Reflections On Hajj

Millions of Muslims from every corner of the globe will converge in Makkah at the end of this month for Hajj, the annual pilgrimage. They come to commemorate and celebrate the extraordinary sacrifices made by two of mankind’s greatest leaders – Prophets Ibrahim and Muhammad ﷺ, upon them be peace, – for the establishment of tawheed, belief in the oneness of God.

The Hajjis, as they are often referred to, honor the symbols of Allah and glorify Him as they make tawaf and fulfill the other rituals of Hajj. Throughout the pilgrimage, it is ideal to engage in critical self-reflection and actively seek to improve one’s relationship with Allah.

The Meaning of Hajj

Linguistically Hajj is to take action towards an object of reverence, veneration, respect or honor.
According to the shari’ah definition, Hajj is the journey to Makkah during the designated month of Dhul-Hijjah in which a specific set of rituals are performed as an act of worship.
Allah states, “Hajj is [during] well-known months, so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein [by entering the state of ihram], there is [to be for him] no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during Hajj. And whatever good you do – Allah knows it. And take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is fear of Allah.” [Sahih Intl 2:197]

The Best Time for Hajj

There is no better time than the present. In the Quran, Allah says, “And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House – for whoever is able to find thereto a way.” [Sahih Intl 3:97]
The Prophet ﷺ, peace be upon him, said, “Hurry to perform Hajj as none of you knows what may happen to him.” [Bukhari]

Hajj may be performed as many times as one desires. However, it is obligatory only once in a lifetime. Abu Hurairah, radi Allahu ‘anhu, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave a sermon and said: “O people, Allah has enjoined Hajj upon you so perform Hajj.” A man asked: “Is it every year, O Messenger of Allah?”  He remained silent until the man had said it three times. Then he responded, “If I had said yes, it would have become a yearly obligation and you would not have been able to do it.” [Muslim]

The Virtues of Hajj

• The reward of Hajj is Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ said: “One Umrah until the next Umrah is expiation for what is between them. And the Hajj that is accepted by Allah and performed properly has no reward other than Paradise.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
• Hajj is considered a jihad for women. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked by ‘Aisha, radi Allahu ‘anha, may Allah be pleased with her, whether women are required to take part in battles. He replied, “Yes, but theirs is Hajj, an accepted pilgrimage.” ‘Aisha said, “I never stopped going for Hajj after I heard that from the Messenger of Allah.” [Bukhari]
• Those who go for Hajj are considered to be the guests of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ 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 responded. They ask of Him and He will give them.” [Ibn Majah]
• One who performs Hajj without harming others will leave with a clean slate. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever goes for Hajj with the intention solely for the sake of Allah, and does not indulge in any indecency or immoral act, and does not commit any disobedience, he will return as though the day he was brought into this world.” [Bukhari and Muslim]. In another incident, ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas, radi Allahu ‘anhu, said, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Hajj wipes out whatever (sins) came before it.” [Muslim]

Hajj and Submission

Hajj is ultimately about submission to Allah. Stoning the jamaraat, shaving, doing tawaaf – these are simple acts of worship yet they require energy, effort and submission. Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, alayhi musalam, and on them be peace, raised the Ka’bah in an act of worship and submission to Allah.
“And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], “Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing. Our Lord, and make us Muslims [in submission] to You and from our descendants a Muslim nation [in submission] to You. And show us our rites and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.” [Sahih Intl 2:127-128]

Hajj is an active and demanding form of worship. There are numerous tests of patience that an individual must go through. We are reminded of the difficulties of Haajar and Ismail, alayhi musalam, who were left in the barren valley of Makkah with nothing. Allah blessed them because of their patience and their trust in Him.
Highlights of Hajj

• Hajjis begin by doing tawaaf around the Ka’bah
• On the 8^th day of Dhul-Hijjah they go to Mina
• On the 9^th day they go to Arafah then to Muzdalifah at night
• On the 10^th day they return to Mina to pelt the shaytaan then go back to the Ka’bah
• On 11th and 12th/13th they return to Mina
• They finish at the Ka’bah

Hajj provides a time for deep reflection about one’s spiritual state. Focusing beyond the rituals can transform an individual and provide an opportunity to nurture an enduring relationship with the Creator.

