Table of Contents
Toggle In the Name of Allah the Beneficent the Most Merciful The Religion of Islam PREFACE PRACTICAL DEVOTIONS Ablution How the Prayer Service is Performed Fard Sunna Witr Remarks The Stated Daily Prayers The Friday Prayer Service Chapter II- Zakat Or Legal Alms Chapter III – Fasting Chapter IV – Pilgrimage Labbayka, allahumma labbayka. Labbayka ; lâ sharika lak, labbayka. Innal-hamda wan-ni`-mata lak. Wal-mulko lak Lâ sharika lak.” Which may be rendered in English as follow: – “I stand up for Thy Service, O God. I stand up. “I stand up. There is no partner with Thee. I stand up. Verily Thine is the praise, the blessing and the Kingdom. There is no partner with Thee.” Immediately on his arrival at Mecca the hâjj performs legal ablution in the Masjidul-Harâm (the sacred Mosque of Mecca) and then kisses the Black Stone. He then encompasses the kába seven times; three timesat a quick stop or run, and four times at a slow pace. These acts are called tawâf or the circuit, and are performed by commencing on the right and leaving the kába on the left. Each time as the pilgrim passes roundthe kába, he touches the Ruknul-Yaman or the Yemen corner, and kisses the Black Stone. He then proceeds to the Maaâmu-Ibrâhîm, or the seat of Abraham, where he recites the verse 125 of the second Chapter ofthe Koran: “Wattakhizû min maqâ Ibrânhim Mu-ssallâ, i.e.” Take ye the station or seat of Abraham for a place of prayer,” and performs prayers of two rak`âts. He then goes to the gate of the Sacred Mosque leading to Mount Al-safa, and from it he ascends the hill, reciting in a loud voice the verse 158 of the second Chapter of the Koran: “In-nas-Safâ wal Marwâ min Sh’â-‘ir-il-Lâh”, i.e.” Verily Al-Safa and Al-Marawa are counted as rites of the Divine Service of God.” Having arrived at the summit of the hill turning towards the Ka`ba, he recites the following ; “Lâ il-lal-Lâh, Lâ ilâha-il-al-Lâh wahdah; lâ sharika lah ; sadaqa wa`dah wa nasara abdah; wa hazamal-ahzâba wahdah, la ilaha illal-Lah”i.e. “There is no deity save God (Allah). There is no deity but Allah alone. He has no partner. He has executed His promise, and has given victory to his servant (Muhammad), and He has alone defeated the hosts ofinfidels. There is no deity save God.” These words are recited thrice. He then runs from the top of Mount Al-safa to the summit of Mount AL-Marwa seven times, repeating the aforesaid supplication or prayer. This is the sixth day, the evening of which is spent at Mecca, where he again encompasses the kába once. On the seventh day he listens to the khutba, or oration, in the Sacred Mosque, on the excellence of the pilgrimage and the necessary duties required of all true Muslims. On the following day, which is called theday of tarwiya ([4]) (satisfying thirst), he proceeds with his fellow-pilgrims to a place called Mina, where he spends the night, performing the usual service of the Muslim rites. On the next day, it being the ninth of the month, all pilgrims proceed to Mount Arafat where they spend the whole day, performing the midday and afternoon stated prayers, and hearing the sermon and spendingthe time in reciting the Koran or making humble-supplications to God, asking His favour of forgiveness of their sins and soliciting His guidance to a virtuous life, etc. Before sunset the pilgrim leaves Arafat for a stage called Al-Muzdalifa, a place between Mina and Arafat, where he should arrive for the sunset and night prayers. The next day, it being the tenth of the month and known all through the Muslim world as Yawmul-nahri, or the day of sacrifice and celebrated as the “Eid-el-abhâ”, or the great feast known in the West as Kurban Bairam. Early in the morning, having said their prayers at Al-Muzdalifa, the pilgrims proceed in a body to three monumental pillars at Mina. The pilgrim casts seven small stones or pebbles at each of these pillars, this ceremony being called ram-yol-jumâr, or throwing of the pebbles. Holding the pebbles (which he can easily pick up from the sand at the locality), between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, the pilgrim throws it at a distance of some fifteen feet, and says: “In the name of God, the Almighty, I do this, and in hatred of the