This is a recounting of the journey of a brother and his family to Hajj. We are sharing his experience so it may benefit inshaAllah those among us who have not yet tasted the unique pleasure of answering the call of the Sacred Lands.

Connecting with Allah and His Messenger (saw)

Labbayka Allahumma Labbayk! Labbayk Laa Shareeka Laka Labbayk! Innal-Hamda, Walniʻmata, Laka wal Mulk, Laa Shareeka Lak! 

“Here I am at Your service O Lord! Here I am. Here I am at Your service, and You have no partners! To You alone belongs all praise, all blessings, and sovereignty over all things! You have no partners!”

Along with the millions of hujjaj who embarked on this epic journey, we recited this talbiyah on our way from the different meeqat points on our way to the camps in Mina. The talbiyah is a great summary of what hajj is all about: sacrificing one’s wealth, time, and self for the sake of our Lord and Master – Allah (swt). 

One of the realizations that struck me as I entered the Masjid Al-Haram was to recognize the immense favour that Allah (swt) bestowed on me: Who am I to be invited to the House of Allah (swt)? Whom am I to be the guest of Ar-Rahman? Indeed, Allah (swt) was so Merciful to bring me to His House, so that I may serve Him (swt)!

Similarly, when we went to Madinah we had an opportunity to pray in the rawdhah, to pray on a piece of Jannah. RasulAllah (saw) informed us that:

“The area between my house and my mimbar is one of the gardens of Jannah.” [Bukhari, Muslim]

After praying there, one can give salam to the beloved Messenger (saw) as we pass by his blessed grave. We also give salam to the first two of the Khulafaa’ who ruled after him (saw): Abu Bakr (ra) and Umar (ra). 

When I was passing his grave, I was so sad to realize that he (saw) left us. Indeed, the greatest calamity to befall this Ummah was his passing. RasulAllah (saw) said:

“If one of you is afflicted with a calamity, then let him remember his calamity by me (my death), for indeed it is the greatest of calamities.” [Ibn Majah]

As we know from the seerah, when the Prophet (saw) was on his death bed, he (saw) said: “Ar-Rafeeq Al-A’laa, Ar-Rafeeq Al-A’laa, Ar-Rafeeq Al-A’laa,” repeating “The most exalted companionship on high” three times. That is, he (saw) chose to be with Allah (swt) and leave us rather than remain with us and have the gates of wealth of the earth opened to him. Although I wished he choose to stay with us, I realized: Who wouldn’t want to be with Ar-Rafeeq Al-A’laa if given the choice?

A Time for Patience and Du’a  

First of all, one of the most important things prior to going to hajj is to have the right mindset: We must prepare for times of patience. There are long line ups, pushing and shoving, and one may get ill. To persevere through these things, one must be patient, one must be patient, and one must be patient. Without this mindset, one can quickly lose their hajj!

Second, hajj is a time for du’a. It is one of the most important things for a Muslim to do is to be in a habit of constant du’a, so that one can maximize this ibadah when we visit the blessed sites. We can do this by recognizing the importance of du’a in our lives. Du’a is the essence of humbling ourselves before Allah (swt): We need Him (swt) for everything and He (swt) doesn’t need anything. We must recognize that even the basic functioning of our bodies is dependent on the tawfiq of Allah (swt). 

Re-Living the History of Ibrahim (as)

It is one thing to read the story of Ibrahim (as), Hajar (as), and Isma’il (as), but it is a great blessing from Allah (swt) to perform the hajj rites and relive this blessed history. We visit The House, Al-Ka’ba, that Ibrahim (as) and Isma’il (as) built; we stone the jamarat, as Ibrahim (as) threw stones at Shaitan who tried to tempt him away from following the commands of Allah (swt); we run the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwa, as our mother Hajar (as) did as she sought water for her son Isma’il (as); and then we drink from the blessed wells of Zamzam – and I encourage everyone to get their fill of this blessed water, which was originally dug by Jibreel (as) with a single strike to the earth with his heel. 

