MOUNT ARAFAT

Arafat is a place of forgiveness and refuge.

Arafat reminds us that people will rise up from their graves in the morning of the Last Day and gather in crowds at the place of final judgment. Needy servants of Allah hopefully shall wait for forgiveness in the presence of Allah. Hearts and eyes are soaked by the tears of repentance. Many sincere supplications ascend towards Allah the Almighty.

One starts with a clean slate in his or her life and promises to Allah the Almighty to continue to live the rest of his or her life in obedience.

Therefore mount Arafat presents a scene from the last judgment. Some of its sights are
experienced there. It really reminds us of the state of rising up from the grave , coming to the place of final judgment, struggling in desperation, and sincerely begging the Lord for mercy. It is the state of shedding all worldly rank and entering into the presence of Allah with only two pieces of clothing.

On the other hand Arafat takes us to ancient memories. As we know, because of their lapse of eating from the forbidden fruit, Adam (Peace Be Upon Him) and Eve were expelled from Paradise and sent to different places on earth. They were consequently made to miss each other greatly.

Adam (Peace Be Upon Him) begged for forgiveness from Allah the Almighty for the sake of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) thinking of his esteem and honor in the presence of Allah the Almighty. His request, then, got accepted and Allah the Almighty appointed an angel to show Adam (Peace Be Upon Him) the path to Mecca. As a consequence of Adam’s supplication, our mother Eve was taken by another angel towards Adam (Peace Be Upon Him). They got together in the valley of Arafat in the late afternoon of a certain day. They wept and repented of their sins.

Allah the Almighty, the Generous, not only accepted their invocation but also bestowed upon them and promised that every year He will forgive those from their offspring who come and repent at the same place on the same day and at the same hour. This is the reason why pilgrims go to Arafat and ask for forgiveness on the day called ‘Arafah a
day before the ‘Eid.

After their meeting Adam (Peace Be Upon Him) and our mother Eve adopted Mecca as
their homeland by the command of Allah. This is why Mecca is also called “Umm al-Qura” or the mother of all lands; because Mecca has become a place where all temporal and relative attributes, like homeland, color, wealth, poverty and physical appearance, lose their meaning, and believers become one nation under the brotherhood of Islam. In Mecca employer and employee, rich and poor, ignorant and educated are all at the same place and in the same garments. All persons stand in the same rows. Mecca is the place to be freed from all differences of class, to experience the feel of burial garments, to turn toward the Lord, and to tremble with the thought of the terrifying scene of the Judgment Day.

This blessed city is the arms of safety, peace, and love; it is the city of the prophets who fill our hearts with blessings and mercy. Today despite all the sufferings of the Muslim world, the summit of unity, love and brotherhood generated by pilgrimage to these holy places is something that the rest of the world dreams of. Nations do everything they can to establish this level of unity through their international institutions but they could not achieve a complete success. Due to their endless worldly desires and spiritual collapse  they have countless disagreements, divisions, enmity, oppression, injustices and the winds of favoritism divide them.

Mount Hira (Jabal Hira)

This is Mount Hira (Jabal Hira), which lies about two miles from the Ka’bah. Near the top is a small cave, a little less than 4 meters in length and a little more than one and a half meters in width. It was here that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) received the first revelations of the Holy Quran during the month of Ramadhan in 610 CE. The mountain is also known as Jabal Noor (the Mountain of Light).

During Tahajjud time one night, when he was alone in the cave, there came to him an angel in the form of a man. The angel said to him, “Recite!”. “I cannot read”, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) replied. The angel took hold of him a second time and pressed him until he could not endure it any longer. After letting him go, the angel again said, “Recite!”. Again the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) replied “I cannot read”. The angel further embraced him again until he had reached the limit of endurance and said “Recite!” for the third time the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said “I cannot read”. The angel released him and said: “Read in the name of your Lord, the Creator. He Who created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Bounteous. Who taught by the Pen, taught man what he knew not.” [96:1-5]

The History of the Kaabah and Its Sacredness

The Kaabah, mentioned twice in the Quran, literally means a cubic object. Notwithstanding its other famous synonyms referred to in the Quran like al-Bayt, Baytullâh, al-Baytu’l-Atîq, al-Baytu’l- Harâm, al-Baytu’l-Muharram, al-Masjidu’l-Harâm, it is often called the Kaabah-i Muazzama, the highly respected Kaabah.

