Magazine Articles

= written by Amr Khaled =

1* Kul Al-Nass - Three million pilgrims and one heart 

Three Million Pilgrims and One Heart!

 The day of Arafah is the day of forgiveness. You will be innocent again and purified from all sins, just like the day your mother gave birth to you! It is a great and spectacular day when the Mount shakes with the words "Ya Rabb" (O Lord) coming from 3 million pilgrims… when each pilgrim becomes oblivious of this whole world and is completely immersed in tearful supplication from the afternoon until dusk… When the call for Maghrib Prayer (at sunset) comes, happiness will be on all the faces that are shining with contentment, purity, and joy. Everybody climbs down the Mount, feeling certain that Allah has forgiven him.

This picture is beyond description but Mr. Amr Khaled will try to get us closer to it as he has actually lived it with his whole being and soul. He will relate it to us with all the love, faith, and certainty that Allah has indeed accepted all the supplications of those who came with sincere hearts. He will make us weep with him and renew our longing to stand between the Hands of Allah in this journey of light.

Here is the text of the interview for Kul Al-Nass Magazine on Feb. 11, 2004.

Amr Khaled, in his interview, starts from the Holy Places by the steps for 'Umrah, and follows them with the rituals of Hajj and standing in Arafah. He also asserts that one of the gravest sins is to come out of Arafah doubting that Allah has forgiven you. He urges every pilgrim not to ask too many questions about the Hajj rituals [during the pilgrimage], because Hajj symbolizes total submission.

A Stone from Paradise:

Amr Khaled says: When performing Tawwaf (circumambulation), perform it as the angels would. The Prophet (PBUH) said, "He who does as a group of people do, is one of them, or is with them". Imagine being of angelic nature when you go around the Ka’ba in all humbleness and humility, bowing your head in front of Allah SWT!

At 'Umrah, during the first three circuits (ashwat) leave your right shoulder exposed while speeding up your pace. But do this in 'Umrah only, not in regular Tawwaf; also remember that it is for men only, in order to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH). Then you continue with the remaining four circuits with your shoulder covered.

You should also try to kiss the black stone. The story of the black stone is that our master Ibrahim (Abraham)  (AS), when he finished building the Ka’ba, saw that a vacant space remained which needed to be filled by a stone. He told his son, Isma'il (Ishmael) (AS),  “Go get me a stone for this space”. Isma'il (AS) kept looking for one without success, but when he came back he said he found a stone already in place. He asked his father: Father, where did you get this stone? Ibrahim (AS) said, “ I did not get anything”, and Isma'il (AS) said, “Neither did I”. Ibrahim (AS) said, “Jibril (Gabriel) brought it. It is a stone from Paradise”.

It used to be white but was blackened by the sins of people. The Prophet (PBUH) said, "The black stone is the right hand of Allah on His Earth". So when you kiss the black stone or touch it you are actually renewing your pledge with Allah SWT. It is as if you are pledging to Allah to be steadfast on His obedience. So beware of going back on your promise or sinning after touching the black stone! You are actually kissing a piece of Paradise, and you should start longing for it from that moment on. Keep on obeying the Prophet (PBUH), like our master Omar Bin Al-Khattab who said, “Indeed I know that you are but a stone incapable of doing good or harm. Had I not seen the Prophet (PBUH) kiss you, I would not kiss you”.

Here, Tears are Spilled:

Next to the black stone, you will find a place called al-multazim, which is a very small area where only two persons can stand next to each other. It is the distance between the black stone and the door of Ka’ba. Supplications here are answered.

The Prophet (PBUH) used to come to al-multazim, touch the wall of the Ka’ba with his chest, put his right cheek on its stones and raising his hands as one asking for help and rescue, he would hold to the Ka’ba and supplicate. When Omar Bin Al-Khattab saw this humbleness from the Prophet (PBUH) he wept, and the Prophet (PBUH) said, "Yes, weep Omar. This is a place where tears should be spilled".

People can't stay in that special place more than a moment because others would push them away to get there, themselves. The only man I saw with my own eyes not being hurried or pushed by people was an ordinary man who was not praying for himself, but was crying out, "O Lord, Chechnya! O Lord, Bosnia! O Lord, Your religion!" Because he was praying for others and for his religion, people left him alone, as he was not asking anything for himself. He made all the people behind him weep.

You also can hold onto the Ka’ba. It is like when you have done something wrong to someone and you were holding on to his clothes to forgive you. Al-Hassan Al-Basri, when he used to go to the multazim or hold onto the drapery of Ka’ba, used to tell his companions, “Leave me alone, let me run to my Lord from my sins”.

Then you pray two raka’as in the 'maqaam' of Ibrahim. [The Station of Abraham, the stone that was used to boost the prophet Ibrahim so he could build the high walls of’ the Ka’ba] according to what Allah says, translated as, "And take you (people) the Maqam of Ibrahim (Abraham) as a place of prayer" (TMQ, 2:125) (1).

