em igration, and that Al-Hajj effaces pre-hajj sins? ". (Reported by Muslim on the authority of Amr bin Al-Ass, may Allah be pleased with him) Abi Hurairah, (MABPWH) has reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has said: "From Omrah to Omrah, sins are expiated and the rew ard of a properly performed Hajj is no less than Paradise." (Unanimously approved on the authority of Abi Hurairah (MABPWH) "Perform ers of Hajj and Om rah are Allah's delegation; if they request anything, it is granted to them; if they pray for something, they are sure to get it; and if they spend out of charity, they are com pensated for w hat they spend." (Al-Bayhaqi and Al-Munndhiri on the authority of Amr bin Shu'aib on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather.) The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Keep at it betw een Hajj and Omrah, for they negate poverty and sins just as Al-kir removes the scum of iron, gold and silver; and the rew ard of a properly performed Hajj is no less than Paradise." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has said, (Reported by Al-Tirmidhi and Imam Ahmad on the authority of ibn Mas'oud) "Spending in Hajj is akin to spending in the cause of Allah." (Ahmad and At-Tabarani in Al-Awsat and in the Sunan of Al-Baihaqi on the authority of Baridah) He then required a Muslim to perform it in person, to circumnutate it in person, once in a life time, provided its consequences are maintained. Why Allah's Holy House is located in an arid valley:

3 Dear Believers everyw here, Al-Hajj is a trip to Allah. His w ill has so decreed for an absolute w ise purpose, in view of the natural disposition in every human being to establish on earth for people a House of His that enables those w ho believe in it to head to it, from every far aw ay point (on earth) in order to express their love to Allah and their yearning to Him. Thus a believer affirms through his heading to the Holy House, in obedience to his Sustainer's call, that he loves Allah more than his family, children, money, country and all people.. Thus he bears the expenditures of Al-Hajj that may be exorbitant and bears leaving family and children, w hich may be difficult to bear. He bears abandoning his business and the profit that may be quite abundant all this for the sake of his love of Allah and in the hope of w inning proximity to Him. Allah's w isdom ordained that His Inviolable House be situated in the hot region of the earth, w hich is a valley that has no vegetation, in order to make it clear to pilgrims that sincere communication w ith Allah is a source of bliss for men that enables them to dispense w ith all material comfortable circumstances that create an illusion of being the cause of their happiness, and that man's happiness emanates from his inner self, not from the kind of pleasure w ith w hich they surround themselves. Had Allah's Inviolable House been situated in the temperate region of the earth that abounds in green mountains, crystal-clear w ater, beautiful lakes, lush gardens, pleasant atmosphere and fresh breeze, and had Al-Hajj been ordained all the year round for precluding congestion, then all people w ould rush to perform a pleasant duty in pursuit of enjoyment, not prompted by the love of the Creator of the Universe. In addition to the location of the Inviolable House and its climate, a pilgrim is prohibited from w earing sew n clothes and from using all types of perfume, from having his hair cut and shortened, and is prohibited from indulging in the pleasures that are permitted outside the Hajj rites. All this is for enhancing his communication w ith Allah and enjoying His proximity alone, being remote from all earthly distractions, so that the pilgrim w ould become certain that if he attains to divine proximity, he w ould have w on every thing and that all the pleasures of the w orld could not secure sustained happiness, that is infinitely superior to the inevitably diminishing happiness that may be experienced in this life; and for him to sincerely say, "O, Lord, w hat w ould a person miss if he finds You? And w hat w ould a person find if he misses You? In short, Al-Hajj is a major act of w orship, that affords a distinct communication w ith Allah Almighty and is based on know ledge and proximity, sacrifice and love; its aim being to remove the false masques of this w orld, to bring creatures close to the Creator and the attribution of blessings to the Bestow er of the blessings.. Conditions of Acceptance of Al-Hajj Dear audience, for this great act of w orship to be performed in a manner acceptable and pleasing to Allah, and lest a person should spend lots of money and precious time, and bear many hardships w ithout his pilgrimage being accepted, and lest his pilgrimage be rejected, lest his pilgrimage be null and void - it is necessary for such a person, before going on pilgrimage, to repent from all sins, major and minor ones, to avoid all illegitimate gain and every relationship that is tinged w ith sins. He must