If Allah Asked You:
‘What Did You Come To
My House (Bait-Ullah)
For?’
How Would You Answer?
(M. Javed Naseem)
“The first House (of worship) appointed for men
was that at Bakka (Makkah), full of blessing and
of guidance for all kinds of beings.”
(al-Quran 3:96)
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O Muslims! Sanctify the House of Allah!
Don’t blaspheme it by committing any acts
of disrespect (like pushing, pulling or hurting
others, sleeping, playing, tossing garbage, etc.)!
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Pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah is a great blessing. A normal human being cannot even appreciate it. Today, many people go for Hajj or Umrah just to show off, to brag about or just to compete with other people – family, neighbors, friends or relatives. I was shocked to see the huge number of people (especially women) from all towns and villages of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, etc. It is a very expensive venture and those who can afford it are really lucky. They should be grateful to Allah Who gave them the opportunity.
Since a lot of
people from urban areas are working in the Middle East or other foreign
countries, they can financially afford to send their parents and other family
members for Hajj and Umrah. But what is more important than money, is the
training, the spirit, the attitude and the behavior. Performing the Hajj or
Umrah rituals is not a competition or a race where you want to achieve your
objective by hook or by crook. You are on a sacred mission to ‘please’ Allah
and you should know well how the Merciful Allah is pleased or annoyed. We
should respect the House of Allah and also those who come to visit the
Baith-Ullah.
O you who believe! Violate not the sanctity of
the symbols of Allah, nor of the sacred month …”
(al-Quran 5:2)
Allah had
prescribed Kaabah at Makkah as the ‘Place of Worship’ even during the time of
Prophet Abraham (a.s.). And that is it original status. House of Allah means a
place where you can worship or offer prayers to Allah.
“Remember We made the house a place of
assembly for men and a place of safety; and take
the station of Abraham as a place of prayer; and
We covenanted with Abraham and Ishmail, that
they should sanctify My House for those who
compass it round, or use it as a retreat, or bow,
or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer).”
(al-Quran 2:125)
Prophet Abraham
(a.s.) was commanded to guard the sanctity of the House of God. Respect and
reverence is prescribed for this place as well as for those who circulate
around it and offer prayers there.
“Behold! We gave the site, to Abraham, of the
(Sacred) House, (saying): ‘Associate not anything
(in worship) with Me; and sanctify My House for
those who compass it round, or stand up, or bow,
or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer).”
(al-Quran 22:26)
Now, we all know
from the Quran what the purpose of visiting this holy place is. We are
commanded to sanctify the place; glorify the name of our Lord in there, and
appreciate with gratefulness the blessing and the bounties that Allah has
bestowed upon us. Bait-Ullah is the supreme Place of Worship for believers.
“Let them adore the Lord of this House,
Who provides them with food against hunger,
and with security against fear (of danger).”
(al-Quran 106:3-4)
On this visit, I
was very much disappointed with the way many Muslims behaved in the House of
Allah. I have prepared this hypothetical dialogue to educate those people who
don’t really get anything from Umrah except that “Yes, we did it”. They violate
the rights of others and also create problems for others.
A Sleeping Nation
Is Waiting For A
Rude Awakening!
You cannot blaspheme
(disrespect)
The symbols & signs
of Allah
And hope to flourish!
Millions of people are yearning to visit the House of Allah but they don't get an opportunity because they cannot afford the mission financially. They have no support from the friends and family. So they always pray and look up to the heavens. But then there are those who get the opportunity but hardly appreciate it sincerely.
If Allah
asked you:
Out of millions
of people in the world, I gave you the opportunity to visit My House
(Bait-Ullah) in Makkah!
Out of millions
of people in the world, I granted you the financial means and the resources to
travel and come to My House in Makkah!
Out of millions
of people, I blessed you with sound health and good physique to come to perform
rituals of Umrah at My House at Makkah!
Out of millions
of people I approved your request to come and worship Me at My House (Bait-Ullah)
and glorify My Name!
But what
did you do?
Sleep? You have
been sleeping all your life and I gave you an opportunity to ‘wake up’ to
change your life, and glorify My Name at My House (Bait-Ullah) in Makkah!
And that’s how
you appreciate it?
Is that your way
of thanking Me?
Were you a
destitute at Makkah?
Were you a
refugee or victim of war who fled to Makkah?
Were you a
homeless person in Makkah?
No! Then what?
Have you no
respect or reverence for your Lord’s House (Bait-Ullah), the biggest place of
worship on Earth? How do you sanctify it? How can you deny the millions of
favors I, as you Lord Creator, bestowed upon you? Don’t you know how to be
grateful?
And you claim to
be a Muslim?
Do you know what
a Muslim is? A Muslim is the one who completely submits (once again SUBMITS)
himself/herself, or totally surrenders (once again SURRENDERS) himself/herself
to the Will of God!
The House of Lord
(Bait-Ullah) is the greatest place of worship – and nothing else!
If you are
looking for an air-conditioned place to sleep or relax, go to your hotel room
which is already paid and is also air-conditioned. When you are in the House of
Allah, you need to show some respect. If you don’t, you are committing a sin –
a blasphemy. And you can imagine the dire punishment of blasphemy committed in
the House of Allah!
People are full
of hypocrisy and pretensions. They trash the Holiest Place on earth and don’t
regret. There are trash cans/garbage bins every 10-15 yards in the corridors of
Haram Sharif but some people are so ignorant (Jaahil) that they hide the
garbage here and there. They don’t want to walk 10-yards to keep the House of
Allah clean. Saudis provide them with all facilities, like air-conditioning
every where, cold Zamzam drinking water every 10-15 yards, plastic cups (unlimited
quantity), sun umbrellas, folding chairs/stools for the aged, weak and the
sick, push-wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs, etc., etc. but the Jaahileen don’t
appreciate it. They abuse these facilities and don’t even say ‘Alhamdo-lillah’.
In this pic
below, you can see the empty plastic cups (trash) people put just next to the
Holy Qurans! They didn’t bother to toss them in the nearby garbage can. For
them, the Holy Quran stands are the trash cans.
This picture
shows an umbrella stand. The organizers provide sun-umbrellas and ask the
pilgrims to return the umbrellas after use. But nobody does. They steal it and
take home to show their families and friends. Some people come to the House of Allah to steal.
The folding
chairs/stools are provided in thousands of numbers. People abuse them, break
them, take them out of the Haram Sharif to their hotels, to the market place,
to the shopping malls, etc. Where is the honesty, the respect and the spirit of
Umrah?There was one young guy (35-40 years) sitting on this folding chair and rocking back and forth while we were offering Nawafil. All of a sudden the joint broke and he fell flat on the floor with the broken stool. He tossed the scrap in one corner of the balcony as if nothing had happened.
Kissing and touching Hajr al-Aswad is another big thing. Both men and women go for it, fight for it, ignoring all norms of ethics or morals, walking and pushing/pulling people against the flow of Tawaf (in the opposite direction), and physically hurting others.
While performing
Tawaf at Hajj or Umrah, have you ever seen the pilgrims fighting, pushing,
pulling and jumping on other people’s shoulders just to touch the Black Stone
(Hajr al-Aswad). They pull each other’s Ihram (garb) and some people are left
naked; their garb is torn or removed in pushing and pulling. It’s a sacred
ritual but looks like a scene from the movie theater where Jaahileen fight for
tickets, violating others’ rights. Women try to compete with men and push them
around to touch the black-stone (Hajr al-Aswad). They don’t care how many
non-Mahram hands touch them, men’s bodies rub against theirs. It’s like a herd
of sheep despite the fact that Islam demands discipline in every ritual.
Kissing or
touching Hajr al-Aswad is not obligatory. Avoid the crowding and just raise
your right hand saying ‘Bismillah, Allaho-Akbar, Subhan-Allah, wa Lahaula wala
quwwata illa billa’ in every round when you pass in front of it. It’s simple
and safe. Stay with your Mahram preferably in the outer circles!
We need to
educate and train our elders, our women and kids about the rituals of Umrah and
Hajj. It’s not fun or a joke or a competition. You are submitting to Allah and
asking for forgiveness. You should learn how to do it with honor and reverence.
Can we imagine
the sanctity of Kaabah? Many people are not even aware of it. They try to
compete with others doing any kind of non-sense so that when they return home
they could say: ‘Yes, we have done it.’
“But what plea have they that Allah should not
punish them, when they keep out (men) from the
sacred Mosque - and they are not its guardians?
No men can be its guardians except the righteous;
but most of them do not understand.”
(al-Quran 8:34)
“Their prayer at the House (of Allah) is nothing
but whistling and clapping of hands. (It’s only
answer can be:) ‘Taste the penalty because
you blasphemed."
(al-Quran 8:35)
All guidance comes from Allah but it comes to those who seek it and strive for it. It is not automatic! May Allah guide us all.
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