devil and his shame.” The remaining pebbles are thrown in the same way at each of the other pillars. The pilgrim then returns to Mina and performs the sacrifice of the Bairam – “Eid-elAd-ha.” The victim may be a sheep, a goat, a cow, or even a camel, according to the means of the pilgrim. When slaughtering the pilgrim says in a loud voice: “Allâhu akbar,” God is Greater, O God, accept this sacrifice from me.” This ceremony concludes the pilgrimage; and there hâjj or pilgrim then gets himself shaved, his nails pared, and the ihrâm, or pilgrim’s garment is taken off and replaced by the usual dress. Although the pilgrimage rites are over by this time, he should have rest at Macca for the following three days, which are known as ayyâmul-tashriq, or the days of drying up of the blood of the sacrifice –three well– earned days of rest after the peripatetic performance of the last four days. Before leaving Mecca for good, the pilgrim should once more perform the circuits round the Ka’ba and throw stones at the Satanic pillars at Mina seven times. He must also drink of the water of the famous well near the Ka’ba, known as Zamzam well. The throwing of these stones or pebbles against the aforesaid monumental pillars represents a deeply rooted hearty intention on the part of the pilgrim, that he will never again follow the foot-steps of wicked, naughty or bad company or to listen to evil suggestions, usually known as the path of the devil or Satan. This practice can by no means be mistaken for an idolatry presentation. It is rather a meritorious act of self-suggestion. Most Muslims then go to Al-Medina to visit the shrine of their Prophet. city. From the time the pilgrim has assumed the ihrâm until he takes it off, he must abstain from worldly affairs and devote himself entirely to the duties of devotion. He is not allowed to hunt or kill game. He is prohibited to unite in sexual intercourse, make vainglory dispute, commit any unlawful act, or to use bad language or insulting words. The appointed pilgrimage known as hajj, as already stated, can only be performed on the appointed days of the month of Zul Hijjah. But a visitation can be meritoriously made to the Sacred Mosque at Mecca at any time of the year; and in this case it is not called pilgrimage, but it takes the name of “umra”, meaning visitation to the Holy Mosque. If the pilgrim happens to arrive at Mecca as late as the ninth day of the month, he can still perform his dutiful pilgrimage legally if he can join the pilgrims when at Mount Arafat on that day. The Pilgrimage cannot be performed by Proxy according to the Sunni or Orthodox School of Law. But if a Muslim on his death-bed bequeaths a sum of money to be paid to a certain person in order to perform the pilgrimage by proxy, this is considered as satisfying the claims of the Muslim Law. It is regarded a highly meritorious act to pay the expenses of a poor Muslim who cannot afford to perform the pilgrimage. If a Muslim has the means of performing the pilgrimage, and omits to do so, he is considered to have committed a great sin. According to the sayings of the Prophet, the merits of a pilgrimage to the Sacred Mosque (the house of Allah at Mecca) are very great: “He who make a pilgrimage for God’s sake, and does not talk loosely, not act wickedly, shall return from it as pure from sin as the day on which he was born.” Verily pilgrimage and ‘umra (visitation to the Holy Mosque) put away poverty and sin like the fire of a forge which removes dross’. ”When you see a pilgrim, salute and embrace him, and request him to ask pardon of God for you, for his sins have been forgiven and his supplications may be accepted.” Summary Of The Fundamental Enjoinments Relating To Pilgrimage PART II TRANSACTIONS Inequality Of The Two Sexes Regarding Divorce Islamic Legal Status of a Married Woman Chapter VI – Inheritance Chapter VII – Sale And Usury Lawful Transactions Chapter VIII – Ownership KindsAnd Divisions Of Property Ownership PART III PENAL LAWS Chapter X – Adultery Chapter XI – Theft And Robbery Chapter XII – Divisions Of Punishment Chapter XIII – Discretionary Correction or Ta’zir Chapter XIV – Sinful Acts Classification PART IV MORALITIES Chapter XVI – Muslim Ethics And Moralities