Islamic Fiqh- Ritual Acts of Worship- Rituals of Hajj and Umrah – Lesson 09: Introduction of the Act of Worship: Al-Hajj.
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- Hajj - Pilgrimage
In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Religion is all about establishing a connection with Allah to gain happiness:
Dear believing brothers, as you all know, Islam is about Aqidah (ideology), worship, treatment and manners. As for the acts of worship, they are one quarter of Islam, and a couple of months ago, we have just observed Siyaam the month of Ramadan, and now it is the time for Hajj.
What catches one's attention is that worship is basically a way to connect with Allah the Almighty. The daily prayers are means to connect with Allah. Al-Jumu'ah prayer is a weekly occasion through which one connects with Allah, and Ramadan is the annual means to establish a connection with Allah.
Dear noble brothers, the word "Salah" in Arabic is derived from the root word "Salat", which means to "connect", "link" or "communicate." So, the word "Salah" literally means a connection or link with Allah through the act of ritual prayer. The same goes for Siyaam, which is observed to establish a connection with Allah the Almighty. Similarly, Hajj is performed for the purpose of connecting with Allah the Almighty, and Zakat is paid to keep connected with Allah the Almighty. In brief, religion is all about being connected with Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, because this connection pleases you by getting closer to Him.
In fact, every act of worship has its own sweetness to taste. Yet, Salah embraces Siyaam, Hajj and Zakat. In other words, Siyaam is embraced by Salah in the sense that your mouth and limbs abstain from saying and doing anything irrelevant to Salah. Regarding Hajj, it is embraced by Salah since standing for Salah requires facing Qiblah, which is Ka'bah. Moreover, offering Salah requires stop working and dedicating some of your time for it, so this is how you pay Zakat when you perform Salah, since time is essential for making money.
Let me clarify the same point one more time; when you perform Salah, your direction is towards the House of Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, because its purpose is to establish a connection with Him. Likewise, you perform Siyaam to keep connected to Allah and to feel that Allah the Almighty is pleased with you since you forsake food and water for His Sake.
Concerning Al-Hajj, it is a financial act of worship, because you pay money, it is a physical act of worship, because you put effort and it is a ritual act of worship, because it has rituals like Tawaf (circumambulating Ka'bah) and Sa'i (the ritual of walking back and forth seven times between the two small hills of Safa and Marwa). All acts of worship are performed in your home country, at work, amid your family, children and wife. However, Hajj has a distinctive nature, because it needs to be entirely devoted for it. Namely, you have to leave your family, your position and your job, and then head towards Allah the Almighty. So, when you perform Hajj you are heading towards Allah and leaving the entire world behind you for His Sake.
Accurate definitions of Hajj:
Now, let us define some terms and show the profound wisdom behind Hajj, and then we will go into some details. Hajj in Arabic language is defined as "heading". Some scholars defined it as "Abundant heading to The One you glorify". According to this definition, when you head to your work, this is not Hajj. Hajj is to head towards what you glorify.
The religious definition of Hajj is: Heading to Ka'bah and perform specific rituals, during a specific period of time and in specific places.
Allah puts a Sacred House of His on earth to visit and gain His Pleasure:
One might ask a fair question: Is Allah not everywhere? Is He not with us wherever we are? So, what is the purpose of Hajj then? The answer to this question is that Allah the Almighty has taken a Sacred House for Him on earth and He commanded us to visit Him in that house not because He is there (Allah is with us everywhere), but because you seek Allah's Pleasure by leaving your house and work behind to go to Him.
