TANDA-TANDA ANDA (BENAR-BENAR) CINTA KEPADA RASULULLAH

Adakah anda mencintai Rasulullah ﷺ? Do you love the Prophet ﷺ? 

Saya berkira, kalau kita ajukan soalan ini kepada para Muslimin, setiap Muslim yang ikhlas pasti akan mengaku bahawa dia mencintai Rasulullah. 

Lebih-lebih lagi kerana mencintai Rasulullah itu adalah sebahagian daripada kesempurnaan iman kita sebagai seorang Islam. Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda :

"‏ لاَ يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ وَالِدِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ ‏"

“Tidak beriman seorang pun daripada kalian, sehinggakan aku lebih dicintainya lebih daripada bapanya, anaknya dan keseluruhan manusia” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)

Namun, bagi kita yang mengaku kita "cinta Nabi", sejauh manakah kita buktikan dakwaan kita ini? Sesiapa sahaja boleh mengaku dia cinta Rasulullah. 

Tetapi sejauh mana kita “walk the talk?”

Allah: berfirman

أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوٓا۟ أَن يَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ ٢

وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۖ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ ٣

"Adakah manusia berkira, bahawa mereka boleh sekadar berkata "kami beriman", sedangkan mereka tidak diuji?

Maka demi sesungguhnya, Kami telah menguji golongan sebelum mereka - dah Allah telah Dedahkan mereka yang berkata benar, dan Dedahkan siapa yang berdusta"

(Surah Al-Ankabut, 2-3)

Bak kata pepatah - “Actions speak louder than words”

Sekadar muhasabah diri, di sini saya timbulkan beberapa persoalan : Bagaimanakah sikap kita kalau kita benar-benar mencintai / menyayangi seorang?

Dengan mengambil sikap/perasaan tersebut, buat satu perbandingan - Adakah kita bersikap sedemikian terhadap Rasulullah ﷺ?

1.    Rasa seronok dan suka dengar tentangnya

Mungkin ada di kalangan kita yang menyimpan gambar orang yang disayanginya di dalam dompet mereka ataupun dalam “wallpaper” telefon bimbit masing-masing: gambar bini, gambar suami, gambar anak. Mengapa simpan gambar mereka? Adakah kerana kita lupa wajah mereka? Sudah tentunya tidak. Sebab orang menyimpan gambar mereka adalah kerana kita suka diperingatkan tentang mereka; sebarang peringatan tentang mereka akan mendatangkan perasaan suka, seronok dan/atau “jiwang” – barangkali akan membuat kita lebih semangat dalam saat-saat kesusahan atau stress.

Tetapi berapa ramai di antara kita berasa seronok apabila diceritakan tentang Rasulullah ﷺ? Berapa ramai di antara kita yang, apabila merenungkan kembali tentang baginda, terus terasa sejuk hati, terasa rindu, terasa suka. 

Berapa ramai di antara terlalu suka mendengar tentangnya, sehingga kita sentiasa mengambil langkah proaktif dalam mengenalinya, mengenali sirah baginda, mengenali perjuangan baginda?

“لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّـهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّـهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّـهَ كَثِيرًا”

“Demi sesungguhnya, terdapat di dalam Rasulullah – satu contoh teladan/ikutan yang baik – bagi sesiapa yang ingin bertemu dengan Allah dan Hari Akhirat, dan sentiasa mengingati Allah dengan banyak” (Surah Al-Ahzab, ayat 21)

Kita sepatuanya lebih bersemangat untuk mendengar tentangnya, dan lebih mengenalinya dengan mendalam.

Apa yang kita dapati pula adalah, kadangkala dalam perbualan seharian, apabila disebut “Rasulullah”, kadangkala ada yang akan terasa “awkward” kerana membincangkan sesuatu yang “terlalu serious” – inikah tanda kita cinta kepada seseorang?

Rasulullah bersabda,

“فَمَنْ رَغِبَ عَنْ سُنَّتِي فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي”

“Dan barangsiapa yang membenci sunnahku, maka dia bukanlah daripada golonganku” (Hadith Riwayat Al-Bukhari dan Muslim)

Fikirkan logik ini, tuan-tuan dan puan-puan : anda sangat sayang kepada anak anda – dan apabila ditanya tentang anak anda, dan pencapaiannya, anda tak nak bercakap lagi sebab terasa kurang selesa kerana ini topik yang ‘terlalu serious’.

Maka dengan perasaan suka mendengar namanya, maka akan timbullah perasaan berikut:

2.    Ingin Kenalinya, tahu lebih lagi tentangnya dan kata-katanya

Kita lihat zaman sekarang – di mana jumlah besar di kalangan umat kita, tersangatlah ta’asub dengan artis, dengan ahli politik, dengan pemain bola sepak.. kita terlalu banyak tahu tentang mereka. Kalau pemain bola sepak ‘favorite’ mereka, mereka akan tahu berapa umurnya, asal usulnya, berapa game dah main untuk kelab ni, berapa gol dalam musim itu, etc. Kalau peminat artis muzik, siap akan tahu sejarah band, main instrumen mana, tulis lagu mana, single mana masuk carta, apa hobi, apa makanan kegemaran, kahwin dengan siapa, “skandal” pun kita tahu – naudzubillah.

Tetapi bagaimana sikap kita dengan ilmu tentang Rasulullah ﷺ? Sejauh mana kita kenal sahabat-sahabat baginda? Ahli keluarganya? Barangkali kalau kita ditanya “siapakah 10 sahabat Rasulullah yang dijanjikan Syurga”, ternganga kita nak jawab. Mungkin kalau ditanya, namakan isteri-isteri Rasulullah, otak jam.

Kadangkala kita hanya ambil tahu tentang sirahnya bila ada “musim” sahaja – Ceramah khas sempena Maulidur Rasul, Ceramah khas sempena maal hijrah, sempena isra mi’raj, etc.