[The Kaabah was erected upon approximately 1.5 meter-wide columns. Its walls contain a total of 1614 basalt stones of various dimensions brought from around Mecca. On the east corner is the Hajar’ul-Aswad, the Black Stone. It is kept in a silver casing and marks the beginning and ending point of circumambulation. The Kaabah’s east corner is called Rukn’ul-Hajar’ul-Aswad or Rukn’us-Sharqi, its north corner Rukn’ul-Iraqi, its west corner Rukn’us-Shami, while its south corner Rukn’ul-Yamani. The drain channeling the rainwater from the roof of the Kaabah (Mizab’ul-The Kaabah) is known as the Golden Drain. Starting from the Kaabah, the first three meters of the area enclosed by a semicircular wall, standing at a height of 1.32 meters and width of 1.55 meters, that rises opposite the northwest corner of the Sacred House between Rukn’ul-Iraqi and Rukn’us-Shami, is known as Hatim. This section was included in the main building of the Kaabah put up by Ibrahim u. Restricted by a lack of material, however, Quraysh, during their restoration, had no other choice but to leave it outside. The remaining 5.56 meter area known either as Hijrul-the Kaabah, Hijru Ismail or Hatira, is the exact spot where Ibrahim u had made a shade for Hajar and his son Ismail from an arak tree. According to tradition, both Hajar and Ismail –upon whom be peace- are buried in the area of Hijr. It has thus been decreed obligatory to perform circumambulation from the outside of the Hijr. The door of the Kaabah, on the northeast of the House, stands at height of 2,25 meters from the ground. The section of the wall located between the door and the Hajar’ul-Aswad is known as Multazam. The exact height of the Kaabah is 14 meters. The length of Multazam is 12.84 meters, while that of Hatim 11.28 meters. Hatim and Rukn’ul-Yamani is separated by a distance of 11.52 meters. Holding the roof inside the Sacred House are three pillars, lined in the middle, from the south wall to Hatim. A ladder to the roof is found on the right hand side of the entrance, which also has a door of its own, called Bab’ut-Tawbah, the Door of Repentance. The inner walls of the Kaabah and its roof are covered with a green fabric made of silk. (Muhammad Ilyâs Abdulghanî, p. 33-66; Kâmil Mîrâs, Tecrid Tercemesi, VI, 17-20)]

The story of the Kaabah begins with Prophet Adam (Alaihi Salaam), the first human being. Upon descending to the world, he was given the duty of building a place of worship on the grounds where the Kaabah stands today (See Tabarî, Târih, I, 124). This is mentioned in the Quran in the following verse:

“Most surely the first house appointed for men is the one at Bekka, blessed and a guidance for the nations.” (Âl-i İmrân, 96)

In response to a question posed by Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) (*), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reveals the first building constructed on the face of Earth as the Kaabah, and the second as Masjid’ul-Aqsâ, the holy mosque of Jerusalem (See Bukhari, Anbiyâ, 10). The valley of Mecca was hence chosen as a holy place since the very beginning of human history.

After the Deluge of Nuh (Alaihi Salaam), the Kaabah remained for a long time under sand. It was rebuilt by Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihi Salaam) many years after he left his son and wife in the land. Revisiting his family in Mecca years after, and seeing that his son was now a young man, Ibrahim (Alaihi Salaam) told him:

 “Our Lord commands us to build a house for him…and you will help me!”

The young Ismail (Alaihi Salaam) carried stones while Ibrahim (Alaihi Salaam) erected the walls of the Kaabah. The piece of marble carrying the footprints of Ibrahim (Alaihi Salaam) was used as a stepping stone to help him reach the higher places of the wall (**). The Holy Quran narrates the event in the following words:

“And when Ibrahim and Ismail raised the foundations of the House: Our Lord! accept from us; surely You are the Hearing, the Knowing” (al-Baqara, 127) (For the details of the incident, see Bukhari, Anbiya, 9).

The Kaabah is the House of the Almighty only symbolically; that is to say, God does not live in it. Muslims pray to Allah (swt), by circumambulating it seven times, starting from the Black Stone placed by Ibrahim (Alaihi Salaam) near one of the corners of the Kaabah. The Black Stone descended from Paradise, and as reported by the Blessed Prophet ﷺ, it was whiter than milk and snow at the time of its descent, darkened in time by the sins of human beings. (Tirmidhî, Hajj, 49/877; Ahmad, I, 307).(***)

It has also been reported that fires before and after Islam had a part to do with the darkening of the Stone. But there are accounts that the side of the Stone facing the wall of the Kaabah still remained very white.