Hajj is about paying the efforts, enduring distress and paying money (not for reputation, tangible profits or a bargain) for the sake of gaining Allah's Pleasure. Hence, although Allah is with us everywhere, He has taken a Sacred House on earth, and He says:
﴾ And We commanded Ibrahim (Abraham) and Isma'il (Ishmael) that they should purify My House (the Ka'bah at Makkah). ﴿
This Divine House is annexed to The Divine Character of Allah. Allah has taken a House on earth and commanded us to visit Him there. It is the same action you do when you go to the Masjid. In a Qudsi Hadith Allah says:
(( Masajid are My Houses on earth, and their regular attendants are their maintainers. Blessed be he who makes his ablutions at home then visits Me; it is incumbent upon the host to be generous towards his guests. ))
The Masjid is a place for worship, so is Al-Haram (The Sacred House of Allah) with its surrounding, for they are places for worship. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ In order, O our Lord, that they may perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat). ﴿
The entire place, including Makkah, Arafat, Mina, al-Mas'a (the place between the two small hills of Safa and Marwa), al-Mataf (the area for circumambulation around Ka'bah) and the whole place around Al-Haram, is a place to perform Salah.
﴾ In order, O our Lord, that they may perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat). ﴿
Al-Hajj is a journey to Allah before leaving this world for good:
We should bear in mind that Al-Hajj is a journey that is performed once in a lifetime before the final journey (i.e. death) towards the Hereafter. Again, Hajj is a performance of specific rituals, during a specific period of time and in specific places.
Al-Hajj is enjoined in the ninth year of Hijrah when the following Ayah was revealed to the Prophet PBUH:
﴾ And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka'bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for one's conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves [i.e. denies Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a disbeliever of Allah], then Allah stands not in need of any of the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns). ﴿
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Why is the Ayah ended with disbelieving? Some scholars said, "He who denies the enjoinment of Hajj is a disbeliever, and he who neglects performing this act of worship is Fasiq (Arabic term refers to someone who violates Islamic law):
(
﴾ …Then he is a disbeliever of Allah], then Allah stands not in need of any of the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns)") ﴿
Umrah is a voluntary visit, whereas Hajj is an invitation from Allah:
Umrah can be performed at any time of the year. It is a visit (on one's own initiative) to Allah's Sacred House, while Hajj is an invitation by Allah to you to visit His Sacred House, and by performing it, you accept His invitation. In Hajj, Allah invites you, and for this reason you utter the following words wherever you might be in Makkah:
(Lab-bayk-allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk, innal-ḥamda wan-ni‛mata laka wal mulk, laa shareeka lak (Here I am O Allah, (in response to Your call), here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Indeed all praise, grace and sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner).)
I respond to you O Lord, and here I am, coming to you with full submission, love and longing.
I repeat, Umrah is a voluntary visit you take on your own initiative, whereas Hajj is an invitation from Allah the Almighty.
Having the capability indicates owning the financial, physical and safety means:
Hajj as you all know is the fifth pillar in Islam that is enjoined by Allah on the one who has the financial and physical capability, and he is secured. Security is a requirement for women upon traveling to Hajj, and the woman is considered secured if she travels with a male Mahram (the male relative of a woman for whom it is Haram (prohibited) for her to marry) otherwise, women are not capable of Hajj.
Men also have three types of capabilities: if the road is not safe, if man is prevented from performing Hajj and if he does not own enough money for Hajj, and then he is excused from performing Hajj.
Man cannot perform Hajj if he owns only the money to travel to the Sacred House and then he depends on begging people for food and support. Hajj is not enjoined on poor people, but rather it is enjoined on the capable rich people. Sleeping on streets damages Muslims' reputation. Dressing in rags does not also befit a Muslim. Therefore, the pilgrim should own enough money for traveling and housing.
As I have just said, the capability of Hajj is related to physical, financial and safety means, for the road to Hajj should be safe.
Believing in Allah and His Messenger is the utmost act of worship ever:
Scholars said that "Hajj is the utmost act of worship given it is a financial and ritual one, not to mention that it needs full devotion. Hajj embraces Siyaam, Salah, I'tikaf (an Islamic practice consisting of a period of staying in a mosque for a certain number of days, devoting oneself to ibadah during these days and staying away from worldly affairs.), Zakat, Murabatah (remain stationed) in the cause of Allah, striving and accepting the invitation." All these things are embraced in Hajj. However, some scholars considered Salah the utmost act of worship since it is the foundation of Islam as described by the Prophet PBUH.
By the way, knowing which one is the utmost act of worship is a controversial issue amongst scholars. However, the Prophet PBUH was once asked about the best deed and he answered that it is to believe in Allah and His Messenger. Having faith is the foundation of all virtues, the leash of vices, the core of consciences, the grounding for determination, the salvation, the enlightenment, the prosperity, the success, the excel and the pathway to safety and happiness.
(( Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was asked, "Which deed is the best?" He (PBUH) replied, "Faith in Allah and His Messenger." He (PBUH) was asked, "What is next?" He (PBUH) replied, "Jihad (holy fighting) in the Cause of Allah." ))
The types of Jihad:
Jihad (striving) has many types. Man might fight his own desires, or he might strive in seeking knowledge. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ So obey not the disbelievers, but strive against them (by preaching) with the utmost endeavour, with it (the Qur'an). ﴿
Jihad is also manifested in fighting the enemy.
Jihad is to fight your own desires and to strive in seeking knowledge which also requires efforts, time and patience.
(( …Then he was asked, "What is after that (in goodness)?" He (PBUH) replied, "Hajj Mabrur (which is accepted by Allah)." ))
Hajj Mabrur means an accepted Hajj, but when is Hajj accepted by Allah? It is accepted when the pilgrim does not commit any sin during Hajj.
The Prophet PBUH said:
(( An 'umra is an expiation for sins committed between it and the next, but a hajj which is accepted will receive no less a reward than paradise. ))
As I have already mentioned, "Mabrur" means accepted.
The differences in Prophetic Ahadeeth are due to difference in the addressee:
Some scholars wonder why the Prophet PBUH once favored Hajj, Salah in another occasion, Jihad in a third time and spending money in a fourth occasion. They have deduced that these differences are due to the addressee the Prophet PBUH was addressed. If the addressee was rich, the Prophet PBUH would consider spending money in the Cause of Allah the best act of worship. If the addressee was brave and there was a lurking enemy, the Prophet PBUH would consider Jihad the best act of worship. If the addressee was keen on seeking knowledge and teaching it, the Prophet PBUH would consider that the best act of worship. Thus, if you are puzzled by these differences in Ahdeeth, then you should know that it is because of the addressee's status.
The Prophet PBUH was asked by someone to give him a piece of advice, so the Prophet PBUH advised him to hold back his anger. It seems that he was a man with a tempter. The Prophet PBUH advised another one to believe and be steadfast. The Prophet PBUH advised a third person to bear in mind that "…whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it, and whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it." Hence, the different answers are related to the status of the addressee.
The benefits of Hajj:
Al-Hajj has many benefits and this is a rule of thumb. Any Divine Command should not be limited to one benefit only; rather there are endless pieces of wisdom and fruitful results behind it.
Regarding the personal benefits of Hajj, it gives the believer a qualitative leap. If he has committed sins before performing Hajj, most likely Allah will forgive him these sins and accept his sincere repentance. Therefore, this person will be a new man; he will be turned from a sinner into a repentant.
If the pilgrim is in the level of Islam, his Islam is intact, but if faith penetrates to his heart, he will move from the level of Islam up to the level of faith by performing Hajj. Moreover, if this pilgrim has true faith, Hajj will elevate him to the level of Taqwa (piety) and Ihsan (philanthropy). Furthermore, if the pilgrim is a pious person, Hajj will elevate him to the level of Siddiqeen (those at the front amongst the believers and followers of the truth). In other words, there is a qualitative leap achieved upon performing Hajj which requires spending long days in Allah's Sacred House around Ka'bah, in Al-Mas'a (the place between the two small hills of Safa and Marwa), in Mina (City of the Tents" is a valley located 8 kilometres (5 miles) southeast of the city of Makkah, in the district of Masha'er, Province of Makkah in the Hejazi region Saudi Arabia) and in Arafat.
In all these places the pilgrim is praying, circumnutating Ka'bah, offering Sa'i, supplicating, invoking Allah, remembering Allah, reciting the Quran, donating or sacrificing animals. As you see Hajj is a bunch of different kind of actions, acts of worship and considerable periods of times due to which the believer achieves a qualitative leap in his life.
Frankly, he, who performs Hajj and comes back the same way he was before, performs this act of worship superficially, and it will be considered fruitless in the Sight of Allah. What is the point from leaving our houses, money and children and heading to a distant place, wherein the weather is very hot, it is overcrowded, it requires spending money, without establishing a connection with Allah the Almighty? It was reported that:
(( Whoever stands at Arafat, and he still have some doubts that his sins may not be forgiven, then his Hajj is invalid. ))
Do you know where you are heading? You are heading to Allah the Almighty, so is it rational that He will not accept you after inviting you to visit Him? Be sure that Allah the Almighty will cast light into your heart and will grant you happiness after He has allowed you to come to His Sacred House.
The pilgrim takes a quantum leap from committing sins to obedience:
I repeat the following Hadith:
(( An 'umra is an expiation for sins committed between it and the next, but a hajj which is accepted will receive no less a reward than paradise. ))
This is a very important point. The sins committed between two Fridays, between two months of Ramadan, between two Umrats and between two Hajjats, will be forgiven. Man sometimes is overtaken by heedlessness, and he might fall short, so his prayer will erase these shortcomings.
Friday Salah charges the believer mentally and spiritually and pushes him towards Allah and His Messenger. Ramadan is an annual spiritual charge for the believer; needless to say that it is a qualitative leap and a qualitative development, so is Hajj.
In concise, the personal benefits of Hajj are: Being a qualitative leap from a level to a higher one, from sinning to obedience, from Islam to faith, from faith to Ihsan (benevolence) and from Ihsan to an ultimate love for Allah. All in all, there must be a qualitative leap of any kind in Hajj.
Allah encourages those who do not perform Hajj to help those who can:
In a Prophetic Hadith the Prophet PBUH said:
(( Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Whoever performs Hajj for Allah's pleasure and does not have sexual relations with his wife, and does not do evil or sins then he will return (after Hajj free from all sins) as if he were born anew." ))
In another Hadith he PBUH said:
(( Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet as saying, "Those who perform the hajj and those who perform the 'umra are people who have come to visit God. If they supplicate Him He will respond to them, and if they ask Him for forgiveness He will forgive them." ))
What a nice indication. The pilgrim is forgiven to begin with, and if he invokes Allah to forgive someone else, the latter will be forgiven as well, but do you know why? Because Allah invites all of us to be at the disposal of the one who is about to perform Hajj. So, if we help him in his supplies, if we facilitate his matters, if we support him with good words, and if we devotedly serve him and meet his needs, he will be very grateful to us, and he will invoke Allah to forgive us, and as a result Allah will forgive us. This is a common invitation to all people and pilgrims.
Let me give you some examples. If a mother accepts to look after her granddaughter, so that her daughter will be able to perform Hajj with her husband, and due to that this daughter invokes Allah to forgive her mother, Allah will forgive them both. Thus, it is a nice invitation from Allah to those who are not performing Hajj, to assist those who are.
Hajj atones only the sins between man and Allah:
Some people might wrongly assume that the one who performs Hajj will be forgiven from all his sins. Regarding this point, dear noble brothers, you must know that wronging people, stealing their money, preventing people from their rights, taking others' properties unjustly and depriving young brothers from their heritage by the older ones, will not be forgiven even by performing one million Hajjats. Assuming that is pure ignorance. Scalars agreed upon one thing: the Hajj will forgive only the sins between you and Allah. A companion of the Prophet PBUH was very noble and went through the hardship side by side with the Prophet and died in Allah's Cause. Yet, the Prophet PBUH was keen on asking if he has debts.
(( It was narrated that 'Uthman bin 'Abdullah bin Mawhab said: "I heard 'Abdullah bin Abu Qatadah narrate from his father that a corpse was brought to the Prophet (PBUH) for him to offer the funeral prayer, and he said: 'Pray for your companion, for he owes a debt.' Abu Qatadah said: 'I will stand surely for him?' The Prophet (PBUH) said: 'In full?' He said: 'In full." And the debt he owed was eighteen or nineteen Dirham." ))
In another Hadith the Prophet PBUH said:
(( 'Abdallah b. 'Amr reported Allah's Messenger as saying, "Every fault but a debt will be forgiven to a martyr." ))
Is there any deed more honorable than giving up your life for the Sake of Allah? Yet, the debts of the martyr will not be forgiven. Assuming that all sins will be forgiven by performing Hajj is delusion. The sins meant in the following Hadith are the ones between the pilgrim and Allah, while the sins between him and other people will not be forgiven.
(( Whoever performs Hajj for Allah's pleasure and does not have sexual relations with his wife, and does not do evil or sins then he will return (after Hajj free from all sins) as if he were born anew. ))
All sins between you and Allah are subjects of forgiveness, whereas sins between man and other people are subject of applying justice.
(( Desisting from one Daniq (speck) of sinful deeds is better than performing 80 pilgrimages after Hajj Al Islam (the obligatory pilgrimages). ))
Hajj is a reconciliation between man and Allah:
What is Hajj Al-Islam? It is the obligatory pilgrimage (the one performed for the first time). Before going to perform Hajj always remember that "desisting from one Daniq (speck) of sinful deeds is better than performing 80 pilgrimages after Hajj Al-Islam (the obligatory pilgrimages)." Daniq value equals one sixth of a Dirham.
You should also keep in mind that Hajj purifies the soul from mundane consumptions, brings it closer to its Lord and enlightens it, and amongst the meanings of standing in Arafat is to get to know Allah the Almighty alone since it is performed by yourself.
Hajj is an occasion to get closer to Allah the Almighty, and by this light will be cast into your heart, given closeness to Allah brings about happiness that fills your heart. Closeness to Allah also brings about satisfaction in the heart and a sense of serenity and these sentiments are felt by the pilgrim.
Hajj, in a way or another, is an act of reconciliation with Allah, and by this reconciliation, a new page is opened in the pilgrim's life. Man's life is like a book of account that contains incomes, expenses, debts, balances and complicated accounts, but when he turns back to his Lord upon performing Hajj, all these accounts are settled, and he opens a new page with Allah the Almighty.
He who intends to perform Hajj aims at establishing a new connection with Allah, and he yearns to open a new page with Him. One other thing, Hajj is an act of gratitude, but for what grace exactly? Hajj manifests the pilgrim's gratitude for two graces: richness and capability, given both are required to perform Hajj, because it is a financial and physical act of worship, isn't it? Hence, performing Hajj manifests your gratitude to Allah for the grace of richness and the grace of capability and power that bestowed upon you by Allah.
Amongst the meanings of Hajj is to show your submission to Allah the Almighty Who seems to call you be saying: Come to Me O My worshiper", and you say back:
Labaik Allahhumma Labaik (I respond to Your call O Allah, I respond to Your call, and so I have taken off the stitched clothes I was wearing, and I have put on these two unstitched pieces of cloth (Rida' and Izar).
Labaik Allahumma Labaik (I obey Your Order, and I have come to You without wearing any perfume.)
Labaik Allah Humma Labaik (I adhere to Your Order, and so I avoid nonsense words, committing sins and disputing unjustly.)
Labaik Allah Humma Labaik (I submit to You entirely O Allah.)
By performing Hajj you proclaim your servitude to Allah the Almighty.
The purposes of the individual and collective Hajj:
Every Muslim has his own level of acquaintance with Allah. A Muslim's level of acquaintance with Allah might make him feel Allah's Presence most of his times, another Muslim's acquaintance with Allah might make him feels Allah's Presence less often, whereas a third Muslim's level of acquaintance with Allah might bring him happiness knowing that he is watched by Allah all the time. All these levels are subjects of being upgraded in Hajj.