Atau lagi teruk yang kita lihat sekarang, kita hanya ambil tahu tentang baginda bila adanya musuh Islam menyerang baginda atau maruah baginda. Bila dah ada buat kartun, bila ada tuduhan terroris, bila ada tuduhan ajaran ekstrim, tuduhan ‘pedofil’ (na’uzubillah), ‘gila kuasa’, etc – baru terhegeh-hegeh nak buka buku untuk ‘defend’. Kalau takde kutukan, takdelah ilmu. 

Beginikah sikap kita mengetahui tentangnya? Tentang peribadi dan akhlaknya?

Kalau benarlah kita sayang kepadanya, nescaya kita akan proaktif dalam mengambil tahu tentangnya dan mengambil pengajaran dan inspirasi daripadanya.

Begitu mudahnya kita boleh dapati hadith-hadith sahih dan kitab sirah baginda – di Appstore, Google Play store, di Google – tetapi sejauh mana kita betul-betul manfaatkan? Sejauh mana kita baca?

Adakah masa yang kita luangkan untuk baca hadith/nasihat baginda sama banyak dengan 1% daripada masa yang kita luangkan di Facebook/WhatsApp?

3.    Ceritakan tentangnya, suka mendengar tentangnya dan semangat sebarkan kata-katanya dan tentangnya

Datuk saya, yang baru meninggal dunia 3 tahun yang lepas – adalah seorang yang sangat disanjungi dan disayangi di kalangan ahli keluarga saya. Sekali sekala, akan ada di kalangan group WhatsApp keluarga kami, pakcik atau makcik yang akan terkenangkan menyebut tentang beliau, akan terasa rindu kepadanya, atau terasa sedih kerana terkenangkan impiannya yang tidak tercapai. Dan selalunya bila tersentuh hati mereka, mereka mula lagi menyebut-nyebut kisah lamanya dan membuat ahli keluarga lain lebih lagi rasa rindu dan sayang.

Teringat juga dahulu sewaktu belajar di zaman universiti, saya pernah tinggal bersama seorang teman sebilik yang begitu minat Manchester United. Dia terlalu minat dengan kelab tersebut, siang dan malam dia akan ceritakan tentang pemain-pemain dalam pasukan tersebut – sedangkan saya tak minat bola. Saya buat muka malas layan pun, dia tetap cerita juga.. atas dasar semangat “fanboy” team favorite dia.

Sejauh mana kita semangat untuk sebarkan tentang kisah hidup Rasulullah ﷺ dan hadith baginda? Tanpa mengira sama ada orang layan atau like? Berapa ramai di antara kita ada sikap seperti teman sebilik saya dalam sebaran pasukan yang disanjunginya tu – “Peduli apa kalau orang layan tak layan – aku nak sebarkan sebab aku sayang kepadanya”.

Bahkan mungkin kita terasa malu untuk sebarkan kata-katanya, sebab orang akan kata kita ni “bajet alim” atau “berlagak ustaz”?

Berapa ramai yang apabila terlihat satu kebaikan, teringat peristiwa Rasulullah di mana baginda lakukan kebaikan sedemikian. Apabila melihat cara peradaban yang mulia, cara bergaul dengan keluarga/masyarakat/sahabat, teringat kepada Rasulullah.

Tetapi jarang sekali kita ‘sembang’ tentang Rasulullah ﷺ, atau tentang seerahnya. Kita lebih suka bercerita tentang makanan, hal ehwal politik, hal ehwal kerja, masalah kenaikan cukai dan harga – lebih daripada menceritakan tentang Rasulullah.

Kadangkala kita tengok di Facebook dan laman media sosial yang lain, bila orang sebarkan ungkapan daripada mana-mana ahli falsafah, tokoh barat, ahli bisnes, tokoh sejarah, mahupun seorang “ustaz” atau selebriti – cepat sahaja mereka “like”, “share” dan “re-tweet”. Tapi bila lihat Hadith sahih, kata-kata Rasulullah ﷺ, jarang sekali orang ‘share’ atau ‘like’.

Bahkan sedikit sekali walaupun di kalangan mereka yang mengaku Ahlus Sunnah – menyebarkan hadith baginda ﷺ.

Segan, katanya. Malu. Malu dituduh “bajet nak jadi ustaz la tu”, atau “amboi, dah start kongsi-kongsi hadith ni – macam la alim sangat”.

Kalau benar anda sayang – sebarkan hikmahnya, dan ilmunya. Manusia masih jahil tentangnya, dan mereka berhak untuk mengambil manfaat daripadanya.

Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda,

“نَضَّرَ اللَّهُ امْرَأً سَمِعَ مِنَّا حَدِيثًا فَبَلَّغَهُ فَرُبَّ مُبَلَّغٍ أَحْفَظُ مِنْ سَامِعٍ”

"‏ نَضَّرَ اللَّهُ امْرَأً سَمِعَ مَقَالَتِي فَبَلَّغَهَا فَرُبَّ حَامِلِ فِقْهٍ غَيْرِ فَقِيهٍ وَرُبَّ حَامِلِ فِقْهٍ إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ أَفْقَهُ مِنْهُ ‏"

 “Semoga Allah cerahkan wajah (memberi kebaikan) kepada orang yang mendengarkan hadith kami (kata-kataku), kemudian menghafal, mengingat serta menyampaikannya sesuai dengan yang didengarnya itu.

Ada di antara mereka yang ada ilmu, tetapi tidak punyai pemahaman, dan mungkin ada pula yang menyampaikan ilmu kepada seseorang yang lebih memahami daripadanya”

(Hadith Riwayat ibn Majah, Abu Daud dan At-Tirmidzi)

4.    Ingin meniru gayanya – walaupun dikutuk, diperli atau dipandang serong oleh orang lain.

Sewaktu saya membesar, saya seringkali akan cuba untuk “tiru” gaya ayah saya. Cara sikat rambut, cara ikat tali kasut, cara pemakaian, cara senyuman. Sebab inilah gaya seorang yang saya kagumi, saya hormat.

Yang berleluasa sekarang, perasaan kagum dan hormat ini dibawa masuk ke dalam keghairahan orang kita dalam mengikuti ‘idola’ dan ‘artis idaman’ mereka. Berapa ramai orang yang begitu ghairah dengan “Rambut Beckham” atau “Rambut Bieber”. Berapa ramai yang terikut-ikut gaya “Tudung si fulanah atau fulanah”.

Yang ingin melibatkan diri dengan sesetengah ‘kumpulan’ – seperti kumpulan ‘emo’, ‘punk’, ‘gotik’, atau ‘indie’, dan sebagainya – kita dapat lihat, mereka sanggup menggayakan diri dengan pemakaian yang pelik-pelik: demi mengikut artis kesayangan mereka, demi ikut trend. Walaupun mereka akan dikutuk, walaupun mereka sendiri tahu yang ianya nampak pelik atau tidak cantik – tetapi mereka tetap akan buat: atas dasar penyanjungan mereka terhadap artis dan trend yang mereka taksub ni. 

Tetapi sejauh mana kita ingin meniru gaya Rasulullah ﷺ? Dalam penampilannya, gaya percakapannya, akhlaknya, sikapnya?

Realiti pahit adalah, kadangkala kita MALU untuk menunjukkan penampilan sunnah. Kita berasa malu nak menyimpan janggut. Kita berasa malu untuk memakai seluar atas buku lali. Yang perempuan berasa malu untuk menutup aurat. Kita reka macam-macam alasan, kita korek macam-macam fatwa, untuk membolehkan kita ‘dikecualikan’.

Syari’ah kita – melalui Rasulullah ﷺ -  sudah beri garis panduan yang terperinci untuk penampilan dan adab..

Kalau benarlah kita cinta kepadanya, peduli apa kalau orang kata kita tak hensem atau tak lawa.  “Kekasihku yang suka dan redha aku berpakaian sebegini.”

Kalau benarlah Rasulullah yang kita kasihi, maka penampilan syari’atnyalah yang menjadi definasi “hensem” dan “lawa” disisi Allah.

Sabda Rasulullah

“مَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِقَوْمٍ فَهُوَ مِنْهُمْ”

“Barangsiapa yang meniru gaya sesuatu golongan/kaum/kelompok – Maka dia tergolonglah di kalangan mereka!”

(Riwayat Abu Daud, dinilai hasan sahih oleh Al-Albani)

5.    Taat kepadanya

Sebenarnya dalam konteks kecintaan kepada Rasulullah ﷺ, inilah aspek yang paling penting: mentaatinya.

Kalaulah benar ikhlas kita menyayangi seseorang yang kita hormati – contohnya, terutama sekali ibu, ayah, suami dan sebagainya – sudah tentunya ada keinginan untuk taat dan patuh kepada permintaan mereka, agar mereka redha dan suka kepada kita. 

Kalaulah Ayah menyuruh kita ke kedai untuk membeli roti, adakah kita akan pertikaikan permintaan mereka dan mencabar mereka - “mak, suruhan Ayah ni, hukum dia sunat ke wajib ya?”. Ataupun kalau mak kita minta kita hantarnya ke bank, kita berpaling dan berkata, “tak mengapalah – ini sunat je”.

Saudara-saudari sekalian, tepuk dada tanyalah iman: kalau kita buka kitab hadith – contohnya Kitab Riyadus Salihin atau Hadith 40 Imam An-Nawawi – dan kita lihat salah satu suruhan atau nasihat Rasulullah ﷺ, apakah sikap kita? Adakah kita akan bersemangat dan berlumba-lumba untuk menghidupkan sunnahnya? Untuk taat kepadanya? Untuk ikut tuntutannya? Adakah kita akan benar-benar fikirkan secara ikhlas cara-cara untuk mengamalkannya?

Contohnya - Mungkin ada yang kidal – tetapi bila tahu yang Rasulullah melarang makan/minum dengan tangan kiri, mereka paksa juga diri mereka untuk menggunakan tangan kanan, walaupun ‘tak biasa’ dan ‘susah’?

Ataupun perasaan kita hanya mengabaikannya dan berpaling? Barangkali kita mencemuh anjuran tersebut dengan sikap remeh – cuba “korek” fatwa minoriti yang menurut hawa nafsu kita, walaupun ia bercanggah dengan suruhan dan kehendaknya?

Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda :

كُلُّ أُمَّتِي يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ، إِلاَّ مَنْ أَبَى ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ يَأْبَى قَالَ ‏"‏ مَنْ أَطَاعَنِي دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ، وَمَنْ عَصَانِي فَقَدْ أَبَى ‏"‏‏.‏

“Kesemua orang di kalangan umatku akan masuk ke Syurga – kecuali mereka yang enggan / menolaknya”

Sahabat bertanya, “Ya Rasulullah! Siapa yang enggan (masuk syurga)?”

Rasulullah berkata, “Barangsiapa mentaatiku, maka dia akan masuk Syurga – dan barangsiapa yang ingkar terhadapku, maka dialah yang enggan”

(Riwayat Al-Bukhari)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّـهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ ۖ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّـهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا

“Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Taatlah kepada Allah, dan taatlah kepada Rasul, dan mereka yang ulil amri (dipertanggungjawabkan untuk mempimpin kamu)

Dan jika kamu berselisih sesama sendiri mengenai sesuatu, maka kembalikanlah kepada Allah dan Rasul-Nya, kalaulah kamu beriman kepada Allah dan Hari Akhir.

Itu adalah yang terbaik untuk kamu dan sebaik-baik kesudahan” (Surah An-Nisa, ayat 59)

6.    Suka apa yang dia suka, benci apa yang dia benci

Satu tahap yang lebih tinggi daripada ‘taat’ – bukan setakat kita ikut perintahnya dan tinggalkan larangannya – kalaulah kita benar-benar mencintai dan menyayangi seseorang – isteri, suami, Bagi mereka yang punyai sifat empati dan sensitif terhadap seseorang yang mereka sayangi/kasihi – kadangkala benda yang dia suka, kita akan paksa juga diri kita suka..

Kadangkala pula, ada tabiat kita yang mereka tak suka, kita susah untuk kikiskan tabiat tersebut, tetapi sebab ia membuat mereka rasa tidak suka, kita sanggup juga tinggalkannya.

Walaupun mereka tidak ‘suruh’ atau ‘mengarahkan’ kita lakukan sedemikian – walaupun ianya bukan wajib – Tetapi dalam kesungguhan kita menggembirakan mereka, sebab kita ingin jaga hati mereka, kita usaha lebih lagi.

Berapa ramai di antara kita yang benar-benar lakukan sedemikian? Berapa ramai kita letakkan komitmen yang tinggi dalam mengamalkan perkara mustahab/sunnah yang bukan wajib sebab ini adalah sesuatu yang disukai oleh Rasulullah?

Mungkin ada yang buat komitmen, setiap kali solat di masjid, mesti gosok gigi dan berwangi-wangian, kerana ini adalah kesukaan baginda, etc…

Benarkah amalan kita mencerminkan “preference” – keutamaan – terhadap amalan/perwatakan yang Rasulullah suka? Adakah kita mencerminkan kebencian atau ketidak selesaan terhadap sesuatu, kerana baginda tidak menyukainya?

7.    Bersungguh-sungguh untuk mempertahankannya

Satu perasaan yang saya pasti, dikenali oleh mereka  yang punyai cahaya mata – terutama sekali kaum ibu. Perasaan “protective” terhadap anak atau ahli keluarga kita kita. Sebarang keadaan yang adanya kebarangkalian anak kita akan cedera/dimudharatkan, sudah pasti akan mendatangkan perasaan tidak senang hati. Kalau perkara bahaya yang nyata, sudah tentu akan buat kita melompat untuk mempertahankan mereka.

Kita tidak ada peluang untuk mempertahankan Rasulullah ﷺ secara fizikal. Kita tidak mungkin ada peluang untuk bersamanya di medan perang, melawan musuh-musuhnya yang cuba untuk membunuhnya, atau mempertahankan maruahnya daripada dihina oleh kaum Kafir Quraysh yang menghinanya pada zaman awal penyebaran Islam.

Tetapi kita boleh pertahankan sunnahnya. Kita boleh pertahankan penyebaran hadith maudhu (palsu) – pendustaan ke atasnya.

Peduli apa kalau orang yang menyebarkan hadith palsu itu adalah seorang ustaz atau selebriti – ini kekasih kita, dan dia berdusta atas kekasih kita.

Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda,

إِنَّ كَذِبًا عَلَىَّ لَيْسَ كَكَذِبٍ عَلَى أَحَدٍ، مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَىَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ ‏"‏‏.‏

“Sesungguhnya berdusta ke atasku tidaklah sama dengan berdusta atas orang lain.

Barangsiapa yang berdusta di atas namaku dengan sengaja, maka bersiap sedialah tempatnya di Neraka!” (Riwayat Al-Bukhari)

Kita boleh juga pertahankan maruahnya – daripada dicemari oleh golongan-golongan anti-Islam.

Tetapi perlukah kita tunggu baginda diserang – baru nak pertahankan? Adakah sikap menuntut ilmu tentangnya secara reaktif ini satu simbol yang kita benar-benar ingin pertahankannya daripada musuhnya?

Sepatutnya KITA yang ambil sikap proaktif menceritakan kebaikannya kepada orang ramai, sebelum timbulnya fitnah ke atasnya.

8.    Berdoa untuknya

Saya yakin, kalau ada di kalangan kita yang ada ahli keluarga atau sahabat/guru yang kita sangat sayangi, sudah tentu kita akan sentiasa doakan kebaikan untuknya – yang masih hidup, mahupun yang sudah meninggal dunia. Terutama sekali kalau yang sudah meninggal itu adalah ibu/bapa kita sendiri. Apabila terkenangkan jasa mereka, kasih sayang mereka, pasti terlintas di hati kita untuk mendoakan kepada Allah untuk keamanan, keselamatan, kebahagiaan mereka.

Bagaimana pula sikap kita dalam berselawat kepada Rasulullah ﷺ? Berapa kerapkah kita berdoa ke atasnya dan berselawat?

Sedangkan fadhilat selawat itu sendiri untuk kebaikan kita sendiri.

Rasulullah bersabda: 

‏ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَكْثَرُهُمْ عَلَىَّ صَلاَةً ‏"‏”

“Mereka yang paling rapat dengan ku di kalangan manusia pada Hari Kiamat adalah mereka-mereka yang paling banyak berselawat kepadaku" (Diriwayatkan oleh At-Tirmidzi yang menilainya sebagai Hasan gharib)

“مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَىَّ صَلاَةً صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ بِهَا عَشْرًا”

“Barangsiapa yang berselawat (berdoa untukku) sekali, Allah akan berselawat (berdoa untuk kebaikan) ke atasnya sebanyak sepuluh kali” (Diriwayatkan oleh At-Tirmidzi dengan darjat sahih)

*Perlu disebut di sini juga – selawatlah dengan cara-cara dan bacaan/lafaz yang diajar oleh Rasulullah: itulah yang terbaik dan paling afdhal untuk kita. Terlalu banyak ajaran zaman sekarang, bermacam-macam jenis selawat daripada sumber yang tidak diketahui, dengan fadhilat-fadhilat yang direka tanpa ada sandaran sahih, sedangkan Rasulullah sudah mengajar terus-menerus cara untuk selawat ke atasnya.

Kesimpulan

Itulah sahabat, hanya 8 aspek ringkas daripada ‘cinta’ / ‘kasih sayang’ kepada seseorang, yang seharusnya kita muhasabah diri kita sama ada kita benar-benar amalkan dalam pengakuan kita mencintai Rasulullah.

Saya pasti banyak lagi aspek kecintaan yang tidak dirangkumi oleh penulisan ringkas dan usaha kerdil ini – tetapi menurut pemahaman saya, secara minima, saya yakin, kalau aspek-aspek ini sahaja yang dapat kita hidupkan dalam amalan harian kita, maka sekurang-kurangnya kita adalah sedikit hujjah di hadapan Allah pada Hari Kiamat, apakah BUKTI kita cinta kepada kekasihnya, al-Khaleel, Habeebullah, Muhammad ﷺ, dan bukan tuntutan palsu semata-mata.

