Hajj and `Umrah

موضوع: Hajj and `Umrah الخميس فبراير 17, 2011 2:11 pm

Hajj and `Umrah

Tamattu' Hajj

Tamattu` means performing `Umrah during the Hajj season, and on the Day
of Tarwiah a pilgrim gets into the state of Ihram for Hajj. Anyone
intending to perform a Tamattu`` Hajj should on approaching the Miqat
make intention for `Umrah. After fulfilling the Hajj rituals, one
should offer a sacrificial animal

The Miqats
Temporal Miqats [Fixed Times]
From the beginning of Shawwal to the tenth of Dhul-Hijjah./50 Location of the Routes [A`lam] Leading to the Sanctuary
Al-Tan`im : It is 6 kilometers away from Mecca in the way to
Medina. Wadi Nakhlah : It is 41 kilometers away from Mecca in the
north-east towards Iraq. Al-Ju`ranah : It is 16 kilometers east of
Mecca. Adah : It is 12 kilometers away from Mecca in the way to
Yemen. Al-Hudaibiah : It is 15 kilometers away from Mecca to the
west of Jeddah route. Now, it is called Al-Shumaisi. The Arabic word
"A`lam" refers to the smartly carved stones of about one meter high
along all the previous routes. Locational Miqats [Fixed Places]
These Miqats [fixed places for putting on Ihram] are stated by the
Prophet (peace be upon him). Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)
reported: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) specified Dhul-Hulaifah
for the people of Medina; Juhfah for the people of Syria; Qarn
Al-Manazil for the people of Najd; Yalamlam for the people of Yemen (as
Miqats). Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) then said, "
These (Miqats) are meant for people living at these (places) as well
as for others who pass by them on their way to perform Hajj or 'Umrah.
People living within these boundaries, should enter upon the state of
Ihram at these very places. But people living in the suburbs of Mecca
or within Mecca, should enter upon the state of Ihram from within
Mecca." There is an agreement among scholars regarding these places.
Al-Juhfah
It is the locational Miqat [place of Ihram] specified for the people Egypt, Syria and countries farther to them.
Dhul-Hulaifah
It is the locational Miqat [place of Ihram] specified for the people of
Medina. It is a water place for Banu Jathm. It is the farthest Miqat,
for it is 450 kilometers from Mecca. Camels used to take 9 days to
cover the distance from Abyar `Ali to Mecca, making 50-kilometer march a
day (4 kilometers per hour). The Arabs used to call each 4 kilometers
"a stage".
Qarn Al-Manazil
It is a mountain near `Arafah. It is the place of putting on Ihram for
the people of Al-Ta'if and those farther to them./50 Dhat `Irq
It is so called because it has a mountain called "`Irq" close to the
Valley of Al-`Aqiq. It is a village 94 kilometers to the north-east of
Mecca. Despite the fact that this Miqat is not fixed by the Prophet
(peace be upon him), scholars have unanimously agreed on it.
Yalamlam
It is a mountain in Tuhamah located two stages (8 kilometers) away from Mecca. It is the Miqat for those coming from Yemen