completely discharge all his obligations, especially those connected w ith his fellow men, because men's rights are based on strict and scrupulous demands, w hile Allah's rights are built on tolerance. So he must discharge his obligations and repent from his sins. What is more important is that he should firmly resolve not to sin again after pilgrimage, failing w hich pilgrimage w ould be a mere rite not an act of w orship. It is a big mistake and a serious illusion for the pilgrim to assume that as a result of pilgrimage all previous w rongs w ould be annulled and that every sin w ould be forgiven. Ulamas (scholars) are unanimously agreed that the Prophet's traditions that indicate that the pilgrim returns from pilgrimage as pure as w hen his mother has given birth to him, all his sins having been forgiven, such sins as the Noble Prophet (PBUH) has characterized as being exclusively betw een a person and his Sustainer. But as to the sins that are betw een a person and his fellow men and the sins of w hich he is culpable tow ards others and the duties he has neglected to perform, these are forgiven and dropped only in the discharge thereof or through w aiver by the injured party. Thus sins are of three categories: an unforgivable sin, such as Al-Shirk; an unabated sin, w hich is betw een a person and other creatures, and a forgivable sin, w hich

4 is betw een a person and his Sustainer. Dear listeners, the ability to undertake pilgrimage, w hich occurred in the Ayah, w hich is considered indispensable in the duty of Al-Hajj is the follow ing: In it are manifest signs (for example), the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham); w hosoever enters it, he attains security. And Hajj (pilgrim age to Meccah) to the House (Ka'bah) is a duty that mankind ow es to Allah, those w ho can afford the expenses (for one's conveyance, provision and residence)(97) Thus, it is a physical, financial, security and administrative ability (Al-Imran surah) Ability to undertake Al-Hajj A Muslim w hose body does not definitely bear the hardships involved in performing the rites of Al-Hajj or is so pronounced by a specialist, skilful and pious Muslim physician could have someone perform al-hajj on his behalf during his life time or he may entrust to someone to perform pilgrimage after his death, pursuant to the provisions of this type of pilgrimage. Allah does not consider a Muslim w ho does not have enough money to cover the types of travel expenses, the accommodation expenses in Mecca and Medina, the cost of food and drink, as w ell as the expenses of his family during his absence, able to undertake the pilgrimage. Hence, an unable Muslim should not humiliate himself for raising the Hajj expenses, nor should he resort to untow ard w ays and means in order to raise the Hajj expenses for he is not able and is exempted from performing the duty of Hajj. When officials in charge in Islamic countries resolve to adopt a certain system that enables those w ho do not afford to perform Hajj to do so, and preclude those w ho have discharged the Hajj duty w hen the motive of such regulation is to enable those Muslims w ho have not discharged the Hajj duty to do so easily and peacefully, one must not commit a sin by performing a voluntary pilgrimage, as the Muslim w ho is not allow ed to perform pilgrimage is not considered able to do so. Since pilgrimage is a financial type of w orship that requires the spending of money, it is necessary that the money that is to be spent in the performance of this duty be legally earned, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "O, people, Allah is pure and w ill accept only that w hich is pure." (Reported by Muslim on the authority of Abi Hurairah) It is also reported on the authority of Abi Hurairah (MABPWH) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has said, "If a pilgrim heads for Hajj w ith legally earned money and puts his foot in the stirrup of his mount and calls: 'Here have I come my Lord" he w ould be called from heaven saying, 'your call is heard and yours w ill be double happiness, and as your provisions are legally procured and s o is your m ount; hence, your pilgrim age is unconditionally accepted. But if his expenditure is foul and he puts his foot in the stirrup and calls: "Here have I come my Lord, he w ould be called from heaven saying, 'your call is not heard and yours w ill not be double happiness, as your provisions are illicit and your expenditure is illicit; hence your pilgrim age is blem ished and unrew arded." (Reported by Al-Bazar on the authority of Abi Hurairah) As pilgrimage is a duty ordained by Allah in respect of those w ho are able, the poor being incapable, therefore a poor person should not borrow in order to perform pilgrimage. Abdullah bin Abi Aw fa has said, "I have asked the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) about the person w ho does not perform pilgrimage,