I have just finished talking about the benefits of Hajj on the individual level. As for the benefits of Hajj on the collective level, Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ That they may witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e. reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade, etc.) ﴿
In Hajj, Muslims from all walks of life meet and get to know one another. They meet scholars and leaders, and they exchange ideas. Hajj is like an annual conference for all Muslims, and so the word of Islam spreads in Hajj. A Muslim might be surprised with a scientific achievement of another Muslim, or he might meet someone with enlightened thinking and so on. Thus, Hajj is an occasion of exchanging all sorts of expertise, information, thoughts and knowledge.
All of the above are some of the benefits of Hajj on the collective level.
All pilgrims are on equal footing with regard to Hajj rituals:
In Hajj, people are equal in the sense of leaving the worldly interests behind. Clothes, for one, are a way of showing the rich from the poor, right? So, when all Muslims in Hajj are obliged to stay away from wearing worldly clothes and put on only two garments, this but reflects equality, as though Hajj is a reminder of the Day of Judgment. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And truly you have come unto Us alone (without wealth, companions or anything else) as We created you the first time. You have left behind you all that which We had bestowed on you. ﴿
People in Hajj are equal on the social level. Equality among people is at its best in Masjid. People are gathered in Masjid for Salah in one row regardless of the social class they belong to; the rich and the poor, the well-known and the obscure, the powerful and the weak all stand on the same row. In Masjid there are no places for VIPs, and there is no first row or last one. Masjid is Allah's House, and it is for everyone. However, people varies in Masjid in their outfits, so some might dress in more expensive and elegant clothes. In contrast, in Hajj everyone is dressed in garments.
Ruling on performing Hajj:
There is another thing to consider in Hajj. Hajj is performed once in a lifetime, and the proof is in the following Hadith:
(( Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) delivered a Khutbah and said, "O people! Hajj (pilgrimage to the House of Allah) has been made incumbent upon you, so perform Hajj." A man inquired: "O Messenger of Allah, is it prescribed every year?" He (PBUH) remained silent till the man repeated it thrice. Then he (PBUH) said, "Had I replied in the affirmative, it would have surely become obligatory, and you would not have been able to fulfill it." Afterwards he said, "Do not ask me so long as I do not impose anything upon you, because those who were before you were destroyed on account of their frequent questioning and their disagreement with their Prophets. So when I order you to do something, do it as far as you can; and when I forbid you from doing anything, eschew it." ))
Hajj is performed once in a lifetime. However, it is narrated by Al-Baihaqi and Ibn Habban in some Qudsi Ahadeeth that Allah the Almighty says:
(( Any of My slaves who is healthy and are of the means for five years, and did not visit My house (perform Hajj), he is mahroom (deprived). ))
This means that Hajj can be performed many times. Each time you perform Hajj, you move to a higher level than the one before. Hajj has many levels, the first of which is to perform the obligatory Hajj, and then Muslim can perform Hajj once every five years if he is physically and financially capable of doing so. The Prophet PBUH said:
(( Ibn Mas'ud reported Allah's Messenger as saying, "Make the hajj and the 'umra follow one another closely, for they remove poverty and sins as a blacksmith’s bellows remove impurities from iron, gold and silver; and a hajja which is accepted gets no less a reward than paradise." ))
Hajj also might become a duty, like when someone makes a vow to Allah, "If Allah gives me a son, I will perform Hajj". In this case, performing Hajj becomes a duty although this man has performed the obligatory Hajj before. Also, man cannot perform Hajj from ill-gotten money, because Allah is good and accepts only what is good
It is disliked to perform Hajj without taking the permission of certain people:
It is disliked for the pilgrim to perform Hajj without taking the permission from whoever should give him permission, like one of his parents who needs him. If one of the parents are in dire need of their son, the Hajj of the latter cannot be accepted without their permission. It is disliked.
According to some scholars, Hajj in such a case is Makruh Tahriman (Actions disliked in the same vein as haram actions, but does not have definitive proof and instead uses speculative evidence for their prohibition.)
