Hajj: the Sacrifice of Abraham (as)
Whenever
Hajj is evoked, the Sacrifice of Abraham (as) is also evoked. It is
reported that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: “When anyone of you
intends to sacrifice the animal and enter in the month of Dhul-Hijjah
(since the first of Dhul-Hijjah), he should not get his hair cut or
nails pared till he has offered his sacrifice.” (Muslim).
So
it is recommended for all those taking part in the animals (the
Qurbani) not to cut their hair from the 1st of
Dhul-Hijjah. Note that the days and nights of Dhul-Hijjah
are sacred and therefore fast (maximise this time in fasting) and do
good works. Do not have suspicions, and do not make palavers, do not
argue because all this is the work of Satan. Allah and His angels do
not stay among those categories of people. Respect the elders, have
love and obedience for them, supplicate Allah (Duahs) and
remember Him (Zikrullah), read the Qur’an, try to transform
yourselves, move away from evil deeds, replace all bad deeds with
good deeds, so that you can have the love of Allah and that Allah
(swt) be pleased with you.
It
is Allah Who is the Almighty, the Creator of all things. He does not
need our prayers and our actions as He clearly tells us in the Holy
Qur’an:
“The
first House (of worship) appointed for men was that at Bakkah
(i.e. Makkah):
Full of blessing and of guidance for all the worlds (for all people):
In it are clear signs (such as) the standing place of Abraham. And
whoever enters it shall be safe. Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe
to Allah - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. And
whoever disbelieves, then surely Allah is not in need of (any of His)
creation.” (Al-Imran 3: 97-98).
In
many other verses this concept is clearly exposed to humanity that
Allah (swt) has no need of creatures and their prayers. This is also
repeated in a Hadith Qudsi (Sacred Hadith) where Allah says:
“O
My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and you
will not attain benefiting Me so as to benefit Me. O my servants,
were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the
jinn of you to become as pious as the most pious heart of any one man
of you, that would not increase My kingdom in anything. O My
servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you
and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any
one man of you, that would not decrease My kingdom in anything. O My
servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you
and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request of Me,
and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not
decrease what I have, any more than a needle decreases the sea if put
into it.” (Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah).