IN the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
The Holy Qur’an 2:198-201 says, “It is no crime in you if ye seek of the bounty of your Lord (during Pilgrimage). Then when ye pour down from (Mount) Arafat celebrate the praises of God at the Sacred Monument and celebrate His praises as He has directed you even though before this ye went astray. Then pass on at a quick pace from the place whence it is usual for the multitude so to do and ask for God’s forgiveness. For God is Oft Forgiving Most Merciful. So, when ye have accomplished your holy rites celebrate the praises of God as ye used to celebrate the praises of your father’s yea with far more heart and soul. There are men who say: ‘Our Lord! give us (thy bounties) in this world!’ But they will have no portion in the hereafter. And there are men who say: ‘Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and defend us from the torment on the fire!’”
The visitation to the Prophet’s mosque in Madinah, the City of Light, is voluntary, but very important. It has no connection with the hajj as no Ihram or Talbiyyah is required. But it will be an act of ingratitude for any pilgrim not to visit the City of Madinah, where the Prophet of Islam took refuge, from where Islam spread, and where the Seal of the Prophets sleeps, including his caliphs and major followers. The Prophet’s Mosque contains the burial place of Muhammad (SAW).
During several reconstructions of the mosque, it was expanded to include the grave of Muhammad and his two successors, Abu Bakar and Umar. The grave is identified by a Green Dome, constructed in the early 19th century.
The Rawdah (garden in Arabic) is a green-carpeted area next to the burial site inside the mosque.
Medina lies 2,050 feet (625 metres) above sea level on a fertile oasis. It is bounded on the east by an extensive lava field, part of which dates from a volcanic eruption in 1207 CE. On the other three sides, the city is enclosed by arid hills belonging to the Hejaz Mountain range. The highest of these hills is Mount Uḥud, which rises to more than 2,000 feet above the oasis.
When the pilgrims enter the Mosque of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), they enter with the right foot first as in other mosques. Then two rakats of prayer in the Greeting of the mosque (Taiyyatul-Masjid) is observed. A hadith says a salat performed in the mosque is better than a thousand salats in any other place except the sacred mosque (Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca. The Prophet (SAW) said “Whoever purifies himself in his house, then comes to the mosque of Quba and prays in it, he will have a reward like the Umrah pilgrimage.” The rewards of praying in Masjid al Nabawi is better than 1,000 prayers in any other mosque while praying in Masjid al-Haram is 100,000 times better (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim). Another Hadith says, Abu Ad-Dardaa’ reported on the authority of the Prophet (SAW), that the reward for praying at the Sacred Mosque (in Makkah) is equal to the reward for one hundred thousand regular prayers; the reward for praying at the Prophet’s Mosque (in Madeenah) is equal to the reward for one thousand regular prayers; and the reward for praying at the Al-’Aqsa Mosque (in Jerusalem) is equal to the reward for five hundred regular prayers. [Al-Bazzaar] This is an authentic narration.
The graves of the Prophet, his caliphs, Abu-Bakr and Umar in the mosque are to be visited by standing before them to seek continued blessing of Allah for them. It is also Sunnah to visit the graves of Caliph ‘Uthman, Hamzah and the martyrs of Uhud in the Baqy cemetery. Also is the visit to Quba mosque that is the first mosque of Islam; and among others, the Masjid-L Kiblatain where the Prophet received revelation to be facing the Qiblah in Mecca instead of Masjid-L-Aqsa in Jerusalem during prayers. God Almighty declares on the appropriateness of the Qiblah in Qur’an 2:142-147, “The fools among the people will say: ‘What hath turned them from the Qiblah to which they were used?’ Say: ‘To God belong both East and West; He guideth whom He will to a Way that is straight’. Thus, have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced that ye might be witnesses over the nations and the Apostle a witness over yourselves; and We appointed the Qiblah to which thou wast used only to test those who followed the Apostle from those who would turn on their heels (from the faith). Indeed, it was (a change) momentous except to those guided by God. And never would God make your faith of no effect. For God is to all people most surely full of kindness Most Merciful. We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens; now shall We turn thee to a Qiblah that shall please thee. Turn then thy face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque; wherever ye are turn your faces in that direction. The people of the book know well that that is the truth from their Lord nor is God unmindful of what they do. Even if thou wert to bring to the people of the Book all the signs (together) they would not follow thy Qiblah; nor art thou going to follow their Qiblah; nor indeed will they follow each other’s Qiblah. If thou after the knowledge hath reached thee wert to follow their (vain) desires then wert thou indeed (clearly) in the wrong. The people of the Book know this as they know their own sons; but some of them conceal the truth which they themselves know. The truth is from thy Lord so be not at all in doubt.”
Ibn e Umar (RA) said the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) said: “Islam is built upon five pillars: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (SAW) is the Messenger of Allah, subsidising regular prayer, paying Zakah, Hajj and fasting Ramadan” (Al- Bukhari 8; Muslim 16). Also, Abu Hurayrah (RA) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) was asked which deed is the best. He said, “Belief in Allah and His messenger.” He was asked, then what? He said, “Jihad for the sake of Allah.” He was asked, then what? He said, “An accepted Hajj” (Al-Bukhari 26; Muslim 83). In another Hadith, Ibn e Umar (RA) reported that Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) said: “The one who fights for the sake of Allah and the pilgrim who goes for hajj or Umrah are all guests of Allah. He called them and they reciprocate; they ask of Him and He will give them” (Ibn e Majah 2893).
Another Hadith emphasises that hajj performance is at least once in a lifetime for every Muslim. The Messenger of Allah gave an exhortation and said: “O people Allah has admonished Hajj upon you so do Hajj.” A man said, “Is it every year, O Messenger of Allah?” He was silent until the man had said it three times; then he said, “If I say yes, it will become mandatory and you will not be able to do.” Then he said, “Do not push me to tell you more than what I have left you with, for those who came before you were destroyed because they asked too many questions and quibble with their Prophets. If I command you to do a thing, do as much of it as you can, and if I proscribe you to do something; then avoid it” (Muslim 1337). And another Hadith enjoins all to eschew misdeeds during the spiritual journey. Abu Hurayrah RA said: “I heard the Prophet PBUH say: ‘Whoever does Hajj for the consideration of Allah and does not have sexual relations, commit sins, or squabble unjustly during the Hajj, will come back clean like the day his mother gave birth to him without sins” (Muslim 1350, Al-Bukhari 1449).
Really, the proper performance of hajj rites is very important so as to get the desired reward for the act of worship. In fact, this is an act of ibadah that cannot be performed alone but in unison with other faithful at the same time, same place, same way.
Wishing the pilgrims well to carry out the hajj rites properly. (Amen).
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