5 w hether he should borrow. He said, 'No'". The pilgrimage by an indebted person is accepted only w ith the approval of his creditor. (Reported by Al-Baihaqi on the authority of bin Abi Awfa) A pilgrim must be acquainted with the Hajj provisions: A person w ho begins his pilgrimage w ith a false declaration, or if he assumes a quality that he does not possess or of w hich he is know n and does not intend to perform, or if he pays illegal money to an illegal authority, his performance of this duty is an illegal act, as is indicated by the basic juridical rule namely everything that requires something haram (prohibited/illicit) w ill become itself haram. For the w ay to something haram is haram. The habits of believers are acts of w orship and the acts of w orship of Munafiqun (hypocrites) are acts of sin. Dear brothers w ho are attending and listening, since the Hajj act of w orship w as ordained by Allah on those w ho are capable once in a lifetime, if a pilgrim violates its rites and fails to perf orm one of its requirements or if he neglects a sunnah,if he sticks to a sunnah that has led to the violation of something prohibited, or if he commits an act of disobedience,if he performs a prohibited action, his pilgrimage w ould be null and void or he may have to sacrifice an animal, or he if he does w rong,if he neglects to do something,if he fails to perform w hat is a priority - if he does that he w ould w aste a unique opportunity that is not repeated, an opportunity to have his sin forgiven and to qualify him to be admitted to Allah's paradise. All this is due to ignorance, w hich is the utmost enemy of man. An ignorant person may harm himself beyond w hat his enemy may harm him. Therefore w e say: dear pilgrims learn the provisions of pilgrimage before you go on Hajj. Thus one know ledgeable person is more difficult for Satan to seduce than a thousand w orshippers, and a little know ledge of the principles of Hajj is better than a lot of w orship: "Consult know ledgeable people if you know not" (Al-Nahl surah) And just as aw aiting the time of prayer is considered part of the prayer, similarly preparing oneself for Hajj is part of the Hajj. Many pilgrims have failed to acquire the necessary Hajj provisions before going on pilgrimage and they returned from Hajj w ithout having performed the basic taw af (perambulation) w ith the result that their pilgrimage w ould be null and void. Many a pilgrim has crossed the miqat (local point of ihram;official commencement of the duties of Hajj) w ithout having put on the Ihram garments w ith the result that he needed to sacrifice an animal. And how many a pilgrim has violated the rules of Ihram thinking that he w as on the right track.. Allah does not accept a voluntary act of worship that leads to the neglect of a duty: A know ledgeable person moves about in his life according to a scale of priorities. Thus if he performs the Islamic pilgrimage, w hich is the duty pilgrimage, and if he is inclined to perform Hajj a second and third time, and if he is financially and physically able and has obtained the approval of the competent authority and does not contribute, by giving a statement that is contrary to fact, to the depriving of a Muslim person of the opportunity of performing the obligatory pilgrimage, and if he has discharged all his duties tow ards his parents, children, brothers, sisters, friends, and neighbors, he can perform a second,third and fourth pilgrimage, for pilgrimage is a thornless Jihad and it is the Jihad of the elderly, the w oman, and the w eak person. A Hadeeth Qudsi says: "If I have bestow ed good health on my servant and provided him w ith ample sustenance and if

6 after five years he does not come to me, he w ould be amiss ". (Al Bayhaqi in Al Sunnan Al Kubra and in Musnad Abi Ya'la and Al Mundhiri's Al Targhib wat- Tarheeb) But w hen a Muslim performs the obligatory pilgrimage and he happens to have a marriageable son and fears his son's being exposed to deviation it w ould be better to spend on having him married instead of performing a voluntary pilgrimage, because the prevention of harm takes priority over the acquisition of benefits, and Allah does not accept a voluntary act that leads to the neglect of a duty: "A person w ho is endow ed w ith w isdom is endow ed w ith a great good". The prophet (PBUH) used to say: (Surat Al Baqara, Al Ayah: 269) "Oh Allah, I pray for a pilgrimage that is free of pretence or seeking to enhance my reputation" (quoted by Ibn Maja on the authority of Anas Bin Malik) In other w ords, a pilgrim's aspiring to establish a reputation and show off through his pilgrimage constitutes a deviation from the purpose of pilgrimage and lack of sincerity in his w orship. Dear brothers, a Muslim should realize that al Hajj does not expiate the sins from w hich a perpetrator has not repented. Pilgrimage does not expiate the sin of the sinner w ho persists in his sins and does not repent from them, pilgrimage is rather an expiation and a rew ard for the person w ho repents to Allah and returns to Him, expecting His mercy and forgiveness and w ho has definitely given up his