Article: The Virtues of Madinah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Assalamu Alaikum.

[Note: The book entitled “From the Teachings of Hajj” has been updated by the translator. The post now shows the 2nd edition. So if you have the old edition, please delete that and replace it with the new one.]

Another day, another great article by the Badr family.

This one is on the virtues of the second best place on the planet as well as the manners that its residents and its visitors must abide by.

The Virtues of Al-Madeenah and the Manners of Residence and Visiting by Shaikh Abdul Muhsin Al-Abbaad

Shaikh Abdul Muhsin, for those who are unaware, is one of the senior scholars and he is from Madinah.

Note: For those of you who love to read, here’s the translator’s (Brother Aboo Shaybah, may Allah reward him greatly) blog. It’s jam-packed with wonderful translations:

http://qaryah.wordpress.com/

Book: From the Teachings of Hajj

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Assalamu Alaikum.

If you’re like me and you:

1) Love learning about aqeedah (creed).

2) Love all these “lessons derived from…” sort of books.

3) Love learning about Hajj.

4) Love anything that is written by the Al-Badr family.

Then you’ll love this book.

Really.

Which book, you ask?

It’s called “From the teachings of Hajj” and it’s by Shaikh Abdur Razzaq Al-Abbad.

It’s divided into three sections:

a) Lessons in Aqeedah learned from Hajj

b) Hajj and Refining the Soul

c) Sermons and Admonitions from the Farewell Hajj

Each section contains thirteen lessons.

Here’s the book:

From the teachings of Hajj (2nd Edition) by Shaikh Abdur Razzaq Al-Abbad.

[Update June 2012: For those of you who may have downloaded this book earlier, please note that this is a NEW edition of the book.]

Article: Innovations During Hajj

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Assalamu Alaikum.

Sigh, yes. Unfortunately, lots of people practice innovations during Hajj (and everywhere else for that matter).

Someone might say, “Hey, what’s the big deal if there are a few innovations here and there?”

Well, Allah has ordered us to do that which He loves and has asked us to stay away from that which He does not love.

So, the one who wishes to earn the love of Allah must apply the shariah as best as they can.

However, innovations are something that people have invented thinking that it will help them gain the love of Allah.

Just a few questions:

1) Does anyone know what Allah loves more than He does? How can anyone add anything to the shariah saying that it is a “good” innovation??? If it was truly a good thing, then Allah would have revealed it to His Prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam)!

2) Has what he has ordered us to do not enough for us? Why do people feel the need to invent practices?

The main problem with those who practice innovations is not knowing the Majesty of Allah and not understanding the religion of Islam.

This is why it is mandatory for all of us to seek knowledge from authentic sources and also ask Allah to grant us fiqh (understanding) of this religion.

As for some of the innovations that are practiced during Hajj, the following article sheds light on that:

[Note: The translators seem to be in the process of adding more information so please check the main link provided below for any updates. Also, Points 11 and 12 are the same, probably a publishing error.]

Article: Hajj – Virtues and Contemplations

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Assalamu Alaikum.

Hajj is not just any journey. It’s meant to change us from the inside out.

In order for this to happen, one of the things that we need to do during Hajj is to contemplate over what we see around us. What is the wisdom behind the rites and what can we learn from them?

Here’s an excellent article that discusses some of the lessons that we can learn from Hajj*:

[*Some of them apply to Umrah as well.]

Hajj: Virtues and Contemplations by Shaikh Abdul Muhsin Al-Abbaad

Note: I’d advise everyone to read this article regardless of whether you are planning to go for Hajj or not.

Can one love Madinah more than Makkah?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Assalamu Alaikum.

Ah, Madinah.

As soon as I entered Madinah, I loved it. Unfortunately, Makkah did not have the same effect.

I’ve met many people since then who have told me that they have the same issue: they love Madinah more than they love Makkah.

Is that okay? After all, Makkah is superior to Madinah.

Shaikh Saalih As-Suhaymee, a scholar from Madinah, was asked this question and this is what he had to say:

A real eye opener, wasn’t it?

