Hajj is Arafah: Developing an Insight

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

While Laylah al-Qadr is the greatest night of the year for Muslims , Yawm 'Arafah is the greatest day of the year for Muslims. So great is this day that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) proclaimed "Hajj is Arafah". There is no night in which we supplicate more than the Night of Power and there is no day on which we supplicate more than the Day of 'Arafah. Even those not participating in the Hajj rituals are encouraged to fast on the Day of Arafah and engage in all kinds of good and righteous works.

Now, what are some of the lessons that can be learnt from the Hajj and more specifically the Day of 'Arafah?

For me personally, the significance of the Hajj and especially the Day of 'Arafah is embodied in the following very important Qur'anic verse - a Qur'anic verse that addresses the whole of humanity:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

This verse is mentioned in Surah al-Hujurat. It is significant that in this Surah Allah Almighty - prior to this verse - addresses the Believers five times with يا أيها الذين آمنوا (O you who believe). In the sixth address (which is this address) the message is directed to the whole of humanity because it is a matter that concerns the whole of humanity - humanity in all its diversity. Apart from the universal address there are also some other important points:

(a) All of humanity share in the common denominator of being created by Allah .

(b) We were created from a common origin, a single pair of male and female - a pair whose parts are different yet complementary - a pair that requires both parts to ensure that the human race lives on

(c) Even though we were created from a common origin, we were still made into different nations and tribes with different languages and colours. These differences, though, were never intended to create division but rather (i) as a sign pointing to Allah's Power to create diversity from a unity as He says in Surah Rum (verse: 22) (وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَانِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّلْعَالِمِينَ ), and (ii) as a means to learn to know one another by looking beyond these physical and Islamically insignificant differences as stated in this verse in Surah al-Hujurat. Also, Allah Himself says that if He wanted He could have made us into one single nation, but instead He chose otherwise (وَلَوْ شَاء اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَهُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً ) (Surah al-Shura verse: 8), and (وَلَوْ شَاء رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً ) (Surah Hud verse: 118).

(d) As stated in the previous point, the reason behind all this diversity is for us to rise above our differences by embracing the one and only commonality which is that we are all creatures of Allah, and created by Him from a single male and female, and then made into different nations and tribes. So what really unites us is the fact that we all share the reality of being created by Allah, and that makes us no better than anyone else. This intended human diversity is not without significance. The significance of this diversity is to afford the best amongst us the opportunity to rise above these differences, and to see only the commonality that unites us which is our utter dependence as creatures of Allah upon Allah (يا أيها الناس أنتم الفقراء إلى الله والله هو الغني الحميد) (O People, You are the ones that are in need of Allah, while Allah is absolutely free of all wants, and the One Always Praised).

(e) The next point in the verse is where a categorical statement is made, namely: (Verily, the most noble and honourable amongst you in Allah's estimation are the most Allah-conscious of you). As if to say, that not only is Taqwa the main and primary criterion for determining the most noble and honourable amongst us, but that Taqwa itself is also the means that enables us to see beyond our differences and to see only what unites us. In fact, it is only relationships that are bulit on Taqwa that are lasting and enduring relationships. The Qur'an tells us that on the Day of Judgment all friends will be enemies of one another except those who have Taqwa: الْأَخِلَّاء يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ (Surah al-Zukhruf verse: 67). Moreover, the fact that Taqwa is not tangible so as to be measurable means that no one can really claim the quality for him or herself (except the Messenger of Allah) but that we can only strive to be the best that we can possibly be.

(f) Should we be deluded into thinking that we have more Taqwa than some others, then just remember the hidden and veiled warning in the final part of the verse: (إِنَّ الله عَلِيْمٌ خَبِيْرٌ) , as if to say: Only Alllah knows and is aware of those who have Taqwa, so let us not be deluded and be carried away by false piety. In fact, Allah has made the sole criterion for being the best amongst humanity a quality that cannot really be measured because Allah alone knows how much you have of it if at all. If anything then Taqwa will cause you to know how really insignificant you are and that it will also cause you to think others better than you. You cannot be having Taqwa if you claim that your Taqwa is more than someone else's. In Surah al-Najm verse: 33 Allah reminds us that He knows us from the very beginning, from the time He created our ancestors from the earth and from the time that we were nothing but tiny emryos in our mothers' wombs, and therefore we should not make ourselves out to be good and pure, because He knows best those (among us) who have Taqwa:

(هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ فِى بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَى ) .

