Here I amat Your Service, O Allah

Each year by the advent ofthe Hajj season yearnings fill the hearts for visiting the Sacred House ofAllah to perform the enjoined duty of Hajj and visit the grave of the Messengerof Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), for the matchless spiritualjoy it offers; feeling ever so close to Allah, and being wholeheartedly engagedwith The Almighty; unmindful of all His other creatures, whether they are one’sfamily, relatives, folks or other kindred.

The traveler to perform the enjoined duty ofHajj leaves everything behind and devotes himself to worshipping Allah. Heleaves his family, his property, his friends and authority. He divests himselfof his usual life to draw near Allah in Salah [offering Prayers], Tawâf [The devotional act of circumambulating(i.e., walking around) the Ka‘bah seven times while reciting prayers andsupplications. Tawâfshould begin and end at the Black Stone], uttering Talbiyah [A formula of answering Allah’s Call for Hajjby saying: Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik. Labbaik, La Shareek Laka, Labbaik.Innal Hamdah, Wan Nematah, Laka wal Mulk, La Shareek Laka Labbaik:  Here I am at Your service O Allah, hereI am. Here I am at Your service, You have no partner, here I am. Yours alone isAll Praise and All Bounty, and Yours alone is The Sovereignty. You have nopartner], Dhikr [Remembranceof Allah through verbal or mental repetition of His Divine Attributes orvarious religious formulas, such as ‘Subhân Allah,’ meaning ‘All Glory be toAllah’] andby celebrating His Praises.

He neither becomes tirednor bored, and he submits to Allah body and soul. His obedience to his Lorddeepens day after day, whereby mercies are sent down upon the hearts, tears rundown and man feels that the whole world and whatever in it has dwindled infront of drawing closer to The Almighty and winning His Good Pleasure.

Hajj is the fifth of thefive Pillars of Islam, which Allah has enjoined on the able one; who hassufficient means (i.e., can afford the expenses for one’s conveyance, provisionand residence), health and power to perform it.

“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to theHouse (Ka’bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allâh, those who can afford theexpenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence); and whoeverdisbelieves [i.e. denies Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a disbelieverof Allâh], then Allâh stands not in need of any of the ‘Alamîn (mankind andjinn).”  (Âl-‘Imrân, 3: 97)

Hajj, same as all the prerequisites of faith, is abestowment of Godship not Lordship, for The Exalted and Ever-Majestic, blessesall His creatures with the provision that ensures their survival from food,water and shelter. But when it comes to faith The Almighty imposes duties onlyon those who believe in him, who pledged themselves to a faith commitment withAllah, all praise and glory be to Him, and said, ‘O Allah! I believe in You,the One and Only creating God, so please show me how to worship You. Justcommand and I obey and forbid so that I dare not approach what You haveforbidden.’

The pilgrim starts his journey by pronouncing Talbiyah(Labbaik Allahuma Labbaik, Here I am at your service, O Allah, here I amat your service). The essence of Talbiyah is answering the call of yourSummoner – His Majesty, Allah, all praise and glory be to Him – who enabled youto go on a pilgrimage to His House and helped you with the expenses and powerto do it. With Talbiyah you announce traveling in submission to theCommand of Allah, Who graced you with the highest and greatest blessing, goingon a pilgrimage to His Ancient House (the Ka‘bah at Mecca).

After assuming the state of Ihrâm [The sacred stateof practicing great self-denial into which a Muslim must enter beforeperforming Hajj or ‘Umrah, during which certain actions are forbidden (likehaving conjugal relations, shaving, cutting one’s nails, and several otheractions) nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly. In this sacred state the dressof Muslim pilgrims consists of two lengths of white cotton, one wrapped aroundthe loins, the other thrown over the left shoulder. Ihrâm [clothesfor women should fully cover the body except the face, hands and feet] for performing Hajj, thepilgrim says, ‘Labbaik Allahuma (Here I am at your service, O Allah),’meaning, ‘Here I am at the service of He Who imposed on me this ritual.’ Itconveys how far the soul welcomes the assigned duty and the serenity it nowenjoys; a confession of cherishing and clinging to every duty enjoined byAllah.

