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Bismillah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem.
Alhumdulillah. Peace and blessings on Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam), his Noble Companions and Family.
Dear committed Muslims…
THE HAJJ IN PRACTICE AND THE HAJJ IN THE QUR'AN
We are approaching the high days of Dhi Al Hijjah- the days in which the Muslims from around the world express their devotion to Allah by going to Makkah and Al Madinah to perform duties that are supposed to be meaningful (and) obligations that are supposed to show other people the way. We're going to take a couple of ayaat from the Qur'an and try to pass the meanings of these ayaat so that we can understand what these ayaat are saying (or) what these meanings of these ayaat are and what is going on in the real world. This time we take the liberty to bring these meanings into today's performance of this Hajj.
The first ayah- Allah says in Surah Aal Imran
Of a certainty the first bayt that has been situated for people is the one that is in Bakkah… (Surah Aal Imran verse 96)
The reason we left the word bayt in its original form without translating it obviously, we think anyone who is familiar with just a few words of the Qur'an or Arabic knows that bayt means a home or a house or a residence- that's what bayt means. In this ayah in Surah Aal Imran Allah is saying
The first bayt that was situated for people… (Surah Aal Imran verse 96)
Now let's take our time a little and give it just a little thought. If we were to dig up its linguistic roots a bayt is where you stay for the night. The word or the verb out of which it comes is baata. A person baata in a certain place is he spent the night there. So where a person spends his night or her night is considered where a person lives (or) the domicile of that person. There's many ways you can refer to this. I mean (in) the English language you can't compare. This is where many things get lost in translations because if we say bayt in English you say house. What does that mean? It really doesn't have an active meaning and this is one of the beautiful things about the wording of the Qur'an. Words have actions to them. Nouns are extracted from actions. So when we are saying bayt we are saying a place where people can consider their domicile (or) the place where people can stay for the night (or) the place where they can think about as a refuge and as a retreat, a place that is secure- you're secure in your own home. So this if where we, the Muslims, are just absent. We read the ayah, some of us have beautiful voices, and then we vocalise it in melodious ways but what goes unnoticed is what's the meaning here? What is going on? We want to know what the meaning is. Allah is saying a bayt- where you sleep your night. A night is a time of privacy- that's one of the definitions of al bayt. Allah in this ayah is saying
The first bayt that was situated for people… (Surah Aal Imran verse 96)
Not for an individual, not for a tribe, not for any specific stratum of society, not for any particular strain in society- for everyone.
The first bayt that was located for people is the one that is in Bakkah… (Surah Aal Imran verse 96)
Now some people who gave this a thought- remember at one time we used to think… It doesn't mean we are not thinking now others didn't think at one time. So when they looked at the meaning of this ayah they took it and said the first bayt that was designated for people was the one in Bakkah and their understanding of it when they tried to give it some of their intellectual vigour is that the first place for the purpose of devotion and submission to Allah is the one that is in Makkah, meaning when we say today there are churches, there are synagogues and mosques and temples and these things these are understood to be places where people go to express their relationship with their definition of God. So one understanding of this ayah says
The first type of place like that… (Surah Aal Imran verse 96)
Because that's a public place if it's a church or a Masjid or a synagogue or anything else- forget about what has accrued throughout the ages- by definition these are supposed to be open places for the public. So one of these understandings is the first place in the world on earth that was built as a public bayt is the one that is in Makkah. Then you have people that says, (because history goes in different directions here), it was built before Adam (alayhi as salaam) and some people say it was built when Adam came to Earth and on and on. So let's skip these types of historical ups and down. The fact remains what the ayah is saying.
The first bayt that was located for people is the one that is in Bakkah… (Surah Aal Imran verse 96)
Now yours in ijtihad says that there is a meaning to this ayah that just goes by or passes by everyone. The meaning of this ayah is
The first bayt that was meant for people is the one Makkah… (Surah Aal Imran verse 96)
Your bayt is a private place. The other person's bayt is a private place. Everyone's bayt is a private place. The first private place that become public is the one in Makkah because this bayt doesn't belong to you or me or any human being. No government (and) no tribe can claim it as their possession. This ayah says so.
The is the first place on Earth that has been made public for all people … (Surah Aal Imran verse 96)
Listen- li an naas. The ayah didn't say li al Muslimin (or) li al Mu'minin, (or) li al Muttaqin etc. etc. It said li an naas just like we say in the short Surah at the end of the Qur'an.