Mecca
Allah, the Almighty, calls it "The Mother of Cities", for He says, "That thou mayest warn the Mother of Cities and all around her."
Allah, the Almighty, calls it also "The City of Security", for He
says, "By the Fig and the Olive, and the Mount of Sinai, and this City
of security." He also says, "I do call to witness this City. And thou
art a freeman of this City." In Mecca there is the Ancient House about
which Allah, the Almighty, says, "and circumambulate the Ancient House" and says, "Allah made the Ka`bah, the Sacred House, an asylum of security for men..."
Abraham, the Close One to Allah, invoked Allah for the favor of
Mecca saying, "O my Lord! make this city one of peace and security; and
preserve me and my sons from worshipping idols."
Allah also says, "And remember Abraham said, 'My Lord, make this
a City of Peace, and feed its people with fruits, such of them as
believe in Allah and the Last Day.' He said, 'Yea,' and such as reject
Faith, for a while will I grant them their pleasure, but will soon
drive them to the torment of Fire, an evil destination (indeed)!"
Allah, the Almighty, says, "Remember We made the House a place of
assembly for men and a place of safety; and take ye the Station of
Abraham as a place of Prayer; and we covenanted with Abraham and
Ishmael, that they should sanctify My House for those who compass it
round, or use it as a retreat, or bow, or prostrate themselves (therein
in Prayer)." On the tongue of Abraham (peace be upon him), Allah, the
Almighty, says, "O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell
in a valley without cultivation, by the Sacred House."
When the Quraish got the Prophet (peace be upon him) out of
Mecca, he stood on a mountain, turned back towards Mecca and its paths
and said, "Verily, I know that you are the dearest city to my heart and
that you are the dearest city to Allah. If only that the disbelieves
drove me out, I would have never left you."
In the Two Sahihs, it is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
"Verily, Allah made this City sacred on the day He created the heavens
and the earth; So it is sacred by the sacredness conferred on it by
Allah until the Day of Resurrection."
In the Year of Conquest, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stood at
Jamarat Al-`Aqabah and said, "By Allah, you (Mecca) are the best spot of
Allah's land and the dearest one to me. Unless I have been driven out
(by your people), I would have never left you.
(Fighting in it) was not lawful for anyone neither before or after
me. It was made lawful for me only for an hour of a day, for it is
sacred; its thorns are not to be cut, its game is not to be molested,
and the things dropped are to be picked up only by one who makes a
public announcement of it."
Mecca, moreover, is the sanctuary of Allah and of His Messenger (peace
be upon him). Therefore, whoever inters it is safe. Supplication
"O Allah! This is Your sanctuary and secure place, protect my
body from Hell Fire. Guard me from Your punishment on the Day You will
bring back to life Your servants. Make me amongst Your devotees and
obedient ones." Also, the Messenger (peace be upon him) used to say on
entering Mecca, "O Allah! Don't let us die there until we complete our rituals." As the houses of Mecca come into sight, the pilgrim should say, "O Allah! Grant me residence and bestow legal
sustenance upon me."

The Sacred Mosque
Merits of the Sacred Mosque
The Sacred Mosque and the Protected House are interchangeable synonyms
for the Ka`bah. Allah called it the Protected House as He kept it safe
from any transgression throughout history. When Abrahah wanted to
demolish it, Allah sent birds of torture for him and his soldiers. It is
also called so because Allah protects its visitors from Hell fire
since they would die as monotheists. It was built by Abraham and his
son Ishmael according to Allah's command. Allah says,
"And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the
House, they prayed: `Our Lord! Accept from us (this act); You are indeed
the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing,'"
Thus, the father of the Prophets [Abraham] built the most venerated
mosque in the most venerated spot on earth. In addition, Allah favored
the Sacred Mosque with the privilege that He made it one of the three
shrines to which Muslims set out on journeys as religious devotion,
along with the Prophet's Mosque and the Aqsa Mosque. He also increased
the reward for performing prayer inside it to the extent that a prayer
performed in it equals one thousand prayers performed elsewhere.
Supplication Said upon Entering the Mosque
"I seek refuge with the Mighty Allah. I seek protection with His
Generous Countenance and His Everlasting Authority against the cursed
Devil. Praise be to Allah. In the name of Allah. O Allah! Bless
Muhammad. O Allah! Forgive my sins and open the gates of Your mercy to
me."/50

