Contemplations
As you pass the Meeqat and recite the Labbayk, know that you have been invited by Allah ﷻ to visit His House. From this point onwards, you are His guest. It is fitting that as a guest we behave well to our Host and do not complain, rather exercise tremendous patience.
Think about how Allah promised Ibrahim ﷷﷵ to proclaim the Hajj and how people will travel from everywhere in the world to the House of Allah. You are completing that promise and answering that call of Allah.
And wonder about the meaning of words of the Labbayk you read:
“Labbayka Allahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk. Inna al-hamd wa’l-ni’mata laka wa’l-mulk, laa shareeka lak”
Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner.
Again and again you state you have answered that call and again and again you state that Allah is without a partner. As you read this Talbiyah, promise yourself that if you are obedient to other than Allah, then you will give this up.
In all senses; from worshipping other than Allah, to fearing others more than Allah, to obeying others more than Allah, to obeying your own nafs more than Allah. As you recite this Talbiyyah, promise yourself you will only worship and be obedient to Allah from this moment forward.
Before you land
This journey of Umrah and Hajj will be testing. Things are likely to go wrong! You may sit in traffic for hours, you may get hungry and food may not come on time or may not come at all, the busses may be delayed meaning you sit around for hours, the accommodation may be changed at the last minute, you may have to walk more than you expected and people may bump into you or be rude to you or argue with you.
You must remember that this journey is an act of worship and therefore it is going to be testing. Patience is the key to all your deeds being accepted by Allah.
Many times Hajj agents are powerless to changes with the itinerary when the changes come from the Ministry of Haj and Umra. If something does happen within their ability which is against what they promised or if the agent breaks a promise, you have every right to complain. We are not suggesting you let them get away with it, but deal with it in a patient way because you are in ibadah in this journey! Have patience and call each other to patience.
Imprint these words at the front of your mind:
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“Whoever performs Hajj for the sake of Allah and does not utter any obscene speech or do any evil deed, will go back (free of sin) as his mother bore him.”
Bukhari, Muslim
