Posts By: Ali Hussain

More on Zamzam

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Allah has made all living creatures out of water. People require water for almost everything; for agriculture, construction, transportation, and for cooling and heating. But not all water carries the same value and significance.
Muslims consider the water of Zamzam as something revered and unique. They crave this mysterious liquid and love to drink it whenever they can. And those fortunate to go to Hajj, return home carrying it for thousands of miles as a prized possession and to give as gifts to their friends and families.
So, what is so special about Zamzam water? In a word: Everything.
There is nothing ordinary about it: the miracle of how it came into being in the middle of the desert, its consistency throughout the centuries, the beneficial qualities it has, and the fact that it never dries up. This water is special.
The fact is, this small 5 ft. deep well is far away from any other source or body of water. It is self-replenishing. It is constantly replenishing itself in order to produce gallons upon gallons of water for consumption of thirsty pilgrims plus the additional amount that is bottled and also the amount that is taken as gifts and distributed worldwide to millions. Zamzam water has scientifically been proven to contain healing properties due to its higher content of Calcium and Magnesium Salts and also the natural fluorides that encompass a germicidal action.
It is also an established scientific fact that pools or water wells tend to grow vegetation such as algae—especially in warm climates. Amazingly this is not the case in the well of Zamzam. It has remained free from biological contaminants.

Venerable even before Islam
After the re-emergence of Zamzam at the hands of Abdul-Muttalib, the Makkans accorded Zamzam the veneration it deserved. They used to drink from Zamzam whenever they were about to engage in a matter of grave importance.
Al-Harith Ibn Khalifah As-Sa’di narrated that Quraysh always commenced their preparation to fend enemies by drinking from Zamzam. This was so customary that one could easily infer the gravity of matters from the collection of pots near Zamzam.
The Makkans recognised that Zamzam was blessed. They sought its blessing in matters of importance.
 
A clear sign
Al-Masjid Al-Haram (The Sacred Mosque in Makkah) is the first house of worship appointed for mankind. Along with this appointment, Allah blessed its vicinity with many signs of distinction. Allah says, “Verily, the first house (of worship) appointed for mankind was at Bakkah (i.e. Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for mankind and jinn. In it are manifest signs (for example), the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim; whosoever enters it, he attains security…” [3:96-97].
Zamzam is one of those signs. In fact, chronologically, it is the first because when Ibrahim left his wife and infant son at the barren valley, following Allah’s command, he made a humble request, “O Lord! I have made my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Kabah at Makkah) in order, O Lord, that they may establish prayer. So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks” [14:37]. Zamzam was the first among many fruits.

Perpetual water
One of the greatest attributes of Zamzam is that it will never dry up. This is a gift from Allah. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “… May Allah bestow his mercy upon her (Hajar), had she let go (of the water of Zamzam) it would have become a spring (rather than a well) whose water shall never dry” [Ahmad].
Every year, millions of pilgrims drink Zamzam water, which has been around for centuries. It is fed daily to the Prophet’s mosque in Madinah in large quantities, and is packaged and shipped to millions of Muslims worldwide, without the slightest blemish in its flow. It is the epitome of munificence; the more we drink, the more it gives.

A sign of the believer
The Prophet said, “One difference between us (believers) and the hypocrites is that they cannot drink much from Zamzam” [Ibn Majah].

The heavenly connection
Ibn ‘Abbas related that when a man drowned in Zamzam much of the water was removed out of the well in order to retrieve the body. After removing the body, Ibn ‘Abbas told the man who was at …