The Ka'bah
Etiquette of Entering the Ka`bah
One should bathe and purify himself. Upon entering the Ka`bah one
should refrain from shoving. Also, one should direct his heart to
reverence and submission, and his eyes to shed tears (if Allah bestowed
that grace upon him). In addition, he should not raise his eyes toward
the top of the Ka`bah as a sign of glorification and exaltation of the
Almighty Allah. Also, one should adhere to the remembrance of Allah,
the Exalted. It has been narrated that `A'ishah said, "I wonder at a
Muslim, who, upon entering the Ka`bah, raises his eyes toward its top.
He should refrain from doing so, as a sign of glorification and
exaltation to Allah." The Prophet (peace be upon him) entered the
Ka`bah and never did he raise his eyes from the place of prostration
till he left./50 The Prophet's Entering The Ka`bah
After the first Hijrah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) entered the
House four times. The first was on the Day of Conquest; the second in
the second year of the Conquest; the third during the Compensating
`Umrah and the fourth was during the Farewell Hajj.
Reward for Entering the Ka`bah
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever enters the House
and performs Prayers therein, indeed enters by performing a good deed
and leaves forgiven of a sin." In another narration, "He leaves after
(his sins) have been forgiven." Regarding entering the House, Ibn `Umar
(may Allah be pleased with them both) said, "It is actually performing a
good deed and being redeemed of a sin." `Ata' said, "Performing two
rak`ahs in the House (Ka`bah) is dearer to me than performing four
rak`ahs in the Sacred Mosque."
Regarding the Qur'anic verse: ( Whoever enters it attains security
) Yahia bin J`dah bin Hubairah said, "It means that he is guarded from
the Hell Fire." Al-Hafizh Abu Tahir Al-Salafi (may Allah have mercy
upon him), upon entering the House, said,
After entering the House with Allah's guarantee, Is there still a
sin or guilt obscure, By no means and nay. Forgiven are they all,
All men will go home, joyful and secure. Merits of Looking at the
Ka`bah
Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Looking at the Ka`bah
is pure faith." Also, Hammad bin Abi Salamah (may Allah have mercy
upon him) said, "The one who looks at the Ka`bah is very much like he
who tirelessly worships Allah in any other place." In addition, Mujahid
said, "Looking at the Ka`bah is a sort of worship." `Ata' also said,
"Looking at the House is a sort of worship." Furthermore, Sa`id bin
Al-Musaiyib said, "Whoever looks at the Ka`bah, out of sincere faith,
will become free of sins as if he has just been born." Supplication
1. It has been narrated that pronouncing supplications upon seeing
the Ka`bah is surely accepted by Allah. Some narrated supplications
are:
* "O Allah! increase this House's honor, sublimity, respect and
reverence, and grant all those who come to it for Hajj or `Umrah more
honor, respect, dignity and righteousness." And also, "O Allah! You are
the Peace and from You is Peace. O Allah! Greet us with Peace."
* "O Allah! This sanctuary is Yours, this city is Yours, the
security is Yours and I am Your slave. I have come to You from far away
lands, burdened with my sins, and encumbered with misdeeds. I beseech
You as those who are in dire need of You, who fear Your punishment, to
favor me with Your forgiveness, and cause me to enter Your vast
Paradise, the Paradise of Bliss. O Allah! This is Your sanctuary and
the sanctuary of Your Messenger, protect my flesh, blood and bones from
the Hell fire. O Allah! Guard me from Your punishment on the day You
will bring back to life Your slaves."

Al-Multazim
Supplication
"O Allah! Praise be to You equal to Your favors and equal to Your
abundant Grace. I praise You with all Your worthy attributes whether I
comprehend them or not, for all Your favors, whether I understand them
or not, and for everything. O Allah! Bless Muhammad and the family of
Muhammad. O Allah! Provide me with refuge from the cursed devil, and
from every evil. Make me satisfied with what You bestowed upon me, and
bless it for me.
O Allah! Make me among the most honored ones to come to You, and make
me adhere to the ways of righteousness till I come to You, O Lord of
the worlds!"

موضوع: رد: Hajj and `Umrah الخميس فبراير 17, 2011 2:13 pm

The Black Stone
1. It is a well-known fact that the Prophet (peace be upon
him) kissed the Black Stone, and so did his Companions; and Muslims
will follow him in doing so till the Day of Judgment.
2. `Umar bin Al-Khattab warned the community against the
belief that anyone other than Allah can cause harm or good. It has been
narrated in an authentic hadith that `Umar said, "
By Allah! I know that you are a stone, and that you can cause neither
harm nor good; and if I had not seen Allah's Messenger (peace be upon
him) kissing you, I would have never kissed you. " . It has been reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "
Allah will surely resurrect the Black Stone on the Day of Judgment,
with two eyes to see, and a tongue to utter, testifying to those who
rightly kissed or touched it. " Al-Tirmidhi authenticated the Prophet's hadith that says, "
The Black Stone was descended from Paradise and was whiter than
milk. Yet, the sins committed by human beings have turned it black.
(In another narration: Till the polytheists' sins turned it black. "
Supplication Said upon Facing the Black Stone
"In the Name of Allah. Allah is the Greatest. O Allah! (I begin
this Tawaf) believing in You, affirming the truth of Your Book,
fulfilling my covenant with You, and following the Sunna of the Prophet
(peace be upon him)." It is desirable to repeat this supplication
each time when passing by the Black Stone during each round of
Circumambulation .