sins. Evidence of this is reported by Imam Muslim on the authority of Abdullah bin Mas'ood, w ho said: "Some people said to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH): "Oh Messenger of Allah, are w e taken to task for w hat w e have done in Jahiliyya (before Islam)? He said, 'He w ho does w ell amongst you in Islam w ill not be taken to task and he w ho does w rong w ill be taken to task for his action in both Al Jahilyya and Islam". (Reported by Muslim on the authority of Abdullah bin Mas'ood) The Sermon of the Farew ell Pilgrimage Oh Muslims, the Prophet (PBUH) gave a sermon in the Farew ell Pilgrimage w hich is conclusive and exclusive. It contained human principles formulated in easy and understandable w ords. This is not surprising because the Prophet (PBUH) w as endow ed w ith all eloquence. This sermon contains a number of facts. It is needed by the tortured and disoriented w orld for achieving w isdom and happiness. Allah Almighty said: "Those w ho follow my guidance w ill not go astray nor w ill they become miserable" (surat Ta-Ha) Allah Almighty has educated Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) so that he may educate the Arabs, and He educated the Arabs w ith Muhammad (PBUH) so that he w ill have them educate all people. Allah Almighty said: "And strive hard in Allah's cause w ith all the striving that is due to Him; it is He Who has elected you and has laid no hardship on you in religion (and made you follow ) the creed of your forefather Abraham. It is He Who has named you "those w ho have surrendered themselves to Allah so that the Messenger might bear w itness to the truth before you, and that you might bear w itness to it before all mankind. Thus be constant in prayer, and render zakat, and hold fast unto Allah. He is your Lord Supreme, and how excellent this Giver of succor!" (Surat Al-Hajj, Al-Ayah 78)

7 Principles contained in the sermon of the Farewell Pilgrimage: Follow ing are some of the principles in the sermon of the prophet (PBUH) in the Farew ell Pilgrimage: 1- Humanity is equal in value: Humanity is equal in value in any case,form, or level w hatsoeverabi Nadra said on the authority of someone w ho heard the sermon of the Prophet (PBUH) in the midst of the days of Tashreeq, saying: "Oh people, your sustainer is one, your father is one, no Arab is better than a non-arab, nor a non-arab is better than an Arab; no red is better than a black, and no black is better than a red, except in piety. Have I conveyed the m essage?" They said: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has conveyed the m essage." (Reported by Ahmad on the authority of Abi Nadra) 2- The disbelievers build their glory on the ruins of others: Unless the human soul believes in its Sustainer, believes in His promise and threats, believes that He know s its secrets and open existence, it follow s its ow n benefit, it takes no account of anything in its pursuit of its objects, it may build its glory on the ruins of others and its richness on their poverty, its prestige on their humiliation, indeed it may build its life on their death. For this reason, the noble Messenger said in the Farew ell Sermon: 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 till the day w hen you shall meet Him. Then he said: Obey me and you shall live, I urge you not to w rong others, I urge you not to w rong others, I urge you not to w rong others. The fund of any person w ill not be legal except w ith his ow n approval. I w ould say that all blood, money, privilege that w ere in the Jahiliyya (pre-islamic era) are under this my foot until the Day of Judgment" (Reported by Ahmad) 3- Money is the sustainer of life: Money is the sustainer of life. It should be know n by all people, and if money begets money w ithout any real effort that contributes to the construction of the earth and the enrichment of life, it w ould be concentrated in a few hands, depriving so many others. In such case life w ould be upset and rancor w ould occur, violence w ould erupt, and violence w ould only beget violence, and usury w ould contribute in one w ay or another to these tragic results w hich are detrimental to human society. For this reason the noble Prophet (PBUH) said in the Farew ell Sermon: Allah has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligations shall henceforth be w aived. Your capital is yours to keep. You w ill neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has Judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn 'Abd

