Hajj
and its rites were first ordained by
Allah in the time of Prophet Ibrahim.
However, with the passage of time both
the form and the goal of Hajj rites were
changed. The process of distortion
reached its peace with the introduction
of idols to the Ka'bah, as was
previously mentioned. Many major tribes
with their allies and slaves used to
come to Makkah and encamp there
separately. Poets praised the bravery,
renown, dignity, strength and generosity
of their fellow tribesmen. They also
satirized the other tribes by inventing
exaggerated tales of the latter's
cowardice, stinginess and weakness.
Competitions in generosity were also
staged. In order to assert his
superiority, the chief of every tribe
set up huge cauldrons, slaughtered
numerous camels and cooked the flesh
which was then freely distributed for
the "pilgrims". The sole
objective of this extreme generosity was
for their name to be exalted in the
whole of Arabia and for it to be
publicized that this person slaughtered
so many camels and gave food to so many
people. Singing, drinking, adultery and
various kinds of immorality were
indulged in, and the thought of God
scarcely occurred to anybody.
The
religious rite of Tawaf (circling of the
Ka'bah) was reduced to a circus. Women
and men went round and round the Ka'bah
performing Tawaf stark naked. They said:
"We shall go before God in the same
condition in which our mothers gave
birth to us." Prayer in the Masjid
of Ibrahim was accompanied by
hand-clapping, whistling and the blowing
of horns. The name of God was pronounced
in the prayer of intent known as
Talbeeyah (Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk:
"Here I am present, My Lord, I am
present.") However, even this
expression of reverence was distorted by
the following additions: "No one is
your partner except one who is permitted
by you. You are his master and the
master of what he possesses."
Sacrifices
were also made in the name of God;
however, the blood of the sacrificed
animals was poured on the walls of the
Ka'bah in the belief that Allah demanded
flesh and blood. Even the four months of
Hajj (Shawwaal, Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah
and Muharram), which Prophet Ibrahim had
declared as sacred and free from war and
bloodshed were not safe from their
tampering. Later generations paid little
regard to the sanctity of these months,
and
when they wanted to fight, they merely
turned a sacred month into an ordinary
month for that year, then compensated
for it in the next year.
Some
people who were good intentioned in
religion used to set out for Hajj
without any provision for journey, and
traveled there begging food along the
way. They considered this form of
begging an act of piety. They claimed
that they were Mutawakkiloon (those
having full trust in God) and that they
were proceeding towards the House of
God, therefore, they were not in need of
worldly materials. Doing business or
working for one's
livelihood during the Hajj journey were
considered unlawful. Others used to give
up food and water during Hajj and
regarded this abstention as part of
worship, while others stopped talking
from the beginning of Hajj until its
end.
Consequently,
a man arose from the progeny of Ibrahim
whose name was Muhammad ibn 'Abdullaah.
Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله
عليه وسلم) revived the same
genuine and pure religion which was
taught by Prophet Ibrahim. In the course
of 21 years he completed the mission of
purifying the Ka'bah and establishing
Allah's religion as the law of the land,
and he again declared the Ka'bah as
the universal center for worshippers of
the one True God. Along with the revival
of Hajj, all the deviant and idolatrous
customs of the period of ignorance which
had become rampant since the time of the
Prophet Ibrahim were completely
eliminated. All the idols in Ka'bah were
smashed and removed, and the worshipping
of other than Allah that was being done
there was stopped. All invented rituals
were wiped out and all fairs and
carnivals were stopped. Furthermore, it
was ordered that Allah's worship should
only be carried out in the prescribed
manner. The Prophet (صلى الله
عليه وسلم) said: Take
your rites of Hajj from me alone.
All indecent acts were strictly banned
in Allah's statement: There
is to be no lewdness nor wrangles during
Hajj.
(2:197)
Competitions among poets in the
exaltations of their forefathers and
clansmen's achievements were all
stopped. Instead Allah told them: And when
you have completed your rites (of Hajj),
then remember Allah as you used to
remember your fathers, nay with a more
vigorous remembrance.