The ninth of Dhul-Hijjah - it's a great day of Arafat

Allah swore by the day of Arafat, which points to its greatness. Allah said: "And [by] the promised Day. And [by] the witness and what is witnessed".
(The Holy Quran, Surah 85. "The Mansions Of The Stars, Constellations", verses 2-3)
 
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The promised day is the Day of Resurrection, the witnessed day is the Day of Arafat, and the witnessing day is Friday".
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and classed as saheeh by al-Albani)
 
On the day of Arafat Allah frees His servants from hell and forgive them their sins
 
It was narrated that Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
 
"There is no day on which Allah ransoms more of His slaves from the Fire than the day of ‘Arafah. He draws close then He boasts about them before the angels and says, ‘What do these people want?'"
(Narrated by Muslim 1348)
 
It was also narrated from Anas that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said on the day of Arafat:
 
"'O Bilal! Ask the people to be quiet and listen to me.' Bilal stood up and asked the people to be quiet and listen to the Prophet (peace be upon him). When the people were quiet, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: O People! A little while ago Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to me. Gave me salutations from Allah, and informed me that Allah has forgiven those who spend the Day at Arafat, and those who stop at Mash'ar al-Haram, and that He has guaranteed their debts!'.

At this 'Umar bin al-Khattab stood up and asked, 'O Allah's Messenger, is this for us only?' The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "This is for you, and for all those who will come after you until the Day of Judgment'". (Ibn al-Mubarak. Hadith authentic. See Saheeh al-Targib 2 / 33)
 
The best supplication (du'a) - is a supplication on the day of Arafat
 
Reported from Abdullah ibn Amr that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
 
"The best supplication is that of the Day of Arafat, and the best thing that I and other Prophets before me said, is: La ilaha illa allahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamdu wa huwa `ala kulli shai'in qadeer (There is no god but Allah alone. He has no partners. To Him belong the sovereignty and all praise. He has power over all things)".
(Al-Tirmidhi)
 
Hafiz Ibn Abdul-Barr said:
 
"The indication in this hadith that supplicating on the Day of Arafat is better than supplicating on other days. And in this hadith there is also an indication that all the supplications or most of them on the Day of Arafat are answered. And also in this hadith indicated that the best remembrance of Allah is saying "la ilaha illa-Allah".
(See al-Tamhid 6/41-42).
 
Imam al-Baji said:
 
"The best of supplication is on the day of Arafat mean the dhikr with the greatest blessing, the greatest reward and that which is most likely to be answered. It may be interpreted as referring to pilgrims only, because the meaning of supplication on the day of Arafat is very true in their case, and applies especially to them. But if the day of Arafat is regarded in general terms, it is described as such because of the pilgrims being there. And Allah knows best".
(See Sharh al-Muwatta 1/358).
 
It is proven that some of the salaf regarded "al-ta'reef" as permissible, which means gathering in the mosques to offer du'aa' (supplication) and remember Allah (dhikr) on the day of Arafat.
  
***
  
What are the virtues of the Day of Arafat?
 
Praise be to Allah.
 
1. It is the day on which the religion was perfected and Allah's Favor was completed. 
 
In Al-Saheehayn it was reported from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) that a Jewish man said to him, "O Ameer al-Mu'mineen, there is an ayah in your Book which you recite; if it had come to us Jews, we would have taken that day as an ‘Eid (festival)." ‘Umar said, "Which ayah?" He said: "This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion." [The Holy Quran, Surah 5. "The Table Spread", verse 3]. ‘Umar said, "We know on which day and in which place that was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It was when he was standing in Arafat on a Friday."
 
2. It is a day of Eid for the people who are in that place. 
 
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Yawm Arafat (the day of Arafat), Yawm al-Nahr (the Day of Sacrifice) and Ayyaam al-Tashreeq (the 3 days following Yawm al-Nahr) are Eid (festival) for us, the people of Islam. These are days of eating and drinking". This was narrated by the authors of al-Sunan.
 
