(pbuh) Prophet Abraham: The Founding Father 20 Slides including Cover A More On Islam Briefcast 1 Pilgrimage to Makkah This quick guide outlines the important aspects of Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam and takes you through the journey of a lifetime.
The Pilgrimage to the First House of Worship Hajj is the pilgrimage to Makkah that involves visiting the House of Allah and performing the activities and rituals associated with Hajj. Once-in-a-lifetime obligation on those Muslims who have i) the physical and ii) financial means to undertake the pilgrimage. The first house (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Makkah: Full of blessings and a centre of guidance for the whole world; In it are the signs manifest; the place where Abraham stood up to pray; and whosoever enters it attains security.. ( Quran 3:96, 97) And remember that when Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundations of the House (Quran 2:127) 2
Fifth Pillar of Islam F A I T H P R A Y E R F A S T I N G Z A K A T H A J J FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM 1 st Declaring and believing There is no god worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad (pbuh) is His messenger. 2 nd Performing the obligatory prayers five times a day 3 rd Observing dawn-to-dusk abstinence in the month of Ramadan 4 th Giving charity 5 th Undertaking Pilgrimage to Makkah 3
Annual Event 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hajj days 7 8 9 Islamic Calendar or the Hijri 14 15 16 Calendar is 21 22 23 based on the lunar year. 28 29 30 10 17 24 11 18 25 12 19 26 13 20 27 12 Hajj falls in the 12th month of the lunar calendar Dhu al-hijjah 4
"And Proclaim the Pilgrimage Among Men (pbuh) Allah addressed Prophet Abraham saying: And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men: they will come to you on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways; (22: 27) That they may witness the benefits (provided) for them, (22:28) 2500000 2000000 1500000 1000000 500000 0 Number of Hajj Pilgrims 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Year Data Source: Ministry of Hajj, Saudi Arabia Graphics: More On Islam Info Graphics 5
(pbuh) Prophet Abraham - The Founding Father (pbuh) Hallmarks of Prophet s Abraham s life Monotheism "For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him Who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah." ( Quran 6-79) Submission When his Lord said to him, Surrender," he promptly responded, I have surrendered to the Lord of the Universe." ( Quran 2:131) Struggle "And when his Lord tried Abraham with (His) commands, and he fulfilled them. He said: I am going to make you the leader of mankind... (Quran 2:124) 6
Hajj Revived (pbuh) Prophet Abraham s prayer is granted! And when Abraham prayed: Our Lord! And raise up in their midst a messenger from among them who shall recite to them Your Revelations, You art All-Powerful and All Wise ( Quran 2: 129) (pbuh) Centuries later, Prophet Muhammad rose from the descendants of Abraham and proclaimed Islam, the same religion that Abraham had preached. (pbuh) With Allah s command, Muhammad revived the Hajj by restoring its pure foundations and eliminating all customs of ignorance. 7
Hajj at a Glimpse Day Activity Camping 1 2 3 4 5 Standing from noon until dusk Resting Camping Stoning the Devil Animal Sacrifice Cutting the hair Circling the Kaaba Striding between Hagar hills Camping Stoning the Devil Camping Stoning the Devil Place Mina Valley Plain of Arafat Muzdalifa Mina Valley Kaaba Mina Valley Mina Valley Day Of Reflection Day of Standing Day of Sacrifice Stoning the Devil Stoning the Devil Remarks Self-reflection Seeking Allah s mercy and forgiveness Resolve Against Satan House Of Allah: Center of Activity Searching for life-saver: In foot steps of Hagar (pbuh) Repeated Rejection of Satan s temptations Repeated resistance to Satan s invitation 8
Into Ihram Before entering the sacred territory, pilgrims wear uniform garments that symbolize the universal identity of a nation that has submitted to Allah. Buries the individual trails and egos. Strips off the distinctions of class, culture, color, race and nationality. Some Don ts in Ihram Marital relations Evil talk or acts Violence & fighting Hunting of Animals Observation The garments are a great leveler too. Who can tell rich from poor? all these human beings drawn together by the call of an idea, by the oneness of God.. - Michael Wolfe, Author and a Revert to Islam. 9
Kaaba Leopold Weiss s (Muhammad Asad, the Jewish convert to Islam who translated the Qur'an) observation when he visited Kaaba for the first time: Goal of longing for so many millions, for so many centuries.. A very quiet architecture Builder confined himself to simplest three dimensional form imaginable- a cube of stone. No beauty of architecture rhythm and no perfection of line, however great, could ever do justice to the idea of God Utter simplicity of the cube, in complete renunciation of all beauty of line and form the simplest that man can conceive is the greatest that he can do to express the glory of God. 10
Pilgrim s Progress Such (is the Pilgrimage): whoever honours the sacred rites of Allah, for him it is good in the Sight of his Lord. (Quran 22:30) Observation I felt very close to God in the holy place and want to return with my four daughters so they too can have this unique experience Ali, A British Convert to Islam. (Source: bbc.co.uk) Pilgrims marching towards Arafat on the Day of Standing 11
At Arafat : Seeking Mercy Pilgrims praying on Mount Arafat, known as the Mountain of Mercy The last major address of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) known as the LAST SERMON was delivered here. The sermon is the most influential human rights charter Pilgrims experience climax of Hajj at Arafat Day spent while standing noon until dusk Seeking forgiveness from the Lord of the Worlds 12