8 al-muttalib (Prophet's uncle) be w aived. (Reported by Al-Turmidi on the authority of Amr Bin Al Akhwas) 4- Women are the counterparts of men: Women are the counterparts of men. And because w omen are completely equal to men in view of the fact that they should, like men, abide by faith, the pillars of Islam, the acts of w orship, transactions, ethics, and that they are equal to them in terms of rew ard and punishment and are completely equal to them in privileges and duties, therefore,he said in the Farew ell Sermon: "Do treat your w omen w ell and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers.. You have nothing ow ed to you by them except if they become guilty of a manifestly immoral conduct, in w hich case, leave them alone in bed, then beat them w ithout cruelty and if thereupon they pay you heed do not seek to harm them. You do have a right over your w omen and your w omen have a right over you. As to your right over your w omen, they should not permit those you do not like to lie on your bed, nor should they admit into your homes those you do not like. They have a right over you to be kind to them in providing them w ith clothes and food." He continues his sermon, saying: (Reported by At-Tirmidhi on the authority of Amr bin Al-Ahwas) "Do not revert to kufr after me, striking off one another's necks". (Unanimously approved on the authority of Jarir bin Abdullah) "Satan has lost all hope of being ever w orshipped in your country, but he w ill be obe yed in your yielding to your trifling actions, and w ill be satisfied w ith that." (Reported by Muslim on the authority of Jaber) "I have left you w ith w hat you w ill never go astray if you stick to it: Allah's Scripture, and you w ill be asked about me. What w ill you anw er? They said, 'We bear w itness that you have conveyed the message, and performed your task and have been faithful in doing that.' Then he said, raising his index finger tow ards the sky and pointing it at the people: O my Sustainer bear w itne ss, O my Sustainer bear w itness." (Reported by Muslim on the authority of Jaber) Zamzam Water Dear listeners, w e now move to the scientific topic: The Prophet (PBUH) has described the w ater of the Well of Zamazam, saying: Another Muslim has added: "Ít is blessed. It is a kind of food that nourishes "It is a cure of illness" (Reported by Imam Muslim on the authority of Abi Dharr)

9 Ibn Jarij is reported to have said: that he has heard some people say: "The best w ater on earth is Zamzan w ater." (Faidh al-qadir by Al-Manawi on the authority of Safiyyah) Jaber bin Abdullah is reported to have said, I've heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying: "Zamzam w ater is for the intended purpose" Al-Hakem has added in Al-Mustadrak on the authority of Ibn Abbas (MABPWT): (At-Tabarani on the authority of Ibn Jarih) (Ibn Majah on the authority of Jaber bin Abdullah) "If you drink it as a cure, Allah w ill cure you, if you drink it for protection Allah w ill protect you, and if you drink it to quench your thirst, Allah w ill quench it." (On the authority of ibn Abbas (MABPWT) In Al-Manasek Ibn Maja has reported on the authority of Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman bin Abi Bakr, as saying, "I w as w ith ibn Abbas w hen a man came and he asked him, 'Where have you come from?' He said, 'From Zamzam.' He said, 'Did you drink of it as you should?, He said, 'How?' He said, 'If you drink of it turn to the Qiblah (The Kaabah) and recite Allah's Name and breathe thrice, and fill your ribs of it and w hen you finish praise Allah Almighty, for the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said," "The difference betw een us and the hypocrites is that they do not fill their ribs of it." The Prophet's Companions, the Follow ers and many ulamas (scholars) and ordinary Muslims w ere keen on filling their ribs of Zamzam w ater and making some spplication w hen drinking thereof w ater, for Zamzam is for the purpose intended..omar bin Al-Khattab (MABPW) is reported to have said that w henever he drank Zamzam w ater, he used to say, "O Allah, I beseech you to grant me useful know ledge, plentiful of sustenance, and cure from every disease. Scientific advantage and importance of Zamzam Water: Some scholars have said that Zamzam is the best, most w orthy, most prestigious, most expensive and most appreciated by people. It w as dug by Angel Gabriel and given to Ishmael to drink from by Allah Almighty. In addition to w hat the Sunnah and tradition have said about Zamzam, Science has provided rigorous analyses of Zamzam Water. In 1973 and in 1980 w orld giant specialist firms carried out chemical analyses of Zamzam and arrived at stunning results, namely, that Zamzam w ater is free of the types of germs that cause pollution and is considered mineral w ater and it is in great demand by people if the percentage of minerals in it is betw een one hundred and fifty to three hundred and fifty mg per liter. On the other hand, the percentage of minerals in Zamzam Water is tw o thousand mg. per liter. The most abundant of these mineral salts are calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium and others. Zamzam w ater is among the richest w orld w aters in calcium as it contains tw o hundred mg. per liter. The Messenger of Allah PBUH w as absolutely right w hen he said, It is blessed. It is a kind o food that nourishes. Modern scientific research has show n that the incidence of heart diseases is less in the case of those w ho