It was reported that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab said:
 
"It - i.e., the ayah ‘This day I have perfected...' was revealed on a Friday, the Day of Arafat, both of which - praise be to Allah - are Eids for us."
 
3. It is a day by which Allah swore an oath.
 
The Almighty cannot swear by anything except that which is mighty. Yawm Arafat is the "witnessed day" mentioned in the ayah (interpretation of the meaning):
 
"By the witnessing day [Friday] and by the witnessed day [the Day of Arafat]."
(The Holy Quran, Surah 85. "The Mansions Of The Stars, Constellations", verse 3)
 
It was reported from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The promised day is the Day of Resurrection, the witnessed day is the Day of Arafat, and the witnessing day is Friday".
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and classed as saheeh by al-Albani). 
 
It is the "odd" [i.e., odd-numbered, Witr] by which Allah swore in the ayah (interpretation of the meaning):
 
"And by the even and the odd". (The Holy Quran, Surah 89. "The Dawn, Daybreak", verse 3)
 
Ibn ‘Abbaas said: "The even is the Day of al-Adhaa [i.e., 10th Dhoo'l-Hijjah] and the odd is the Day of Arafat [i.e., 9th Dhoo'l-Hijjah] This is also the view of ‘Ikrimah and al-Dahhaak". 
 
4. Fasting on this day is an expiation for two years. 
 
It was reported from Abu Qutaadah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about fasting on the Day of Arafat. He said, "It expiates for the sins of the previous year and of the coming year." Narrated by Muslim. 
 
This (fasting) is mustahabb for those who are not on Hajj. In the case of the one who is on Hajj, it is not Sunnah for him to fast on the Day of Arafat, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not fast on this day in Arafat. It was narrated that he forbade fasting on the Day of Arafat in Arafat. 
 
5. It is the day on which Allah took the covenant from the progeny of Adam.
 
It was reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Allah took the covenant from the loins of Adam in Na'maan, i.e., Arafat. He brought forth from his loins all his offspring and spread them before Him, then He addressed them, and said: ‘Am I not your Lord? They said, ‘Yes, we testify,' let you should say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Verily, we have been unaware of this.' Or lest you should say: ‘It was only our fathers aforetime who took others as partners in worship along with Allah, and we were (merely their) descendants after them; will You then destroy us because of the deeds of men who practiced Al-Baatil (i.e., polytheism and committing crimes and sins, invoking and worshipping others besides Allah)?'" [The Holy Quran, Surah 7. "The Heights", verses 172-173] (Narrated by Ahmad and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. And there is no greater day than this and no greater covenant than this).
 
6. It is the day of forgiveness of sins, freedom from the Fire and pride in the people who are there: 
 
In Saheeh Muslim it was narrated from ‘Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Fire than the Day of Arafat. He comes close and expresses His pride to the angels, saying, ‘What do these people want?'"
 
It was reported from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Allah expresses His pride to His angels at the time of ‘Ishaa' on the Day of Arafat, about the people of Arafat. He says, ‘Look at My slaves who have come unkempt and dusty.'" (Narrated by Ahmad and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani).
 

Attributes of Allah COMPLETE

On the authority of Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari, of the prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) is that among the sayings he relates from his Lord is that He said:
“O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you. O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except for those I have clothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you. O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness of Me and I shall forgive you. 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. O My servants, it is but your deeds that I reckon up for you and then recompense you for, so let him who finds good praise Allah, and let him who finds other than that blame no one but himself.”
Reported by Muslim

Brief Commentary:

• Abu Idris Al-Khawlani who narrated this hadith from Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari used to drop to his knees out of veneration of Allah when narrating this hadith
• This is a hadith qudsi so its meaning came from Allah, but the wording was that of the prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam)
• The difference  between a hadith qudsi and the Qur’an is:
  • The Qur’an was sent down in wording and meaning ,but a hadith qudsi was sent down only in meaning
  • The Qur’an is a miracle whereas a hadith qudsi is not considered as one
  • The Qur’an is accurate in terms of its narration but a hadith qudsi is not necessarily that. It has different strengths as with all other ahadith; some are sahih, hasan, weak, etc. so it has not all been preserved
  • The Qur’an can be read in salah, but a hadith qudsi cannot
• The Arabic language is a language of summarisation/simplification, as it aims to reduce the number of words used so you don’t necessarily hear something repeated again, but in this hadith, the phrase “O My servants” has been repeated many times
• Benefits  of repeating “O My servants”:
  • It reminds the listener of his/her status. They are the slaves of Allah
  • It reminds them that they are lowly in front of Allah. “عبد” means something trodden upon
  • It reminds us of the nature of our relationship with Allah
  • It makes it stick to our minds and alerts us
  • We know that what will be said is very important and significant
• There is no repetitive hadith like this in the 40 nawawi collection
• Ibn Rajab said that oppression is to place things where they should not be placed, or to punish someone for the wrongdoings of others. From this we know that Allah is capable of oppression but He chooses not to do it out of His grace and mercy. We do not fall into the errors of misguided sects who say that Allah cannot commit oppression as by that we are saying that there is something which Allah cannot do and have degraded Allah’s abilities
• Allah didn’t literally affirm His justice because the mere fact of negating  its opposite (oppression)is its affirmation
• The messengers (alayhim assalam)were sent to establish justice and we are here to establish justice so it is from the major objectives of the shari’ah
• When the Muslims went to Persia and were asked what brought them, they replied, “We have been sent to take the slaves from worshipping the slaves to worshipping the Lord of the slaves, and from the narrowness of the dunya to the wideness of the hereafter, and from the oppression of religions to the justice of Islam”
• The Muslims had it clear in their minds what their objective is and what they must do, which is to establish justice
• The greatest form of justice is tawheed (giving Allah His oneness) and the greatest form of oppression is shirk (associating partners with Allah)
• Types of oppression:
  • Oppression to oneself: This is when you commit sins as you can not harm Allah so you are only harming yourself. No matter how good a person is, if they are a non-believer then they are indeed oppressors
  • Oppression to others: This is what the hadith is referring to, and it is to be unjust to others
  • Oppression to animals: The prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) cursed anyone who mutilates an animal
• Oppression can be:
  • Not forgiven: e.g. shirk. Anyone who commits shirk will not be forgiven if he does not repent from it before he dies. If he repents before he dies then he will inshaAllah be forgiven
  • Forgiven only if you pay back: e.g. borrowing money and not paying it back on time. You can repent from this but you will only be forgiven if you pay it back
  • Forgiven: If you sin, Allah may forgive you
• The phrases “all of you are astray except for those I have guided” and “all of you are hungry except for those I have fed” remind us of our need for Allah in this life and the next
• They are linked to each other as one is speaking about spiritual nourishment and the other about physical nourishment. We need both nourishments (for our soul and body) to survive
• This part of the hadith affirms that man cannot bring good to himself unless if Allah wills
• When Allah speaks about guidance in the Qur’an, He stresses that it lies in His hands
• The prophet (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) was fearful for the Iman of the sahabah, so how fearful for our Iman should we be?
• These phrases do not mean we must then sit down and do nothing and just say it is up to Allah to guide us and feed us. We must sincerely look for the truth.  The reason why someone is guided is because they are sincerely trying to find the truth
• When searching for guidance, we must prevent ourselves from the things that act as a barrier, otherwise we are not really sincere in our search for the truth
• When Salman Al-Farsi was searching for the truth. The first thing he did was abandon fire worshipping, then he left the evil country/place he was in. He was sincere and thus guided
• Ibn Al-Qayyim said guidance is of four types
  • هداية عامة: Knowing what you need for this life e.g. fire burns, how to eat, etc. (Everyone has this guidance)
  • إرشاد: Showing people what is right from wrong (This guidance is merely being shown right from wrong, and does not necessarily mean the person has acted upon this guidance)
  • توفيق: Guidance placed in the heart of a person (This is solely from Allah)
  • هداية الآخرة: Knowing where your place is in Jannah, who your hoor al-‘ayn are (This is guidance given to the believers in the hereafter only)
• By looking at the four types of guidance, we can see that this hadith is talking about the third type, which is the guidance placed by Allah in the heart of someone so that they know the truth and act upon it
• Ibn Rajab said this guidance is of two types:
  • General: Being guided to Islam and Iman
  • Detailed: Being guided to having the knowledge of the detailed aspects of Islam, e.g. knowing true tawheed, knowing the fiqhi rulings, etc
• Once we understand this, we know that we must always ask for guidance as we will never be able to have full guidance in knowing all the detailed aspects of the religion
• By saying, “so seek guidance of me”, we know it is legislated for us to ask Allah for guidance