Sama-samalah kita tanamkan perasaan cinta yang benar terhadap baginda, mudah-mudahan dengan kecintaan inilah kita dihimpunkan bersamanya. Terimalah berita baik, kata-kata Anas ibn Malik, dan perasaan gembiranya bila ada peluang dan harapan untuk bersama Rasulullah – walaupun amalan kita tidak seberapa.

Anas ibn Malik (radhiAllahu anhu) meriwayatkan:

قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَتَى قِيَامُ السَّاعَةِ فَقَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ فَلَمَّا قَضَى صَلاَتَهُ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَيْنَ السَّائِلُ عَنْ قِيَامِ السَّاعَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ أَنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ مَا أَعْدَدْتَ لَهَا ‏"‏ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا أَعْدَدْتُ لَهَا كَبِيرَ صَلاَةٍ وَلاَ صَوْمٍ إِلاَّ أَنِّي أُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ وَأَنْتَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَمَا رَأَيْتُ فَرِحَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ بَعْدَ الإِسْلاَمِ فَرَحَهُمْ بِهَذَا

Telah datang seorang lelaki kepada Rasulullah ﷺ, dan dia berkata – “ya Rasulullah! Bilakah as-Sa’ah (hari kiamat)?”

Kemudian Rasulullah ﷺ  mendirikan solat; dan setelah habis menunaikan solat, dia berkata, “Di manakah penyoal yang bertanya tentang as-Sa’ah?” Kemudian Lelaki itu menjawab, “aku, ya Rasulullah”

Dan Rasulullah menjawab, “Dan apakah yang telah kau buat persiapan untuknya?”

Lelaki tersebut menjawab, “Ya Rasulullah! Aku tidaklah membuat persiapan yang besar daripada (amalan-amalan soleh seperti) Solat dan Puasa (tambahan), kecuali aku benar-benar mencintai Allah dan Rasul-Nya.”

Kemudian Rasulullah menjawab, “Seseorang itu akan bersama sesiapa yang dia cintai – dan engkau akan bersama sesiapa yang kau cintai”

Anas menjawab, “Dan aku tidak pernah lihat kaum Muslimin lebih gembira selepas menjadi Islam daripada kata-kata ini!”

(Riwayat At Tirmidzi yang menilainya sebagai hadith Sahih)

قَالَ أَنَسٌ فَمَا فَرِحْنَا بَعْدَ الإِسْلاَمِ فَرَحًا أَشَدَّ مِنْ قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ فَإِنَّكَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَنَسٌ فَأَنَا أُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَأَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ فَأَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ مَعَهُمْ وَإِنْ لَمْ أَعْمَلْ بِأَعْمَالِهِمْ

Anas berkata, “Dan tidak ada apa yang menggembirakan kami selepas memeluk Islam lebih daripada kegembiraan yang kami rasai oleh kata-kata Rasulullah ﷺ  – “Sesungguhnya, engkau akan bersama sesiapa yang kau cintai”

Dan Anas berkata, “Oleh itu, aku mencintai Allah dan Rasul-Nya, dan Abu Bakar dan Umar – dan aku berharap bahawa aku akan bersama mereka : walaupun amalan aku tidak seperti amalan mereka” (Riwayat Muslim)

Mencapai tahap "cinta Rasulullah" ini bukanlah sesuatu yang mudah. Kita nukilkan nasihat Nasiruddin Al-Albani dalam 

"Jalan menuju Allah itu sangatlah jauh, sedangkan kita berjalan diatasnya bagaikan kura-kura. 

Namun, bukanlah tujuan kita untuk sampai ke destinasi. 

Akan tetapi, tujuan utama kita adalah agar kita mati dalam keadaan masih tetap di atas perjalanan tersebut"

It's a lifelong process. A journey. Tapi insha Allah, yang penting kita cuba - dan berharap agar kita mati dalam keadaan tersebut. 

Semoga Allah membangkitkan kita di kalangan pengikut Rasulullah ﷺ pada Hari Kiamat, dan menempatkan kita semua dan ahli keluarga kita di Jannatul Firdaus bersama Rasulullah ﷺ, sahabat-sahabatnya, dan mereka yang benar-benar mencintainya.. Ameen.

Appraisals - Never lose integrity and honesty

For many of us, this is the time of the year where we submit our write-ups for our Annual Performance Appraisals. Unfortunately as well, this is the time where ‘stories’ of achievements are ‘pumped up’, dramatized, exaggerated, and in some cases, falsely claimed or fabricated – all in an effort to artificially ‘make’ our performances look good, sometimes overwhelmingly so, to the point where it overshadows one’s shortcomings, and  make others ‘overlook’ our faults, and thus eventually drive evaluators from the factual holistic picture.

A similar situation happened in the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and his stern and firm response is a timely reminder for us to get in line.
Once, the Prophet ﷺ passed by a merchant selling food grains. The Prophet dipped his hand in the food to examine it, and noticed that the food underneath was damp and wet. He then asked the merchant,
“O owner of the food! What is this?”
The merchant replied, “rain befell the food (and thus it was spoilt), O Messenger of Allah”
The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Why not put the (spoilt) food at the top so that people can see it?”
And then he said,
مَنْ غَشَّ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا
“Whomsoever cheats, he is not from amongst us” (Narrated in At-Tirmidzi, Abu Daud, ibn Majah, sahih)

The merchant tried to “hide” the more defective grains and put the good quality ones at the top where it was visible to the buyers, so he could charge full price, to the ignorance of the buyer. But in fact, the Prophet strictly reminded the merchant that this is a form of cheating and deception; not only that, but he went to the extent to disown those who cheat – from being amongst his ummah.

Just like in the story of the merchant above, when our performance appraisal write-up paints an ‘altered’ picture of the truth, the one who eloquently writes up – may successfully cover up his faults, giving him undue credit. Conversely, for the one who has performed well, but lacks in eloquence or creative write-ups, will unfairly not receive his due rights.