Mujahid narrates that when Abdullah ibn Zubayr (May Allah be pleased with him) demolished the walls of the Kaabah in order to renovate it, he saw that the inner side of the Black Stone was white.

Present during the reinstatement of the Stone in the 339th year of Hegira after having been taken away by the heretic Qarmatîs was Muhammad ibn Nâfî el-Huzâî, who later gave the following testimony:

“I was there to inspect the Black Stone when it was removed from its case and I saw that only one side, the visible side of the Stone was black, while the other three sides were white.”

In the 1039th year of Hegira, the Kaabah was ruined by a strong flood that swept across Mecca. During the rebuilding, Imâm Ibn Allân al-Makkî inspected the Black Stone, commenting that “the parts of the Black Stone installed facing the walls of the Kaabah are as white as the marble where Ibrahim u prayed (Maqâmu Ibrâhim)”(See Said Bektash, p. 36-38; Dr. Muhammad Ilyâs Abdulghanî, p. 43.)

The Quran narrates that once the building of the Kaabah was completed, Prophet Ibrahim (Alaihi Salaam) and his son Ismail (Alaihi Salaam) prayed to Allah (swt), in the following manner:

“Our Lord! Make of us Muslims, bowing to Your (Will), and of our progeny a people Muslim, bowing to Your (will); and show us our place for the celebration of rites; and turn unto us in Mercy; for You art the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.

Our Lord! Send among them a Messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Your Signs to them and instruct them in scripture and wisdom, and sanctify them: For You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (al-Baqara, 128-129)

Upon the completion of the Kaabah, the Almighty commanded Ibrahim to invite people for pilgrimage:

“And proclaim among men the Pilgrimage: they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, from every remote path.”(al-Hajj, 27)

Heeding to this Divine commandment, Ibrahim u climbed the nearby Abu Qubays Mountain, and called out to all four directions with an audible voice, informing people of their obligation to visit the Kaabah.(See Kâmil Mîrâs, Tecrid Tercemesi, VI, 20-21; Said Bektash, p. 111.)

After this declaration the Archangel Jibril (Alaihi Salaam) came and showed Ibrahim (Alaihi Salaam) the borders of the Holy Mosque and the distances of Safâ and Marwâ, telling him to erect stones to mark these borders. The Archangel afterward taught him all the rituals and procedures of the pilgrimage. Thereafter, people from far away lands began visiting the Kaabah for pilgrimage, making Mecca the center for the religion of the Almighty, granting the town an important place in the hearts of people.

Worshipping in the House of Allah (swt), continued the way Prophet Ibrahim (Alaihi Salaam) had taught up until the spread of idolatry. When idol worshipping became widespread in Mecca, the idolaters filled inside and around the Kaabah with idols. But even then the Kaabah was not renamed after a certain idol, continuing to be called Baytullah, the House of Allah (swt).

When Mecca was taken and opened to Islam by the Noble Prophet ﷺ all the idols were demolished, and under the inspection of the Prophet ﷺ, the Kaabah, from both the inside and outside, was cleansed with Zamzam water. This initiated a custom of washing the Kaabah with Zamzam and rosewater every year, perfuming it with musk and amber, and renewing its cover.

Any service made to the Kaabah and its visitors was thus held in great esteem. First fulfilled by Ismail (Alaihi Salaam), these noble duties passed on to his sons, then to the Jurhumites and finally to the tribe of Quraysh. Simultaneous to the establishment of the Meccan city- state we see the founding of the following duties:

1. Sidânah or Hijâbah: The duty of covering the Kaabah and safeguarding its keys.(****)

2. Siqâyah: Providing the pilgrims with water and beverages, and the maintenance of the Zamzam well.

3. Ridânah: Feeding and hosting poor pilgrims.

Becoming entrusted with these duties was considered a great honor and privilege among Arabs. In the time of the Noble Prophet ﷺ these duties were shared among the leading families of the Mecca. Omar (may Allah be pleased with him), the second Caliph, allocated allowances for these purposes, which during the time of Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) became more organized. The Ottomans similarly considered the upkeeping of the Kaabah as being of great significance, providing sizeable allowances for tending to the Sacred House.