• Although we may go out and buy food from our money, we must realise that it is Allah who provided us with this food. This is because it is Allah who provided the means for us to get the food, and He who decreed the amount of sustenance we get
• Knowing this will make someone feel more dependent on Allah and increase his tawakkul on Him
• We are the only species to require clothing. Although we are the most intelligent, we are the most dependent of the creation
• With all the technological advancements, without clothing we will fall ill and die
• An additional blessing from Allah is that we can wear clothing with a primary function of beautification
• We should never wear لباس الشهرة (garments to show off) as this is something the prophet (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) forbade us from doing
• Being able to wear clothes and adornments is a sign of Allah’s blessings over us, and so we must not make this blessing into a punishment by  rejecting it or showing off with it as that is haram
• There is no harm in wearing the best of clothing as you are actually showing Allah’s blessings over you, which is good, but the harm comes when they are worn for the purpose of standing out amongst the people and showing off as if you are better than them
• When Allah spoke about His blessings over us in terms of providing us with clothing [Surah Al-A'raaf, 7:26], He finished by saying that the best adornment is the adornment of piety, i.e. the inward adornment, so we should be more concerned with our inward state over our outward state
• We are all sinners so we must all seek forgiveness from Allah
• استغفار (forgiveness) is derived from the word غفر which means to cover up/hide
• When asking for forgiveness, we ask Allah to:
  • Conceal and cover up the sin in this life and the hereafter
  • Remove the effects of the sin
  • Protect us from the effects of the sin
• The conditions of repentance are:
  • Regret
  • Stopping the sin
  • Intending to never do it again
• The prophet (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) used to seek forgiveness from Allah at least 70 times a day. He was sinless as his sins were forgiven but he did so to teach us how to seek forgiveness
• We don’t just seek forgiveness for the sins we committed, but also for our shortcoming as we haven’t worshipped Allah as He deserves
• It is the first thing we say after finishing salah as we had shortcomings in our salah
• It is the first thing we say when leaving the toilet as we cannot thank Allah enough for the blessing of relieving ourselves so we seek His forgiveness for that shortcoming
• To benefit someone, it implies that the benefitted is deficient, thus we cannot benefit Allah as He is الغني (The most rich)
• When the prophet (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) asked the sahaba about who is rich, they said he is the one who has money, so he said, “Richness does not lie in the abundance of worldly goods, but richness is the richness of the soul” (Reported in Muslim)
• Richness means to not need anything. Wealthy people are always looking for money so cannot be rich, and Allah is the most rich as He is not in need of anything
• A believer can be very poor in terms of wealth, but at the same time be very rich as he doesn’t feel that he needs anything. Junayd said, “If the kings knew what we had in our hearts, they would fight us for it”
• Our good deeds and bad sins have no effect on Allah’s kingdom
• A king who has a kingdom has many subjects in the kingdom who are dependent on him, and the king may feel  that these subjects are dependent on him and he is independent, but in reality, if all of these people leave the kingdom or refuse to obey the king then he will cease to have a kingdom and cease to be king, so he is in fact dependent on them
• Allah is telling us that His kingdom is different to the kingdoms that we have in the dunya. We are all subjects in Allah’s kingdom but if we all stop worshipping Him, or  if we all become obedient, then His kingdom remains as it is as He is not dependent on us
• If Allah gave each one of us their requests, then that does not decrease His kingdom because us and our requests are part of His kingdom so whatever He gives us will still ultimately belong to Him. Thus when Allah gives us what we ask for, He is merely moving His possessions around and not losing anything
• We cannot possess anything in its absolute form because when we die, we cannot take it with us, and if Allah wanted to take it at any time, then He can
• We should never be attached to anything in this dunya, because whatever we have here does not belong to us, so just like we should not get attached to things we borrow and know we have to give back, we should not be attached to things we can never absolutely possess
• Having this feeling will give us comfort and not make us feel at loss when we lose something we desire because we know we were going to give it back sooner or later
• If we put a needle in the sea and take it out, some water is still left on the needle, however, this does not mean that Allah’s kingdom has decreased, but because our minds are weak and can only imagine things that decrease, Allah used this example
• The end of the hadith ties everything together in that if we are dependent on Allah, and He is the one who provides for us, then we will be held accountable for what we do
• Recompensation is of two types:
  • Get rewards in the dunya and punishment in the hereafter (disbelievers)
  • Get rewards in the hereafter and punishment in the dunya (believers)
• This doesn’t mean that the believers do not get rewards in this dunya, as Allah can give us blessings and make things easy for us in the dunya too
• The ending establishes that anything good we get is from Allah, and anything bad is due to our own shortcomings
• Many people blame their surroundings for what is happening to them, and always have someone to blame except themselves
• We are rewarded for more than we deserve and punished for what we deserve
• It is more stressed to say “SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam” after hearing the prophet’s name than say “Subhanahu wa ta’ala” after hearing Allah’s name because the prophet (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) is in need for this, whilst Allah isn’t