(pbuh) Guidance From the Prophet s Last Sermon 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; A white has no superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over a white- except by piety and good action. Remember one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury (interest); Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Equality Brotherhood Accountability Economics Women Rights Men Rights Path of Success It is true that you have certain rights in regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Do treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste. People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born I leave behind me two things, the Quran and the Sunnah (Prophet s Way), and if you follow these you will never go astray. 13
Resolve Against Satan, The Avowed Enemy He (Satan) said: "Then will I assault them from before them and behind them from their right and their left (Quran 7: 17) for Satan is to man an avowed enemy! (Quran 12:5) Stoning of the Devil Symbolical in rejection of the temptation of Satan. An act of faith and conscience of fighting the Satanic force. An act of disabling the evil forces that divert attention from the right path 14
Sacrifice (pbuh) (Abraham) said: O my son! I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you. So look, what think you? (Quran 37:102) (pbuh) He (Ishmael) said: O my father! Do that which you are commanded. If Allah so wills, you shall find me of the patient. (Quran 37:102) So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice), We called out to him "O Abraham! "You have indeed fulfilled your vision!" - thus do We reward the righteous." Quran 37:103-105) And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice: And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times: (Quran 37:107) 15
Meat: Allah s Provision Such (is his state) and whoever holds in honour the symbols of Allah, (in the sacrifice of animals), such (honour) should come truly from piety of heart. (Quran 22: 32) you may eat of their flesh and give of it to the contented ones and to those who ask for it (Quran 22: 36) It is not their meat nor their blood, that reaches Allah, but it is your piety that reaches Him (Quran 22: 37) Photo courtesy: Reliefonline.org and refugeecamp.org The Saudi Project for Utilization of Hajj Meat, managed by the Islamic Development Bank, distributes each year, meat from hundreds of thousands of sacrificed sheep, cows and camels to the poor and needy in Asia, Africa and other parts of the world. 16
The Unique Hajj Experience.There was over three million people there and I did not see one fight. I did not see one person being rude to the other even though they were from so many different countries and cultural backgrounds. It was truly beautiful, a life-changing experience. Giovanni, An American Convert to Islam (Source: bbc.co.uk) I was lucky to perform Hajj in 2001 and ever since I have had a better understanding of the world Reijo A pilgrim taking a break Virk, A Finnish Convert to Islam (Source: bbc.co.uk) 17
Reflections To be a member of that huge congregation gathered in the glorification of God, is to have one's consciousness impressed by the full significance of the Islamic ideal, is to be privileged to participate in one of the most soul inspiring experiences that have ever been granted to human beings!... (Source: al-sunnah.com) - Evelyn Zeinab Cobbod, A pilgrim A South African Pilgrim Remembers Stripped of our wealth and status, we are clad in simple garments. Our true worth remains hidden, except to the One Who knows us. We place our Creator at the center of our lives, submitting our will to His. We affirm His Oneness, commit our lives to Him. We turn to Him, pouring out our heart s desires. Why ask elsewhere when He is All-Encompassing, Allhearing? 18
Malcolm X Letter from Makkah An Excerpt During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass, and slept in the same bed, (or on the same rug) -- while praying to the same God -- with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. We were truly all the same (brothers) -- because their belief in one God had removed the 'white' from their minds, the 'white' from their behavior, and the 'white' from their attitude. El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X) "This letter was sent from Malcolm to his assistants, new Muslim Mosque, press and his wife, during the conclusion of his pilgrimage to Mecca. The content is reproduced from The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley (From http://www.africawithin.com/malcolmx/letter_from_mecca.htm) 19
Learn More Resources "Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the succession of night and day, there are indeed messages for all who are endowed with insight" (Quran 3:190) The Holy Qur'an (Print) The Holy Qur'an (Online) Muhammad (Critical Lives) Islam Primer Thanks for watching and studying the presentation. For further information, suggestions and comments please contact: moreonislam@hotmail.com Muhammad s (pbuh) Last Sermon Hajj Info By Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj All Rights Reserved. No part of the presentation may be modified. Distribution is permitted and encouraged. For other titles please contact moreonislam@hotmail.com. The original document is certified to be virus-free. Some of the images have been contributed by our readers. We would like to thank them/ their original sources. Hajj Information Center Virtual Hajj Saudi Arabian Sacrificial Meat Project 20