Zamzam History

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Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
When Ibrahim escorted Isma’il and his mother to the barren and dry land of Makkah, they only had a water-skin with them containing some water. Isma’il’s mother used to drink water from the water-skin so that her milk would increase for her child.
When Ibrahim reached Makkah, he had her and his son reside there. And as he was returning home, Isma’il’s mother followed him, “O Ibrahim! To whom are you leaving us?” He replied, “(I am leaving you) to Allah’s care.” She said, “I am satisfied to be with Allah.” She returned to her place and started drinking water from the water-skin, and her milk increased for her child.
When the water had all been used up, she said to herself, “I would better go and look so that I may see somebody to assist me.” She ascended the hill of Safa and looked, hoping to see somebody, but sew saw no one. When she came down to the valley, she ran till she reached the other hill, Marwah, but she saw no one. She ran to and from (between the two hills) many times.
Then she said to herself, “I would better go and see the state of the child,” she went and found it in a state of one on the point of dying. She could not endure to watch her child dying and said (to herself), “If I go and look, I may find somebody.” She went and ascended the hill of Safa once again and looked for a long while but could not see anybody. Subsequently, she completed seven rounds (of running) between Safa and Marwah.
Again she said (to herself), “I would better go back and see how the child is doing.” But all of a sudden she heard a voice, and she said to that strange voice, “Help us, if you can offer any help.” It was Jibril (who had made the voice). Jibril hit the earth with his heel and water gushed out. Isma’il’s mother was astonished and started digging. She started drinking from the water and her milk increased for her child.”
In another narration of Ibn ‘Abbas, the Prophet said, “May Allah be merciful to the mother of Isma’il! If she had left the water of Zamzam as it was, (without constructing a basin for keeping the water), it would have been a flowing stream. Jurhum (an ancient Arab tribe) came to Hajar (Isma’il’s mother) and asked her, “May we settle at your dwelling?” She answered, “Yes, but you have no ownership over the water.” They agreed.
Its water was the direct cause of Jurhum’s settlement in Makkah, and thus explaining how the dry and barren valley of Makkah became inhabited.
The Re-emergence of Zamzam
With the passage of time, the inhabitants of Makkah started to forego the ways of the pious ones. Jurhum, the core of the Makkan population, were driven out of Makkah when they became unjust and tyrannical. They, being fully aware of the importance of Zamzam, hideously plugged it to deny their conquerors its blessings. Zamzam was not reopened and henceforth was forgotten.
Many generations passed in Makkah with Zamzam in complete oblivion, until Abdul-Muttalib (the paternal grandfather of the Prophet) resurrected the dead well. Abdul-Muttalib himself was oblivious to Zamzam. With the approaching of the last divine message, a sequence of significant preludes was in order; the rebirth of Zamzam was one.
It so happened that for three consecutive nights, Abdul-Muttalib had a very clear dream about digging a well. During each dream, the name of the well was different and no location was mentioned. On the fourth night, however, both Zamzam and its location were communicated to Abdul-Muttalib so clearly that he attended to the appointed task on the morning of the very fourth night.
To the utter disbelief of the Makkans who ridiculed the seemingly futile attempt at finding water in such an arid place, Abdul-Muttalib found water in an ancient buried well so close to the Ka’bah. And it was only natural that the Makkans claim a share in this, obviously, special well. Abdul-Muttalib gave no concessions and rejected any such claim.
The Makkans and Abdul-Muttalib’s could not negotiate a middle ground, so both parties agreed to seek …

What if my Tawaf or Sa’i is interrupted?

Posted by & filed under Featured, Hajj, Hunafaa Exclusive, Umrah.

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If a person is performing tawaf (circling the Ka’bah) or sa’i (running between Safa and Marwah), and he comes across a need (e.g., he is thirsty and wants to drink something, or loses someone from his family members and stops to look for him, or becomes tired and wants to take some rest), and if the break was short, then he may continue his tawaf from where he left off.
The issue of taking a rest in tawaf and sa’i is based on the condition that tawaf and sa’i should be completed continuously. However, in sa’i, continuity is not a requirement according to the stronger scholarly opinion. So, if a person is performing sa’i, and he breaks after some of the rounds, and then comes back to complete them, this would be considered permissible. However, regarding continuity of tawaf, the scholars have two opinions:
1. That continuity is wajib (obligatory), and that a long discontinuity without due justification nullifies the tawaf.
2. That continuity is a sunnah, and the tawaf is not nullified even though the break was long. Having said that, it is better to err on the side of caution and therefore act according to the first opinion.

Explanation of the Talbiyah – A Pilgrim’s Journey (Part 4)

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لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ ، لَبَّيْكَ لا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنَّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ لا شَرِيكَ لَكَ
Just as the takbir (Allahu Akbar) is repeated throughout salah, so too is the talbiyah repeated throughout Hajj. It signifies a transfer from one state to another or one rite to the next just like the takbir in salah is an indication of change from one of its pillars to another.
Labbayk Allahumma labbayk
This part of the talbiyah is commonly translated as ‘O Allah, here I am. Here I am.’ As is normally the case, much of the meanings and connotations are lost in translation.
The word ‘labbayk’ has many uses or meanings. They include:

Response. Labbayk is said to someone who calls or invites you. It is incorrect, linguistically, to respond using this word to someone who did not call you.Therefore, the pilgrim says the talbiyah responding/answering the call of Allah, “And proclaim to the people the Hajj (pilgrimage); they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass.” [22:27]
Love. Labbayk is only said to someone whom you love or admire. Therefore, the pilgrim responds to the call lovingly and with excitement as opposed to burden and dislike.
The word labbayk connotes meanings of nearness, sincerity, perseverance and humility. All of these meanings stem from different Arabic constructions based on the same root letters. This means the pilgrim exhibits these meanings when saying the talbiyah and throughout the Hajj.
The word labbayk is constructed in the dual form. This implies a reiteration or repetition of what has preceded with regards to its meanings. It is like saying, “O Allah! I answer your call, and again I answer it…” In this case, the dual form connotes love upon love, closeness upon closeness, sincerity upon sincerity… etc.

Innal-hamda wan-n’imata laka wal-mulk
This part of the talbiyah is commonly translated as ‘Verily all praise and bounties are Yours, and all the kingdom.’