Benefits and Action points:

• Avoid all forms of oppression, and deal with each one accordingly. If you sin, then repent. If you take someone’s right then you repent and give their right back, otherwise your repentance will not save you
• Ensure you have not taken anyone’s rights in this dunya as the prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) spoke about what will happen on the day of judgement regarding oppression and said, “Whoever has oppressed his brother then he should seek forgiveness from him for there will be no dinar nor dirham that will be taken from him. It will be taken from his good deeds and given to his brother, and if he has no more good deeds, then it will be taken from his brother’s bad deeds and put on him” (Bukhari & Muslim)
• The prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) also said that there is no veil between the du’aa of an oppressed person and Allah. So ensure there are no oppressed people that are oppressed by you as their du’aa will no doubt reach Allah
• Do not have an attitude in which you take the rights of your brothers and say they are easy-going brothers who would not mind
• Protect yourself from oppression by:
  • Humbleness. It is when you realise your weakness and need for Allah
  • Removing every and hatred
  • Contemplating on the consequences of oppression in the hereafter
• Stay away from the prohibited matters so that you may be guided
• Stay away from bad influences and bad surroundings so that you may be guided
• Constantly ask Allah for guidance, even if it be for matters related to the dunya as He has knowledge of those matters too
• Never feel that you have full guidance and remember that Allah makes us ask for guidance from Him in every rak’ah we pray when we read Surah Al-Fatiha so it is an important thing that we are always in need of
• Constantly remember Allah’s blessings over you and realise that the spiritual and physical nourishment that you received came from Him so thank Him for it
• Increase your tawakkul on Allah by contemplating on your need for him
• Acknowledge Allah’s blessing over you by providing you with clothing and do not make it into a punishment by rejecting this blessing or wearing it in a haram manner e.g. imitating the kuffar, imitating the opposite gender, showing off, etc
• Be more concerned with adorning your inward state
• Acknowledge that you are a sinner so constantly seek forgiveness from Allah by saying استغفر الله  and keeping your tongue moist with these words
• Have the reasons mentioned above in your mind when seeking forgiveness from Allah as that is more effective
• Realise that whatever good or bad you do has no effect on Allah and will only affect yourself. Your constant worship will not benefit Him in the slightest so don’t feel you have done a favour for Him when doing a righteous deed
• Contemplate on the Majesty of Allah and His kingdom
• Internalise the fact that everything in this dunya, including the things in your possession are all owned by Allah so that when you lose any of it, you are not at sorrow because you know that the rightful owner of it has moved it to wherever He pleased
• Detach yourself from everything in this dunya because none of it belongs to you and you wouldn’t consider yourself wise if you attached yourself to something you borrowed from a friend
• Whenever you are in a difficult situation, blame yourself for it so that you can find ways of improving yourself further, and so that you free Allah from any blame. Never look to someone to blame but yourself
• Praise Allah for He rewards you for more than you deserve and only punishes you for what you deserve, that is if He hasn’t forgiven you yet