Usually, duty weighs heavy on the soul because itconfines the action of man by ordering him to do a certain act or forbid himfrom it, whether he accepts or dislikes the duty. Submission to the Command ofAllah is a proof of the strength of faith, for the believer receives the dutiesenjoined by Allah with love, whether it is an order to do or a prohibition notto do.

The pilgrim leaves everything he is acquaintedwith: leaves his home, his country, his family, his children, his property,even the clothes he loves and many other things that Allah has made lawful forhim. During his journey he divests himself of many things and show respect tothe whole universe: inanimate beings, plants, animals and the rest ofcreatures.

He honors plants, never lays his hand on a tree tocut its branches. Birds he should not hunt any. The same with his fellowcreatures, never to jeopardize his pilgrimage by disputing, as the nobleQur’anic verse instructs us:

“The Hajj (pilgrimage) is (in) the well-known (lunaryear) months (i.e. the 10th month, the 11th month and the first ten days of the12th month of the Islâmic calendar, i.e. two months and ten days). So whosoeverintends to perform Hajj therein by assuming Ihrâm), then heshould not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor disputeunjustly during the Hajj.” (Al-Baqarah; 2: 197)

Hajjis well-known months

Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, has restricted thefree choice of man in the duties He enjoined, whether by time or place. Thereare acts of worship that Allah has not restricted either by time or place asthe Shahâdah [The testimony of Faith: Lâ ilâh illâ Allahwanâ Muhammadan rasûl Allah, There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is theMessenger of Allah], you swearonce in your life and then repeat nighttime, daytime or in the forenoon, inyour house, your work or on the road. It is unrestricted either by time orplace.

As-Salah (offering Prayers), for

instance, is an act of worship that Allah has restricted only by time and not byplace. You can offer Prayers in any Masjid, in a factory, a house or a field.You are free to choose the place, but Allah, all praise and glory be to Him,has bound it by time. Every Salah (offered Prayer) has anassigned time, which makes its performance invalid except at the arrival of itsprescribed time.

As for Saum (Fasting), Allah hasprescribed its observance each year during the month of Ramadan but left a freechoice of place. You can fast wherever you please and in any place on earth youchoose.

As for the Zakâh (obligatory charity), Allah hasrestricted its time and amount but has not restricted its place. For instance, Zakatul-Fitr[TheZakah of Fast-breaking, which is a certain amount of wheat, flour, fruits,barely or money to be paid to the poor at the end of Ramadan but before the Eid(Feast) Prayer] should be paid at the end ofRamadan, whereas the Zakâh upon crops and fruits should be paid atharvest time, when the crops are still in the field and have not yet beentransmitted for storage as verified by the Qur’anic Statement of The MostExalted, saying (what means):

“And it is He Who produces gardens trellised anduntrellised, and date­palms, and crops of different shape and taste (its fruitsand its seeds) and olives, and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different(in taste). Eat of their fruit when they ripen, but pay the due thereof(its Zakât, according to Allâh’s Orders 1/10th or 1/20th) on the day of itsharvest, and waste not by extravagance. Verily, He likes not Al-Musrifûn(those who waste by extravagance).” (Al-An‘âm, 6: 141)

As for the Zakâh upon money, it should be paid uponthe money that reached the Nisâb [Minimum amount of propertyliable to the payment of the Zakâh] fromyear-end to year-end, meaning after the passage of a whole year on itsacquisition; besides other types of the Zakâh that are restricted bytime but unrestricted by place, because you have to pay the Zakâhwherever you are, unconditioned by any land or country.

As for Hajj, it differs from the rest of the acts ofworship for being restricted by both time and place. You cannot perform Hajjwhile at home or in your country, but you have to go on a pilgrimage to theSacred House of Allah in Mecca. Also, on the Day of ‘Arafah you cannotstand anywhere, but you have to go to ‘Arafah [The area that surrounds MountRahmah, southeast of Mecca] on theninth of Dhu’l–Hijjah [The 12th month of the year in the Muslimcalendar] and stand at the specified place for standing, not tooverstep it.

Further, you cannot perform the Hajj rituals at any monthof the year but it must be on Dhu’l–Hijjah.