10 drank such w ater, a confirmation of w hat the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has said, "A cure from illness". Water is considered gaseous and digestive if it contains more than 259 mg. of bicarbonate per liter, the most w ell know n gaseous w ater in the w orld being Evian Spring in France w hose w ater contains 356 mg. per liter. The Messenger of Allah w as correct w hen he said, "Zamzam w ater is for intended purposes (Ibn Majah ) Hadiths on Zamzam Water are indications of Prophethood: Medical scientists say in a book printed in 1995 that mineral w ater is useful in the treatment of many rheumatism diseases, stomach acidity, chronic diarrhea, indigestion and is effective in supplementing the shortage of minerals in the body. Consider the truthfulness of his statement: "If you drink it as a cure Allah w ill cure you, if you drink it seeking assistance Allah w ill assist you, and if you drink it in order to quench your thirst, Allah w ill quench it." That is because Zamzam w ater is not sw eet but is rather salty. One drinks this w ater that is rather salty only because he believes in its barakah (blessing character), thus filling one's ribs w ith it is an evidence of faith. It may be that Allah Almighty has not created it sw eet so that its sw eetness w ill not make one forget the aspect of w orship involved in drinking it. In any case its taste is tolerable. Consider the Prophet's statement: "What distinguishes us from hypocrites is that they do not fill their ribs w ith Zamzam Water." We may now ask: What w ere the advanced scientific institutions that existed during the life time of the Prophet PBUH, w hich provided him w ith those astounding characteristics of Zamzam Water, and w hat w ere specialized research centers that reached such minute results on this w ater? And w hat kind of gigantic laboratories had analyzed and deduced the accurate percentage of the mineral salts in Zamzam w ater on w hich the Prophet PBUH relied in his statements on this blessed w ater? It is inspiration, as he did not speak of his ow n desire; it is but divine inspiration. Hence the statements on Zamzam Water are among the indications of the prophet hood of the Prophet PBUH. We pray that Allah w ill enable us to drink from the basin of his Noble Messenger on the Day of Judgment, the Day of the Great Thirst, a drink that w ill quench our thirst for ever.. Dear brothers, search into your ow n conscience before you are brought to account for your deeds. Weigh your deeds before they are w eighed to your disadvantage. You should realize that the Angel of Death has passed by us on its w ay to others, and one day it w ill pass by others on its w ay to us. So w e must be cautious. A smart person w ill pass judgment on himself and prepare for life after death. A helpless person follow s his ow n desires and indulges in w ishful thinking about Allah. * * * The Second Sermon: Praise be to Allah, the Sustainer of the w orlds., and I bear w itness that there is no deity except Allah, the Protector of the righteous, and I bear w itness that our Prophet Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger w ho is endow ed w ith a Great character. May Allah's peace and blessings be on our Prophet Muhammad, his kith and

11 kin and his pure and virtuous Companions. Our Duty Towards the Blessed Intifadah (uprising): Brothers and sisters everyw here:. Having considered Al-Hajj to Allah's Holy House, w e move on to the Destination of the Night Journey of the Foremost among all men. It is Al-Aqsa Mosque round w hich Allah's blessing w as given. Only Allah is truly aw are of the shameful crimes that are perpetrated round it, w hose terror affect even the animals of the forest. Killing a person in a forest Is an unforgivable abom ination But killing a peaceful people Is a m atter for consideration. * * * In fact, w e ought to thank the children w ho are the heroes of the Intifadah. Indeed it is the duty of every Muslim to thank them as they have created for us a cause that unites us and provides us w ith an opportunity to talk about it, to experience sadness over it and to rally on its account. They have uplifted us beyond our small w orries that used to exhaust us previously. The Intifadah is a blessing because it stirred the Palestinian cause inside Palestine, and inside the occupied territory, w ith the result that the Jew s had truly feel in trouble. This is because this is not a land w ithout a people, as they had been told. They are surprised to see a youth coming out from the same land in Palestine, a youth w ho is more enthusiastic than they are, more w illing to sacrifice, w ith more determination and more sincere commitment to protect it and feel its holiness. Even the young children are now defending it in this manner that w as not know n throughout the w hole of history..the Intifadah has preserved the morale of Muslims, their feeling of belonging, the urge to sacrifice, the consciousness of Allah as much as possible, and the exertion of all efforts in ordeals. This Intifadah has made the w hole w