SHAYKH AL ISLAM

Foreward
Arrival at Makkah
The First Meeting
Hadrat's Umrah
In Company with Shaykh al-Islam
A Question on Ihraam
Haramain Shareef 
Preparation for Mina
 Arrival in Mina 
Simple act of Ablution
Mina Shareef
Talk in Mina* 
Arrival in Arafat 
Muzdalifah
Qurbani .... the diary continues in the new book.

To read the complete & revised diary please purchase the book and help us towards our bandwidth costs.

 Added 1st September 2006
*Video of Hadrat Shaykh al Islam giving advice at Mina 04/05

Also read all about Shaykh al-Islam | Hajj & Umrah - your complete guide.

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Before our arrival we could only dream of such an opportunity and pray about performing certain Haj rituals with our spiritual master. But Alhamdo lillaah everything happened beyond our expectations and imagination. Some of which (along with our thoughts) we would like to share with brothers and sisters worldwide, particularly fellow pir-bhais and bahens.

We arrived at the sacred land of Makkah Mukarrama on the evening of Saturday January 15th. After unloading our luggage and getting washed we were anxious to perform our umra the same evening. Needless to say the crowds and the rush was at its peak as it was just days before Haj. Praise be to Allah The Almighty we managed to accomplish the acts of tawaf and sa'ee.

For the next couple of days all we could think about was the arrival of our Shaykh. On the 17th we all eagerly awaited news on Hadrat's group coming from India. We were told at approximately Dhur time that Hadrat Shaykh al Islam's flight had arrived at Jeddah but they werent expected in Makkah for another 6 to 9 hours, dependant on the various check-ins, searches etc at Jeddah airport. This generated a buzz amongst Hadrat's mureeds and devotees. In the evening we heard that Hadrat had left Jeddah but no one could give a precise time of their arrival as the traffic coming into Makkah was virtually at a stand still.

After performing a nafl 'super-erogatory' tawaf it was about midnight when we all started getting excited in anticipation of seeing in this sacred land of Makkah Mukarrama world renowned scholar',.... 'a Ji'laani Sayyad',.....'the undisputed crown of the Ahl e Sunnat' (specifically in the Indian sub continent),....'the son, grandson, and great grandson of some of the greatest Awliya Allah of the last couple of centuries',.... 'the one chosen by Allah Almighty to propagate and safeguard the true message of islam the worldover at a time when heretical groups were assembling and re-assembling causing misguidance and confusion'.

Hadrats coach finally arrived at approximately 3 a.m. They were quite visibly seen sat at the front in their Ihraam. This was the sight we had all been waiting for. Our hearts nearly stopped and it was difficult to contain ourselves. Hadrat looked towards our direction and gave a heart warming smile to all their devotees and raised their hand as a gesture. Some zam zam water was presented to our beloved Shaykh in the coach which they gracefully accepted, drank and concluded with a short supplication. The view of Hadrat in their Ihraam was also something we had never imagined. Our Shaykh e Tariqat in the same 'libaas' clothing as the mureeds epitomize's the very essence of Haj. That a king and a slave, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak, the white and the black, the literate and the illiterate all stand as equal to their creator. But in terms of status, rank, piety, knowledge of deen, closeness to Allah swt etc, how can we ever be on the same level?

Inspite of what must have been a pretty gruelling journey they looked everso relaxed and content. The picture of Shaykh al Islam in the Ihraam with the towering Minarets of Al'Haram in the background was just too good to be true - we kept pinching ourselves if this was actually happening or just a wonderful dream! Hadrat finally descended down the coach and were now in full view in their Ihraam, they looked quite impeccable and ever so elegant. The Ihraam was worn in the most perfect manner which for us further demonstrated the excellance of Hadrats character and personality.

There were also those of course in Hadrats group and already in the Hotel where Hadrat checked in, who were totally oblivious of the background, position and status of Hadrat Shaykh al Islam wal muslimeen. However what we did notice straight away was that though millions of muslims had gathered in this sacred land donning the same piece of clothing, whenever the arabs and non-arabs eye got drawn into the stature and radiating facial features of Hadrat they would find it difficult to look away.

Hadrat's mureeds and devotee's were ever so eager to carry their luggage and lead them to their room. Amongst their entourage and disciples were Hadrat's khadim 'aider' Janab Iqbal Ashrafi of Ahmedabad, Mohtaram Janab Sayyid Anwar Ashrafi Saheb and Sayyid Dastagiri Ashrafi both from Bellary, Karnatak, Sayyid Abdur-Rauf of Ahmedabad, Haji M Haroon Saheb and his son M Imtiaz of Porbandar.

The normal travelling distance between Jeddah and Makkah is usually about an hours journey by road, but under the circumstances Hadrat's coach took approximately 7 hours. We presumed Hadrat must have been fatigued and tired due to their health and age but they showed no apparant signs.

Upon entrance to their room, Hadrat carefully looked around and then enquired about the direction of the Ka'bah, with their focus on the layout of the beds. The hotel was neither 5 or 4 star, nor had en suite facilities, Hadrat made no referance to any of the matters we would talk about, infact they looked satisfied and content.

Once they settled down in the room they were asked about their journey and the various delays they had encountered...(their was no surprise to this question as we all suffered the long delays and misery in Jeddah airport) yet the response and reply was that which you would probably only expect from Shaykh al Islam. It proved how an answer to a simple question can have such an enlightening affect on the listeners if it is spoken by someone in deep rememberance of his Lord, and someone who speaks with profound wisdom. Hadrat half smiled at the question yet through their expression showed an element of surprise or astonishment at the question being asked. Hadrat replied ...quote ' bas khai'rat sai a'to ga'yai!'...unquote.,
ie... we have arrived safely!

That put an end to that, we thought. It made us instantly realise where we were, why, and how to think and behave. We were already guilty of such mishaps and expected the question to lead to a conversation accusing the Saudi officials of tedious time consuming tactics and no sense of direction or organisation on the incoming traffic flow. But Hadrat's short reply spoke volumes...it made us apprehend our status, we were only there to fulfill our duties of Haj and not to moan and groan over every delay or difficulty which may confront us, looking for excuses or finding someone to blame. Many of Hadrat's speeches and lectures come to mind when they explain and talk about 'Amrai Rubbi', the will of Allah, as Allah desires etc. It was these very first words we heard from Hadrat Shaykh al Islams mouth that had such an impact in our hearts and yet were just the beginning of an immensly inspiring spiritual journey we were about to encounter with our Murshid-e-Kamil Shaykh al Islam wal Muslimeen Hadrat Allama Peer Sayyad Madani Mian Ashrafi al-Jilaani, may Allah the Almighty protect him, elevate him even further and give us all the thirst and desire to continue to acquire through their spiritual connections cleanliness of our bodies and soul and through their wisdom and knowledge guidance that leads us to the gates of paradise. Ameen.

... it was these very first words we heard from Hadrat Shaykh al Islam's mouth that had such an impact in our hearts and yet were just the beginning of an immensley inspiring and spiritual journey we were about to encounter with our Murshid-e-Kamil....

Hadrat were served with a few items of food that were available, most of it was literally cold since it was early hours of the morning and heating facilities were not available. Hadrat made no reference to this nor showed any dissatisfaction, they ate a little of the items that suited their strict diet.

When most of the visitors had left Hadrat for the first time put their feet up. This instantly prompted one of their fellow travellers and devotees to massage their feet which spured us on too. This was our vision for the past couple of months turning into reality. This was our 'haj'....to be in the 'khidmah' (serving) and 'sohbah' (company) of our Guide in the holy land....our guide upon whom we had sworn an oath of allegiance...our guide who is our link to our Blessed Nabi AS. The feeling and emotions were very hard to contain....our hairs stood up in awe with the thought of serving our Shaykh, tears filled our eyes whilst Darood shareef was recited quietly but constantly in our hearts to Our Blessed Nabi AS., and his decendants...and how privileged our hands were to be in contact with one of His honourable descendants and renowned scholars feet. We realised we werent serving them for their comfort or relief but infact Allah subhaa'nahu wa'ta alaa gave us this opportunity to serve Hadrat Shaykh al Islam in the sacred land where the reward of one good deed mounts to 100,000. Hadrat new what was our longing desire, they were aware of our intentions and the yearning in our hearts to serve them and they obliged ...Alhamdo'lillah. 