After this, go and drink Zamzam, for the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, "Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for." He once saw Abdul Rahman Bin Awf drinking Zamzam, and told him, "No, Abdul Rahman, this is not how Zamzam should be drunk." He said, "How then, O Prophet of Allah?" The Prophet (PBUH) said, "It is drunk to the fill of the ribs". The Prophet also said, "No one can do it but a believer".

The Story of Zamzam:

Did you ever try to drink it like that? I tried it with some young people. I stopped, but watched the young people continue to drink it until it seemed as if they would die drinking. Then ask Allah for what you want. Imam Shaf'ie said, "We drank Zamzam to become learned, and we did. If we drank it for piety it would have been better for us".

Why was it called Zamzam?

Lady Hagar [wife of Ibrahim, mother of Isma'il] was running up and down the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwa, while Isma'il (AS) was lying down on the ground in the desert. Suddenly she heard a voice and said to herself, "Sh sh," in order to hear that voice, and suddenly a spring of water flowed at the feet of the little boy! The well of Zamzam was dug by the wing of an angel (our master Jibril) at the feet of a prophet (our master Isma'il)! Lady Hager saw the water running into the desert and was afraid to lose it, so she started to gather it and surround it with sand saying to it: "Zum, zum," which means "Gather and don't scatter."

Imagine how the well of Zamzam continued to flow for thousands of years, and is still flowing until today!

What after drinking Zamzam?

Afterwards, you perform Sa'iy between Al-Safa and AlMarwa. You run between them seven laps. When finished, do not shave your hair because you are going to continue your Hajj, just clip it. Shaving should be at the end of Hajj. After that, you can disengage from the state of Ihram, but stay in Makkah and wait for Hajj.

Tawwaf: The Best Worship

What do you do in Makkah after performing 'Umrah and ending the state of Ihram?

Perform Tawwaf (circumambulation) as much as you can, for the best worship to Allah in the Holy Mosque is Tawwaf. But beware, while you're in Makkah, of thinking of any sin. Whenever such a thought crosses your mind, say, I seek refuge in Allah from the cursed Satan. Some of these thoughts will be to go shopping instead of sitting in the Holy Mosque.

Then, when should one go shopping?

When you become tired and have had your fill of sitting in the Holy Mosque, performing Tawwaf and praying, go shopping but with the intension to buy gifts for your family, thus you will be doing a Sunnah also.

Hajj is Two Days:

Let's go to Hajj now. How should it be performed?

Hajj lasts two days only. It starts on the 8^th of Dhul-Hidja. You bathe, wear your Ihram clothing, and enter the state of Ihram. Then go to Menah on the day of At-Tarwiya. Menah is only 6 km from the Holy Mosque, but it may take you 6 hours to reach it due to the heavy crowd! You have 3 million people with you who also want to perform the same rituals; 3 million people chanting together, “Labaik Allahuma labaik”(Here I am, O Lord, here I am)”. Just imagine how humble you will feel and how connected!

Why go to Menah and not directly to Arafah?

There are things in Hajj that you should not ask about. Hajj symbolizes total submission. So, just like you performed Sa'iy between Safa and Marwa, performed Tawaf, kissed the black stone, and held on to the Ka’bah without asking, continue to obey Allah and His Prophet without asking questions.

Going to Menah is actually a preparation for the Day of Arafah. Menah is an area in the desert. You would spend the night there to get prepared for the next day. My feelings when I got to Menah made me ask myself, “Will Allah forgive all my sins by tomorrow Maghrib prayer?” Can anyone imagine that after, say, a week, all the sins of those 3 million people who will stand in Arafah will be forgiven? All the sins, including the gravest ones will be forgiven? What a great day that is!

I was worried, scared, and agitated; I could not sleep. Tomorrow, Allah will forgive me all the sins I have committed. But I was afraid that Allah might not enable me to go to Arafah for any sudden reason. The eve of Arafah is for the believers. It is an eventful night. Tomorrow when you will stand in Arafah, you will return as pure as the day you were born. Imagine your steps from Menah to Arafah! You would be running, eager to set your foot on Arafah!

The Day of Reconciliation:

What about your feelings in Arafah?

We reached Arafah after sunrise on the 9^th of Dhul-Hidja. We did not fast that day in order to concentrate on remembering Allah, supplicating and worshiping Him. The Prophet (PBUH) said, "There is no day when Allah save the necks from Hell like the day of Arafah". When you get down from the Mount at dusk, all your sins and misdeeds are erased. Can you imagine how Merciful Allah is? The Prophet (PBUH) said, "On the Day of Arafah, Allah proudly exhibits the pilgrims to the angels".

Allah SWT Says: "Look at my worshipers who came to me covered with dust and disheveled".

Satan is never seen more humiliated, defeated, and more weeping than that day. All his achievements with those pilgrims were wiped out, by the Mercy of Allah!

The Day of Arafah is a day of a new page, a white clean page. Should we not be thankful to Allah for the Day of Arafah? Should we not love Allah, especially on that day?

