There will be a special corner on the main page carrying the title: Hajj (pilgrimage) 1430/2009. and it will include:
1) Article (attached)
2) Videos of llectures in Hajj, tour of the holy sites, and a slide show.


Reflections on my Hajj Trip
Every year Hajj presents me with some distinguishing memories. This year (1430/2009) is no exception. Some of these memories are pleasant, others are a cause for concern, and some are outright scary.
It is very pleasant to note that more and more young people are realizing the importance of Hajj, as an act of worship. I have been noticing a trend that started to crystallize a few years back. In the Canadian group I travel with, the presence of young people, especially couples, is a cause of a great deal of satisfaction. A large number of these young pilgrims are professionals. Islamic re-awakening is evident through their inquiries, attendance at study circles, dedication to night prayers, and clear attempts to purify their inner selves (Tazkiyah).
I am continuing to notice a serious lack of information in regard to the rituals of Hajj. For the majority of pilgrims, these rituals represent a real challenge, because methods of preparation for the journey are inadequate. Attending one seminar prior to starting the journey falls short of providing first- timers with the necessary support. Planning should start no later than the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal for those contemplating Hajj in the same year. A series of seminars should be organized, one of which must be a hands-on, virtual reality demonstration of all the rituals. Even with that much preparation, Hajj organizers/travel agencies should be prepared to provide a trained staff person to stay full time with every group of pilgrims that should not exceed twenty people. The staff person who is expected to be familiar with all aspects of Hajj must provide the much needed feeling of security, especially for those who get easily stressed out when faced with overwhelming circumstances. No one can possibly deny that during Hajj, circumstances can turn quite overwhelming. It will also help if pilgrims are not spread out over many facilities, because their presence in one facility can add to the feeling of security and will provide them with the necessary assurance.
Inadvertently, Hajj operators like hotel owners, travel agencies, and even individuals who have jumped into the arena for easy financial gain, have added a new dimension to Ayah 97 of Surat Aal-’Imran (3), “... and pilgrimage to the House (at Makkah) is a duty to God for all people who can afford the journey.” The cost of an average package has already become prohibitive for the majority of Muslims. If a husband and wife want to go together, they should expect to spend no less than $20,000. How many people can afford to spend that much?
There is absolutely no need, nor is it recommended, to provide pilgrims with lavish meals at five star hotels. Actually, this is counter-productive and ends up shifting the focus of people from the actual act of worship to how precisely delivered the promised arrangements are. I have seen the height of frustration when people who have spent thousands of dollars end up staying at the wrong hotel or eat a meal that is not 100% to their satisfaction. Boxed meals in a safe environment, coupled with an efficient operation, is all that any pilgrim needs for the ultimate Hajj experience. The money saved on food and five-star accommodation can provide for adequate staffing and lots of it will still be saved.
Why are we breaking the very spirit of Hajj by creating classes of pilgrims? Why is it that some people who can afford it may perform Hajj in style, while those who cannot afford it end up at the lower end of things as far as the quality of services is concerned? Furthermore, as stated earlier, how can Hajj organizers and hungry profit seekers face Allah s.w. on the Day of Judgement when asked about their actions that stopped people from performing Hajj? Authorities should immediately institute control measures which are totally lacking. Executive VIP packages should be banned because they redirect the Pilgrims’ attention from seeking spiritual satisfaction to worrying about the physical arrangements promised in the package.
Wasting food is another major observation that one cannot ignore. I cannot even describe how much food ends up being thrown into the garbage. This is in violation of Ayah 31 of Surat Al-A’araf (7) as well as many other Ayat that carry the same meaning: “...and eat and drink, but be not wasteful, for God loves not the wasteful.” Muslims need to understand that Hajj is not a series of mechanical rituals, but rather an intense training course to reshape our behaviour and make it resonate with the Divine Will. Toward that objective, a pilgrim may not even uproot a weed or hurt an animal if it is not causing him any harm. How could one understand the true meaning of sacrifice while feasting in an environment which is expected to feature moderation and balance?