The Prophet ﷺ said, "I am only a human being, and you people (opponents) come to me with your cases; and it may be that one of you can present his case eloquently in a more convincing way than the other, and I give my verdict according to what I hear.
So if ever I judge (by error) and give the right of a brother to his other (brother) then he (the latter) should not take it, for I am giving him only a piece of (the Hell) Fire." (Narrated by Al-Bukhari).

Organizations should create and improve systems that have objective performance targets that do not rely on eloquent ‘marketing’ or ‘beefed up’ write-ups for them to filter out good performers from the lesser. Similarly, it should create an environment that makes shortcomings or individual pitfalls as a means of improvement and progressiveness, not to point fingers and blame.
We as individuals, on the other hand, should be very careful about what we present, to be 100% honest, do not claim what is not rightfully our achievements, do not exaggerate or ‘over-dramatize’ the facts to paint a wrong picture other than what the facts actually are, and be courageous to own up our mistakes or shortcomings.
Honesty may hurt, but in the context of this world being temporary, it is better to bear the painful lesson, than a false success.

At the end of the day, no system is perfect, and human beings make mistakes; just have tawakkal, trust that Allah – the All-Just, All-Wise, All-hearing, All-Knowing – will Return what is due to the rightful ones, in this world or the next.

May Allah make us amongst those who are truthful and transparent in all our dealings.

The Road to Hajj / Umrah – 5 Tips to Make your Spiritual Preparations

PREPARATIONS

When it comes to Hajj or Umrah, many people fail to make the necessary spiritual preparations before they take off. As a result, they lose the effectiveness of their acts of worship – and in some severe cases, Allah knows best – perhaps might actually do more harm than good to themselves – and what a waste that would be!

In the context of Hajj and Umrah, Allah Commands us in the Qur’an –

“وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَىٰ ۚ”

“So make your preparations and provision – but (know, that) verily, the best of provisions are that of Taqwa (God-consciousness)” (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 196)

When it comes to making the preparations for these acts of worship, many people emphasize on the ‘physical’ aspects of the preparation – the packing and “what-to-brings”, the physical health, the logistics arrangements – and the Fiqh aspects of the Rituals.

And yes, this is all good – in fact this was commanded by Allah to make preparations for as per the Verse above – but the most important, the BEST preparations before going – are the spiritual aspects of our preparations, to build our Taqwa.

What the pilgrims should be most concerned about is “how to ensure my acts of worship are accepted?” – How can I best make sure that these acts are most Pleasing to Allah?

Because at the end of the day, when all is said and done, it really doesn’t matter how comfortable or how convenient your trip was, how good were the facilities, or how well you resolved the physical challenges and difficulties there : what matters is whether your acts of worship – especially your Hajj and Umrah – are accepted!

The Prophet ﷺ said,

“الْعُمْرَةُ إِلَى الْعُمْرَةِ كَفَّارَةٌ لِمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَالْحَجُّ الْمَبْرُورُ لَيْسَ لَهُ جَزَاءٌ إِلاَّ الْجَنَّةُ”

“(Performing) Umrah from one to another Umrah is an expiation (means of forgiveness of one’s sins) for whatever comes in between –

And an accepted Hajj (Mabrur) – has no reward other than Paradise (itself)!” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

“مَنْ حَجَّ لِلَّهِ فَلَمْ يَرْفُثْ وَلَمْ يَفْسُقْ رَجَعَ كَيَوْمِ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ"

"Whoever performs Hajj sincerely for the sake of Allah and does not have sexual relations with his wife, and does not do evil or sins then he will return (after Hajj free from all sins) as if he were just born” (Al-Bukhari)

Clean slate - With all your good deeds intact..!

So here insha Allah I’ve compiled a list of mandatory spiritual preparations that one should make, prior to performing Hajj and/or Umrah. This is first and foremost a reminder for myself and the steps I personally commit to take towards this great journey, and finally to share it with others.

If you know of family or friends who are going any time soon – may this be of benefit for you.

It’s interesting to note that the common mindset is that people go to Hajj expecting that they will “change” after that. But in fact, based on these instructions, the best thing to do is to “change” BEFORE going for Hajj to get the best out of it – build our taqwa.

There are many many different good deeds that one can do towards building one’s Taqwa – but based on my experience and the combined advice from different scholars and books, these are what I feel are the top 5 things that should be given due priority.

If we look at it holistically per the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, Hajj and Umrah is really an amplification of who we REALLY are as a Muslim between ourselves and Allah. Now you are here, in Makkah, in Madinah – you’ve set aside your resources and time purely for the sake of Allah : away from the burdens of responsibilities of your job, your household chores, your family, with no WiFi in the masjid either – just you and Allah - with hundreds of thousands – or millions – of other pilgrims around you from all ages, cultures and backgrounds in one place with the same mission.

Now what…?

Bismillah, here it is – 5 spiritual preparations for your Hajj and Umrah.

#1 – FOLLOWING THE RIGHT GUIDANCE

If there was only one – the BEST – piece of advice that I have been given, and that I would like to share with others,  is ALWAYS live with this golden rule:

At every turn, every juncture, every act of worship, every conversation, every potential disagreement, every meal, every inconvenience – ask yourself:

“What would the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ do in this case?”

It’s such a simple thing to do – yet perhaps the most comprehensive and practical. WAllahi if all the pilgrims were to adopt this rule, we would have such a blessed, blissful and amazing Hajj and Umrah experience.

This golden rule – “What would the Prophet ﷺ do?” should come from firstly, the perspective of “how” to perform your act of worship. How to perform your Prayers, your Tawaf, your Sa’ee – in accordance to how he taught it. When it comes to Fiqh, there’s so much difference of opinion and disagreements these days that sometimes one gets so drowned in these pointless debates that one has lost track of the actual objective : at the end of the day, our objective – is to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet. Even the great imams such as Imam Abu Hanifah and Imam Ash-Shafi’ee would say “whenever a hadith is authentic, that is my mazhab”. At the end of the day, despite their disagreements and different conclusions: their objectives are the same and clear for all – They are all achieving to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet. But the context of how they received their evidences and how they understood the evidences, and the reliability of their sources at that time – may differ.