Hamd means praise. But what does it mean to praise someone? A person praises someone when he recognises good qualities in that person for which he should be praised. Accordingly, hamd is affirmed for Allah in the same light. The pilgrim praises Allah, particularly for honouring and being kind to him by calling and inviting him to His House, and facilitating that, despite the pilgrim’s shortcomings―only so that Allah may forgive him.Additionally, the Arabic word hamd is not completely equivalent to the English word praise. Hamd connotes love and truthfulness among other qualities. Therefore, if someone is praised for qualities he does not possess, or a slave praises his master without admiration or believing in that praise, it is not hamd. This is like a commoner praising a tyrant king in the hope of ridding himself of his tyranny. There is no love or admiration, just empty words and insincere flattery.
N’imah means bounty. In this case, it is the recognition that all favours and bounties are from Allah. It evokes a sense of gratitude.
Mulk means dominion. It is an affirmation that to Allah alone belongs the kingdom, and no true sovereignty belongs to anyone other than Him. It is the recognition that all languages, shapes, colours…, all times (eternal and temporal) and all places, etc. belong to Him alone. Mulk does not only incorporate land but it includes everything other than Allah ‒ the entire creation in all its forms and qualities. He is Sovereign over it all. There is no will except that He is over it sovereign. There is no means except that He is over it sovereign ‒ it is all from His mulk. Fire is a means by which something is burnt but Allah is sovereign over it, and that is why the fire which Ibrahim was thrown into became a means of coolness and not heat, it became a means of refuge and not pain. His rule is over all beings and characteristics.

The words ḥamd, n’imah and mulk are preceded by the Arabic definite article ‘al’ which denotes every kind of praise, bounty and dominion.
In this part of the talbiyah, the pilgrim is simultaneously affirming dominion, bounty and praise for Allah. Combining words and phrases is another manner of praising Allah and differs from saying them independently/singly (e.g. subhanAllah is a single praise whereas subhanAllahi wa bihamdihi is a compounded or combined praise).
This phase …

Mistakes during Tawaf

Posted by & filed under Hajj, Purification, Umrah.

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Some mistakes that occur during tawaf (circling Ka’bah) are:
1 – Uttering the intention aloud. For example, the pilgrim stands facing the Black Stone and says, “O Allah, I intend to do seven circuits of tawaf for Umrah” or the like.
2 – Pushing and shoving. This is especially true when people go to touch the Black Stone. They are disturbed by others and then go onto disturb others themselves. Instead, he should remain calm and dignified, so that he will have the proper presence of mind for worshipping Allah. The Prophet said, “Tawaf around the House, the running between Safa and Marwah, and the stoning have only been prescribed so remember Allah (dhikr).”
3 – Tawaf is not valid unless one kisses the Black Stone. This is a mistaken notion. Kissing the Black Stone is a sunnah (recommended act). Moreover, it is not an independent sunnah either, rather it is sunnah for the one who is doing tawaf. If there is a lot of crowding then pointing is better than touching, because this is what the Messenger of Allah did when the place was crowded, and because by doing this a person avoids harm that he may do to others or that others may do to him.
4 – Kissing the Yemeni Corner. There is no authentic proof concerning this from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
5 – Touching the Black Stone with the left hand. It is customary to use the right hand in matters of respect.
6 – Touching the Black Stone just for the sake of it or as part of a “bucket list.” The purpose of touching the Black Stone or wiping it or kissing it is to glorify Allah. Hence, when the Prophet touched the Black Stone, he said: “Allahu Akbar,” as an indication that the purpose of this action is to glorify Allah.

Types of Tawaf

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There are six types of tawaf (circling) around the Ka’bah:
1 – Tawaf Al-Qudum (circling of arrival) for Hajj. This is done by the pilgrim who has entered ihram for Hajj. The scholars differed on whether or not it is obligatory.
2 – Tawaf Al-Ifadah during Hajj, which is also called tawaf al-ziyaarah (circling of visiting). It takes place after the standing in Arafah, on the day of al-Adha, or after it. It is one of the essential parts of the Hajj.
3 – Tawaf Al-Umrah. It is one of the essential parts of Umrah.
4 – Tawaf Al-Wada’ (the farewell tawaf), which is done after completing the actions of Hajj and when one has decided to leave Makkah. It is obligatory, according to one of two scholarly opinions, for all pilgrims except women who are menstruating or in post-natal bleeding. The one who fails to do it must sacrifice an animal of the type that is valid as an udhiyah.
5 – Tawaf in fulfilment of a vow made by one who vowed to do it. It is obligatory because fulfilling vows is obligatory.
6 – Voluntary tawaf
Each one of these tawafs must include seven circuits, after which the person offers two units behind Maqam Ibrahim, if possible; if he cannot do that then he may offer the prayer in any other part of the mosque.