We thus learn that Hajj is the only enjoined dutyrestricted by both time and place. Therefore, its reward is the forgiveness ofsins, for being one of the hardest enjoined duties on the believing soul.Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, says in His Noble Book (what means):

“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House(Ka’bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allâh, those who can afford theexpenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence).” (Âl-‘Imrân, 3: 97)

We shall Inshaallah (by the Will of Allah) discussthis topic in detail in the next chapters.

Ibrâhîmproclaims the Hajj

Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, asked the ProphetIbrâhîm (Abraham, peace be upon him) to proclaim the Hajj to mankind. TheAlmighty says (what means):

“And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). Theywill come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from everydeep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj).” (Al-Hajj,22: 27)

Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him) stood amidst this barrenwasteland, wherein there is neither water nor plant, and none to hear him;nevertheless he proclaimed the Hajj in obedience to Allah, all praise and glorybe to Him, Who said to him, ‘Your duty is the proclamation and Ours is theconveyance.’

By the Infinite Power of Allah this call reached thehearing of all those destined to perform that sublime duty, since theproclamation of Ibrâhîm till the Day of Resurrection arrives. They heard thecall of our father Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him) while still in the loins oftheir forefathers and answered Him.

Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, chose His SacredHouse to be the Qiblah [Direction faced in Prayers] ofthe believers, which they face five times daily in each offered prayer. Thus,Allah willed that the believer’s heart remains engaged with the Sacred House,though away from it, until he performs the enjoined duty of Hajj, whereby theblessing of having belief in Allah is perfected.

As though Allah psychologically prepares every Muslim toperform Hajj before doing it years ahead. Man may die without going on apilgrimage but his heart keeps intimately attached to the Sacred House, turningto it five times a day.

Hajj is an enjoined duty whose fulfillment depends on manyaspects of life; it demands effort, energy and Help from Allah by giving uspower, ability and health. It also necessitates action, because man must workmore to earn what exceeds his livelihood to be able to save the Hajj expenses.If he worked as hard as needed to suffice his daily living only he would savenothing for the Hajj. Therefore, the believer begs Allah for a working powerthat will suffice him and his family and cover his Hajj expenses as well.

All these arrangements related to health, work or energy,offer more than the actual need; all are certainly Blessings from Allah. Whenblessed by such grace, you should express gratitude to Allah by saying, ‘Here I am at your service, O Allah,here I am. Yours alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and Yours alone is TheSovereignty. You have no partner’. All Praise is due to You forproviding me with the energy, the power and the means. Provided me with themoney needed to cover my Hajj expenses and the maintenance of my family duringmy absence. All Praise is due to You for favoring me with all these blessingsthat I will never be fully able to pay You back for them in praises and thanks,no matter how endless thanks I give.

We have to carefully observe the accuracy of expression inthe chant of Hajj, the pilgrim says, ‘Here I am at your service, O Allah, hereI am. Yours alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and Yours alone is TheSovereignty. You have no partner’. The context would have dictated saying,‘Yours alone is All Bounty and All Praise’, for praises are only expressed foran offered bounty. But here the praise precedes the bounty, why? Because yourthanksgiving is expressed for an already bestowed blessing, as Allah, allpraise and glory be to Him, has graced you with all these blessings thatenabled you to start your Hajj journey. So, you thank Allah for an alreadyconferred blessing and for a coming one, that of belief, which made you fulfillthat enjoined duty. Thus, blessings are continuously bestowed and gratitude iscontinuously expressed; we thank Allah for past and future blessings. Indeed,how endless and inexhaustible are the Blessings of Allah as substantiated bythe noble Qur’anic verse saying (what means):

“Whatever is with you, will be exhausted, and whatever withAllâh (of good deeds) will remain. And those who are patient, We will certainlypay them a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do.” (An-Nahl,16: 96)

When reciting ‘Talbiyah’, the pilgrim says, ‘Yours alone is All Praise and AllBounty, and Yours alone is The Sovereignty,’ and as long as theDominion and Sovereignty belong only to Allah, all praise and glory be to Him,and will always be, man should fear nothing in this world.