It is also Makruh Tahriman to perform Hajj without asking the permission of the obligee. If you are in debt, it is not befitting that the person, who has lent you money, watches you paying for Hajj instead of paying your debts, because he will be deeply hurt. Thus, before performing Hajj, pay your debts or take his permission.
As for Umrah, some scholars say that it is possible to perform it many times in one year, and for some group of scholars, it is a Wajib (duty). Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And perform properly (i.e. all the ceremonies according to the ways of Prophet Muhammad ), the Hajj and ‘Umrah (i.e. the pilgrimage to Makkah) for Allah. ﴿
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Al-Qiblah (direction we face in Salah):
Facing Al-Qiblah is a requirement for Salah:
There is a topic I want to tackle with you. Few days ago, one of the brothers said, "The direction of Qiblah is not accurate", which might confuse those who pray in Masjid. For this reason, I want to talk about Qiblah direction because understanding religion is essential. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And from wheresoever you start forth (for prayers), turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Makkah), and wheresoever you are, turn your faces towards, it (when you pray). ﴿
It is known to all of you that facing Qiblah is a requirement for the validity of Salah. The question here is: Is Qiblah a specific point or a line? Should we face the structure of Ka'bah or should we face a line that passes through Ka'bah? Is Qiblah a direction or a specific point?
Let us listen to what scholars said. Firstly, in case of extreme fear, you may offer Salah without facing Qiblah, because the direction towards which a fearful man should face is the direction that guarantees his safety.
In another case, the sick person can offer Salah without facing Qiblah, because the direction towards which a sick man should face is the direction that makes him feel comfortable. Also, Nafilah Salah can be offered facing any direction while a man is riding an animal (or traveling by car or by plane), because the direction towards which a traveling man should face is the direction of his destination. Hence, we pray facing Qiblah if we do not have any of the above excuses, and the direction of Qiblah is mentioned clearly in the Ayah.
The opinions of the schools of thought regarding Qiblah:
In special cases, and for those who are in Makkah, if they enter the House of Allah and see Al-Ka'bah with their eyes, they should face the structure of Ka'bah when they offer Salah. Scholars said, "People who live in Makkah should face the structure of Ka'bah when they offer Salah, and they should not face the direction of it." For everyone else on earth, and according to Hanafi, Hanbali and Maliki schools of thought, Qiblah is the direction of Ka'bah, and it is not a particular point. Their opinion is based on the following Hadith:
(( Abu Hurairah reported Allah's Messenger as saying, "The space between the East and the West is a qiblah." ))
Qiblah by definition is the direction. Therefore, if the structure of the Masjid is facing south, then it is facing the right direction of Qiblah. You cannot ask those who offer Salah in Masjid to be so accurate and move few degrees (to the right or left) to be exact. This is against all schools of thought. However, there is a point to be considered in this matter. As Muslims, we sometimes forget the essence of Salah and we cling on controversial trivial matters. Demanding Muslims to do something without being sure about it and without accuracy will confuse them, and this is way far from wisdom.
All the three schools of thought consider Qiblah the direction towards south between east and west. Therefore, it is a range that starts from the east and ends in the west and passes through Ka'bah, so every line in this range faces the south is Qiblah.
Saying that Qiblah is a point not a direction is unnecessary rigidness, and if we adopt that claim, the Salah of those whose row is too long will be invalid, isn't that right? Because those on the two ends of that row should face the Qiblah (if it is a point not a direction), and in order to do so, the row must become curved, given a curved row is not accepted in a congregational Salah but rather it should be straight. Do you not all hear the Imam saying the following?
Keep your rows straight (during Salat in congregation), for keeping the rows straight is part of the perfection of Salat.
Pursuing accuracy in Qiblah to such an extent that we demand people to move few degrees to the left or to the right will confuse them. According to the three schools of thought, the right Qiblah is to face the direction towards south. Only Shafi'i school of thought considers the right Qiblah is to face the structure of Ka'bah and they pursue accuracy down to degrees after calculating the real south direction towards Ka'bah. Well, we do not need that much accuracy.