The Station of Abraham
The Station of Abraham
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said,
"The Corner and the Station are two precious stones from Paradise,
whose light has been extinguished by Allah. If it were not for that,
they would have lit all that is between the East and the West.
" Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said, "Verily, the
Corner and the Station are two precious stones of Paradise. Had it
not been for the sins of human beings, they would have lit all that is
between the East and the West."
Supplication Said at the Station
1. It is sunnah to recite the Quranic verse (2:125) " And take the Station of Abraham as a place of Prayer.
" . It is sunnah to perform two rak`ahs, reciting Surah
Al-Kafirun in the first rak`ah and Surah Al-Ikhlas in the second,
after reciting Al-Fatihah in each.
3. Then one starts to supplicate by saying, "O Allah! I am Your
slave, and the son of Your slave. I have come to You burdened with many
sins and encumbered with misdeeds. This is the place for he who seeks
Your refuge from the Fire. Forgive me, for You are the Oft-Forgiving,
the Most Merciful."

Hijr Isma`il
upplication Said at Hijr Isma`il
"O Lord of the Worlds! I have come to You from far away, with the hope
of receiving Your favor. Grant me Your favor so as to ask no one else.
You are well-known for granting favors."

Zamzam
Zamzam Water Regarding Zamzam water, Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, " It is food for the hungry, and a cure for the sick. "
1. Ibn `Abbas reported that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, " The water of Zamzam is (good) for whatever intention it is drunk. " . Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) also reported that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, " The best water on earth is that of Zamzam. It is food for the hungry, and a cure for the sick.
" . When Mu`awiah bin Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with them)
performed Hajj, and drank from Zamzam water, he said, "Zamzam (water)
is a cure, and it is (good) for whatever intention it is drunk."
4. Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) also said, "We called
it (Zamzam water) as the most satisfying and we found it to be the
best aid to nourish the children."
5. He also said, "Drink from the water of the righteous (i.e.
Zamzam)." 6. He also said, "Whenever Allah's Messenger wished to make
a valuable gift to anyone, he would offer him the water of Zamzam."

Sa`i
Supplication Said During Sa`i
"O Allah! O Controller of hearts, make my heart firm in Your faith. O
Allah! I beseech You for what deserves Your Mercy, Your Forgiveness,
and Safety from every sin. Grant me admission to Paradise and
protection from the Hell Fire. O Allah! I beseech You for guidance,
virtue, chastity, and self-sufficiency. O Allah! Help me to remember
You, to offer thanks to You, and to worship You properly. O Allah! I
seek from You all goodness, whether I know it or not, and I seek from
You admission to Paradise, and every deed or words that make this
possible. I seek Your protection from entering the Hell Fire, and from
every deed or words that make this possible."
Supplication Said at Al-Safa It is preferable to climb Al-Safa and to recite the following Qur'anic verse: "
Behold! Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So if those
who visit the House in the Season or at other times should compass them
round, it is no sin in them. And if anyone obeyeth his own impulse to
Good, be sure that Allah is He Who recognizeth and knoweth. "
Then, one faces the Ka`bah and says, "Allah is the Greatest, Allah is
the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest and Exalted
High (beyond measure). Praise be to Allah and Glory be unto Him, the
Mighty in the morning and the evening. There is no god but Allah alone,
Who has fulfilled His promise, brought victory to His servant and
defeated the Confederates, all alone. Truly! There is no god but Allah.
There is no god but Allah and we are His devoted worshipers and
servants. There is no god but Allah and we worship none but Him, with
sincere devotion to Him in religion."
Supplication Said at Al-Marwah
It is preferable to climb Al-Marwah and to recite the following Qur'anic verse: "
Behold! Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So if those
who visit the House in the Season or at other times should compass
them round, it is no sin in them. And if any one obeyeth his own
impulse to Good, be sure that Allah is He Who recognizeth and knoweth.
"
Then one faces the Ka`bah, and says, "Allah is the Greatest, Allah is
the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest and Exalted
High (beyond measure). Praise be to Allah and Glory be unto Him, the
Mighty in the morning and evening. There is no god but Allah alone, Who
has fulfilled His promise, brought victory to His servant and
defeated the Confederates, all alone. Truly! There is no god but
Allah. There is no god but Allah and we are His devoted worshipers and
servants. There is no god but Allah and we worship none but Him, with
sincere devotion to Him in religion."