Say: I seek refuge in the Sustainer of Mankind. King of mankind. God of mankind. Surah An Naas verse 1-3)
Can we get it? Can we just invite our thoughts into this ayah? Now if we take a look, (and yours here has done this and it doesn't mean that it's final and everyone is invited to do it and if you come up with some other type of conclusion let us know), when reading in the history books about Makkah and about Al Bayt Al Haram never have we come across any information saying "those that are administering the affairs of Makkah said a certain types of people are not allowed into the city or not allowed into the Haram." In jahili history or pre-Muhammadi time we don't know of any time. We're not talking here about the rule or the administration of jahilis (or) people who were running Makkah outside of the realm of Allah's guidance and scripture only. We're talking about its whole history- when it was run correctly and when it was run incorrectly. Never has there been a reported incident in which it was said "certain individuals or certain religious denominations are not allowed into Makkah."
Now, we come to today's world. In today's world we have certain people who are running Makkah who tell us certain people can't come to Makkah." They are in violation of the meanings of this ayah because this place is li an naas.
The is the first place on Earth that has been made public for all people … (Surah Aal Imran verse 96)
There is a difficulty that occurs because there's another ayah in the Qur'an that refers to the Mushriks as being najas.
Mushriks are foul and filthy… (Surah At Tawbah verse 28)
Whether that is in the literal sense of the word- their bodies and their selves- or whether that is in the mental or spiritual portion of a person because there's been opinions elaborated in both these directions. How ever way you look at it, the Mushriks, because they are najas, foul and filthy, they are not allowed into Al Masjid Al Haram. Mushriks. From all the people in the world the ayaat in the Qur'an states that Mushriks are not allowed. These are ayaat that maybe if Allah gives us time and good health we will elaborate on this point in Surah Al Bara'ah and in other places in the Qur'an but just because from all the people in the world Al Mushrikin are not allowed into Al Masjid Al Haram that doesn't mean it is off limits to all other peoples of the world. When we say this we are saying this with Allah and His Prophet as our reference. In the lifetime of Allah's Prophet it hasn't been reported that he said that people who are not committed Muslims are not allowed into Makkah or even not allowed into the Haram area. It's not there. So all of this destructive development that we are living with has to be undone! We have to get rid of it and Makkah has to return to the status that belongs to it.
Let's take another ayah. Allah says in Surah Al Hajj
When you call people to perform this Hajj… (Surah Al Hajj verse 27)
Then the word adh'dheen is to express or make a public statement concerning the coming to the Hajj. You see- once again li an naas.
When there is a yearly call for the Hajj it has to be for the general public, for all people... (Surah Al Hajj verse 27)
So al Hajj is an open invitation to all the peoples. What's wrong? They can't come to the Hajj? OK-
When there is a yearly call for the Hajj it has to be for the general public, for all people... (Surah Al Hajj verse 27)
In Arabic the construct of the language, (because we have to say this we have to explain it), there is something that you do and as a consequence something else happens. It's like saying "bring me food, I will eat." Eating is the consequence of food that is brought to me. So one act is contingent on the other. This is one of the elementary things they give in elementary grade school- two verbs: study, you'll succeed! Study, succeed. So we take this forth because it's in this ayah.
You publicise the Hajj to all people and then… (Surah Al Hajj verse 27)
What happens?
… they will come to you (or) they will come to Makkah (or) they will come to the Hajj walking on their feet… (Surah Al Hajj verse 27)
English expressions for this.
… and using every meagre means of transportation… (Surah Al Hajj verse 27)
The picture here looks like we go public and say "now is the time for the Hajj"- this is an invitation to the people of the world and the result is people are trekking to Makkah and coming. You can see this. Dhamir means a method of transportation that is not very well developed. It's a weak method of transportation. In those times it referred to (something) like weak animals. In those days they used to travel on camels, on horses, on mules, on donkeys, etc. so they will come to Hajj on these means of transportation that are very weak. So if we were to take it in today's world and say they'd even be going to Hajj on bicycles, on motorcycles, on run down vehicles, jalopies, contraptions, etc.
… they will come from every distant and remote cavity of the earth… (Surah Al Hajj verse 27)
We don't see that happening! This is what the ayah is saying- what happened? We don't see that happening in today's world. First of all there is no public notice to the Hajj. Hajj is as if it is left to limited periodicals and limited means of communication, maybe a radio program here and there and they speak about "this is the time of Hajj and let's go to hajj and all of this" and it is only meant to a certain audience and it is not meant to the general public! Thus Makkah has been chained and reduced. Makkah has been emasculated from being a vibrant city that concerns humanity itself.