Allah says in the Sanctified Hadith:

“O son of Adam! Fear notthose vested with power as long as My Sovereignty and kingdom never ends. Fearnot the expiration of provision as long as My treasures are full never toempty. I have created everything for you and I have created you for My Sake, soproceed in My Obedience to have everything submitting to you. You owe Medutifulness in what I have enjoined upon you, and I owe you sustenance, but ifyou disobey me in what I have enjoined, I will not deny you your sustenance. Ifyou are contended with what I have ordained for you, I will relieve your heart,but if you are discontented with what I have ordained for you, by My Might andMajesty, I will empower this world against you, wherein you will run as beastsin the wilderness and you will not have of it except what I have ordained foryou and you will be disparaged in My Eyes.”

In Talbiyah, the words ‘You have no partner’ settle in the heart of the believerthe relief of knowing that Allah is the One and Only God. Allah wants torelieve and assure us that He is the One God with no other partner to opposeHim in His Will. This Oneness is a great blessing indeed for which we shouldheartily thank Allah. Surely, had there been a partner with Him, the earthwould have been full of mischief and people’s needs would have been wastedbetween a god that wants and another that denies.

The perfection of the Blessing of Allah

We have to observe that the Hajj is the only ritual that conferson the believer a special title. You neither call the one who observes Salah(offering Prayers) ‘The prayer,’ nor the one who pays the Zakâh (obligatorycharity), ‘The Zakâh-giver,’ but we call the one who performed Hajj tothe Sacred House of Allah, ‘The hajji.’

The Hajj is the declaration of the perfection of theBlessings bestowed by Allah on man. The perfection of Allah’s Blessings is inhaving the bestowments of Godship together with that of Lordship, because youdid not perform the Hajj except by the power Allah has given you, through theblessings of Lordship. When people call out, ‘The hajji so and so,’ we learnthat Allah has greatly graced him. The Almighty graced him with the blessing ofbelief in Him, which is the supreme blessing, and belief in the last of all theProphets, Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Since man decidedto make a pilgrimage he must be observant of all the other duties enjoined onhim: Salah (offering prayers), paying the Zakâh (obligatorycharity) and observing Saum (Fasting). By performing the Hajj hewishes to fulfill the Five Pillars of Islam, to be among those to whom Allahhas addressed this noble Qur’anic verse, revealed in the Farewell Hajj [Thefirst and the last Hajj performed by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and granthim peace] saying (what means):

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completedMy Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion.”(Al-Mâ‘idah, 5: 3)

Meaning, I have perfected and fulfilled all the Pillars ofIslam; fulfilled the Salah (offering Prayers) by visiting theSacred House to perform prayers therein. Zakâh, for Hajj includes it,being an act of worship relying on both financial means and physicalability, where you spend your money for the Sake of Allah. Saum(Fasting), for Hajj includes a sort of fasting because you forbear from bodilydesires while assuming the state of Ihrâm. First and foremost,the Hajj embraces the Shahâdah [The testimony of Faith: ‘Ashadu anâ Lâ ilâhillâ Allah wanâ Muhammad rasûl Allah’ I testify that there is no God but Allahand Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah].

You come on a pilgrimage in servile compliance with theCommand of Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, and out of showing obedienceto Him, and you perform the Hajj rituals as the Messenger of Allah (may Allahbless him and grant him peace) has taught us.

The worship of Allah dictates avoidance of assumingsuperiority over one another. On going to the Masjid to offer prayers equalitydictates that whoever arrives first sits first, regardless of his rank, wealth,poverty or his status in this world, as you may find the doorman in the firstrow and the building owner in the last row.

Such equality in worshipping Allah, The Most Exalted,purges the soul from superiority and causes it to humble itself. It makes usall feel that we are standing in front of God, Who neither looks at our shapesnor appearances, but at our hearts; the criterion between a human and anotherwhatever be our mentalities or living standards.

In each Congregational Prayer performed in one of theMasjids of Allah, equality, submission and humility shown to Allah is done in alimited medium. But Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, willed that suchequality and submission be shown not only in a limited medium but in a globalone; in a universal environment gathering all the races of the earth; thestrong and weak nations, people of power and wealth together with those owningnothing. Each should humble himself as becomes the solemnity of the Hajj.

Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, wants to inculcatein us the rudiments of such a standing: that we all differ in our outfits,appearances and garments according to the living standards of each and ourdifferent tastes in choosing the fabrics we wear and their designs. In Hajj,Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, wants none to be distinguished, neitherin appearance nor dress.