This is also especially important in protecting yourself from doing any pointless acts of worship which are actually innovations (bidaah) in the religion.

The Prophet said, “مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ”

“Whomsoever performs an act of worship other than our practice (our teachings), it is rejected” (Narrated in Sahih Muslim)

If it is rejected – don’t waste your time. It is ironic that sometimes people go to great lengths to do certain acts which are not sanctioned in the shari’ah – but there are so many virtuous deeds in the shari’ah which are far easier!

So don’t go with the mindset that “I heard this ustaz say this” or “this shaykh said this” – the primary criterion of our deeds to be accepted is : “Is it in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet?”

Also don’t get caught up with long speculative discussions on “What is the rationale of this act?”

The rationale for all acts of worship is – “Because that is what Allah and the Prophet taught us: and, because Allah is the All-Wise, All-Knowing Creator, decreed that that is what is BEST for us, for our life in this world and Hereafter – even if we may not immediately understand its wisdom and physical benefits”.

Brothers and sisters, Allah told us the simple Criterion of Success – Obedience

“وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا”

“And whomsoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, then verily he has achieved a great success” (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:71)

“It is not (befitting) for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter - that they should have any option in their decision.

And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error.” (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:36)

Equally important is to apply this rule of “What would the Prophet ﷺ do?” from the perspective of attitude and good character – when it comes to patience in putting up with others, in guarding our tongue, in thankfulness, in being charitable, in talking with our family members while we are there, in interacting with potentially rude people there – always ask, “How would the Prophet ﷺ react here?”

The Prophet said, “Verily I have only been sent to perfect good character” (Narrated in Muwata Malik) – the entire objective of Islam as a whole is the perfection of good manners and attitude.

Although extremely crucial throughout the performance of our Hajj/Umrah, this rule is really something that should be applied in our everyday lives and not just when we’re in Mekkah or Madinah.

Of course this implies studying the Prophet’s daily activity, his mannerisms and interaction – and the qur’an itself.

So BEFORE you go, apply this in your every day lives, get used to the mindset – and once you’re there it becomes second nature.

#2 GUARD YOUR TONGUE

Perhaps the #1 leading cause of destruction when it comes to Umrah or Hajj.

My father once shared during his experience in Hajj, during the time of Wuquf – undeniably the most important part of Hajj, where pilgrims are to make their supplications – some of the pilgrims, after a while of making du’aa, they got bored – then “lepak ramai-ramai” at the coffee shop, and started talking politics. Slanders, criticisms, gossips, unfound rumours, character assassinations – a guaranteed recipe to destroy your good deeds.

But it doesn’t stop there. Almost every trip I have been there, there’s always some reason that people have to insult how (insert negative comment here) this “Pak Arab” is, this travel agent, that mutawwif, that hotel staff, that one asking for sadaqah, that obnoxious person in the group, that “wahabi”, etc.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Do you know who the bankrupt person is?

The truly bankrupt person is the one who will come on the day of judgment with his (good deeds from his) Prayers, fasting and charity, (but) because he abused others, slandered/defamed against others, unlawfully devoured the wealth of others, shed the blood of others and beat others;

so his good deeds would be credited to the account of those (whom he wronged).

If his good deeds fall short to clear the account, their sins would be entered in his account and he would be thrown in the (Hell) Fire". (Muslim)

Imagine that – after all that money, time and effort spent – if one were to end up shortchanged and come back with nothing!

Stick to this simple rule: The Prophet said,

“وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ”

“.. and whomsoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak what is good – or remain silent!” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

When it comes to speech, you have two choices – say what is good – or just shut up. Such a simple way of life yet many of us fail to implement.

On the upside, Hajj and Umrah is also a great opportunity to meet sincere people who want to do good – thus presenting opportune moments to give good advice, say positive things and brighten up their day and increase their motivation for being steadfast worship. Our words can have profound impact on ourselves and others – so choose wisely. The Prophet ﷺ said

"‏ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِالْكَلِمَةِ مِنْ رِضْوَانِ اللَّهِ لاَ يُلْقِي لَهَا بَالاً، يَرْفَعُ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَاتٍ، وَإِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِالْكَلِمَةِ مِنْ سَخَطِ اللَّهِ لاَ يُلْقِي لَهَا بَالاً يَهْوِي بِهَا فِي جَهَنَّمَ ‏"

“A slave (of Allah) may utter a word which pleases Allah, without giving it much importance, but because of that Allah will raise him to degrees (of reward);

a slave (of Allah) may utter a word (carelessly) which displeases Allah without thinking of its gravity and because of that he will be thrown into the Hell-Fire." (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)

So before you go off, prepare yourselves by minding your words very carefully, and don’t waste time by useless and non-beneficial talks which can reduce your rewards – in and out of hajj. (Yes, political news : I’m referring to you)

#3 DEVELOP YOUR PATIENCE

Whilst performing hajj and umrah, there is very high likelihood that you will come across situations that will test your patience – to varying degrees. From the quality of services and facilities, the inconveniences, the weather, the circumstances, the crowds, to the different unpredictable behaviors of others – sometimes even your own family members will show a different “side” to them when you’re there.

Instead of thinking of them as external nuisances “ruining” your Hajj/Umrah, have a paradigm shift think about all of these as part and parcel of the Hajj itself - your own personal tests which Allah had Tailor-made for you, while you’re there. The degree of reward varies in accordance to its difficulty, and Allah will Never burden a person beyond what he can bear.

إِنَّهُ مَنْ يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

“Verily, he whom has taqwa and is PATIENT – verily, Allah will never allow to be lost, the deeds of those who do their deeds with excellence” (Surah Yusuf, verse 90)

So really start off with “PATIENCE MODE” on way before you depart; starting this with our home and those closest to us. What normally annoys or angers us, withhold as much possible – train yourselves to save up those huge “bags of patience” which you will really need to cash out when you’re out there.