Let us tell you- this is not only something that appears once a year when we encounter the times to go to al Hajj, it is also in your mind and my mind. Let us give you an example. The importance and the significance of Makkah has been so withdrawn from our active thoughts that when we say Makkah is a Qiblah and Al Bayt Al Haram is the Ka'bah we just pass it by. It is something to do with prayers- when we pray we try to find that direction, (i.e.) which way is towards Makkah and when Hajj time comes OK that's where we perform our Hajj- that's it! That's Makkah. That's all Makkah means and this is how much the definition of Makkah has been damaged. All of us know that the Prophets before the final Prophet prayed- all of them prayed. Hud (alayhi as salaam) prayed. Maybe not necessarily the same way we pray but in whatever devotional communicative manner they prayed. Hud, Salih, Lut Ibrahim, Nuh (alayhim as salaam) all prayed. What were they praying to? Have you ever asked yourself what was their Qiblah? The problem is, first of all, we think we haven't bothered to ask ourselves that question and even is someone maybe thought about it in a passing manner then what's the answer? Where was it? It takes a very courageous (stand to say…) just like we're saying right now that Makkah belongs to humanity, Makkah also belongs to the Prophets. The Qiblah of the Prophets was Makkah. The only interference in understanding this is the issue of Al Quds as Al Quds was a Qiblah of some of the Prophets of Bani Isra'eel. That's the only type of information that comes our way that says there may have been another Qiblah besides Makkah and there's reason to believe that Al Quds at one time was an authentic and bona fide Qiblah because we, the Muslims, (and) the Prophet prayed for sixteen months from the Arabian Peninsula towards the Qiblah in Al Quds. So let us say, without going into much historical fine points, there are two Qiblahs. Why is it if we, in our minds, reach a conclusion (that) in all of this history (and) in all of this peoples and Prophets that preceded us there were two Qiblah why don't these two Qiblahs come to our minds? Why don't we think when we are praying that the Prophets prayed to Makkah? Because Makkah is not only physically remote to us and made to be that way by man made laws but our own ignorance has imposed on us a distance between us and Makkah.
… so that they can be witnesses to manaafi'… (Surah Al Hajj verse 27)
The plural of manfa'a,
… so that they can be witnesses to utilities for them (and) advantages for them (and) usages for them (and) benefits for them… (Surah Al Hajj verse 27)
This is what the ayah is saying. So when we go to Makkah we will encounter concrete results (and) something that will be of benefit to us. This is what the ayah is saying. Why are we going to Makkah? We ask you- some of you, if not all of you, have been to Makkah- when you go to Makkah what type of manaafi' (or) what type of benefits are palpable to you? What type of benefits do you gain from going to Makkah? Of course some people will say "you know I felt a common brotherhood" even though in Makkah there's discrimination. With the official discrimination there "you Iranians, you go there. You stay in that area. You Nigerians, you stay in that area. You Turks, that area's allocated to you" and on and on. That's a discrimination! If people want to voluntarily be among language groups that they understand or ethnic groups that they feel comfortable with that's one issue but if they do it to separate from others that's another issue. We come to Hajj not to separate ourselves but to understand ourselves (and) to communicate with ourselves. How can we do that when the Hajj is set up the way it is? Then, if we're going to open the door of your mind to think don't stop here. Ask! Take it further. Ask where did this come from? Who said that a certain racial group should be in one place or a certain linguistic group should be confined to another place and on and on like that? Where did that come from? We need an answer. It didn't happen just like that. You didn't say (or) I didn't say (or) we didn't say it should be like that so who said it? And then why are we doing it?