And yet after all this, can you believe that I have seen some people smoking Hookah and playing backgammon in Arafah? I was dumbfounded, and said, “Glory be to You, My Lord!” Are there still some people who would reject the Mercy of Allah? Are there still people who can refuse the forgiveness of Allah to that extent?

A Personal Experience:

I'll tell you about an experience that I went through in Arafah.

While in Menah, I told myself I would do my very best in supplicating Allah. I even sat and prepared the supplications I would say in Arafat. But in Arafat, when we climbed the Mount, I experienced a strange sense of detachment. I felt unable to supplicate, unable to ask for forgiveness and unable to perform any prayers. I was surprised to find that many people were like me, people who had the same feeling of inability and helplessness. I went through some moments of humiliation. I saw some people sleeping, and I saw others eating. I realized then that worship is also by the permission of Allah. Worship does not come from within, but comes only if Allah permits! I did not understand the supplication which goes, "O Lord, help us to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You in the best of ways', until the day of Arafah."

Allah permitted us to worship in the afternoon. I was dozing off when I heard the loud supplications and weeping of the pilgrims. It is something that cannot be explained except by saying that Allah had given His permission. You could hear the whole Mount shaking with the words Ya Rabb (O Lord) coming from 3 million people all at once! Glory be to Him with Whom sounds do not change!

All afternoon until dusk, there were continuous supplications and weeping. O Lord, did you accept my prayer or not? At the call of Maghrib prayer, the opposite happened. Extreme happiness! One of the gravest sins in Arafah is to doubt Allah's forgiveness of your sins! Be careful and have no doubt!

Now imagine yourself coming down from the Mount with your sins forgiven! The faces are not the same. These are different people with bright faces. Something beyond our comprehension has touched those faces. People are wearing smiles of contentment and simplicity. The most wonderful words I heard when I was getting down were, “We are now as pure as the day our mothers gave birth to us!”

I wonder what will be the first sin we will commit and after just how many hours? I beseech you not to sin today, or tomorrow. And if you can, do not let it be after one week or after a month!

3 Days in the Desert:

From Arafah you go to Muzdalifa. 3 million people moving together from Arafah to Muzdalifa after sunset! All are very happy, crying out loud, "Here I am My Lord, Here I am. You are without associate. Surely all praise, grace and dominion is yours. You are without associate". People are moved to tears by this unity of the Muslims. They are moving together. In Muzdalifa, sit and remember our Lord. You will spend the night in Muzdalifa on the pavement and on stones. Collect small pebbles, and next morning go to Menah to stone Al-Jamarat (the stone pillars). From there, go to Makkah to perform Tawwaf Al-Ifadha. Then slaughter a sacrificial animal and shave your head. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “May Allah Bless those who got their heads shaved”, they (the Companions) said, “O Prophet of Allah, and what about those who clipped their hair?” He said, “My Allah Bless those who got their heads shaved”. They said, “O Prophet of Allah, and what about those who clipped their hair?” He said, "And those who clipped their hair."

Then go back to Menah, and stay there for three days. Remember Allah during that time. Eat and drink, and get to know the Muslims around you. Staying in Menah for 3 days actually is immunity from [the negativity of] people, to preserve the spiritual charge you got. Menah is only desert and tents, no TV, no newspapers, no markets. A man, who does not follow Sunnah in his Hajj, loses a lot. Of course everyday, while in Menah, you will stone al-Jamarat at noon.

The secret of the three Jamarat:

What does stoning the Jamarat mean?

You stone the smallest jamara (pillar) with seven pebbles. But remember that a pebble is a small rock the size of a chickpea. The Prophet (PBUH) said, "I warn you against exaggeration in religion, for those before you perished because of the exaggeration in religion". So do not search for big stones to throw at Satan!

You stone the middle jamara with seven pebbles and the largest jamara with seven pebbles. Remember that you are only throwing a pebble at a stone pillar.

The smallest jamara is where our master Ibrahim (AS) brought our master Isma'il (AS) to sacrifice him. Satan came and said, “O Isma'il, your father is going to kill you. Run away and don't let him do it”. Isma'il took seven pebbles and threw them at Satan. The middle jamara is where Satan came to Hagar and told her, “Don't let Ibrahim kill your son”. Lady Hager took seven pebbles and threw them at Satan. At the largest jamara, Satan came to Ibrahim, but Ibrahim also stoned him with seven pebbles.

So we do this in submission to Allah SWT and in enmity against Satan. We throw the pebbles at Satan saying, “In the name of Allah, Allah Is the Greatest”. The pebbles then are transformed into fire that scorches the back of Satan. We do that 3 times for 3 days. Every day we throw seven pebbles at 3 different places.

Remember when you throw your pebbles to supplicate, as supplications are answered there. This is what Hajj is all about.   

(1)     TMQ=Translation of the Meaning of the Qur'an.  This translation is for the realized meaning, so far, of the stated (Surah:Ayah)  of the Qur'an.  Reading the translated meaning of the Qur'an can never replace reading it in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed.

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