Striving to find the direction towards Qiblah:
One more point I should mention is that we should strive to know the direction of Qiblah, but should we do this when we are settled or only when we are traveling? When we are settled, Qiblah is known to all people, because the city is full of Masajid, and all you have to do is to enter one of them and face Al-Mihrab (a niche in the wall of a masjid that indicates the qiblah, the direction of the Ka'bah in Makkah towards which Muslims should face when praying), so you do not have to strive to know Qiblah if you are settled. On the other hand, if you are traveling and you are in the middle of nowhere, you should strive to know the direction of Qiblah in order to offer Salah. You can use a compass, or you can know the direction of Qiblah during the day by detecting the east and the west then you face south. During the night you can look at the polar star (the North Star) and by knowing the direction towards north you can detect south and pray towards its direction. Using the wind to know the direction of Qiblah is the least accurate means among the others.
The Salah of whoever does not strive to find the direction of Qiblah is invalid:
Look how great our religion is. If you strive to know the direction of Qiblah and you offer all prayers towards that direction, and then you realize that your direction was not right, all your prayers will be accepted, and you do not have to pray them again. Once the companions disagreed on the direction of Qiblah, and when they came back they told the Prophet PBUH about what happened, so Allah revealed the following Ayah:
﴾ …So wherever you turn yourselves or your faces there is the Face of Allah (and He is High above, over His Throne). Surely! Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knowing. ﴿
You can pray towards the north direction, and your Salah is accepted and you do not have to pray it again. It is not accepted to confuse people for a degree or two in detecting the right angle of Qiblah. It is not allowed to cause great deal of confusion or to make us change our direction. This is unnecessary rigidness and irresponsible claims, and the one who says so does not understand religion, and he has no idea about the four schools of thought and their proofs regarding this matter. The Prophet PBUH said:
((The space between the East and the West is a qiblah. ))
Hence, Qiblah is a direction not a point. The Qiblah of every Masjid that faces south is right, end of discussion. If someone wants to adopt the Shafi'i school of thought only, it will be troublesome to detect the Qiblah (which is to face the structure of Ka'bah).
You are Muslim, and you are commanded by Allah to strive to find the direction of Qiblah by using the watch, the sun, the moon or by asking someone, so not doing any of the above is negligence. Accordingly, he who does not strive to find the direction of Qiblah, and he prays, his prayer is invalid even if he is facing the right Qiblah (by chance), but if he knows that he is right, his prayer is valid.
Striving to find the direction of Qiblah by those who are settled in cities is unaccepted as well, because cities are full of Masajid, and all of them face the direction of Qiblah.
Quran brings peace and tranquility to the heart:
I like the words someone said, "The Noble Quran brings tranquility to the heart, since 'Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest', and Sunnah illuminates the face." The proof is the following Hadith:
(( Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, "May Allah freshen the affairs of a person who hears something from us and communicates it to others exactly as he has heard it (i.e., both the meaning and the words), for it may be that the recipient of knowledge understands it better than the one who has heard it." ))
If you hear or read a Prophetic Hadith and you convey it to people, this will illuminate your face. Actually, understanding religion broadens the horizon (of mind). So, when someone makes things extremely difficult for you, be aware that he does not understand religion properly, because religion eases people's life even through there might be differences in opinions. Keep in mind that such differences are not contradictory, but rather they are meant to facilitate things to people as they are based on different proofs, and this brings about mercy. As a result, the Muslim feels this richness in rulings, and he understands that Islam is meant to ease people's life.
(( Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Make things easy and do not make things difficult. Calm people and do not arouse their aversion." ))
(( Narrated 'A'ishah: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and receive good news because one's good deeds will not make him enter Paradise." They asked, "Even you, O Allah's Messenger (PBUH)?" He said, "Even I, unless and until Allah bestows His pardon and Mercy on me." ))