Article: 50 Things to do in Hajj

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Assalamu Alaikum.

Many Muslims think of prayer, reading the Quran and performing the required rites when thinking of Hajj.

And that’s fine because we need to do all of these in Hajj.

However, is that all there is to it? Aren’t there other things to do in addition to these acts of worship?

Here’s a very nice list of things that you can do during Hajj. I’d advise those that are going for Hajj to take a printout with you so that you remember to do these things, insha-Allah.

___________________________________________________________________

http://www.khutbah.com/en/ramadan_hajj/50hajj.php

50 Things to do in Hajj

Muhammad Alshareef

Many of those at Hajj may find themselves sitting in a tent thinking to themselves, “Now what do I do?” Some pick themselves up and go around doing things pleasing to Allah; others may not capture the moment due to inexperience.

So here is a list of beneficial things to do during your Hajj trip. If you are not going for Hajj, why not forward it to someone who might benefit from it on his or her journey. At least they can practice number 26.

May Allah ta’aala make it a safe journey for all the hujjaj, aameen.

1. Smile in another Muslim’s face
2. Say salaam to strangers
3. Shake someone’s hand and ask about his/her health
4. Buy tea for someone
5. Offer to get someone’s groceries
6. Sit with a Hajj group from another country and ask about Islam in their village
7. Carry someone’s bags for them
8. Guide someone ill to the infirmary
9. Shun vain talk
10. Recite talbiyah loudly, encouraging others
11. On the days of Eid, walk through the tents reciting talbiyah loudly reminding others
12. Gather stones for people
13. Offer to throw on behalf of unable hajjis
14. Guide people to the Jamarat
15. Lower your gaze
16. Remind people of the lives of the Sahaabaa
17. Read Qur’an with the tafseer
18. Do the authentic dhikr of the morning and evening
19. Make du’a during your sajdah
20. Stand to the side of a gate and offer people water/tea as they leave
21. Give major attention to shy people in your group
22. Remind people of patience, why they came here, and the example of our ‘ulama in Hajj
23. Explain a Hajj khutbah you may have heard to those around you
24. Explain the importance of purifying ones actions for the sake of Allah
25. Phone relatives (from Makkah) on Eid day
26. Make du’a for forgotten friends (and the author of this list)
27. Don’t allow Muslims to fight during Hajj
28. Help people find a place to sleep
29. During the heat, remember the unending torment of the Hellfire
30. Say Laa ilaaha illAllah, wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul mulk wa lahul hamd, wa huwa ‘alaa kulli shay’in qadeer 100 times
31. Say the du’a of entering the market place when you go there
32. Give charity to those who sell meager things (i.e. sandals, eggs, etc.)
33. Attend the halaqas that are given in Mina
34. Stay for the 13th of Dhul Hijjah
35. Remind people to go home as better Muslims
36. Forgive people who wrong you
37. Talk to 10 different people from 10 different countries
38. Compliment someone sincerely
39. Visit the hospital and thank Allah for all that He has given you
41. Take young Muslims and invite them to sit with the elders. Make them the center of attention.
41. Give a tafseer class after salah / ask someone knowledgeable to deliver the class
42. On the days of Eid, offer perfume to those around you (for men only)
43. Ask about the health of senior women in your group. Make sure they are attended to.
44. Focus hard on helping those immediately near you
45. Take people to the slaughter house and help them or assist them in purchasing their slaughter coupons
46. Remember specific blessings Allah has bestowed upon you and say alhamdulillah
47. Pray to Allah using His 99 Most Beautiful Names (Al-Asmaa’ Al-Husna)
48. Use a miswak
49. Fill your pockets with candies and give some to the children you meet
50. Always hope for rewards from Allah for everything you go through during Hajj

Article: Hajj – Its Virtues and Benefits

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Assalamu Alaikum.

Still struggling to get pumped up for Hajj?

Here’s an iman-boosting article that may help, insha-Allah:

Hajj: Its Virtues and Benefitsby Shaikh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid

If you wish to read it online, you can do so here.