Masjid al-Haram is believed to have looked like this during the time of the Prophet. صلى الله عليه و سلم

(*) Abu Dharr’s (may Allah be pleased with him) real name is Jundab ibn Junada. He was known as Ghifari in reference to the tribe of Ghifar from where he originally sprung. As the fifth Muslim, he was a man of piety, contentedness and abstinence, which lead the Blessed Prophet ﷺ to call him the Masih’ul-Islam, i.e. the Isa (Alaihi Salaam) of Islam. Constantly by the side of the Noble Prophet ﷺ, he would look to reap the greatest benefit from his presence, asking what he knew not to the Prophet ﷺ for clarification; accumulating so deep a knowledge in the end that Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is known to have called him ‘the repertoire of knowledge’. The total amount of his hadith narrations is 281. Breathing his last in Rabaza near Mecca in the 31st year of Hegira, his funeral last was conducted by a small group who laid him to rest.

(**) Said Bektash, Fadlu’l-Hajari’l-Aswad wa Maqâmi Ibrâhîm (upon him peace), p. 108; Muhammad Ilyâs Abdulghanî, p. 71-73. According to one source, Ibrâhîm –u later stood up on the marble, the Maqamu Ibrahim and invited people to hajj. (Said Bektash, p. 111) In reference to the Maqamu Ibrahim, Allah Y, says: “And when We made the House a resort for mankind and sanctuary, (saying): Take as your place of worship the place where Ibrahim stood (to pray).” (al- Baqara, 125)

(***) Scholars have commented that if sins can have so great an effect on even a stone so as to leave it black, who knows the intensity of the tarnish they can leave on the heart. Abstaining from sins with utmost effort is therefore a must.

(****) Ismail u is recognized as the first person to drape the Kaabah. (Abdurrazzaq, V, 154) Throughout Islamic history, the preparation of the cover of the Kaabah would be seen to by the Caliph, a sultan or the incumbent governor of Mecca. After the passage of the Caliphate to the Ottomans in 1517, the cover of the Sacred House continued to be woven in Egypt for a little while longer. During the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent, Istanbul became the center for weaving its inner cover, added to which was the outer cover, come the time of Sultan Ahmed III. The last cover woven in Ottoman hands to be sent was in 1916, with the rebellion of Sharif Hussain preventing further attempts. Prepared for a period of time once again in Egypt thereafter, the cover is today is made in a factory in Mecca set up specifically for that purpose.

-Excerpt from the book, “THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD MUSTAFA THE ELECT ﷺ”

Marhaba O Shah-e-Mardan!! Marhaba O Sher-e-Yazdaan!! Marhaba O Sher-e-Khuda!! Marhaba O Haider al-Karrar!! Marhaba O Amir al-Mu’minin !! Marhaba!! Marhaba!!

13th Rajab:

”The way no Prophet attained Prophethood by taking out Rasul’Allah (ﷺ) as Rasul’Allah (ﷺ) distributed Prophethood.

In the same way, no Wali (saint) attained Sainthood (Wilayah) without taking out Ali (radhiAllahu anhu), as Ali (radhiAllahu anhu) distributes Sainthood.

Ali (radhiAllahu anhu) is the centre of Sainthood.”

Ali Nu Yaad Karo –Remember Ali
Ral Ke Fariyaad Karo –Cry Out Together
Hai Gareebaan-Da, Aho Aasraa – Ali Is The Shelter Of The Destitute.

(KaramAllahu Wajhu Wa Alaihi Salaam)

“Rasul’Allah (salla Allah alayhi wa alihi wa sallam) says in an authentic hadith “Ali is from me and I am from Ali. No one can give on my behalf except Ali.”

He is the Nafs of the Mustafa (salla Allah alayhi wa alihi wa sallam). If you want to seek the knowledge of Rasul’Allah (salla Allah alayhi wa alihi wa sallam), you have to go to Ali because no one can give on his behalf except Ali. Therefore we take this anwar from Ameer Al-Mu’minin Ali ibn Abu Talib (alayhi el salam).

Al Nabi (salla Allah alayhi wa alihi salam) stood in front of Ali, Fatima, Al Hassan, and Al Husayn and said [in a hadith which is hassan to say the least] “I am peace on those who make peace with you and I am war to those you are at war with.” When declaring war on Ameer Al-Mu’min Ali ibn Abu Talib, you are declaring war on Rasul’Allah (salla Allah alayhi wa alihi wa sallam) and when you declare on Rasul’Allah (salla Allahy alayhi wa alihi wa sallam) you are declaring war on Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala.”