Consider that after Abu Dharr (ra) was violently assaulted by Quraysh for daring to meet RasulAllah (saw), he survived on only Zamzam water:  

“The Prophet (saw) said to Abu Dharr – who had stayed near the Ka’bah and its coverings for thirty days and nights with no food or drink other than (Zamzam): ‘How long have you been here?’ Abu Dharr said, ‘I have been here for thirty days and nights.’ The Prophet (saw) said, ‘Who has been feeding you?’ Abu Dharr said, ‘I have had nothing but Zamzam water, and I have gotten so fat that I have folds of fat on my stomach. I do not feel any of the tiredness or weakness of hunger and I have not become thin.’ The Prophet (saw) said: ‘Truly, it is blessed; it is food that nourishes.’” [Muslim]

The Prophet (saw) also said:

“The water of Zamzam is for whatever one drinks it for.” [Ibn Majah]

Ibn Al-Qayyim (rh) said: “Myself and others tried seeking healing with Zamzam water and saw wondrous things. I sought healing with it from a number of illnesses, and I was healed by the permission of Allah.”  

What Hajj Tells Us About the Ummah and Victory? 

Attending hajj, one experiences the unity and brotherhood of the global Ummah first-hand. We know that this was a transformative experience for many, including Malcolm X, who saw blacks and whites “displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood.” After completing his hajj, he abandoned the racist beliefs of The Nation of Islam, and became a true Muslim.  

I experienced this brotherhood as well. Right when we landed at the terminal in Madinah, Muslims from the Ukraine forced us to the head of line because my 18-month-old daughter started crying. SubhanAllah! 

This unity can be felt as we complete the rituals: All of us united in purpose to serve the One who Created us and brought us to His Blessed House. This was especially the case when going to the stoning of the jamarat, one feels this sense of mission and focus – thousands of hujjaj from all around the world going to throw stones as Ibrahim (as) threw his stones. 

Indeed, Allah (swt) has fulfilled His promised to Ibrahim (as), when He (swt) commanded Ibrahim (as) to make the call in an empty valley: 

“And proclaim to the people the Hajj; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass.” [TMQ 22:27]    

What this illustrates to us – especially those of us carrying the call for Khilafah in the Muslim lands while living in Canada, Australia, Denmark, UK, and other countries outside of the Muslim world – is that we must proclaim the call to re-establish the Khilafah even while living outside the Muslim world, and Allah (swt) will carry it to the people that need to hear the call in the Muslim lands. Ideas can transfer over the Internet and social media to the Muslim world, and can have a significant impact by Allah’s (swt) permission.   

The other important realization for me was to reflect on why the hujjaj – in the millions – come to this arid climate with its harsh landscape? Why not go for a halal vacation somewhere “fancy” and “nice” (especially considering the huge cost of performing hajj these days)? The answer is: It’s because this Ummah loves Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw), and so we respond to the call. 

The more well-off hujjaj coming from the West sacrifice their money, comfort, and time. But the poor hujjaj sacrifice that and much more, unable to afford the luxurious accommodations that many enjoy during hajj. 

And we hujjaj are not perfect Muslims – we may not know all the ins-and-outs of hajj; yet we come as we are to complete our fard (obligation) and be of those (inshaAllah) whom Allah (swt) referred to in the ayah above: “they will come from every distant pass.”

Reflecting on this, we realize that the Ummah truly responds to the call of Islam, and will, inshaAllah, respond to the order of the Khaleefah – even if it is established tomorrow. That is, the Ummah is ready to live under Islam. The Ummah is ready for the Khilafah inshaAllah. We today as hujjaj – in the millions – follow the direction and guidance given to us going from Mina to Arafat to Muzdalifah and back to Mina to the Haram and then home. Of course, there are issues, but the hajj is accomplished. Similarly, when Allah (swt) brings back the Khilafah, we can expect the Ummah to respond in a similar way. The Ummah, by Allah’s (swt) permission, will follow direction and guidance on a matter that emanates from the Islamic Aqeedah – whether it be completing the hajj or following the orders of a legitimate Khaleefah. May Allah (swt) hasten its return and rescue this ummah from misguidance. Ameen.   

“You are the best nation brought forth for mankind. You order what is right and forbid what is wrong, and you believe in Allah.” [TMQ 3:110]