2 Thoughts on Finding a Hajj State of Mind

Wrapped in Love

A house with solid pillars holds firm, can survive the worst storms, and keeps the people that live inside safe. So too is the beauty of the five pillars of Islam: with the adoption of each pillar, another layer of security wraps around the heart.

When the intentions of Hajj are made and Allah allows a believer to place their feet upon the pilgrimage, fulfilling that pillar forever changes the heart of the one who is blessed to go.

As the 2019 Hajj season approaches, the words of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ring loudly and true: “Whoever performs Hajj and does not commit any obscenity or transgression will return [free from sins] as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him” (Al-Bukhari).

Whether we are preparing to actually go to Hajj this year, or pleading in dua for the opportunity to one day go, we can all wrap ourselves in the love of the season by purifying our character.

Wrapping Ourselves and Others in the Love of Hajj

There are millions who won’t get to perform Hajj this year, and countless others who will never taste its sweetness. But we are deeply blessed to be able to embody the mercy represented in the Hajj pillar via two good deeds that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ offered to every Muslim.

The first good deed is praying Fajr in the masjid and then remembering Allah until the sun comes out. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, then sits remembering Allah until the sun rises, then prays two rak’ah, will have a reward like that of Hajj and Umrah.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said in addition: “In full, in full, in full” (Al-Tirmidhi), which emphasizes that the reward would be that of two fully complete Hajj and Umrah journeys. So while we may long to stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters on at Hajj, we can’t forget that we have been gifted the opportunity for an equivalent blessing just by doing a bit extra after Fajr with those in our community.

So while we may long to stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters on at Hajj, we can’t forget that we have been gifted the opportunity for an equivalent blessing just by doing a bit extra after Fajr with those in our community.

The second good deed is providing food to those who are breaking their fasts. In the fast of the last 10 days of Dhu al-Hijjah, we find an immense reward. Those of us not on Hajj can grow that reward exponentially by finding our neighbors who are working to capture the blessing of the fast during Dhu al-Hijjah, and giving them something to eat when their fast is done.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever provides food for breaking of the fast of a fasting person receives the reward of the fasting person, without the reward of the fasting person being reduced in any way” (Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah).

A meal fills the belly and fills the heart. And there are few things more compassionate than finding another person in the state of hunger and placing a plate before them.

A meal fills the belly and fills the heart. And there are few things more compassionate than finding another person in the state of hunger and placing a plate before them.

This Hajj season we cannot forget the treasures located there, in the place where so many pilgrims migrate too. But we also must remember the treasure made available to us when we are at home. For these reasons alone we are all able to reach a Hajj state of mind.