orld, not only the Arab and Islamic w orld, reconsider matters and understand the cause of Muslims. The Intifadah w as a beneficial breakthrough the Zionist entity. Thus, through observing children being shot at and receiving live bullets that hit their chests and heads, w hile they have nothing but stones in their hands, people felt that there w as a real problem. Such children did not behave in vain, nor did they confront aggression in jest. Thus w hen a people's land is usurped, its riches are plundered, its sacred tenets are violated, its holy places and dignity are trampled over, its w ill coerced, its beliefs corrupted, its values emptied, its history falsified, and is forced to succumb to and spread corruption, to become victim to ignorance and hunger and to be tortured by the enemies of life, the enemies of Allah, the enemies of the truth, the enemies of good, the people is bound to uprise in order to retrieve its right to a free and decent life. The Intifadag gave people the opportunity to express their feelings and activate their hearts and to renew their loyalty to their faith and nation, to unify their involvement w ith their major cause and rid themselves of peripheral interests and marginal differences, and to attempt to appeal to the w hole nation and hence to the w orld at large to their just cause. The Intifadah was a spontaneous one: We should feel that each child's spilt drop of blood is spilt from our bodies, from our children and our ow n folks, and that each martyr w ho falls is closest to us than any others. It does not behoove us to have a short

12 time perspective as in a long term perspective people w ould start asking questions: till w hen and w hy, and then they w ould be involved in their ow n affairs and problems, families, business and jobs, and forget about those w ho are garrisoned all the time. Those young children w ho have acted in this manner have in fact assumed the great responsibility of Muslims every w here and have confronted a duty w hich only they themselves can confront, in resorting to this simple and ordinary naïve method that indicates that their intifadah is a spontaneous one, an intifadah against coercion, deprivation, injury and tyranny and that people's patience has run out and is no longer bearable or tolerable. Do not give me to drink life's w ater w ith humility But give me to drink the cup of bitterness w ith dignity * * * Now that those young children have done their duty, spilled their blood and sacrificed their lives, Muslims must necessarily be determined to support them by all possible means. For our part, in our dear country, both leaders and people, w e all, Arabs and Muslims, place all our potentials at the disposal of our ow n cause not of theirs only. Thus ours is a question of to be or not to be. We should be united in claiming our rights and should not be divided over interests and desires. Supplication: O Allah, Who disposes of people's hearts, w e pray that you grant us the pow er to preserve your religion in our hearts. We pray that you grant us the means to qualify for receiving your mercy and the determination to merit your forgiveness; to deserve all your generosity and to be delivered from every evil; to w in admission to Paradise and to deliver us from the fire. O Allah, w e pray that you grant us guidance, piety, continence and contentedness. O Allah, w e pray that you grant us all good, of w hich w e are aw are and of w hich w e are not aw are. We seek your protection against all evil, of w hich w e are aw are and of w hich w e are not aw are. O Allah, w e pray that you admit us to Paradise and all that brings us close to it, w hether in speech or in deeds, and w e seek your protection from the Fire and all that brings us close to it, w hether in speech or in deeds. O Allah, w e pray that you forgive us, show mercy to us and pardon us w hat you know of our trespasses, for you are the most honorable, the most revered. We pray that you bestow a good deed on us in this life and in the Hereafter and that you spare us the torment of the Fire. We pray that you uphold te truth and the faith, that you grant victory to Islam and to the Muslims; that you bestow success on Muslim leaders in east and w est in respect of w hat You w ish and desire; w e pray that You inspire them to be reconciled and to unify their w ord, and to gather them in seeking to uphold w hat is right and good and to stick to guidance; w e pray that You grant them victory over your enemies and theirs. O Allah w e pray that You lead to all that is good those w ho have good intentions for Muslims, and to inflict Your punishment on those w ho harbor evil intentions for them, for You have pow er over w hat You w ish and generous in granting w hat w e pray for. O believers, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good and He forbids all that is shameful and all that runs counter to reason, as w ell as envy, He exhorts you so that you might bear (all this) in mind. Translation : Muslim Auditing : Maha Sulieman