We may differ as we please in our own countries among ourfolk, but here and on arriving to the Sacred House of Allah we have to stand asequals before Him, as He created us, and as we shall stand before Him on theDay of Resurrection.

He wants us servants of His, wearing the same dress nonediffering from the other. To divest ourselves of worldly comforts and give upour posts the time we reach the borders of the Sacred House, where allprivileges melt into thin air. The seamless Ihrâm garments areworn and all abide by the same dress and fabric. With such abidance imposed byAllah vanishes the first sign of distinction and superiority in worn clothesand assumed posts.

Reverenceshown to the species of the universe

As Almighty Allah has taken man away from his family,children and property he is attached to and the luxury and the lifestyle he isused to, and as He detached him from special clothes, He obliged him to honorall the species of the universe. With inanimate beings, he is to kiss Al-Hajarul-Aswad [‘The Black Stone’ is a stone from Paradise.It was set into one corner of the Ka‘bah in Mecca by Prophet Ibrâhîm (peace beupon him). The Black Stone was personally installed in the wall of the Ka`bahby the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) himself during itsreconstruction following its destruction by a flash flood. The Prophet (peaceand blessings be upon him) also kissed it during his Farewell Hajj. Thus,touching and kissing Al-Hajarul-Aswad during `Umrah and Hajj isconsidered Sunnah and an act of obedience. Muslims do not worship theBlack Stone. The only reason to kiss the Black Stone is that ourbeloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) kissed it]or point towards it; with plants, not to cut a tree; with animals, not to huntany; and with humans, he neither quarrels nor disputes. Thus Allah, all praiseand glory be to Him, teaches man to treat with deference all the species of theuniverse.

During this blessed journey, man learns how to waive hispride and mastery in this universe before its humblest species – inanimatebeings – and kisses it or jostles against the others to kiss it. None is greatby selfhood but true greatness is achieved when making your free willharmonious, concordant and agreeing with the Will of Allah and His SetLaw.

Through this ultimate Pillar of the Five Pillars of IslamAllah tells His servant to respect all the species of the universe, for masteryis not self-given to man but attained by virtue of the preference Allah gavehim above others species.

You must carefully consider what this ritual demands fromyou and to deeply muse upon it in order to know what Allah wants you to do. Tograsp that the purport lies in Command, belief and submission, for Allah is theOne Who commanded us to kiss that stone and to stone another! Neither inkissing or stoning is a preference for this or that stone, but it is anobedience shown to the Command of Allah. Therefore, it does not submit to thephilosophies of the mind but rather to the obedience of Faith.

As aforesaid, the Hajj journey starts with Talbiyah,which is a response to the call of the Prophet Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him) whenhe proclaimed the Hajj to mankind. After it you must divest yourself of pride.To take off your rich clothes and forsake the home specially prepared to giveyou comfort. Children, friends, relatives, power and property, you leave allbehind and go to the Sacred House of Allah, practicing self-denial and assumingIhrâm. Leaving the world behind you, just with a seamless pieceof cloth on your body like the shroud you shall come out of this world wrappedin.

Tearsshed at the Sacred House

When you enter the Sacred House of Allah and youcircumambulate it tears fill your eyes, why?

Many people do not know the reason, but crying before sucha scene is an expression of waiving the pride that accompanied you for long.The more tears you shed, the more pride you rid yourself of. If crying is asign of weakness and grief, in the Hajj it is not so.

It is a sense of submission and servility, a sense thatyou gave up all and realized your true humble rank. You come to this sacredplace hoping to express your regret for your misdeeds and supplicate Allah, allpraise and glory be to Him, that He may forgive your past and future sins.

Being so close to The Almighty and experiencing a sense ofHis Presence every second is what imparts to the shed tears a spirituality thatsurpasses joy. The joy of being purged from sins; the joy of winning the GoodPleasure of Allah deeply felt and realized; the joy of confessing sins, whichmeans having the strength of will never to relapse again by holding fast torepentance.

It is the power of faith that prompts man to abandon allwrongdoing and perversity that may taint his creed and behavior. Renouncingpride is a show of strength, and begging for mercy and forgiveness is also ashow of strength.

Everyone who experienced such overwhelming feelings knowswell that his soul is relieved after crying. As though the tears that flowedfrom his eyes cleansed his heart. Everyone cries as bitterly as he transgressedagainst himself (by committing evil deeds and sins) and as bitterly as hedisobeyed.