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After leading Zuahr prayer Hadrat ate their lunch and then they had a rest as has been their lifelong practise and custom 'sunnah' of our Noble Nabi Kareem Alay'his Salaam.

As A'sar time approached we once again proceeded to see our Murshid Paak. We were startled to find the room was literally full of Hadrat's mureeds and devotees, who had come to visit them from other hotels. How can a sincere, highly knowledgeable and religiously devout personality escape the crowds that come in flocks to share their company and quench their thirst. Be it in their home town, during a preaching mission or on a trip or embarkment to a foreign land there is no escape. However it was of no real surprise as Hadrat's life is one that is surely accustomed to having scores of people around them.. ...The verse from the Noble Qur'an comes to mind which Hadrat have so often unfolded and elaborated during their lectures..

 ..'ya ayyuhal ladhina aamanu ittaqu Allah wa kunu m'a assadiqin'

- O ye who believe, fear ALLAH and be with (in the company of) the truthful (righteous).

Shaykh al Islam is certainly in our mind (in this day and age) a prodigy of this verse 'ayah', For us the image of our Shaykh in the Holy land with masses of people around them further justified this view. It was not possible to sit in the room due to the shortage of space. Some people were asking Hadrat questions regarding certain aspects of Haj and umra. Then the 'majlis' gathering, was interrupted with the sound of 'adhaan' coming from al-Haram. Hadrat became silent, closed their eyes and lowered their head to their chest. Most of the people in the room were silently answering to the call of prayer which was quite audible, but Hadrats lips remained intact. When the Blessed Prophets name was called virtually everyone kissed their thumbs and rubbed their eyes save Hadrat Saheb. After the adhaan was complete Hadrat opened their eyes, looked at the crowd and spoke.....(in their silent yet suttle tone they completely gripped the attention and focus of all those present)...

quote: “hamarai ustaad Hazrat Hafiz e Millat Alayhi-Rehmah sai sawal kiya gaya kai kisi bad aqida ya bad mazhab ki azaan ka jawab dai na chahiyai?” unquote.

A question was asked to our principal/teacher Hadrat Hafiz e Millat Reh, that should one answer to the adhaan (call of prayer) by one who holds false/corrupt beliefs and/or one who does not adhere to following one of the four Imams, .....basically a wahabi/salafi etc.

The crowd was totally mesmerized by what Hadrat were saying and anxious for the answer to the question as it was in direct reflection to what we had all just been guilty of. Hadrat continued...

quote: “ unho nai jawab diya kai aisay shakhs ki azaan, azaan hi naheen hai, balkai wo sirf azaan kai alfaaz dora'tai hai....” unquote

The call of prayer by such a person is not adhaan but merely repetition of the words used in adhaan....(they continued)...so why answer to the call that is not adhaan. Takbir or aqamat consist of all the words used in adhaan but is not adhaan.....hence if the calling of the words used in adhaan becomes adhaan then why is takbir not known as adhaan? However since the words are called and to preserve and maintain their respect one must remain silent. So if we do not accept their adhaan how do we accept their prayer ?

On these final words all those present smiled with a sense of relief and apprehension. Hadrat further explained that ... 'You wont find or read about these issues in books, you will only become aquainted with them by being in the 'sohbah' company of the 'buzurgah'ne deen' righteous men.'

With these words Hadrat got up and gave the indication for asar prayers to commence.  The congregation for the Asar salah spilled out of Hadrat's room onto the hallway. After the prayer the majlis 'gathering' continued. Questions were being asked on aspects of haj, the legality and illegality of certain situations people had encountered. It was sometime during this session that hadrat's khadim 'aider' offered some light snacks to the visitors to be passed around on a plate, which immediately caught Hadrat's attention and prompted them to tell him to offer the guest more (from the items Hadrat had actually brought with them from India)..they said 'those items where brought to be consumed, what good will they be if they are left idle and untouched?'... Hadrat looked at the gathering with a half-smile.

Amongst the visitors were some ulema 'scholars' from India with whom Hadrat were extremely familiar and attentive. We observed they spoke very highly of a buzurg 'pious/holy man' these scholars were associated with, presumably their ustaad 'religious teacher'. Hadrat even related an incident of their meeting with this 'buzurg' and the respect they had for each other. This was of no real surprise as over the years we have became accustomed with Shaykh al Islam as always having good things to say about other muslims especially ulema 'scholars'. Even if the questioner speaks of a fellow muslim with contempt Hadrat would always try to reason and look at things from another angle so long as there is no violation of the Qur'an and/or Sunnah. Through their wisdom and example we also learn not to indulge in heresay and backbiting 'ghibah', but Hadrat solves these matters with such diplomacy where the accuser is not outrightly and blatently condemned but through reasoning he too would get the message and maybe think twice of such a recurrence of error and sin.

Many visitors were stood waiting outside the room, hence Hadrat's khadim asked some people in the gathering to sit up on some of the beds inside the room to accommodate the incoming people. There was a lot of movement with people coming and going, people were bringing gifts in the way of food/fruit, some were bringing messages of salaam from their respective families abroad, some were seeking and requesting Hadrat's prayers, some were there to ask questions and some where there (as we were) just to sit in their company..... observing all this from the corner of the room we wondered 'whether Hadrat had ever travelled anywhere without such masses of people around them ? ' 

The answer to this 'thought' came in the way of a manqabat 'poetry' couplet, read during the annual Urs Mubarak of Hadrat Makhdoom ul Millat Muhaddith e Azam e Hind Reh, in Kicchowcha Shareef approx 6/7 years ago by a well known poet called Janab Hamsar Qaderi .....

This was our first hand experience of enjoying Hadrat's company outside the United Kingdom and it did not appear any different to what we had been accustomed to. Hadrat's routine and schedule was precisely the same as we knew it. The majlis 'gathering' was of the same vigour, spirit, nature and respect. We sometimes used to assume that maybe in England Hadrat gives and spends extra time with their mureed's and devotee's. On the contrary this is due to our ignorance and undermining the integrity of Shaykh al Islam. Followers and mureed's of different origin's and various nationalities come with much devotion, passion and spirit to acquire the spiritual benefactions of Shaykh al Islam, yet these gathering's had the added impetus of being held in the sacred land where our Most Beloved and the Greatest of Allah subhaanahu wa ta'alaa's creation was born, infinite peace and blessing's be upon Him.

After Isha salah Hadrat's khadim asked if they would eat their supper, clearly signalling the end of the session. But once more Hadrat's approach in dismissing the gathering further exemplified their mannerism and personality, they would say to those present ...“ok, then you all better go and get something to eat as well',... knowing food was readily available on the floor above in the same Hotel. (We leave to the reader's imagination the alternative to these words under such circumstances.) Hadrat's khadim would choose and bring Hadrat food from the Hotel restaurant to their room, but the khadim himself as well as everyone else would eat in the restaurant on Hadrat's instructions, clearly so that they would get to eat without hesitation and to their satisfaction.

It was quite apparent that Hadrat would rest for the rest of the night due to the lack of it the previous day. We used this time to perform some supplementary Tawaf's of our own.

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The next morning Hadrat led Fajar salah and after breakfast they sat up for visitors till Zuhar prayer. Once more the main topic of discussion was various aspects of Haj, particularly concessionary travel prayer 'qasr'. Many of the haji's were confused on the issue of qasr salah which Hadrat clarified in detail.

At the time of a'sar the room was once again full to the maximum, we even met other mureed's we recognised from the U.K. Many eager devotee's were asking and enquiring about Hadrat's 'mina' camp number, so that they could visit and pray their salah behind them. Due to the amount of people waiting outside to greet Hadrat, the khadim saheb had to appeal to those present inside the room to meet Hadrat and give their space to others waiting, not surprisingly, very few obliged to his request thus Hadrat once more asked more guests to sit up on the beds.

It was on this occasion, we distinctly remember a question was asked on the women's ihraam. The questioner explained that on his previous experience of Haj he had witnessed many brothers enter the ladies tent during the days of haj, hence under such a climate if it was permissible for women to wear a 'nikab' ?  Hadrat's answer to the question left us all astounded. They replied that : ' under the state of ihraam, women cannot cover their face, since material cant touch the skin on the face.'  They continued and stressed ....

' that nevermind during haj even under normal circumstances a women need'nt cover her face so long as the hair is well covered. It is neither fard nor wajib upon them to wear a nikab but it is haram for man to look or stare at the face of an estranged woman. Thus women who do cover their face are infact doing man a great favour...they are aiding and helping man from commiting sin. Man is under obligation not to look yet he has made it an obligation on the female to cover herself where Islam gave her the freedom. Islam is straight forward with a simple set of rules but man makes it complicated and confusing.'

Once more Hadrat ended this session by saying 'you won't find these issues in books, but only in the company of the riqhteous.'  Those present were totally elated and dumbfounded by the way Hadrat completely turned the whole question around and put a whole new perspective to this subject which is the cause of many debates and prejudice's in the western world. We also learn that there is not an ounce of bias or intolerance amongst the pious and righteous, they always speak the truth and never discriminate against any fellow humanbeings, cultures, nations, religions etc, infact they always speak in accordance to the Qur'an and Sunnah, hence Hadrat's closing words...

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Later that evening when the mehfil had been abrogated Hadrat began arranging some of their belongings together in preparation for Mina. We were fortunate enough to receive some of their essential advice along with their mureed's from India. Hadrat also showed a lot of concern for one of their young fellow traveller Sayyid Abdu-Rauf of Ahmedabad, India, he had developed an irritating chesty cough. They would regularly ask him how he was feeling and remind him to take his medicine. Another side of Shaykh al Islam we encountered, paternal, protecting, kind and gentle.

We all anticipated a hectic evening in preparation for Mina and our apprehensions lived to expectations. As well as tirelessly striving to spend as much time as possible in the company of our Shaykh, some of us had certain other responsibilities too, like seeing to the needs and requirements of other family members, dependants etc. We were concious of the emphasis and importance of these responsibilities and the consequences of negligence and neglect..... otherwise we may as well pack our bags and head home.

Like Hadrat we too were in ihraam and had yet to perform our tawaf e qudoom. It was always in the back of our minds that Hadrat would enter Al Haram before setting off for Mina, and how we yearned to follow Hadrat's footsteps to the sanctuary of Masjid al Haram, however none of us had time to stop, think and make adjustments to make such plans as the risk factor was too great since the time given for the transport departing for Mina was fast approaching, and we had been categorically told to be present at the Hotel foyer at the departing time. All we could do amidst all the rush and euphoria was pray and hope that Almighty Allah The All seeing and All hearing would fullfill our desires.

The scenes in Makkah were electric, the crowds were at the pinnacle, soundwaves of  ' labaik Allahumma labaik....'  were heard in various tones being enchanted across the sacred land. Many pilgrims were packing and making preparations for Mina – coaches, jeeps, taxis and trucks were being loaded, whilst many had already begun walking. There was masses and streams of people moving in haste in every direction, a sense of panic and excitement was felt all around. Yet back in Hadrats room it was total peace, tranquility and calm, Hadrat were sat as normal with the regular crowd around them seen smiling, taking everything in their stride, signifying their total trust in Allah Almighty. It was obvious that Hadrat would leave to perform their tawaf soon, as the crowds visible from the hotel room around the vicinity of Al Haram was gradually reducing in comparison to what it had been earlier on.

Only those who were allocated the same coach number to that of Hadrat were lucky enough to hang around and follow them to Al Haram. Henceforth we left for Haram Shareef with our families and merged with the crowds entering through the Royal gates to the Grand and Majestic Khana e Kaaba. However a slight feeling of emptiness was felt without our Shaykh, but we were entering the sacred sanctuary were Almighty Allah subhaanahu wa ta a'la's mercy and blessing was present and descending in its most abundance, where dreams are fulfilled and lives are changed. It was also equally important to be totally sincere during the acts of worship, we tried to remain focused in our prayers and maintain the devotion of our intention. The crowds were extremely tense, swarming to and fro in various directions, we had to stay focused in the remembrance of our Creator. But whenever our eyesight and vision looked up it was desperately searching for a glimpse of our Shaykh e Tariqat.

Following the tawaf we searched for appropriate space to offer our 2 rakat salah by Makaamai Ibrahim but due to the size of the crowds we had to settle to offer this application of prayer in the mosque area of Al Haram. At times like this and with the act of Saee still to follow, we remembered some of the wonderful words of Shaykh al Islam from their speeches when they would relate to these very scenes where we were stood;  

quote: .. 'this circulation of the Ka'bah...this trek between mount Safaa and Marwah...this Ramy Jimaar, this is all for the establishment of the Remembrance of thy Lord. Let me inform you during the act of Tawaf, it is neither fard nor wajib to make any verbal dua 'supplication', merely circulate the Kaaba 7 times and the act of tawaf will be valid, during the act of saee it is neither fard nor wajib to make any supplications, merely walk up and down the two mounts and your saee will be accomplished, in Arafat the wuqoof, 'ones presence' is sufficient, in Muzdalifah the wuqoof at night is enough, for Ramy Jimaar it is neither fard nor wajib to make any supplication, merely throw the pebbles in the appropriate manner and it will suffice. But what do we see the servant is circulating the House of Allah, is marching between Mounts Safaa and Marwah, is performing the Ramy Jimaar ... yet Allah is saying 'This is my Remembrance? This is the Dhikr of Allah! Now I ask you. Did Allah ever circulate the Ka'bah? Did Allah ever complete the act of Saee? Had Allah ever performed the Ramy Jimaar? Stayed in the plains of Arafat? Spend a night in Muzdalifah? Make Makaamai Ibrahim a musallah 'prayer mat'? Kiss Hajre Aswad 'the black stone'? Ever drink the Abai Zum Zum in a standing position? Tell me! If Allah had ever performed these acts ... then how is this Remembering Allah?

The answer will be that Almighty Allah has not performed these acts but His Mehboob ' Most Beloved' has, hence when His Beloved makes circulations ... this circumambulation is Dhikr e Ilaahi 'Remembrance of Allah'! When His Beloved runs ... that running is Remembrance of Allah! When His beloved pelts stones ... then that stone pelting is the Remembrance of Allah! Where His Beloved stops ... to stop at that place is the Remembrance of Allah! Where His Beloved spends a night ... to camp at that site is Remembrance of Allah! The stone His Beloved kisses ... kissing that stone is the Remembrance of Allah! The water His Beloved drinks ... to drink that water is the Remembrance of Allah! So we can conclude that to imitate the actions of Allahs Beloveds is Remembrance of Allah! Let me also inform you that the land that has had the honour of having 'nisbah' connection with the Blessed feet of Allahs Beloved .... to respect and revere that piece of land is Dhikr e Ilahi 'Remembrance of Allah! Once in my world of thoughts and imagination I asked Makaamai Ibraheem 'O stone, why did you absorb the imprint of Sayyidena Ibraheem Alayhis Salaams foot?' The response was 'O fool! Do you not see, had I not taken the impression of Sayyidina Ibraheem Alayhis Salaams Blessed Footprint then how would i have preserved my existence. Their foot mark has become my sign of survival. Almighty Allah is also telling us that the 'salah' prayer performed near the Makaamai Ibraheem is the most worthy and valuable. If one completes this salah inside the Khana e Ka'bah it won't bear the same value .... if performed next to Hajre Aswad it won't bear the same value ... if performed by the Hateem it won't bear the same value ... but the most profitable is that which is prayed near Makaamai Ibraheem thus we ascertain that when worshipping Allah seek the blessed imprints of Allahs Beloveds feet....' unquote.

Allahu Akbar! Here we were at this very land that had so much 'nisbah' connection with Allahs Beloved's, yet it was through the 'nisbah' connection we had with our Shaykh, Hadrat Shaykh al Islam that we could try to understand and contemplate some of the hidden manifestations, implications and importance of the message Allah is giving to His slaves regarding certain rituals of Haj that many oversee. 

Ya Allah! You have given us this honour of 'nisbah' connection with Shaykh al Islam, with their guidance and prayers we are stood here today in Your Sacred House, we totally honour the glory, dignity and reverence of the exalted Khana e Kaabah and this most esteemed land that kissed the Blessed Feet of your Greatest of Creation, Their Noble Companions and Family. O Allah! We beseech You in this very land to guide us to our guide who has guided us and many others to You and Your Beloved, our guide upon whom Your Countenance flourish and You Graced as the descendent of Your Most Beloved. Having invoked our feelings and sentiments after the two rakah salah, we made our way towards the mount of Safaa to commence the Sa'ee.

The number of pilgrims and the motion of the crowds was quite phenomenal, resembling a huge wave stretching all the way from mount Safaa to mount Marwaa. We felt like mere drops of water about to be succumbed and capitulated by this vast ocean in total submission to our creator. The sound of ecstatic, passionate chanting in various languages of the world, in praise of thy Lord by different nationalities was simply breathtaking. We tried not to be distracted by the size of the crowd nor what country of origin the people around us belonged to, but to remain totally focused in the remembrance and worship of our Lord was our goal.

The act of sa'ee is a highly emotional form of worship that has to be performed with the same devotion and spirit as Allahs Beloved servant Sayyida Hajra RadiAllaho ta'ala anha. One is automatically compelled to recollect the event and memories when Allah 'The All Knowing' subjected His dear servant to the limits of Sabr 'patience, as she desperately searched for water for her Son, Hadrat Sayyidina Ismail ala Nabiyina Alayhis Salaam. Once again the words of our Shaykh sprung to mind regarding the hidden secrets of Sa'ee, which ultimately further intensified our heartfelt desire to seek their company and footsteps during its performance. Quote....

Quote....' wan-may yo-a'zzim sha'aa-i rAllahi fa innahaa min taqwal quloob '... Al qur'an.(22:32)
.. and whoso respects the signs of Allah, then it is from the piety of hearts. (Kanz al Iman)

This is a clear explicit verse of the Qur'an al-kareem! So what exactly is 'sha'aa-i'? Let us further examine the Qur'an al-kareem. The Qur'an is giving us an example of what 'sha'aa-i' the sign of Allah is, in another verse for our understanding ;

..in-nas safa wal marwahta min sha'aa-i rAllah,..(2:158)
no doubt! safa and marwah are among the symbols of Allah, ..(kanz al Iman).,

So lets conclude from the two definite quotes of the Qur'an – respecting the signs of Allah's is the piety of the heart and...the symbol of Allah's religion is safa and marwah, hence the respect of safa is the piety of the heart ... the respect of marwah is the piety of the heart, this has clearly been deduced and established by Allah's kalaam, but I would like to question you regarding safaa, is this the name of a Prophet ?

Is marwah the name of a Gawth?
A kutub?

The name of some extremely devout and pious person?
No! It is merely stone!

The respect from the heart which we are discussing, is for stone! And the respect 'tazeem' for safa and marwah is the piety of the heart! Oh people! If you desire to see the fate of stone, then go to Makkah! Khana e Kaaba is stone, Safaa is stone, marwah is stone, Hajre Aswad ... stone, Makaamai Ibrahim ... stone, Jablai Rehmah ...stone, the plains and valleys of Arafat ... stone, the plains and valleys of Muzdalifa ...stone, the plains and valleys of Mina ... stone, if you want to see the fate of stone then travel to Makkah. Let me go further, lets ask Islam! Oh Islam, from this Khaana e Kaaba you removed 360 stones and yet upon this same Kaaba one particular stone had been placed. From the Kaaba that had 360 stones taken out, how did one stone find a place on the Kaaba that also became known as the soul of the Kaaba? How did it became the spirit of the Kaaba? How did it became an integral part of the Sacred Kaaba? Islam will reply ... Oh fool! Not all stones are the same! Go and ask Makaamai Ibraheem! What is the significance of this stone? The significance of this stone is that Hadrat Sayyidena Ibraheem Khaleellullah Alayhis Salaam had placed their blessed foot on this notable stone, not their noble Head nor their exalted Heart but their foot and the stone absorbed and took the imprint of their foot inspite of the hardness of stone which is an established fact.
Henceforth, how did safa and marwah become for us the piety of the heart. What constitutes it to be the sign of Allah's deen? It is stone! It has neither surrendered in prayer to Allah ... nor offered donations of zakah ... nor kept fast during the month of Ramadan, but if you do some research, history will unfold and you will find that once Allah's beloved servant Hadrat Hajira Radi Allaho ta'al anha, ran here between the two mounts in search of water for her son. The way this happened was that she would go from mount Safa to Marwah .... Marwah to Safa .... Safa to Marwah and in between the two mounts she would come to a couple of hillocks where she would lose sight of her son and in desperation she would increase her pace until she could spot him again, then she would slow down. She continued in her quest constantly turning round reassuring herself of his safety when on the completion of the seventh round as she looked at her son she felt water at her feet. The force of the spring of water gushing out was such that it seemed that it would flood the entire region of Makkah, within a matter of time. Henceforth Sayyida Hajira Radi Allaho ta'al anha, quickly built a boundary wall of mud and sand around the spring and cried 'zum zum!' Stop! Stop! 'zum zum'! These were the words that came from the mouth of Allah's beloved servant.

If you understand and try to contemplate the meaning of 'zum zum', you will learn to respect 'tazeem' even the words that became accepted and exalted 'maqbool' by Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala, which come from the blessed mouths of those who are accepted 'maqbool' to Almighty Allah. Thus the water ceased to flow further and stopped. As it is, this was Hadrat Hajira's pursuit of water for a specific reason, but today and until doomsday 'qiamah', muslim's are ordered and instructed to perform the sa'ee.

But what if one replies 'Why should we?
We don't need water for our children, why should we walk up and down the two mounts ... what will we gain?'

Oh fool! Are you not aware, on this piece of land My Beloved servant had once tread, her feet have had connection 'nisbah' with this area.... this is the symbol of Allah's deen and you ought to come and imitate her actions and perform the circuits in order to preserve its memory ..... when she walked slowly ... you walk slowly too, where she walked briskly ... you walk briskly too. Think hard and understand! The stones that have had connection with Allah's pious servants those stones are the Sign of Allah's deen....

The respect of these stones is the piety 'taqwa' of the heart...
Note carefully I have not come to a position yet where I have said to respect Hadrat Ghawth al A'dham is the piety of the heart.... nor have I come to say the respect of Sayyidina Ghareeb Nawaz is the piety of the heart .... I have not even said that the respect of the Sahaba or the Ahl al Bayt is the piety of the heart ...
Look! I have not even said that the respect of the Prophet's and the Messenger's is the piety of the heart ...
Nor have I said that the respect of Sayyidul Mursileen is the piety of the heart ....

All I am saying at the moment is the respect of the land where these Beloved servants of Allah tread, to respect that land is the piety of the heart!!.......... unquote. 

Glory and Praise be to Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala, for it is only through His grace we have been honoured and dignified with the auspicious association with Hadrat Shaykh al Islam and through the recollection of their lectures we were able to contemplate the significance of Sa'ee.

We were well into our circuits of Sa'ee, the movement was very slow due to the intensity of the crowd. As our lips remained constant in repeating Darood Shareef, our mind, focus and attention was reviving the steps of Hadrat Hajira RadiAllaho ta'ala anha striving to comprehend the torment the devoted wife of Hadrat Ibraheem Alayhis Salaam must have endured, but our heart was still desperately searching and seeking our Shaykh amongst the crowds, in order to have OUR inner most thirst quenched. Infact the more we remembered Hadrat's words the more we longed to be by their side whilst performing the act of Sa'ee, for we also realised this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

At this point we invoked upon the Blessed Soul of Sayyidina Hajira RadiAllaho ta'ala anha to intercede to our Creator on our behalf for the fulfilment of our personal duas, to have mercy on us and just as She relentlessly ran up and down the two mounts to extinguish the thirst of Her Beloved Son, we pleaded with Her to supplicate to Allah...''to quench our burning desire for a glance of our Spiritual Guide who taught us and instilled in the hearts of many others the importance and reverence of this land that has 'nisbah' with Your Blessed footsteps..... Ya Allah, as you gave this land credence and made it Your Symbol, that warrants respect ... is the piety of the heart, we beg Thee for a fraction of the same blessing and honour as you gave this land... grace us the humble 'nisbah' connection to our Shaykh's feet ... guide us to his footsteps, so that we can climb the very first steps of piety and reach the realms of 'qurbah' closeness, to those who are already close to You.'' These were our most determined yet diligent thoughts and feelings.

However after completing almost three and a half circuits our level of concentration, passion and anticipation began to very slightly subside. Upon self examination we could think of many reasons, from head to toe we had nothing to show but total shame. How dare we take for granted that only we had the rights or were worthy to be in the company of our Shaykh amongst so many and in such a sacred environment. We asked Allah for forgiveness and bowed our head feeling rejected and humiliated to Hadrat Hajira RadiAllah ho anha,.... when all of a sudden out of nowhere two of our close brothers and Hadrats devotees appeared. They looked quite nervous yet elated in a funny kind of a way, making gestures that Hadrat were only a few yards away.