Chapter XVII – The Moral Conditions Chapter XVIII – True Believers PART V- MUSLIM JURISPRUDECE AND THEOLOGY Chapter XX – Koran – First Source of Jurisprudence Chapter XXI -The Traditions Second Source of Jurisprudence Chapter XXII – Transmission of Hadîth In Prophet’s Lifetime Chapter XVIII – The Earliest Preservation of Traditions Chapter XXIV – The Koran is The Greatest Test For Judging Hadîth Chapter XXV – The Style of Composition Employed in The Imparting of Traditions Chapter XXVI – Degrees of Authenticity of The Narrators Chapter XXVII – Rules For Distinguishing False Traditions Chapter XXVIII – Ijma’ – The Third Foundation of Islamic Laws Chapter XXIX – Degrees of Ijtihad PART VI JIHAD Chapter XXX – The Religious Defensive Warfare Koranic Verses on Jihad Chapter XXXI – Misconception of The Duty of Jihad Chapter XXXII – Payment of Tribute Called “Jizia” PART VII- SPIRITUAL ASPECT OF ISLAM Chapter XXXIII – The Treasures of Happiness The Power of the Soul Reflection of God’s Attributes Man – a king in Miniature The Vision of God The signs of the Love of God References
All believers in God profess to believe that the vision of Him is the summit of human felicity, though with many this a mere lip-profession which arouses no emotion in their hearts. But with the godly the matter is quite different. To these the vision of God is really the greatest happiness at which a man can attain. Every one of man’s faculties has its appropriate function which it delights to fulfill. This holds good of them all, from the lowest bodily appetite to the highest form of intellectual apprehension. But even a comparatively low level of mental exertion afford greater pleasure than the satisfaction of bodily appetites. Thus, if a man happens to be absorbed in a game of chess, he will not come to his meal, though repeatedly summoned. And the higher the subject-matter of our knowledge, the greater is our delight in it, for instance, we should take more pleasure in knowing the secrets of a king than the secrets of a minister. Seeing then that God is the highest possible object of knowledge the Knowledge, of Him must afford more delight than any other.
But the delight of knowledge still falls short of the delight of vision, just as our pleasure in thinking of those we love is much less than the pleasure afforded by the actual sight of them. Our imprisonment in bodies of clay and water, and our entanglement in things of sense constitute a veil which hides the Vision of God from us, although it does not prevent our attaining to some knowledge of Him. For this reason, God is reported to have said to Moses on Mount Sinai: “ Thou shalt not see Me.” ( that is, so long as Moses was imprisoned in his bodily form).
The truth of the matter is this, that, just as the seed of man becomes a man, and a buried date-stone becomes a palm-tree, so the knowledge of God acquired in this world will in the next world change into the Vision of God, and he who has never learnt the knowledge will never have the Vision. This Vision will not be shared alike by all who know, but their discernment of it will vary exactly as their knowledge. God is one, but he will be seen in many different ways, just as one object is reflected in different forms by different mirrors, some showing it straight and some distorted, some clearly and some dimly. A mirror may be so crooked as to make even a beautiful form appear misshapen, and a man may carry into the next world a heart so dark and distorted that the sight which will be a source of peace and joy to others will be to him a source of misery. He in whose heart the love of God has prevailed over all else will certainly derive more joy from this vision than he in whose heart it has not so prevailed, just as in the case of two men with equally powerful eyesight, gazing on a beautiful face, he who already loves the possessor of the face will rejoice in beholding it more than he who does not. For perfect happiness mere knowledge is not enough, unaccompanied by love, and the love of the love of God cannot take possession of a man’s heart till it be purified from the love of the world, which purification can only be effected by abstinence, righteousness, austerity and obedience to the Law.