What arouses wonder is that after your soul obtainedrelief you yearn again to return to what draws your tears. You come back to theHajj for a second and a third time, but never would you cry as you did thefirst time. In the first time, you shed bitter violent tears, but less in thesecond, and lesser in the third, why?

Because in every time you grow more serene and moreupright in the adopted course of your life; the moment you enter the SacredMasjid and see the Ka‘bah you become preoccupied with yourself alone,forgetting about anything else. Preoccupied with how you will offer Prayers,perform Tawâf and Sa‘y [The devotional act of walking seventimes between the knolls of As-Safâ and Al-Marwah which arelocated some distance from the Ka‘bah inside Al-Masjidul-Haram; starting at As-Safâand ending at Al-Marwa]. What will you beg for and what invocations willyou utter. You are totally taken by Allah from whatever surrounds you and aslong as you are preoccupied with The Creator, Whose Majesty reigns supreme,there will be no room in your heart for anything else besides Him. Even yourchildren will not cross your mind except at the end of the rituals, whicharouses people’s wonder, though there is nothing to wonder about.

Glorificationof the Ka‘bah

Some people say that Islam has forbidden interminglingbetween men and women, so why is not it forbidden in Tawâf? We see menand women performing Tawâf where hardly anyone passes without exerting atremendous effort, due to the overcrowding. To those people we say that everycircumambulator (performer of Tawâf) is preoccupied with what he/she isdeeply in.

There, desires retreat and evil insinuations (whispered bythe devil) vanish; each is no longer aware of those around him, each ispreoccupied with Allah, preoccupied with worshipping Him, preoccupied withhimself.

When offering prayers in the Sacred House of Allah, youfind that all the directions faced in Salah have mixed, how? Whenoffering Prayers in the Masjids located in our countries some of us may turneastward, others westward, northward or southward governed by our position fromthe Ka‘bah. But on arriving at the Sacred House of Allah we no longerabide by these directions.

Is it permissible for me, inside a Masjid in Egypt, tooffer Prayers while facing the Yamani Corner [The southern corner of the Ka‘bah]?Do I observe that when I go to the Ka‘bah, to look for the Yamani Cornerand offer prayers facing it? No, I can offer Prayers while facing any of thecorners of the Ka‘bah and bear in my mind the Qur’anic verse saying(what means):

“And to Allâh belong the east and the west, so wherever youturn yourselves or your faces there is the Face of Allâh (and He is High above,over His Throne).” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 115)

That is the magnificence of worship.

While in the Sacred House of Allah, you have the entire Ka‘bahbefore you, and you must glorify every place in it and every part of it, whichwill not be done except by circumambulating it.

An opinion says that it is enough to perform Tawâfonce to fulfill that purpose, but the Ka‘bah is parable to Al-Baitul-Ma‘mûr(The Oft-frequented House) [The house in the seventh firmament directlyabove the Ka‘bah at Mecca; everyday it is visited by seventy thousands angels,who never revisit it until the Day of Judgment]. Ifyou keep ascending the sky of the Ka‘bah you will end at Al-Baitul-Ma‘mûr.

Those offering prayers at the third floor in the MeccanSanctuary are higher than the altitude of the Ka‘bah itself but they face itsatmosphere. The air expanse above the Ka‘bah represents the Ka‘bah up toAl-Baitul-Ma‘mûr in the seventh heaven.

If you are boarding a plane heading for the Ka‘bah youwill offer Prayer in it while having your face turned to the sky of the Ka‘bah.The heavens are seven, and to those who believe that by circumambulating the Ka‘bahonce you glorify all its parts we say: Follow the example of Al-Mi‘râj(Ascension) [Themiraculous ascension of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,from Jerusalem up to the Heavens to meet his Lord]. If you completeseven ashwaat [One complete circuit around the Ka‘bahconstitutes a shawt (pl. ashwaat), and seven ashwaat complete one Tawâf]around the Ka‘bah, as though you have ascended the seven heavensprovided that serenity and light fill your heart.

That is the Grace of Allah, He bestows on whom He wills.Indeed, endless is the Grace of Allah, The Bestower, Whose Blessings cover allcreatures.

 

Chapter Two