Haircut
Having One's Hair Cut or Shaved
It is desirable for men to hold their forelocks with their own hands
while shaving their hair, and to glorify Allah (saying: Allah-u-akbar)
three times, and then to say, "Praise be to Allah as He has guided us,
and as He has granted (so many graces) to us. O Allah! this is my
forelock, I beg you to accept what I am doing, and to forgive my sins. O
Allah! forgive me and both those who got their hair shaved and those
shortened. O You! who forgive every thing. Amen." And when he finishes
shaving, he would glorify Allah (say: Allah-u-akbar) three times, and
would say, "Praise be to Allah who fulfilled - for us - our rituals. O
Allah! increase our Faith, certainty (about You), success and aid
(received from You). And forgive us, our fathers, mothers, and all
Muslims. "

Ihram
Invoking Allah upon Ihram
"O Allah! make it an accepted Hajj, without any kind of showing off or reputation." Invocation Mentioned During Talbiah
"O Allah! here I am at Your service, I respond to Your call, O Allah!
here I am at Your service, I respond to Your call, You have no partner,
here I am at Your service. All the praises and grace are due to You
and all the sovereignty is (too) for You and You have no partners with
You."
Mina
In his report describing the Hajj of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Jabir said: " Then, the Prophet (peace be upon him) rode for Mina where he performed the Noon, Afternoon, Sunset, Night and Dawn prayers

Arafah
Supplication Said During Standing At `Arafah
On the day of `Arafah, one should repeatedly offer this supplication of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that goes, " There is no god but Allah, there is no partner with Him, to Him praise is due, and He is powerful over everything. " And recite the following Qur'anic Verse: "
There is no god but He: that is the witness of Allah, His angels, and
those endued with knowledge, standing firm on justice. There is no
god but He the Exalted in Power, the Wise. "
The following supplication should be recited as well:
"
O Allah! due to You is all praise, like that we say, and even better
than what we say. O Allah! truly my prayer, service of sacrifice, my
life and my death are all for You. To You certainly will be my return
and all what I have done. O Allah! I seek refuge with Thee from the
torment of the grave, the (bad) whispering of the soul, and the discord
of all affairs. O Allah! I seek refuge with Thee from all the evil
that comes along with the wind, and from all that goes into the dark
night, and from all that goes into the daylight, and from the
vicissitudes of time. "
"O Allah! You hear my words, see my place, know my hidden and open
affairs, nothing thereof is obscure to You. I am the wretched poor one,
who seeks Your refuge and aid, who fears (Your penalty), who admits
his sins. I ask Thee just as the indigent one does, I pray Thee just
as the humble sinful does, and I invoke Thee just as done by the
deeply frightened one whose neck has been submissively lowered down
for Thee, and whose tears have been shed for fear of Thee, and whose
body has been made humble to Thee, and whose nose has been buried in
dust only for Thee." "There is no god but Allah, there is no partner
with Him, to Him praise is due, in His hands is all kinds of good, and
He is powerful over everything. O Allah! place light in my heart,
light in my breast, light in my hearing, and light in my sight. O
Allah! expand me my breast, and ease my task for me. I seek refuge
with Thee from the (bad) whispering of the soul, the discord of all
affairs, and the torment of the grave. O Allah! I seek refuge with
Thee from all that goes into the dark night, from all that goes into
the daylight, and from the evil that comes along with the wind, and
from the vicissitudes of time."

موضوع: رد: Hajj and `Umrah الخميس فبراير 17, 2011 2:14 pm

Muzdalifah
Proceeding from `Arafah to Muzdalifah
The Almighty Allah says, "
Then when ye pour down from (Mount) `Arafah, celebrate the praises of
Allah at the Sacred Monument and celebrate His praises as He has
directed you, even though, before this ye went astray. "
It is desirable to increasingly repeat Talbiah on every occasion, and
this is one of the most outstanding amongst them all. Also, the pilgrim
should recite the Holy Qur'an, and supplicate for Allah earnestly and
abundantly. It is preferred for him to say, "There is no god but Allah,
and Allah is the Greatest", then, to pronounce the following
invocation: "To You, O Allah! I long. And only You, O Allah! I desire.
Accept my acts of worship, guide me, provide me with more than what I
ask Thee for, do not frustrate me, for Thou art the most Generous One. O
Allah! I ask Thee to bestow on me, in this sacred place, all kinds of
good, and to mend all my affairs, and to protect me against all kinds
of evil. Only You can do this and only You can bestow these upon me."
Then, one should pick up seven pebbles in the size of a pea.

