Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. Visiting the blessed house of Allah (Ka'ba) and performing Hajj is the desire of every Muslim. Ka'ba is like a magnet which draws the hearts of the believers from different parts of the world. Every Muslim longs for the day when he or she will have the opportunity to visit the ka'ba in Makkah and the Green Dome (Gumband-e-Khizra) in Madinah. Every year, from different corners of the world, Muslims gather in these holy cities for performing different rituals and get spiritually charged. The Hajj is seen as a chance to transform the lives of the believers. It is reported that the Prophet of Islam (SAW) said, "Whoever performs Hajj for Allah's pleasure, and has neither had sexual relations nor has committed any sin, then he will return (as purified of all sins) as his mother gave him birth."
In another tradition, the Prophet (SAW) said, "The accepted Hajj has no reward except the Garden of Paradise. "
Every year millions of people turn towards 'destination Mecca' and seek forgiveness of their sins. Dressed in a white uniform (Ihram) and proclaiming the greatness of Allah, they set out to seek spiritual blessings.
From a couple of years, people from this part of the world were not able to perform the Hajj due to Covid pandemic and they could not make their dream come true. However, this year a significant number of Hajj pilgrims are going to visit the twin blessed cities with a great enthusiasm.
The logistics and rituals of Hajj are often challenging but these difficulties can be minimized by getting a proper training and following the advises of the Hajj trainers. Most of the rituals or manasik of the Hajj are practical rather than theoretical.
Here are Some Useful Instructions for the Hajj Pilgrims
1. Since deeds depend upon intentions, a Hajj pilgrim should keep his intentions clean. The intention should be to attain the pleasure (Ridha) of Allah. It is reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Soon there will come a time when the rich will go on Hajj for enjoyment, the scholars to show off and the poor for begging."
2. Since to err is human, a Hajj pilgrim should repent of his past sins before embarking on this journey. Forgiveness should be sought from those whom he or she has offended. Hajj pilgrims should be highly thankful to their Lord for being selected for this blessed journey as it is the golden opportunity to get forgiveness and transform one's life.
3.One should learn the rituals and logistics of Hajj from the scholars and and experienced fellows. The training camps organized by Hajj Committee of India should be attended in order to get updated instructions. In order to get the best of one's Hajj, the Hajj pilgrim should follow the directions of Quran and Sunnah. Missing a 'Rukn' or pillar of the manasik (rituals) may invalidate the entire Hajj so one needs to be very careful.
4.Female Hajj pilgrims should get detailed jurisprudential knowledge about their menstrual periods in relation to Hajj before leaving.
5.Try to stay in the company of good and learned people as much as possible and always travel with the group. Avoid moving around unnecessarily.
6.Take care of your health. Make it a habit to eat less, drink less and sleep less during the Hajj. Eat simple and clean food. Eat plenty of fruits and take a lot of fluid.
7.Try to avoid direct contact with the Sun. You may get sun stroke due to exposure to direct sun light.
8. Get vaccinated for Covid 19 and always carry vaccination certificate with you.Try to maintain social distancing as much as possible. Except being in the state of Ihram, always use a mask. Strictly follow the guidelines of the Saudi government with regards to Covid 19.
9.Take care of all your belongings especially the necessary documents like identity card, passport, visa, boarding pass, vaccination certificate etc. Keep your cash and medicines safely.
10.Learn how to use elevators, escalators and English style toilets.
11.Avoid taking unnecessary selfies and try to focus on making best of your stay in the blessed twin cities of Mecca and Madina.
12.Make a judicious use of internet facility, keep checking out the official website of Hajj Committee of India for updates. In order to avail the facility of economical video and voice calling, download and use the applications like IMO.
13.Be patient with all the difficulties that come in your way during this blessed journey and never resort to grumbling and complaining. Always keep in mind that you are the guest of Allah and His Messenger (Peace be upon him).
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