– Sayyidi Shaykh Dr. Muhammad bin Yahya al Husayni al Ninowy (Allah swt raise his rank)

Hazrat Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (Alaihis Salaam)…

“He was born in the purest places. (Ka’bah)
And on the best of days. (Fridays)
Martyred in the best of months. (Ramadan)
And on the best of nights. (Night of Power/Qadr)
And in the best of moments. (Prayer)
And in the best of positions. (Prostration)
And was married to the best of women (Hazrat Fatima Alaiha Salaam).”

 

Blessed Birth Of Beloveds Beloved, Sher-e-Khuda, Sayyidina Ali Ibn Abi Talib (KaramAllahu wajhu wa ‘alayhi al-salaam). The one whom the Sword Dhulfiqar was gifted, the victorious one at Khaybar…… Mubarak on this auspicious day, 13th Rajab, to all.

Blessed Parents of Rasool e Akram SalAllaahu Ta’ala Alayhi Wa Sallam

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu – Madina Munawwarah

Hazrat Amina Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anha – Valley of Ab’ha – Outside of Makkah ul Mukarma

This grave, located in Al-Abwa, close to Madinah is of Bibi Aminah (may Allah be pleased with her), the mother of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).

“While the sun of the two worlds were in the sign of bliss

How would Allah not give his parents honor?

Oh my heart! Look at the diver with equitable eyes

Would he take the pearl and throw away the mother-of pearl?”

ALLAHUMMA SALLI ALA MUHAMMADIW WA ALA AALI MUHAMMADIN KAMAA SALLAITA ALA IBRAHIMA WA ALA AALI IBRAHIMA INNAKA HAMIDUM MAJID. ALLAHUMMA BAARIK ALA MUHAMMADIW WA ALA AALI MUHAMMADIN KAMAA BAARAKTA ALA IBRAHIMA WA ALA AALI IBRAHIMA INNAKA HAMIDUM MAJID.

“O Allah, let Your Blessings come upon Prophet Muhammad and the family of Prophet Muhammad, as you have blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. Allah, bless Prophet Muhammad and the family of Prophet Muhammad, as you have blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious”.

Praying in Congregation, Praying at the Mosque (Our 100th Post)

Jabir bin Abdullah (RadiAllahu Anhu) narrates:

“The neighbourhood of my tribe, Bani Salim, was rather far from the mosque. There were some vacant sites around the Prophet’s mosque so we wanted to sell our house and move closer to the mosque.

At that time the following verse was revealed:

“We bring the dead to life and We record what they send ahead and what they leave behind. We have listed everything in a clear register”. (Yasin 36:12)

When he heard of our intention, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to us:

“I hear that you wish to move closer to the mosque, is this true?”

They said: “Yes, o Messenger of Allahﷺ. We truly wish for this”.

Then the blessed Prophet ﷺ said:

“O Bani Salim! Remain where you are and receive a reward for each step you take in coming to the mosque. Yes, remain where you are; and let there be a reward written for every step you take in coming to the mosque”.  (Muslim, Masajid, 280, 281; Tirmidhi, Tafsiru’l Qur’an, 36/1).

The city of Makkah

Makkah is the blessed city which is the most beloved land in the sight of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and the chosen location of His House. It was here that the final prophet and guide of the whole of mankind, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), was born and commenced his Prophethood.

• Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has called Makkah by five names in the Quran: Makkah, Bakkah, Al-Balad, Al-Qaryah and Ummul-Qura.

• In Surah Al-Imran, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) states:“Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-Alamin (mankind and jinn).” [3:96]

• When the Muslims conquered Makkah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said,“Allah had made this city sacred the day He created the heavens and the earth and it’s sanctity shall remain until the Day of Qiyaamah (Day of Judgement). Its thorns cannot be broken, its animals cannot be harmed and things fallen on its ground cannot be picked up unless with the intention of returning it to its owner or making public announcements (to locate the owner). It is also forbidden to cut the grass that (naturally) grows here.” [Muslim]The reward of prayer offered in Masjid al-Haram is multiplied many times. Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said:

“A prayer in in this mosque of mine is better than one thousand prayers anywhere else, except for Al-Masjid Al- Haram. A prayer in Al-Masjid Al-Haram is better than one hundred thousand prayers (anywhere else).” [Ahmad]

• Muslim scientists have provided evidence to show that Makkah is the true centre of the Earth, one argument being that unlike other longitudes, Makkah’s is in perfect alignment to magnetic north.