The Fitnah of Wealth

Wealth, while one of the greatest blessings that mankind has been given, is at the same time one of the greatest trials and temptations. Allah states,

"Your wealth and your children are only a trial (fitnah). And Allah - With Him is a great reward (Paradise)." [Surah al-Taghabun, 15]

He also states,

"And know that your possessions and your children are but a trial (fitnah) and that surely with Allah is a mighty reward." [Surah al-Anfal, 28]

Hence, every material possession is only a test and a trial. To make this test even more difficult, the value of wealth is raised high above most other worldly goods. Almost every person has a strong craving for wealth. As Allah says,

"Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world's life; but Allah has the excellent return (Paradise) with Him” (Surah Aal ‘Imran, 14)

In one of the most explicit verses in this regard in the Qur'an, the Muslim is advised to understand his priorities, or suffer the consequences:

"Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight, are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving in His Cause, then wait until Allah executes His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are rebellious (disobedient to Allah)." [Surah al-Tawbah, 24]

Countless verses censure those who hoard wealth in denial of Allah's rights:

"Woe to every slanderer and backbiter. Who has gathered wealth and counted it. He presumes that his money will make him immortal." [Surah al-Humazah, 1-3]

And:

"Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our verses and (yet) says: 'I shall certainly be given wealth and children."[Surah Maryam, 77]

Allah threatens such people:

"And let not those who disbelieve ever think that [because] We extend their time [of enjoyment] it is better for them. We only extend it for them so that they may increase in sin, and for them is a humiliating punishment." [Surah Al- Imran, 178]

By these verses, we come to understand that an unrighteous life of wealth and worldly enjoyments is not a blessing, but rather a curse.

In truth, man is tested both in wealth and in poverty:

"As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honour and gifts, then he says (puffed up): 'My Lord has honoured me.' But when He tries him, by straitening his means of life, he says: 'My Lord has humiliated me!' Nay! But you treat not the orphans with kindness or generosity! And urge not on the feeding of the poor! And devour inheritance - all with greed! And you love wealth with a great love!" [Surah al-Fajr, 15-20]

So great is the fitnah of wealth that this was the main fear that the Prophet (SAW) expressed for his nation. He stated,

"I don't fear poverty for you, but rather I fear that you will compete with one another (to see who has more possessions)."[1]

In describing the evils of greed, he (SAW) gave a beautiful parable:

"Two hungry wolves, if let loose amongst a flock of sheep, cause less harm than a man's eagerness to increase his money and his prestige."[2]

In another hadith, he (SAW|) stated,

"Three things destroy, and three things save. As for the three things that destroy, they are: greediness that is obeyed, and desires that are followed, and a person becoming self-conceited (and proud) with himself. As for the three things that save, they are: the fear of Allah in secret and public, and moderation in poverty and richness, and fairness in anger and pleasure." [3]

Extreme love for this world cannot exist in a heart devoted to Allah. The Prophet (SAW),

"The Day of Judgement has come close, and mankind will only increase their desire for this world, and they will only go farther and farther away from Allah." [4]

There is a direct relationship between a love of this world and loss and loss of devotion to Allah; the more a person loves this world, the less he loves Allah, and vice-versa.