… so that they, meaning the Hajj attendees mention… (Surah Al Hajj verse 27)
Now look, this is another slaughtering of the meaning. The sentence in this ayah ends (with) the translation of the word yadhkuru- to mention. Even though that is part of the meaning it is not the overall meaning. Yadhkuru is
… that the name of Allah becomes their conscience… (Surah Al Hajj verse 27)
That's why the word is used to refer to a person when he remembers something. Even some people translate yadhkuri ism Allah to remember Allah's name! So what is it? You have forgotten Allah's name? Is this the character of committed Muslims? They forget Allah's name and then when they go to the Hajj they remember it?! Obviously not! It means
… that Allah's name becomes a cultural consciousness… (Surah Al Hajj verse 27)
Because there we come from different parts of the world. The Hajj right now has been cut down severely to two million people which should be twenty million, forty million, seventy million people who go there but not only have they brought our level of thinking down so much that Makkah doesn't mean what it means the Ka'bah doesn't mean what it means the Hajj doesn't mean what it means- they've done a job on us and these ayaat are shining with these meanings. You see the ayah in Surah An Nur right there on this Masjid
In houses or abodes which Allah has permitted to be constructed and which Allah has permitted His dhikr, a consciousness pertaining to His name there-in, Praising Allah there-in, morning and evening, are men who are not distracted by commercialism and transactions from the consciousness of Allah (Surah An Nur verse 36-37)
If that was a Masjid and Makkah was the Makkah it's supposed to be and we were performing the Hajj as Allah tells us to do then his name would become our- not personal conscience- our tens of millions of consciences that go there to Makkah. We'd have Allah in our conscience. What is this? You go there, (we don't mean to be a little rude here), but it is like someone getting "high". Some people go to the Hajj to experience a high- that's a personal one. If everyone was experiencing that there's nothing wrong by getting "high" on the consciousness of Allah. Sufis do it all the time- the true ones not the ones that go around and play some games. There's nothing wrong in that but that's absent in the Hajj. It doesn't happen. So if we gain our consciousness of Allah right now from the Hajj it's supposed to be directed of what is called
… the livestock of the world … (Surah Al Hajj verse 27)
because part of the rituals or part of the stations of the Hajj is to sacrifice an animal According to the ayah, if al Hajj had its international reverberations the magnitude of it would be felt by the hungry people all over the world (or by) the concentrated hunger in the world. What was it? There was a statistic that was out last week that said "one out of every eight persons in the world." Another one said "one billion people in the world." However way you understand this or whichever way you understand this better- one billion people in the world or around one out of eight persons in the world goes to sleep hungry at night. If this is sentence in this ayah in Surah Al Hajj
… you feed those who are desperate (or) those who are poverty stricken (or) those who are hungry… (Surah Al Hajj verse 27)
If the Hajj was the Hajj that was meant to be then these one billion people in the world will feel "the days and the nights of poverty are not like what they used to be because now they feel like food is available to us" and that food should be there courtesy of that sha'aa'ir of the Muslims in the Hajj but we ask you, these are the meanings that we read and we had to as much as we could develop these meanings so that you can understand more or less what Allah wants us to do and what we actually wind up doing. There's a discrepancy. There's a world of a difference between what has to be done and what we are routinely and meaninglessly end up doing.
Dear committed brothers and sisters…
This year what these people who are running the affairs of the Hajj, by force obviously, with the protection that they have from their masters who have also a significant military presence in the land of the Prophet, in the land of Prophets (and) in the land of scriptures are telling people to do this year is "don't come to the Hajj. If you can delay your Hajj for a few years do that." Where did this come from? How is this possible to tell Muslims bluntly- not in direct ways, "you know we have these regulations. You have to bring $1,500 or you have to pay this amount for some type of application." No those are indirect ways of taking away the momentum of the Muslims to go to the Hajj. A person applies for a visa. Let's say you are an American here and you went to visit your relatives or your friends in another country and it's time to go to Hajj and you say I'm going to go for Hajj. You go to the Saudi Arabian consulate in that country. Remember you're an American passport holder or another passport holder- as long as it is not that country. You go into that country and you say "I want to go to the Hajj." They'll say "no, you can't go to the Hajj. You have to go back to your passport's country, (in this case you have to go back to the United States)." If you were in some Muslim country you have to go back to the United States , obtain a visa from the United States Arabia who are putting these obstacles in front of Muslims know that they are in violation of these ayaat? They're treating Makkah as if it is their personal property or real estate. It's not! It's our weakness and our ignorance combined that contribute to their crimes against committed Muslims and against humanity because the Hajj is for the human kind. Makkah is for an naas. We don't know what can we do? We are not much. We can't do much but at least we can express the truth and at least we know Allah listens. He sees and He hears their secret movements and their clandestine activities and their unpublicised policies and their this, that and the other that they think "oh as long as no one knows we are doing this it's fine." No! Allah knows that you are doing it and you are not going to get away with it. It's going to catch up with you and the sooner the better it is for you and the better it is for the rest of mankind.
This khutbah was presented by Imam Muhammad Asi on the occasion of Jum'ah on 4 October 2013 on the sidewalk of Embassy Row in Washington D.C.
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