Upon receiving this news we felt the adrenalin increase in our bodies by ten fold, our hearts thumping against our chest to be released. Though externally, we managed to maintain and preserve the etiquette and 'a'dab' respect of the act of Sa'ee by continuing our circuits in an orderly manner without showing any apparent signs of panic, yet internally, we were in the state of red alert and a total bag of nerves with the thought of being so close to Hadrat. Within a matter of a few seconds we were approaching the green light area depicting the place between the two 'hillocks' where it is a 'sunnah' for men to increase their pace. This generated space and opened up gaps around us, we managed to shift ourselves from the middle to the side of the walking area, while continuing our stride in a slow pace, as streams of pilgrims sprinted past us, anticipating Hadrat to do the same ........ And lo and behold, they did!

Words cannot describe the feelings and emotions we felt when our unrighteous eyes met the righteous and Saintlike person of our Shaykh e Tariqat. Infact we did not have time to ponder and reflect over these moments, as in a matter of time all of our thoughts and anxieties had been transferred from seeking our Shaykh to attempting to stay and linger close behind them for the remainder of our Sa'ee.

The irony of it all was that it was at this very place when 'Mohibbai Rasool' Hadrat Allama Abdul Qa'dir Badayuni Rehmahtullah alaih were performing the Sa'ee with Imam e Ahle Sunnah A'la Hadrat Fadilai Barelawi Rehmahtullah alaih. On approaching the area of the hillocks Hadrat Abdul Qa'dir Badayuni Rehm. continued to walk in a slow pace. Imam e Ahle Sunnah Rehm. observed their action, and later questioned them as to why they refrained from sprinting at the place where it was customary to increase ones pace. To this they replied ''How could I have walked briskly, didn't you see! Hadrat Ghawth Al A'zam RadiAllah ho ta'ala anho, were walking in front of me, how could I have gone infront of them?''

On this encounter A'la Hadrat Imam e Ishq o Mohabbah, wrote some couplets in honour of their close fellow companion and great Scholar, Hadrat Mohibbai Rasool, one of which is as follows;

Preparations for Mina

There was frantic movement by many pilgrims all around, some were visibly in an almost panic state, anxious to depart for Mina for the most important journey of their lives. A small crowd started to gather outside our hotel awaiting the arrival of our transport as we all waited, packed and ready to leave. It didn't take us long to realise that in such circumstances it would have been wishful thinking to expect our coach to have arrived on time. But the most heartening news amidst all the rush and excitement was that we had been informed by our tour reps that upon our wishes they had succeeded in managing to accommodate us not only in the same area but the actual tent as our beloved Shaykh.

AllahuAkbar! This was all we wanted to hear, once again our most Merciful creator Rabbul a'limeen 'The Lord of all the worlds' had fulfilled our most burning desire in the land of the Prophets. Now it was up to us to be in the most disciplined and right frame of mind, body and soul. The coming 5 days of Haj were to be our biggest test, both physically and mentally ..... in fact the biggest test for all of the 2.5 to 3 million Haji's about to be cramped in the Mina site for the obligation of Haj, but Almighty Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala The Most Glorious and Sublime blessed us not only with the opportunity to fulfil this duty but with the privilege of being in the same tent and thus under the guidance of our Shaykh e Tariqat.

We finally departed for Mina at approximately midnight. Our mind was going through a series of mixed emotions of joy, excitement, fear and nerves. The melodious chant of 'Labbaik....' was constant in our lips but the sound and passion was gradually subsiding as tiredness took its toll on our fatigued bodies. It would not have been difficult to read the minds of all the worrying and seriously 'dry' looking expressions of the Haji's around us as every face told a similar story, daunted of what was to lie ahead. Under these circumstances adrenalin was further intensified in our bodies especially with the thought of being in the same tent as Hadrat but the reality of it all was still beyond us.

It was only about an hour or so since our arrival in Mina when two of Hadrats mureeds walked in the tent with a cup of tea for our Shaykh, which prompted them to smile and show a sense of gratitude, this in turn brought satisfaction and pleasure in our hearts to see them content. At every opportunity Hadrats most eager devotees would endeavour to out think each other to be the first to offer Hadrat tea, fruit or be the first to place the prayer mat during the times of salah etc, purely to seek their generous sight and prayers 'nigah e karam'.

After a short while Hadrat through their wisdom and thoughtfulness suggested that we should go and familiarize ourselves with the routes and distance to the ablution area 'wudu khana'. On route Hadrat even enquired about the direction of the main road leading to the Jamaraat and the respective pole numbers for identification of our camp area. With this one sensible act the whole contingent that followed Hadrat benefited too. In hindsight we realised that such a simple function which many pilgrims quite easily neglect leads to panic and trauma resulting in spending the entire days of Haj looking for loved ones.

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There was just about enough light in our tent to be able to see. The noise level from the surrounding area had dropped by quite an extent. The sound of the odd person snoring and the AC generators was audible, but generally there was a calm, soothing atmosphere prevalent within the tent. We just about managed to draw enough courage to make a super fast glance towards our Shaykh, anticipating for them to be asleep, but to our shock it seemed as though they were looking straight back at us, this made us immediately shut our eyes and we dare not look again, as it was, we were the ones under our Guides surveillance and guidance. We later realised ie the next day that this was the case with all the brothers who looked up towards Hadrats direction.

However a couple of our brothers who where finding it difficult to sleep testified that they had noticed Hadrat sitting up and reading from what they can only describe as a pocket sized Qur'an e Paak. Yet another example of our Shaykhs modesty and purity. Opting to remember and worship the Almighty Lord in seclusion whilst every one else was asleep, for ibadah 'worship', in its most truest sense is that which is purely for the pleasure of Allah subhaa'nahu wa ta a'la and not for the praise and plaudits of fellow human beings.

The next thing we knew was that we were awoken by the sound of shuffling noise next to us. Hadrat were already up along with some of their mureeds ready to go to the wudu khana 'ablution area'. One of the brothers had told us that he had witnessed Hadrat gently swiping their matress with their own hands and then folding the sheet in the most meticulous manner. They had obviously set their alarm for Tahajjud prayer as it was a while for fajr time to commence. Next a brother grabbed Hadrat's water containers whilst another seemed to derive much pleasure handling Hadrat's slippers and placing them on the floor for Hadrat to wear on route to the ablution area. Still virtually half asleep we quickly followed suit, looking at the water cans, wondering why Hadrat had gone to the lengths and trouble of carrying the two awkward pieces of items all the way from India. But what was about to unfold was to become a virtual 'eye opener' for us as we were about to witness and experience yet another 'golden moment' with our 'Golden' Shaykh e Tariqat. 

The crowds around the ablution area were only slowly picking up as we presumed only the 'tahajjud' seekers would have been up. Hadrat instructed one of the mureeds to fill the water cans as we stood and waited with them on one side away from all the hustle and bustle.

As the water arrived Hadrat knelt down and proceeded to commence their wudu. We just about heard them pray the 'tasmia'. All of Hadrats devotees stood around them where totally dumbfounded and awestruck. This was a truly remarkable feeling to witness our Murshid Hadrat Shaykh al Islam performing their wudu this way. It has to be pointed out that the weight of the containers once filled with water was quite considerable, some of Hadrats over zealous mureeds suggested to pour the water on their behalf whilst they performed their wudu but this suggestion was immediately rejected with a stern reaction implying that under no circumstances did they require any assistance nor help during the act of ablution. Our initial thoughts were of somewhat surprise why Hadrat refused any assistance and rebuked the conventional tap system which would have been so much easier and comfortable but it gave us an insight and opportunity to try to perceive the most excellent and wonderful moments in our imagination as to when Allah subhaa' nahu wa ta a'la's beloved Nabi Alayhis Salaam would have their most Matchless and Noble Companions gathered around them most eager to catch just one droplet of the Blessed water that would have come from the Most Purest of Pure Body. Though we did not have the 'nisbah' of water coming directly from our Beloved Noble Huzoor Paak's Blessed Body 'jism e athar', we can proudly say we had connection 'nisbah' with one of their most revered progeny of this age, at this most sacred site, during these blessed days performing the ablution in a manner where they were preserving the total custom 'sunnah' of Nabi Kareem Alaihis Salaam.

