Makkah & Madina: 'Hajj' & 'Ziarat'

 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 1^st 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).

‘Days of Noah’ over Kerala

"And indeed, We sent Moses with Our signs: Bring out your people from the depths of darkness into light. Remind them of the Days of God:" (Surah Ibrahim, 14: 5). 

Less than a year back, at the beginning of the present Islamic year AH 1439, Imam Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius made a Divinely-inspired Sermon, cautioning the peoples everywhere about the impending calamities that are about to strike around the world, including the Indian Ocean region. In that Friday Sermon of 29 September 2017, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) specifically cautioned against the dangers from looming calamities such as devastating floods in our times:

“Today is the 8th of Muharram of the year 1439 AH… I ask you to listen to all that I am telling you. From this Muharram 1439 AH to the next Muharram 1440 AH - believe me brothers and sisters - there are a lot of happenings/ events/ catastrophes which shall occur: earthquakes, floods, lots of people shall lose their lives, atrocious crimes, wars/ fights (nations against nations), blood of innocents shall be shed... 

I ask you to take this into consideration and start counting - from the 1st Muharram of this New Year 1439 AH till its end. Write down all that which shall happen throughout the world and even small islands and even all that which is found in the Indian Ocean (and its vicinity) shall not be spared from divine punishment, in the form of earthquakes, floods, great wars which shall be very difficult to stop.

Believe in what I am saying. O Muslims and Humanity at large. Take precautions and stock your food- buy, keep, preserve….”

Speaking against the backdrop of the deluge in Mauritius earlier this year, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) further repeated the Divine reminder: 

“O all of you, you are not safe. No country in the world will be spared, even you who live on the islands. No divinity of your imagination can help you. I see with the eye of my Lord (Allah) many terrifying things that will seize this world....O humanity, the decrees of God will be inevitably executed, and you will see the coming days as the days of Noah...” (Friday Sermon of 26 January 2018---08 Jamad'ul Awwal 1439 AH).

The Kerala Floods

Nature's fury in the form of torrential rains has engulfed most parts of Kerala this week. The land and its people are in profound pain, perplexed by the sudden hardships enveloping them. The magnitude of the disruption of everyday life in the otherwise scenic Indian State is mind-numbing. As one scribbles down this note, the “God’s own country” (as Kerala is known), is battling one of the worst floods in all of its modern history. 

With the India Meteorological Department predicting heavy rains for the next two days as well, the ground situation is being viewed as extremely grave. With heavy rainfalls in the catchment areas of major reservoirs across the State and the opening of all shutters of all major dams including Mullaperiyar, Cheruthoni, part of Idukki reservoir, and Idamalayar, lives of people in downstream areas have been severely affected, for areas and villages where floods had never occurred are witnessing inundation. 

Heavy water-logging has disrupted the road, rail traffic across the State, and even flight operations at the Kochi airport will remain suspended for the next 10 days. With telecommunication lines down, and electricity transmission cut off, thousands of flood victims remain marooned in their own residences/places without access to essential help. The death toll in the ongoing rain-and flood-related incidents (including landslips) has already crossed 150, with more than 2,23,000 people shifted to over 1550 relief camps across the State. Rescue operators fear that due to the heavy inflow of water, the death toll would go up.

The Laws of Inheritance in Islam-II

In his Friday Sermon of 10 August 2018 (27 Dhul-Qaddah 1439 AH), Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius provides a magisterial survey of Islamic inheritance law. In this significant discourse, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) elaborates on the the most important features of the normative framework of Islam on matters of inheritance succession and comprehensively explains the profound obligations on devout Muslims in this regard- of making clear distributive arrangements for smooth transitions in matters of succession. Acknowledging that the subject is vast, complex and delicate, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) underscores the need for careful handling of the question at the various levels "with honesty and Taqwah": individual believers need to draw up clear testamentary declaration (Will); influential/powerful legal heirs need to respect the rights of the vulnerable ones and also serve the pecuniary interests of other non-heir, but close persons of the deceased through gifts; the State/Jamaat officials need to ensure that justice is done to all parties involved. 

The Sahih Al Islam Blog has published the First-part of this vital sermon on August 14, 2018. Reproduced below are the second and final installment of the Two-part series:

THE WIFE’S CHILDREN FROM A PREVIOUS MARRIAGE

If a woman had children with another husband, and after divorce, Talaq, she contracts Nikah with another man, then the children of this woman from her previous marriage are not eligible to receive anything from the inheritance of their mother’s new husband.

INHERITANCE OF A LEGITIMATE CHILD

According to Shariah, a child born in the Nikah of his parents is a legitimate child and thus he shall inherit from his mother and father. Shariah acknowledges the legitimate pregnancy of a woman whose biological child is born between 6 months and two years.

Explanation : If a child is born five months after the date of the Nikah or more than two years after the death of the father (its mother’s husband), then the child shall not be legitimate for the father and thus shall not inherit from him. [But Allah knows best. It may be that Allah manifests exceptions and extraordinary miracles.