Transcript
This transcript was auto-generated using AI and may contain misspellings. As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu. I'd like to share with you a story from one of my many years at hajj, alhamdulillah. And this was actually last year, 2019. Two different reflections and two different moments that I want to intertwine into one reflection and reminder here inshallah. Last year subhanallah, as many of you have seen and perhaps you have heard, and those who have gone to hajj will testify to this, we experienced a most unique day of Arafah. And for many individuals who have been going for 5, 10, 15, 20 and more years, they testify that this was one of the most unique experiences at Arafah during hajj that they've ever seen. On the day of Arafah, as you know, people are making du'a all around the world and the pilgrims at hajj are also making du'a. And as people are going through these cycles of making du'a and taking a break, making dhikr, reciting Quran, some people took a nap, some people ate a meal, and then these moments between around Asir time to Maghrib, more and more people are standing to make du'a. What you noticed last year at hajj on the day of Arafah is that suddenly and seemingly abruptly it began to rain, and it didn't rain a little here and there, pitters and patters here and there, it rained a lot. It was pouring from the sky. It's as though the sky opened up and the rain was everywhere and everyone was soaked by it. The electricity was turned off, people were soaked in their haram clothes and their clothes at hajj, people were soaked. And what happened? Inside the tent, it seemed as though there was an awakening. And this is only one tent of many, of 300-400 people. As people are indoors and some people are moving about slowly, some people are making
du'a in the corner, we hear more and more people talking and the rain is coming down harder, suddenly people are waking up, suddenly people are moving outdoors to make du'a. And so we went out, as everyone is out there, and people are crying. People are raising their hands and making du'a and crying, begging Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for whatever they were asking for, for this life and especially the next life, for forgiveness, for guidance, for blessings, for mercy. It was as though we were all perceiving this rain to be a massive source of rahma, of mercy from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala on a day that was extremely hot. And there were those who could not enter or find space and the rain ended up being a source of rahma for them. They were able to enter the area of Arafah which is necessary for hajj. And it was an interesting moment. My father, may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala reward him immensely, has experienced more than 25 different trips for hajj as a group leader and imam. He said this is the first time I've seen rain like this on the day of Arafah to this extent. And the way we saw people crying and moving about, taking advantage of this time to make du'a was very unique. And it was, I believe, one of the most unique moments at hajj in the perhaps, wallahualam, last few decades and those who have gone will testify that on the day of Arafah especially, it was very special. And what I want us to reflect on is twofold. First, this was perhaps a moment in which now in hindsight we can say was a reminder that there is so much mercy from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in the things that we recognize and the things that we do not. There is so much mercy from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and that was perhaps for many of us at hajj something we experienced first hand but it was more than the usual. And now this year the overwhelming majority of hujjaj from around the world are not able to go and perform hajj.
Those who go regularly and those who are going for the very first time. And I want us to think about that for a moment, that we are experiencing an unprecedented worldwide pandemic, something that we have not seen, perhaps all of us if not the overwhelming majority of us, in our lifetimes. We are experiencing a worldwide pandemic that has affected many people in many different ways. It is a test for many people. It is a mercy for many of those who are martyred because of it, the shuhada, may Allah accept them and it is a punishment perhaps for some people who are evil and this perhaps was a way for them to be affected by it as well. We do not, ultimately we do not really know what it means for every single individual, however we know the following. For the believers, this type of challenge, this type of trial is a reason to reflect more on Allah's mercy, on returning back to Allah, on reflecting, you know, intentionally and consciously and regularly on all the shortcomings that we have and reflecting on the day in which we will meet Allah, holding ourselves accountable, so that all people may return to Allah through these signs and through this pandemic and this challenge. And it's as though we are being reminded now when we connect what happened at the very last hajj with perhaps the first time ever that hajj was affected in this way in the modern world or in the postmodern world. It's as though we are reminded that while you're going through this hardship now and it is affecting the entire world, recognize that there is still a mercy in all things and the mercy of Allah is still there. The mercy of Allah is accessible. So as we experienced the reign of Arafah last year, let that be a reminder moving forward for the next year in which most people cannot go to hajj, that the mercy of Allah is still accessible. The mercy of Allah is still there. Whether you're at the plains of Arafah or you're anywhere around the world, whether you're going through a pandemic or you're not, whether your life is affected by this
pandemic or not really, whether you're going through a moment of difficulty or a moment of relative ease, the mercy of Allah is always accessible. Inna rahmatallahi qareebun minal muhsinin. Verily the mercy of Allah is close to those who do good. So during this time, be a person who is righteous, be a person who is doing good, be a person who is spreading good, mostly online and for others offline as well. Spread righteousness and live upon righteousness. Take advantage of this time for yourself or with your family and your loved ones to bring yourself closer to Allah. Take advantage always of the 10 blessed days, the first days of Dhul Hijjah and bring yourself closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Inna rahmatallahi qareebun minal muhsinin. We don't necessarily need to always see visibly or empirically what we think is the only source of mercy, the only source of rahma. Rahma is found, the mercy of Allah, in all things around us at all times. It is never cut off from us, so we're always seeking it, we're always trying to live by it, we're always trying to earn it so that we die upon it and enter Jannah through that mercy, through the mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And this is also tied into another reflection which is the reflection of the farewell tawaf. So the farewell tawaf, for those who do not know, as people are leaving Mecca they are required to basically perform one final tawaf, seven rounds, circumambulations around the Kaaba, and this is the farewell moment. So everything up to Hajj we're explaining to our group step by step what they need to do, and this is the final step, this is the final thing they need to do and then they need to leave Mecca. Some people that is their final moment so they leave for good and back to their home countries and other people move on and they travel to Medina. And I noticed, and we discussed this as a group as well at Hajj with my group, I noticed that many people seem to be more passionate in their farewell tawaf than any of the tawafs they did before that. Some people seem to be putting in more effort. Why?