The whole scenario of the entire inhabitants of Mina worrying about quickly joining the ever growing queues to perform the ablution, seemed so frantic and furious, yet one Shaykh al Islam was seen performing their wudu the traditional way in the most calm and peaceful manner. It was common knowledge that the act of wudu 'ablution' is an act of worship, but we seldom perceive it to be that way due to negligence and our own shortfalls. However we can truly say on this day we observed not only our Shaykh engrossed in Allah's 'ibadah' but all the onlookers engrossed in our Shaykh. The way Hadrat would pour the water onto their right palm and then gently rub it onto their most pious and illuminating face was a remarkable vision. 

One mureed had said that for him it had given wudu a complete new understanding, another described as an ancient art technique. In retrospect whilst Hadrat were performing their ablution it seemed as though either everything around us just stopped for a while or we were so drawn into watching Hadrat we became oblivious of everything else happening around us.

We were actually well acquainted with the knowledge that this was Hadrat's normal practice. Even during Hadrat's travels and at the houses of some of their more fortunate devotees who have had the honour of keeping Hadrat while they have been on a preaching mission, will testify that Hadrat would use a bucket or bottle for their wudu rather than relying on the basin taps. However we never expected it like this here in Mina, but now we could fully understand the justification for carrying the water cans and the purpose they were to serve arguably Hadrats most important piece of items after the ihram. Naturally on completion of the wudu Hadrat refrained from drying themselves to preserve the conditions and etiquettes of ihram.

Hadrat along with their entourage headed back to the tent. The crowds were growing by the minute. We noticed pilgrims were still arriving in their droves on foot and many in coach loads. Hadrat performed their 'tahajjud' prayer while the rest of us had to literally do jihad with ourselves to restrain our tempers from flaring up whilst joining and waiting at the queues to cleanse ourselves up. Some people from the crowds managed to get a hose pipe and to quicken things up began helping pilgrims to hastily perform their wudu at almost 3 to 4 at a time. Under the circumstances and conditions it was most tempting to join in with those aided by the hose pipe, but we were quickly reminded how during the act of ablution Hadrat refused any form of support since it eradicates the individual from the essential blessings and 'barakah' of the act of wudu which becomes 'makrooh', if performed with help and support. 

As we were still in the midst of the madness and furore amongst 'one' of the thousands of purpose built ablution grounds in the plains of Mina, the 'fajr' prayer 'adhaan' was called, which seemed to trigger a greater insurgence of people pouring into the already compressed area. Finally, we made our way back to our tent through the onrush and found to our surprise that our entire tent had been transformed from rows of sleeping mats to rows of prayer mats. Hadrat were sat at the front awaiting the gathering to complete the emphatic 'sunnah' prayer, while we struggled to find space thinking how so many in the congregation managed to perform their 'wudu' before us. Many in the congregation had come from other camps solely to perform their 'salah' behind Hadrat Shaykh al Islam.

After 'salah' the customary handshake with the Imam and fellow Muslims which some of us generally don't even bother to partake in, became a privilege as has been throughout our tour, but never to this capacity, commencing with the honour to shake and lightly kiss the righteous and devout hands of our Spiritual guide expressing our sincere love and devotion. The entire tent became encircled with this act of love, we can say that brotherhood was prevalent within our camp as we greeted brothers from different parts of the world.

As soon as Hadrat sat down a very big gathering formed around them, with many visitors still arriving. We offered tea to Hadrat and all the guest who had arrived as it was easily available, Alhamdolillah!

Hadrat once again ordered their 'khadim' to distribute light snacks to those present (again from their own belongings). Those sat near Hadrat were fortunate enough to listen to their wise words, whilst we were counting our blessings lucky enough just to be in their presence and able to see them albeit from a distance. The mehfil continued for well over an hour. Those close to Hadrat were getting deeply enthralled by Hadrats words but were soon disrupted with the unexpected arrival of breakfast.

After breakfast Allah subhaa nahu wata'ala gave us the opportunity to sit near our Shaykh. Many questions were being asked. Unfortunately due to our weaknesses and memory lapse we cannot remember all of the wonderfully inspiring words and sayings of Hadrat but what we do quite clearly and distinctly remember to this day is that at the time we were, along with everyone else deeply moved and just completely taken aback by the wisdom and sheer knowledge of Hadrat, which made us appreciate why Allah chose them to be always known as the Shaykh al Islam.

As Zuhr time approached visitors were coming and going. We did manage to recognise some scholars 'ulema' whom we had met in a gathering in Makkah, though generally it was difficult to establish the background and standing of the guest, since we were all in the same clothing. We realised how much one can read about an individual through the garments he adorns. Even by observing ones headgear 'topi' we can usually hazard a guess as to the background and/or nationality of a person. However it is worth noting that the very concept of Haj is to curtail our worldly positions and promotions and be humbled as the equal creation of our Lord, which is boosted with the status of our dwellings in Mina and the donning of merely two sheets of cloth. Henceforth the vision of a pilgrim in the state of 'ihraam' gives no indication of the status, background, level and integrity of a person, yet those who are God fearing and close to Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala, they still manage to get recognition and this recognition is through their spiritual emissions, radiating features, heartfelt characteristics and intensive knowledge and wisdom they are blessed with and possess. The pilgrims flocking to see and sit by Hadrat Shaykh al Islam brought the following couplet of a 'naat' to mind,

News was fast spreading that Hadrat were to give a talk, even the labourers and cooks hired by our groups agents from various parts of India, whom we had got to know over time were enquiring about what time the speech was to commence. It was quite ironic that many of the people within our surrounds were from India, but about to hear Hadrat speak for the very first time. Nevertheless as far as Hadrat's personality, lineage, scholarship and esteem was concerned they were well familiar with them and their efforts in reviving the true credentials of Islam, even their equally popular brother Hadrat Ghazi e Millat for that matter were well acquainted with.

A real sense of excitement was felt around the whole area, just as we usually feel when Hadrat are to perform a lecture in the United Kingdom. As Maghrib time fast approached our tent was totally packed to its skins.... it was difficult to imagine how everyone would be able to stand in congregation, but Allah subhaa nahu wa ta'ala is the 'Musabbibul asbaab' The solver of difficult situations, and He made it possible.

There was a slight delay after salah to allow and accommodate more people inside our tent and for every one to generally settle down for without a doubt the showpiece event with Shaykh al Islam since our stay in Mina was about to commence. The scene was set, Hadrat sat down on a chair at the top end of the tent, and for a good few seconds complete silence engulfed the whole area as they weighed up the audience all around. They carefully observed all four corners of the tent and as their direction of vision came towards us we felt a spasm in our heart. It was only when Hadrat quietly and gently initiated the 'khutbah', sermon, did we find courage to look up.

The world has known, recognised and seen Shaykh al Islam as we see them during the deliverance of their lectures, adorning the 'Makhdoomi Taj' crown and attire, but on this very day what our eyes were witnessing, our ears hearing and our hearts and minds absorbing was something we find very difficult to put into words and describe. The whole scenario was almost surreal like, we could not even come to terms with what we were seeing... the audience chosen from different parts of the world and placed in 'one' out of many hundreds and thousands of Mina tents all dressed in the identical unsewn white sheets of material, gathered and fully focused to listen to the world renowed Hadrat Shaykh al Islam, ALSO IN THE STATE OF IHRAAM.

(The following is an extract of some of Hadrats delightful words taken from the notes from their speech in Mina. This is not a word to word translation but merely an estimated version only. We hope the jist of Hadrats message is understood. May Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala accept our intentions and forgive our errors.)


After completing the 'khutbah' sermon, Hadrats very first words had such an impact on us that to this very day we so distinctly remember and replay them quite vividly in our memories.

.... quote “ I am here in this moment in time not to do a speech but rather i am sat here to congratulate you , for you have all been chosen as the guest of The Almighty Lord of all the worlds. He has invited you, just as He once invited His Beloved Khaleel, Hadrat Sayyidina Ibraheem Alayhis Salaam.