(2:200)
All competitions in generosity which
were meant solely for pride and fame
were terminated and in their place was
revived the system which existed in
Ibrahim's day,
whereby animals would be slaughtered
exclusively in the name of Allah in
order that poor pilgrims may be fed
during the Hajj. Allah said: Eat and
drink but do not be excessive. Verily He
does not love the wasteful.
(7:31) So
mention the name of Allah over these
animals when they are drawn up in lines.
Then when their flanks fall (dead), eat
from them and feed the beggar and the
supplicant.
(22:36)
It
was formerly considered an act of piety
not to trade during Hajj because it was
regarded as being unlawful in this
condition to utilize sources of
livelihood. This concept was also
rejected
by Allah Who said: It is no
sin for you that you seek the bounty of
your Lord (by trading).
(2:198)
The
system of performing Hajj without
talking, without eating and without
drinking was ended. After abolishing all
other pre-Islamic customs, Hajj was made
a model of piety, fear of Allah, purity,
simplicity and austerity. When the
pilgrims set out from their homes, they
were ordered to purify themselves of all
worldly pollution, abandon sexual
relations with their wives and abstain
from filthy language and indecent acts.
On all roads leading to Ka'bah, marks
were fixed from scores of
miles away to indicate that before
proceeding beyond these limits, all
pilgrims must put on the simple dress of
Ihram, which consisted of only two
sheets for men, so that the rich and the
poor may become equal, distinctions of
different nationalities may be
eliminated and all may appear in the
court of Allah in a state of oneness as
worshipper full of humility. It was made
Haraam to kill any animal while in a
state of Ihram or even speak of killing
a human being. The object was to create
an atmosphere of peace and to make the
minds of the pilgrims spiritually
inclined.
The
four months of Hajj were
again made sacred so that peace would
reign on all roads leading to the Ka'bah
and no pilgrim would be molested en
route. When the pilgrims reached the
Ka'bah in this manner, there were no
festivals or carnivals, no fun and games
and no frolic and revelry. There should
only be the remembrance of Allah at
every step. There are prayers, animal
sacrifices and circling of the Ka'bah.
The only slogan which should be
proclaimed in a loud voice is the
Talbeeyah: "Here I am present, Oh
Allah for you I am present. I am
present. You have no partner, I am
present. Verily all praise and blessings
are due to you. And to you
belongs the entire sovereignty. You have
no partner." The Prophet (صلى
الله عليه وسلم) said the
following about a neat, clean, selfless
and sincere Hajj: Whosoever
performs Hajj solely for Allah and in
the course of it abstains from sensual
and sinful acts, he will return as pure
as a new-born child.
The
materials provided here are ONLY
extracts of Arabic-English
Dictionary Of Sheikh Adelabu
(Ph. D. Damas). Fully
edited versions and better
formats are available upon
written requests from awqafafrica.com
and Awqaf Africa Muslim Open
College, London.
Alphabetical
Entries Indexed For
Arabic-English Dictionary Of
Sheikh Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas) ::
ألفبيات
مادّات
مفهرسة
للقاموس
العربي
الإنجليزي
للشيخ
أديلابو
-
دكتوراه
من
دمسق
Studying
Grammars And Linguistics Of The
Kitaab And Sunnah Under Sheikh
Adelabu, Ph. D. Damas
Users
or reproducers of this
Arabic-English Dictionary Of
Sheikh Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas)
for the purposes of Da'wah and
Islamic Studies do not need a
permission. However, awqafafrica.com
suggests users or reproducers
quote this site and/or the sole
author of this dictionary -
Sheikh Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas).
This dictionary is not for
commercial gains or profit
making. It's intended by
our Sheikh to be an act of 'Iba^dah.
May Allah accept it from our
Sheikh
The Encyclopedic Dictionary Of As-Sunnah
- Hadith By Sheikh Adelabu
(Ph. D. Damas) is only available
on this portal to proven Du'aat
and known or recommended students
of Knowledge. Learned
individuals can acquired all
volumes and full packages of the
Encyclopedia.
Arabic
English Dictionary Of Sheikh
Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas) ::
قاموس
عربي -
إنجليزي
للشيخ
أديلابو
-
دكتوراه
من
دمشق -
All indecent acts were strictly banned
in Allah's statement: 