The Prophet said,

“لَيْسَ الشَّدِيدُ بِالصُّرَعَةِ، إِنَّمَا الشَّدِيدُ الَّذِي يَمْلِكُ نَفْسَهُ عِنْدَ الْغَضَبِ”

"The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger." (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

#4 MAKE LOTS OF DU’AA AND DZIKR – IMPROVE YOUR CONNECTION WITH ALLAH

If one were to really look at the acts of Hajj and Umrah, from the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ there really isn’t all that much specific rituals. In fact, even when it comes to the specific rituals – such as tawaf (circumambulation around the Ka’bah) or sa’ee (walking back and forth between the mount of Safa and Marwah) – the Shari’ah has left it free for the Pilgrims to perform the specific acts of worship – make any du’aa (supplications), perform any dzikr (words of remembrance), recite any part of Qur’aan, that is convenient to you as you wish.

The PROBLEM happens if, when one goes and one doesn’t prepare oneself in this aspect.

Unfortunately, for many people, dzikr and du’aa becomes a ritualistic act which they say “amin” to the imam, or from pre-made “scripts” and “texts” which sometimes we don’t even know what they mean – devoid of the spirit of du’aa – a sincere and beloved communication between a slave with his Lord.

Hajj and Umrah presents many opportune moments in which our du’aa, suppliations and prayers have greater chance of being immediately accepted and responded to by Allah.

What tends to happen is that when they have those opportune “mustajab” moments to make du’aa – after a while, they don’t know what to do! They get bored, they run out of “texts” to read from.. and it becomes a tired exercise of just waiting… to get from one place to the next.

And, as a Hajj course instructor once shared with us, at this point, many people, instead of looking for “hajj Mabrur”, they look for “hajj Marlboro”.

Jokes aside, we really should make the best of these moments. Prepare early on, increase in uttering words of remembrance and constantly make sincere du’aa from Allah.

Prepare a list of du’aa – what you want to ask of Allah, for yourself, your family, and your friends – and even the Muslim ummah as a whole. Instead of “saving this list for Hajj”, implement these du’aa immediately – once you’re there, perhaps more idea will come: keep them coming!

As the poet once said,

“the creation Allah – when people request and ask of him, he gets annoyed.

But as for the Creator – when people stop asking of Him, he gets angry!”

The Prophet ﷺ said,

"‏ لَيْسَ شَىْءٌ أَكْرَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ مِنَ الدُّعَاءِ”

“There is nothing more noble in the Sight of Allah other than du’aa (supplication and prayers asking of Him)” (Sahih Hadith Narrated in At-Tirmidzi)

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ

“When My slave asks of Me, then (tell them), verily, I am indeed close (to him) : I Respond to the supplication of the one who supplicates, when he asks of Me..” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:186).

Dzikr are also very powerful acts of worship which many of us take for granted. So get into the habit of repeating them – there are specific words of dzikr which were taught by the Prophet (e.g. referenced in books such as Hisnul Muslim “Fortress of a Muslim”) – memorize them by heart, utter them habitually in our every day lives – while driving, while cooking, while waiting for the train, while waiting for our food, etc.

It’s one of the easiest acts of worship to perform – yet also one of the most virtuous in the Sight of Allah.

وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّـهَ كَثِيرًا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

“And Remember Allah (make dzikr of Him) much – so that you may be successful!” (Surah Al-Juma’ah, verse 10)

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“أَلاَ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ أَعْمَالِكُمْ وَأَرْضَاهَا عِنْدَ مَلِيكِكُمْ وَأَرْفَعِهَا فِي دَرَجَاتِكُمْ وَخَيْرٍ لَكُمْ مِنْ إِعْطَاءِ الذَّهَبِ وَالْوَرِقِ وَمِنْ أَنْ تَلْقَوْا عَدُوَّكُمْ فَتَضْرِبُوا أَعْنَاقَهُمْ وَيَضْرِبُوا أَعْنَاقَكُمْ”

“Should I not inform you of the best of your deeds, and the purest of them with your Master, and the highest of them in your ranks, and what is better for you than spending gold and silver, and better for you than meeting your enemy and striking their necks, and they strike your necks?”

The companions replied – “Of course!”

The Prophet then said,

“ذِكْرُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى”

“The Remembrance of Allah, Most High” (Narrated in Muwatta Malik, At-Tirmidzi, and ibn Majah, graded hasan)

A man once said to the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), indeed, the legislated acts of Islam have become too much for me, so inform me of a thing that I should stick to.”

The Prophet replied,

“لاَ يَزَالُ لِسَانُكَ رَطْبًا مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ”

“Let not your tongue cease to be moist with the remembrance of Allah.” (Narrated by At-Tirmidzi and ibn Majah)

Through our constant remembrance and prayers, this will inevitably make us more conscious of our deeds and indirectly have a positive effect on our behaviour, reinforcing the first few acts we mentioned previously.

#5 – EQUIP YOURSELVES WITH THE AUTHENTIC KNOWLEDGE

This may seem like a repeated point from the first, but for good reason – you will see a whole range of strange practices in Hajj and Umrah: you will even have ‘guides’ that teach Hajj/Umrah rites which are blatantly in direct opposition of the Sunnah.

And coming across different parts of the world you will also most likely be exposed to people performing strange un-Islamic acts of innovation, from their own respective cultures.

Naturally, if we didn’t equip ourselves with the authentic knowledge before we take off, we can easily get lost. We lose confidence, we get disoriented, shaytan will disturb our peace of mind in worship, perhaps even resulting in us getting into unhealthy disputes and argumentation with others. All because we didn’t arm ourselves with the right knowledge beforehand.

It is interesting to note that the many ahadith related to Hajj of the Prophet are very clear and easy to understand – one can read them off Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim and get a very clear picture on what it’s all about.

So start off in the sincere pursuit of knowledge, and depart with confidence and glad tidings of Allah’s Pleasure. The Prophet said,

“مَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ”

“Whomsoever Allah wants good for, He grants him an understanding of the religion” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, ibn Majah, At-Tirmidzi and others)

That’s it insha Allah – 5 simple steps to enhance our spiritual preparation for the Great Journey of Hajj and Umrah.

May Allah keep us steadfast in preparation and may He grant us the BEST of rewards from our Hajj and Umrah!!