Hajj: Pathway to Salvation

 

[In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As the world of Islam enters the Month of Hajj [Dhul Hijjah], Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius profoundly explains the larger, inner meaning and spiritual significance of this ultimate voyage to the House of God in Makkah that the Muslim pilgrim undertakes in quest of Divine pleasure and salvation]. 

 

The pathway to salvation 

 

‘The Hajj, being the fifth and last of the five pillars of Islam, it represents the readiness of the Muslim pilgrim to let go of all worldly attractions and desires, and to make the firm intention for a purified reform in his self and soul, to tread the pathway to Salvation, like a submitted soul offering his whole life and being to Allah, promising a complete reform within himself and seeking the help of Allah to achieve it.’

On Jama'ah Prayer & 'Women' Angels

 

As an inspired servant of God with a mandate to correct the doctrinal mistakes and religious practices of the Muslims of today, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius is in a unique position to clarify the right perspective to be adopted on religious beliefs and everyday practices of the believers in this era, Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah; from time to time, Hazrat Muhyiuddin (aba) offers illuminating guidance on spiritual questions brought before him by people from around the world. By the Grace of Allah, these Question and Answer sessions reveal much insight into issues that confuse and confound people, and the guiding light of a servant of God steeped in the spiritual Way is indeed very useful for truth seekers. For instance, in a recent interactive session with the Sahih Al Islam YouTube Channel, Hazrat Saheb (aba) shares his perspective on the need for balance and prudence in the performance of religious duties while explaining the importance of congrégational prayer. Likewise, in the same Interview in response to another question, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) explains the nature of appearance of angels in the spiritual visions of human beings. 

Read the Text of the Discourse Below : 

 

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakaatuhu. Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, we are here again for another session of Questions & Answers with the Khalifatullah Al-Mahdi of this era, Hazrat Munir A. Azim (atba).

'Hajj' in Islam

  

Hajj is more than a get-together of Muslims from all over the world; it is akin to a training camp to prepare the Muslims for the afterlife. Pilgrims leave behind their busy world, dress in simple white sheets of cloth not unlike the ones they (all of us Muslims) will later be buried in, and concentrate on the concept of sacrifice - recalling Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his only son Hazrat Ismail (as) for Allah.

Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and is accomplished every year in the last month of the Islamic Calendar, Dhul-Hijjah (or The Month of Hajj). All Muslims from around the world now converge to the Sacred Spot [called Al-Masjid Al-Haram] found in Mecca [Makkah], in Arabia [Saudi Arabia] to accomplish their pilgrimage. There, a number of ritual are carried out which reflect the efforts of Hazrat Ibrahim (as), who had left his second wife Hazrat Hajra (ra) and their young son Hazrat Isma’il (as) in its vicinity in the arid desert, and Allah rewarded Hajra’s struggle to find water with the well of Zamzam, a spring which made the region prosperous and a religious focal point after  Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and Hazrat Isma’il (as) built, or rather rebuilt, the Ka’aba (which existed since the time of Hazrat Adam (as) but which with time was neglected and forgotten by the people when they forgot Allah - the worship of one God). Among the rites and gatherings during the Hajj, there is also the gathering at the plain of Arafat, which reminiscences of the even larger gathering to come of the Day of Judgement.

The 'Sword' of Dhul Qarnayn

  

The Holy Qur’an mentions a great historic figure ‘Dhul Qarnayn’, under whose sovereign, royal authority all the known lands of the ancient world submitted. A wise and devout servant of God, Dhul Qarnayn was an impartial and just ruler who administered the territories under his suzerainty with wisdom and tolerance, with a view for social peace, tranquillity, and people’s welfare. Beyond confirming the identity and veracity of a servant of God and ‘ideal ruler’ from the ancient era as a matter of history and collective memory, the Book of God also relates the description in this regard with great events of the future when a Protective Shield of God would appear in turbulent times to set things right.    

 

Consider these Qur’anic verses:

 

‘On that Day, We shall let them surge against each other like waves and then the Trumpet will be blown and We shall gather them all together. We shall show Hell to the disbelievers, those whose eyes were blind to My signs, those who were unable to hear. Did they think that they could take My servants as masters instead of Me? We have prepared Hell as the disbelievers’ resting place.’ [18: 100-103]