Therefore, one's love for money will harm him in this world, and in the Hereafter as well. On the Day of Judgement, every single person will be questioned about the money that he or she has earned. In fact, this questioning will take place as soon as one is resurrected from the grave. The Prophet (SAW) stated,

"The two feet of the son of Adam will not move on the Day of Judgement in front of his Lord until he is asked about five things: about his life, and how he spent it? And about his youth, what did he consume it in? And about his money, how did he earn it? And what did he spend it on? And how much did he act upon what he knew?" [5]

Out of these five questions, two deal with money.

For the above reasons, the majority of businessmen and traders will be resurrected amongst the sinful on the Day of Judgement. The Prophet (SAW|) said,

"The businessmen will be resurrected on the Day of Judgement amongst the sinful (fujjar), except those who have taqwa of Allah, and are honest and truthful." [6]

This hadith shows that dealing with money, in general, leads a person to injustice and sin. The more one is involved with increasing his wealth, the greater the chance that he or she will fall into sin while trying to accrue such wealth. Only the person who truly has the fear of Allah (taqwa) will be able to save himself from such temptation.

As for the poor, they will not have great amounts of money which they will have to account for. For this reason, they will enter Paradise long before the rich; while the rich are standing in front of Allah, answering for every penny that they earned and spent, the poor will have finished their examination and moved on to their assigned fate. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (SAW) said,

"The poor will enter Paradise before the rich by half a day, and that is five hundred years." [7]

A day in the sight of Allah is like a thousand years, thus half a day is equivalent to five hundred years. So the rich will have to wait this long period of time — a time that is equivalent to more than ten generations — while the poor are enjoying the blessings of Paradise.

It is for all of these reasons that the Prophet (SAW) used to pray:

"O Allah! I seek your refuge from the evils of the fitnah of wealth, and the evils of the fitnah of poverty." [8]

Both poverty and wealth are fitnahs — ways by which Allah tries and tests us.

A person cannot remain upon two divergent paths, or retain a tight grip on two items moving in opposite directions. Given that the path to fulfilment of illicit worldly desires and the path to the pleasure of Allah travel in different directions, excessive love of wealth risks compromising obedience to Allah, and the blessings to be gained from seeking His pleasure. This section can be summarised in the hadith of the Prophet (SAW) in which he said,

"The plentiful (i.e., the rich) will be the lowest on the Day of Judgement, except he who distributed his money left and right (i.e., at all times), while he earned from pure (means)." [9]

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1 Reported by al-Hakim (2/543) and others. Al-Hakim stated that it was authentic, and al-Dhahabi agreed with him, as did al-Albanl in Sahih al-Jami' (# 5523).

2 Reported by al-Tirmidhi (# 2373), Ahmad and others. Al-Tirmidhl considered it authentic, as did al-Albani in Sahih al-Jami' (# 5620).

3 Reported by al-Bazzar (# 80), Abu Nu'aym in his Hilya (2/343), al-Hayhaqi in his Shu ab al-Iman (2/382) and others, with various chains. Al-Mundhiri wrote (1/162), "All of these chains, even though none of them is safe from criticism, put together raise the hadith to the level of hasan, Allah-willing." And al-Albani agreed with that (see al-Sahihah, # 1802).

4Reported by al-Hakim (4/324) who declared it to be authentic, and al-Albani agreed with him {al-Sahihah, # 1510).

5 Reported by al-Tirmidhi (2/67) who declared it hasan sahih, and others. See al-Silsilah, (# 946).

6 Reported by al-Tirmidhi (1/228) who declared it hasan sahih, and al-Hakim (2/6) who authenticated it, as did al-Albani (al-Sahihah, # 994).

7 Reported by al-Tirmidhi (# 2353) who said it is hasan sahih; Ibn Majah (# 4122); and Ahmad (2/513); and it is as al-Tirmidhi said.

8 Reported by al-Bukhari (11/176) and Muslim (# 2078).

9 Reported by Ibn Majah (# 4130), Ibn Hibban (# 807), Ahmad (2/340), and others, with various similar wordings. Al-Busayrl said (2/278), 10 This is a Sahih chain; its narrators are all trustworthy," and al-Albani also considered the hadith authentic (al-Sahihah # 1766).