Jamrah of Al-`Aqabah
NEAR THE JAMRAH OF Al-`AQABAH
Keep pronouncing Talbiah till you reach the Jamrah of Al-`Aqabah. When
you are there stop pronouncing Talbiah and let the Ka`bah be on your
left side, Mina on your right,the Jamrah in front of you, and throw the
pebbles one by one, while reciting Takbir (saying Allah-u-akbar) on
throwing each stone.

Slaughtering
It is preferable for one on Hajj to say on the occasion of slaughtering
the Offering, "In the name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. O
Allah! shower Your blessings and peace unto Muhammad and unto his
family. O Allah! this is from You and to You, accept (it) from me."

Shaving or Haircut
Having One's Hair Cut or Shaved
It is desirable for men to hold their forelocks with their own hands
while shaving their hair, and to glorify Allah (saying: Allah-u-akbar)
three times, and then to say, "Praise be to Allah as He has guided us,
and as He has granted (so many graces) to us. O Allah! this is my
forelock, I beg you to accept what I am doing, and to forgive my sins. O
Allah! forgive me and both those who got their hair shaved and cut. O
You! Who forgives every thing. Amen." And when he finishes shaving, he
would glorify Allah (say: Allah-u-akbar) three times, and would say,
"Praise be to Allah who fulfilled - for us - our rituals. O Allah!
increase our Faith, certainty (about You), success and aid (received
from You). And forgive us, our fathers, mothers, and all Muslims."

Ifadah Tawaf
Mecca
Merits of the Blessed Mecca Allah, the Almighty, calls it "The Mother of Cities", for He says, " That thou mayest warn the Mother of Cities and all around her. "
Allah, the Almighty, calls it also "The City of Security", for He says,
"By the Fig and the Olive, and the Mount of Sinai, and this City of
security."
He also says, "I do call to witness this City. And thou art a freeman
of this City." In Mecca there is the Ancient House about which Allah,
the Almighty, says, " and circumambulate the Ancient House " and says, " Allah made the Ka`bah, the Sacred House, an asylum of security for men... "
Abraham, the Close One to Allah, invoked Allah for the favor of Mecca
saying, "O my Lord! make this city one of peace and security; and
preserve me and my sons from worshipping idols."
Allah also says, "And remember Abraham said, 'My Lord, make this a City
of Peace, and feed its people with fruits, such of them as believe in
Allah and the Last Day.' He said, 'Yea,' and such as reject Faith, for a
while will I grant them their pleasure, but will soon drive them to
the torment of Fire, an evil destination (indeed)!"
Allah, the Almighty, says, "Remember We made the House a place of
assembly for men and a place of safety; and take ye the Station of
Abraham as a place of Prayer; and we covenanted with Abraham and
Ishmael, that they should sanctify My House for those who compass it
round, or use it as a retreat, or bow, or prostrate themselves (therein
in Prayer)." On the tongue of Abraham (peace be upon him), Allah, the
Almighty, says, "O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell
in a valley without cultivation, by the Sacred House."
When the Quraish got the Prophet (peace be upon him) out of Mecca, he
stood on a mountain, turned back towards Mecca and its paths and said,
"Verily, I know that you are the dearest city to my heart and that you
are the dearest city to Allah. If only that the disbelieves drove me
out, I would have never left you."
In the Two Sahihs, it is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "
Verily, Allah made this City sacred on the day He created the heavens
and the earth; So it is sacred by the sacredness conferred on it by
Allah until the Day of Resurrection. "
In the Year of Conquest, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stood at
Jamarat Al-`Aqabah and said, "By Allah, you (Mecca) are the best spot of
Allah's land and the dearest one to me. Unless I have been driven out
(by your people), I would have never left you.
(Fighting in it) was not lawful for anyone neither before or after
me. It was made lawful for me only for an hour of a day, for it is
sacred; its thorns are not to be cut, its game is not to be molested,
and the things dropped are to be picked up only by one who makes a
public announcement of it. " Mecca, moreover, is the sanctuary of Allah and of His Messenger (peace be upon him). Therefore, whoever inters it is safe.
Supplication
"O Allah! This is Your sanctuary and secure place, protect my body from
Hell Fire. Guard me from Your punishment on the Day You will bring
back to life Your servants. Make me amongst Your devotees and obedient
ones." Also, the Messenger (peace be upon him) used to say on entering
Mecca, " O Allah! Don't let us die there until we complete our rituals.
" As the houses of Mecca come into sight, the pilgrim should say, "O
Allah! Grant me residence and bestow legal sustenance upon me."

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