And as you all very well understand, no one will invite someone to his house and then question his guests capabilities and position but rather the inviter will look at his own strengths and capacity and decide to what extent he can accommodate and entertain his guest. We also find that generally the inviter will invite only those whom he can relate to or those he can associate with, i.e. people of rank and status such as doctors, engineers, scholars etc,.... but here Allah The Almighty has invited the 'gunahagaar' sinners and wrongdoers of the world.... and look further at His 'kareemi' generosity ... the sinners are generally given an invitation to repent, to seek forgiveness and reflect on their lives so they may get their principals and objectives of life in order but here they are invited to be forgiven, and don't ever doubt this fact.

When the 'Ghafoor ur Raheem' the All Forgiving and Most Merciful says He will forgive then without any shadow of doubt He will. Even the pious and the righteous come here as the 'gunahagaar' of thy Lord.

Do remember one thing, to forgive a wrongdoer is one thing but for the sinner to completely refrain from committing further sin is another such as being neglectful of salah or violating peoples rights etc. If you are sincere then people should see the difference in you when you return to your homes.

But in our hearts all we see is darkness and gloom.
What good deeds do we possess to present to our creator?
With what face are we to face our Lord Almighty?
So how and why are we then given this certificate of salvation and forgiveness...?
It is because my Lord knows that you are the 'ummah' nation of His 'Mehboob' most Beloved,
you are the ummah that is beloved to His Beloved ......
you are the ummah for whom His Mehboob had so much concern for ......
for whom he continuously cried for ........
for whom he continuously would pray for .......
for whom His Mehboob was continuously prostrating and standing throughout the night seeking your forgiveness....” unquote.


These opening few words and the way Hadrat expressed them totally capitulated the hearts of the audience. A sound wave of Glory to Allah and Praise be to Allah was heard right across the tent, with many Haji's seen wiping tears flowing down their cheeks. Maybe the same words could have been spoken or repeated by someone else ...but would they have had the same affect on the hearts of the pilgrims when the speaker is someone who is incredibly righteous, God fearing, extremely knowledgeable and has profound love for Allah and His Rasool, peace be upon Him, as is evident in their words, in short would they have the same affect as when the speaker is Hadrat Shaykh al Islam?


Hadrat's speech in Mina continued ...

quote ... ”So for the ummah The Beloved of Allah loved so much we are ordered to fulfil this obligation of Haj, but what are we asked to do?
Circulate the Kaaba!
Walk between the two mounts!
Camp in Mina!
Travel and stay in Arafat till sunset!
Overnight stay in Muzdalifah!
Throw stones at the Jamarat!
Sacrifice an animal!
Cut our hair!
'Come and demonstrate my Beloveds actions and i will forgive you! But do it without questioning as this 'sunnah' act of My Beloved has been made mandatory upon you!' Do not pray the salah of Maghrib at Arafat even if its time has commenced then let it be, rather during the time of sunset depart for Muzdalifah. Namaz which is a compulsory duty upon all believers at its prescribed time yet on the 2nd day of Haj we are commanded to perform the salah of Maghrib outside its usual prescribed time, Why? Because this is how Allah's Beloved performed it!

So the 'mehzbaan' inviter, offers his hospitality to his guest and offers to satisfy them but is restricted within his bounds and limit, but your inviter is the 'Alimul g'ayb wa Shahadah, He knows what your inner wishes are and He will fulfil all your prayers. If we give or present something to our guest, we give according to the extent of our capacity, means and limit but if Almighty Allah gives according to His Might and Power 'qudrat', would we be able to bear and sustain it within our limited means and capacity?
So He gives us according to what we can bear and uphold.

Also try to observe the condition He wishes to see us in. He has invited us in the state to act like we are crazy for Him 'diwanai', He has invited us to come as though we are not in our normal senses, but totally devoted to Him, completely lost in His total love and adoration, in the mental state of a frenzy regardless of every thing else, donning two unsewn sheets of cloth, unable to comb our hair, instructed not to remove dirt from our nails or skin and if insects or nits nest in our hair then don't kill them for when one is completely lost in the love of someone his state of mind and actions are sometimes perceived as being a lunatic, for a 'diwana' should not worry about his appearance but rather should be solely concerned and lost in love of his Lord, everything else is merely a distraction that comes between him and His Lord. Don't you see a crazy wandering fool walks round and round the House of his Lord and Master, up and down the mounts at times increasing his pace at times slowing down, humbled in the same identical dress as everyone else, so he forgets his worldly profession and title, present to his Master and Creator as His servant and slave.

So there should be no superiority of one over another, our state is such that one cannot tell a king from a slave, the rich from the poor, we are all before our Lord who is the Greatest and Superior above all His creation. But remember these actions we are portraying are those enacted by His Beloved and when we turn towards His Beloved we are told 'Attention!'
This is Makkah, that is Madina.....
Now come to your senses,
stop acting like fools,
this is the place of total respect 'adaab',
do not raise your voice,
seek permission to enter,
come out of your ihraam,
cut your hair and nails,
have a bath,
use soap, oil and scents,
comb your hair,
wear nice clean clothes,
comb and brush your hair,
wear a topi,
look impeccable in you exterior,
be in your best behaviour,  For Allah will forgive His 'gunahagaar' but will never forgive the transgressors of His Mehboob, infinite peace be upon him.

It is also worth noting .... look at the endless mercies of your Lord! For we are told that Hadrat Khidhr and Hadrat Ilyaas Alayhis Salaam are also amongst the annual gatherings during Haj. It is impossible for their 'amaal' deeds, not to hold any worth or not be accepted by Allah The Almighty. If Allah accepts the good deeds of just one of His servants amongst a whole gathering then everyone amongst the gathering will have their act of worship accepted as well as having the benefits of being rewarded with His countless Mercies and Blessings. I usually explain this with the following example....

What happens when you want to purchase a box of dates? You are told if you want to buy them then take them all or leave it! So because of the fresh ripe ones the rotten and bad ones have also been purchased,
Similarly in this gathering of Haj as well as some very pious and deeply righteous men such as Hadrat Khidhr Alayhis Salaam and Hadrat Ilyaas Alayhis Salaam there are also many wrongdoers and sinners ...... but it is because of those who are God fearing and close to Him 'through their 'sadqa', our prayers and supplications are accepted as well.

It is indeed good to supplicate with lengthy prolonged prayers, but remember one should fully grasp and understand the words he is beseeching and imploring to The Almighty. It would therefore be more beneficial and profitable to comprehend exactly what one is supplicating in their own language from their most inner heartfelt sincere words. Unfortunately it has became a tradition for one person to do a long extended dua even in Arafat and everyone else to say 'ameen' 'ameen', but a lot of the times those saying 'ameen' do not even understand what they are saying 'ameen' for.

Tomorrow when you arrive at the grounds of Arafat you should all at least attempt to pray the 4th kalima 100 times, Surah Ikhlas 100 times and Darood Shareef 100 times. Pray this during your stay and have total belief that your Lord will pardon you, then beseech Him for yourself and everyone else.

Also pray Darood e Paak in abundance, remember Allah subhaa nahu wata'ala invited us here to forgive our misdeeds, if he is so kind and generous upon us then in return send Blessings and Salutations upon His Most Beloved, for we are only here reaping the Lords countless favours, generosities and blessings because of His Mehboob, infinite peace be upon him, henceforth be totally committed and continuous in sending Darood and salaam.

You do not want to return from this journey and find you are back to your normal ways committing crime and sin, I always say and will repeat once more that whenever you are about to engage in any sort of activity always ask yourself ..
'is my Allah and my Rasool peace be upon him, going to be happy with me for doing this act or will it sadden them ?'  .... if you can manage to ask yourself this one question before doing or saying anything then I can guarantee that you will never transgress and wrong in the future.

And finally I will reiterate once more for I cannot emphasise on this enough that you should be totally engrossed and absorbed in conveying Darood Shareef so much so that you should basically drown yourself in it. Whenever or whereever you are never cease your lips in sending salutations and peace upon Allah's most Beloved, peace be upon him. Almighty Allah is indeed truly aware of your inner desires and your yearnings to have all your wishes fulfilled .... yet verbally you are invoking and begging your Lord for nothing at all, since you are continually engaged in conveying Darood on His Most Beloved.
Allah subhaa nahu wata'ala the Most Gracious and Merciful will say 'this person is asking for nothing for himself but is utilizing all his time reciting Peace and Blessings upon My Beloved..... I will fulfil all his wishes!'