They felt and they believed, rightfully so, that this is my last moment, this is the last opportunity, these are the last few hours in which I'm here at Hajj, in which I'm here in Mecca. And it may be that I don't come back, it may be that I never return, it's very possible that this is my last opportunity. And it may be that this final moment in which I can do the farewell tawaf will fill in the gaps in which I had shortcomings in the previous tawaf for Hajj or before that. And so we notice more people are taking advantage of it and there's something here, what I like to call the farewell effect, which is that when a human being, and especially the believer, when a human being believes an opportunity to be their last, they tend to put in more effort. And this is the nature of mankind. When you believe that last, that prayer is your last prayer, you are going to put in more effort. And this is why when a man came to the Prophet, salallahu alayhi wasalam, asking for advice, he alayhi salatu wasalam, peace be upon him, responded, when you stand to pray, asalli salat al muwaddi'in, pray the prayer of the one bidding farewell. The farewell effect is the effect that is exemplified through the one who takes advantage of every opportunity as though it is their last. The farewell effect is for you to believe with genuine conviction that this next deed that you're doing, this next moment you are existing in or existing through, this beating of the heart, this breath that you take, the interaction with your loved one, the interaction with a neighbor, the interaction online, the prayer, the zakah, the charity, whatever it may be, that this is your final opportunity. And if you believe with conviction that this was your final opportunity, how would you like to end it? How would you like to pray? If you passed away between that prayer and the next, if that moment too fast was your last moment, the farewell effect is the one we are supposed to live by every day and through every moment and with every human interaction as well. Would our minds wander to worldly concerns or would we focus on the prayer? Would we supplicate more in salah?
Would we rush the prayer or take advantage of it knowing that this is the last moment to pray to Allah before departing from the short world and from the short life? This life, every moment of it, following the last and the subsequent moments after that, every moment should be a farewell moment. Live your life bidding farewell with every deed, with every day. Live your life bidding farewell because ultimately we will bid farewell. And we don't want to bid farewell in a way that is not pleasing to Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala. We don't want our last conversations with people to end on a negative note. We don't want the last things we post on social media or the last things we browse online to be things we regret. We don't want friction and tension between people to be the last thing we experienced or felt and we definitely don't want that last opportunity for prayer to be one that we rushed and one that we did not give attention to. So pray and connect with Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala and take advantage of every moment really believing that this is my final moment and there's a guarantee here and there should be optimism and belief, iman al-wahtisaban, that the one who lives a life in which they are bidding farewell to ad-dunya in hopes of meeting Allah in a good state. So they are bidding farewell by making this deed the best deed, by making this conversation the best conversation, this opportunity for charity the best opportunity, this opportunity for prayer the best prayer, this opportunity for dua, they're making a lot of dua. Take advantage so that when you pass away there's a lasting effect, meaning what you are rewarded for it in ways you cannot possibly measure. When you wake up every day, every morning or if your schedule permits every night, worship as if it is your last. Pray that the effects of what you're doing, this lifestyle of bidding farewell to everything around you, detaching from the things around you and not being distracted will last long after you leave this world with a lot of sources of continuous charity.
And the result of consistently bidding farewell in this world, in ad-dunya, is eternal paradise where you never have to bid farewell again. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to allow us to live with each moment detached from ad-dunya knowing that it could be our last so that when we leave this world and it is our last moment that we leave in a good state in which we are looking forward to meeting Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and prepared. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to alleviate our hardships around the world and to allow us to see the mercy in all times of ease and difficulty. We ask Allah to allow us to reflect on previous moments, prior moments of ease and mercy such as that moment on Arafah when it was raining and people were soaked and making dua. We ask Allah to allow us to reflect on that experience so that we can make that kind of dua any time of the year knowing what? That the mercy of Allah is always accessible and close to and encompassing the people of piety, the people who want to be with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, the people who want to connect with Him. Inna rahmatallahi qareebun minal muhsinin. May Allah alleviate our hardships and alleviate this hardship and this pandemic and remove it from our midst all around the world. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala accept from all of us and allow us to live lives of righteousness and to die upon that and to be resurrected in a good state. Allahuma ameen. Wa salilahumma ala Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajma'een. Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
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