Another cause for concern is the struggle to ensure one’s own comfort at the expense of others. How many pilgrims have fought their way to kiss the Black Stone and stayed put after achieving their goal? How many stick like glue to the Multazam and ignore the thousands who are trying to reach the same spot? How many have formed circles around one or two individuals to allow them to pray immediately behind the Station of Ibrahim without any regard for those who may fall on top of them? How many fight so hard to get to the Zamzam water fountains, and once they get there they turn a blind eye to the hundreds of pilgrims behind them? How many push their way to the Rawda at the Prophet’s Masjid and camp there for the rest of the day without any regard for the thousands who are seeking the same reward? How could Muslims believe that by such behaviour they will gain God’s pleasure, when in fact they are contributing to the pain and even agony of thousands of other Muslims? What happened to the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad, “No one among you will attain genuine faith until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”?
I am quite aware of the Quranic injunction mentioned in Ayah 198 of Surat Al-Baqarah (2), “It is not sinful for you to seek the bounty of your Lord God (by engaging in trade and commerce during pilgrimage).” However, many pilgrims end up shifting priorities from maximizing spiritual gain to spending their time hunting for shopping bargains. Many people miss the opportunity to pray at the Haram Al-Makki or Al-Madini because they are busy concluding a shopping deal. Pilgrims should be made aware that one prayer at Al-Masjid Al-Haram is equivalent in reward to a hundred thousand prayer elsewhere, and a prayer at Al-Masjid An-Nabawi is equivalent in reward to a thousand prayer elsewhere. Knowing that, how can anyone miss a prayer at Al-Haram, whether in Makkah or Madinah?
Another issue of concern is the focus on splitting hairs in regard to minute Fiqhi issues at the expense of spiritual growth. Can toothpaste be used during Ihram? Can a man in Ihram cover himself with a blanket if it gets very cold? What if one ends up throwing eight stones instead of seven at the Jamarah? Can a husband talk to his wife while in a state of Ihram? Can a woman who is still in Ihram shorten the hair of another woman in Ihram? I am not, by any chance, advocating overlooking the Fiqh of pilgrimage, but we need to re-direct people’s attention to the real objective of Hajj. There is a Prophetic tradition reported by Abdillah Bin ‘Amr Bin Al-‘Aas that shows that never would the Prophet be asked a question regarding the rituals of Hajj without him saying, “ continue without a problem/ If’al Wala ‘Haraj.” Hajj, by far, commands the most variation in Fiqhi interpretations. Whereas, Muslims enjoyed years of learning the Fiqh of Salaat, Zakat and Siyaam directly from the Prophet, they had only one chance to learn the Fiqh of Hajj. During his Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet was reported to have said, “Follow my example in performing the rituals of Hajj. Perhaps I may not be with you next year.” How could 100,000 people have learnt the rituals of Hajj first hand from the Prophet? Such was the cause of variation. As a result, Pilgrims should stop the practice of Fatwah shopping, tolerate the inevitable minor differences in Hajj practices and focus instead on the spiritual outcome of Hajj.
A unique memory of this year’s Hajj is the sad reality of how vulnerable Muslims can be. The Mutawwif of Arab countries told me he had received instructions from the Minister of Hajj to separate the camps of Egyptians, Algerians, and Sudanese, following the riots that ensued as a result of soccer play-offs that turned Muslim brothers against each other. I could not believe my eyes towards the end of my stay in Madinah, before leaving to Makkah, when pilgrims in Ihram filled the Lobby of the hotel and started to cheer for their favourite team.
This Hajj season will be remembered for the floods that covered the area on the eighth of Zul-Hijjah. Pilgrims were in Mina preparing for the beginning of Hajj the following day. The clouds were so thick and rain poured for close to six hours. Pilgrims in Ihram tried very hard to divert water from the tents. Even though, they were partially successful, many tents could not escape the rage of water. A rumour was circulated to the effect that Saudis had performed Salat Al-Istisqa’ a week before, and their dua’a was answered on the day of Tarwiyah (water)/ 8th of Zul-Hijjah. Following the floods in Mina, pilgrims enjoyed a glorious day at Arafat. It was a day of Zikr, Qur’anic recitation, du’a and prayers. As usual, the open air du’a led by Imams in Arabic, English and Urdu was the climax of the day. Tears flowed freely and sobbing could be heard from a distance.
I want to end with a positive note that related to the future of logistical arrangements of Hajj. I was told by one of the Mutawwifs that within couple of years, suspended mono-rails will start to gradually replace cars and buses in order to reduce pollution and traffic jams. Already this year 32,000 vehicles with less than twenty five passenger capacity were banned from entering the extended area of the Haram.
I ask Allah s.w. to help me maintain my sincerity in providing advice solely for His sake, “They were not commanded save to worship God with sincerity in all that they do” (Al-Bayyinah 98:5).