Even when a 'bikharee' beggar, comes knocking on your door he comes for his own self interest and behalf ... but what words does he implore?
'May you live in peace,
may Allah protect your family,
may your children prosper,
may you succeed in your business,
may Allah protect your health ... and so forth, ...every 'dua', supplication he makes is all addressed in your favour so you satisfy his needs and thus reward him with either food or money as he has asked for nothing for himself but on the contrary has spent all his time beseeching Allah Paak to send his favours upon you and your loved ones. Henceforth, on that account what do we do?
Allah is The Almighty and Creator of the entire Creation so we cannot possibly beseech Him for His well being, He has no children, it is inconceivable and absurd to think of The Lord in terms of business and health ......
But He does have a Mehboob, A Beloved, for if it was not for him He would not have created this whole universe, we can invoke and beg our Lord to send His favours, bounties, peace and blessings upon His Mehboob. And once we do He honours us by rewarding us with ten good deeds, He rewards us by forgiving ten of our misdeeds, by sending Darood Shareef on His Beloved we are profiting and benefiting ourself.

The 'naseehah' guidance wish left by Shaykh Muttaki was 'be punctual and continuous is reciting Darood at all the times, from head to toe send Darood.

May He accept our journey for He has invited us,
If He grants us may He grant us to His desire,
May He fulfil and accept everyones prayers,
May He safeguard all muslims for all the enemies have united,
May our remaining days on earth be spent bowed to Him,
and may He give us the joy of prostrating to Him,
May He and His Mehboob be content with us.” unquote.



Allahu Akbar! We have no words to describe or praise Hadrats speech. No matter how hard we try we cannot do justice to Shaykh al Islams lecture by translating their words. Hadrats method and style of speech, their approach, the build up and the manner in which they can explicitly explain a Qura'nic verse or Hadith in 'modern terms' with pinpoint examples to simplify a point is maybe something we have all taken for granted over the years but is the vital ingredient of what makes their lectures and utterances so uniquely special and overtly popular. Also not forgetting the very fact that to hear these words directly and being part of the atmosphere, absorbing their spiritual emissions on the eve of the most significant day of Haj was simply invigorating to say the least.

Hadrats words, advice, suggestions and their sentiments were all of paramount importance and most fitting for this occasion. We had read many books and articles and listened to other lectures on aspects of Haj but this was Shaykh al Islam in their 'pure Sufi-istic mode', revealing pearls of wisdom and disclosing some of the hidden secrets and manifestations of Haj. They had the crowd going through different motions throughout the lecture and at times they were or seemed quite moved themselves.

The state of the pilgrim in ihraam, and how The Almighty has placed conditions upon him is described by Hadrat as in essence being an internal and external cleansing process to purify the Haji. Allah subhaa nahu wata'ala invites the pilgrims to His House and requires us to be so drawn in and lost in His love and adoration and in a state of ecstasy, where we should not be aware of our physical state and if that is not possible then at least we should endeavour to act like wandering wayfarers and as His crazy folk, by fulfilling all the conditions and criteria of Haj. Whereas in the City of His Beloved peace be upon him, He commands us to enter in a total and absolute sensible state of mind, our physical presentation ought to be exquisite, inner status should have been virtually cleansed during Haj and where even the slightest act or word of disrespect will be deemed a grave act of sin.

Once more Hadrat presented us with an exceptionally awesome moment to saviour and one we are sure would bring delightful memories in our hearts and minds for years to come.

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We headed back towards Mina through the rush and onslaught of more Haji's marching towards the 'jamarat' like an army of focused soldiers reciting the 'talbiya' clinching on tightly to their weapons ready to be unleashed on their lifetime enemy. We also noticed just how vast the region of Mina is and the enormous number of tents that have been erected to accommodate the pilgrims.

Our next venture was to make arrangements to visit the slaughterhouse for the Qurbani. As it happened our tour reps arranged for some agents to visit us who emphasized and tried to convince us that they were our best means for our Qurbani and they would even allow us to perform the sacrifice 'zabah'. We understood Hadrats was placed with them too, so we placed our orders and arranged to meet them at their slaughterhouse after the Jamarat.

Dropping the ladies off at our camp was also a timely coincidence to check if there was anyone around from Hadrats group or even news regarding our Shaykh, ...... Not a sole insight! Our tent was empty, infact even a room full of people would seem empty without ones Shaykh. As our female associates entered their tents and rested their aching bodies for a well deserved rest, the wafer thin sponge on the bare ground was now looking extremely luxurious and comfortable, but we had to depart for our next duty of Hajj yet hoping to be back very soon to catch up with some much needed sleep. However our hopes and aspirations can easily become left wavering and floating above our heads should Allah subhaa nahu wa ta'ala The Best of Planners desire, as we soon discovered in the next chapter of our Hajj. 

After walking a few miles in the intense heat, struggling to find the precise location of the slaughterhouse, there was confusion over the name and the area given to the leader of our group by the Qurbani agents. Upon enquiries with officials and the police we were directed towards another slaughterhouse a few miles away. It did not take us long to realise that contrary to our initial thoughts there were many many slaughterhouses around the area and region of Mina and we must have visited every one of them. To cut a very long and tiring adventure short we were travelling from one slaughterhouse to another for the next six hours or so. Extremely shattered, thirsty and hungry and while at times our tempers were at an all time high, our hopes, stamina and spirits plummeted to an all time low. Our patience was certainly being tested. Once we found the correct slaughterhouse in the middle of nowhere we had to endure another couple of hours of waiting before our turn as other orders were being placed.

Finally when our brothers completed the act of sacrifice 'Qurbani' we got a taxi and headed straight for Makkah for the shaving of our hair 'halq'. We went back into our Hotel had a shower using shampoos and scents for the first time since our departure from the U.K., and changed out of the 'ihraam', which was a most comfortable and welcoming change. Having prayed our Maghrib 'salah' some brothers stayed in Makkah for the Tawaf e Ziyarah whilst we returned back to Mina to collect female members of our family with high hopes of meeting up with Hadrat after a long and difficult 24 hours of struggle and endurance.

On approach to the vicinity of our tent their was a lot more activity and movement infact the whole place was bustling as usual. As we entered our tent Hadrat immediately noticed our arrival and smiled. We greeted them in the normal manner, they asked how we were and where the rest of our group was. We informed them of our long painstaking journey from Arafat to Muzdalifah and the arduous and relentless task of finding the correct slaughterhouse. Through their expression Hadrat showed a lot of interest listening to our ordeal they asked whether we were given the correct address for the slaughterhouse, we notified them that it was incomplete and confusing, after which they did not really comment but continued to smile. We then seeked their permission to take the female members of our family for the 'Tawaf e Ziyarah' for which they gave their blessing.

Our earlier deliberation to rest after the Qurbani was now out of the question, as we left with our family for the penultimate and all important Tawaf e Ziyarah. Unsure how long it would take to reach Harem and what time we would return, we left with the firm belief that the Mercy of Allah subhaa nahu wata'ala was surely aware of our situation, struggle and sacrifice, as with every other pilgrim in Hajj for that matter, but with Hadrats permission and blessings the task ahead did not look as daunting as it seemed before.

The human and motor traffic to and fro between Mina and Makkah can only be described as 'madness'. Almost two hours later we touched down on the blessed city of Makkah and entered the Grand Al Harem amidst the commotion of the crowds for our Tawaf e Ziyarah.

By the Grace of Allah we successfully completed our acts of worship and it was many hours later we departed with the time for Fajr on course to commence. After salah we preceded back towards Mina which again was also no easy feat, infact since leaving Hadrat in Arafat we had battled and toiled from one ordeal to another.

The most testing time for us was by far the gruelling trip from Arafat to Muzdalifah and the painstaking search for our Qurbani quarters, but we later learnt through Hadrats wisdom that they had informed our group leader that this is in actual fact a favour from The Almighty since whenever He subjects His servants through such trials and testing situations it is infact a sign that He wishes to eradicate the pilgrims errors and shortfalls, hence each time they hear of such incidents rather than showing sorrow and sympathising with the pilgrim it pleases them. But the irony is that Hadrat were not amongst us during either of these expeditions. On the contrary our experience so far in the company of our Shaykh has always been spiritually uplifting, peaceful and calm where we have even managed to remain focused during 'ibadah'.

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This Hajj diary is now finally, fully complete and concluded. It has been meticulously edited from the intial accounts you may have read on this page. It has been described independently as :

'the best book i have ever read' by many people! 

 It is a must have book for every mureed, every muslim or any person who seeks to tread the path of love.