Now, if you seek to find a link between Sawm and Hajj, then the link is this very quality of Taqwa. Sawm precedes Hajj by about two or three months, and Allah tells in the famous Sawm verse the whole purpose behind fasting which is to develop and achieve Taqwa (لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَ) . In a very important Hajj verse Allah tells us to gather our supplies but that the best of supplies is Taqwa (فَتَزَوَّدُوْا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى) . It is as if Ramadhan prepared us and equipped us with the neccesary supplies (i.e. Taqwa) to enable us to get through the Hajj in the best possible manner.

Thus, it is in the Hajj that we see all the values that are mentioned in the verse mentioned in Surah al-Hujurat realised there and then:

The theme of unity and commonnness of humanity is stressed throughout Hajj:

(1) Unity of Purpose: We all go to Makkah with one and only purpose in mind, namely, to respond to Allah's invitation to come to the Holy House by saying: labbayk (Here we are, in answer to Your call; Here we are, in answer to Your call). In fact, "Hajj" itself means "to intend" because the pilgrim intends the House of Allah وَللهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيْلاَ .

(2) Unity of Dress: We all dress in one type of garment, and it is significant that this is also how we will be dressed when we are finally laid into our graves

(3) Unity of Language: We all recite the same Thikr and Du'a

(4) Unity of Activity: We all engage in the same activities

(5) Unity of Locations: We all move around in the same locations, and congregate on Yawm 'Arafah on the same plain the Plain of Arafat, where everybody engage in Thikr and Du'a

Everything that the pilgrim engages in during Hajj emphasises the unity of humanity rather than its diversity. While they are all different and diverse they are really all the same, because they all go there with the same concerns, and the common hope that Allah will accept their Thikr, Du'a and Righteous Deeds.

There is also something very atomic and cosmic about the Hajj. During the Tawaf we circumambulate the Ka'bah just as planets do around a star or sun or sub-atomic particles around a nucleus. In other words, from the smallest to the largest of objects in the universe, there is this sense of revolving around a center. It is this center which unites these apparently disparate bodies., without which they will all be scattered. Even on a non-physical level we require this center or purpose in life around which our whole life revolves. There is always a tendency to tie apparently unrelated things together. There is this tendency towards Tawhid, if you may. Even in life we have cycles. There are our own life cycles. And on reflection we see that even these cycles tend to have a center. It is the center that provides the unity to all the diversity that we see. It's only now that I understand the full impication of the words of the poet: وَفِيْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ لَهُ آيَةٌ * تَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّهُ وَاحِدٌ [In everything there is a sign that points to the fact that He (Allah) is One]. Isn't tasbih exactly just that: to celebrate the Absolute Uniqueness of Allah and to have a belief in Allah that is free from likening Allah to any of His creation. In other words, He is Absolutely Unique, He is Absolutely One, and this is what everything in the universe attests to, and this includes the Hajj. Not only do we as Hujjaj (pilgrims) celebrate the unity of humanity but we also celebrate through our states and actions the Absolute Unity of the Lord of Humanity.

It should also be remembered that Arafah is so called because it is said that it is the place where Adam and Hawwa' came together after their exit from Paradise. It is also significant that 'Arafah comes from the same root as لتعارفوا (lita'aarafuu = in order that you may know each other) mentioned in the Hujuraat verse. It is almost as if people are meant to learn to know one another by foregetting their differences (even internal and sectarian differences) and all just to unite as a single human being with a single purpose and a single request that Allah forgive them all, and to save them from the Fire of Jahannam.

The Hajj should be a lesson for all of us in that by joining forces and having a common purpose we should be able to overcome the challenges that face us as an Ummah. Our problem is that we still prefer to foreground our differences rather than our commanilities as an Ummah, which is why we have become the laughing stock of the world. As a Muslim Ummah we have all the ingredients to be the best nation that has evolved for the entire humanity, but we prefer petty and trivial differences to divide, and the outcome is what you see in the world today as regards the condition of the Muslims. The irony of it all is that despite being a weak Ummah at the moment we are still a force to be reckoned with. The point is what a force won't we be if we are instead in a position of strength! The Hajj should remind us every year of our strength as an Ummah: how Muslims can mobilise millions within a short period of time in one place - an Ummah that operates as a single human being. HAJJ IS THE ULTIMATE SHOW OF UNITY IN DIVERSITY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

O Allah, help us as an UMMAH, O Allah, help the UMMAH of Your Most Beloved, Ameen!

Kohl (Kajal) and the first 10 Days of Dhul-Hijjah

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

What do Kohl (surma - a type of eyeliner), the first 10 Days of Dhul-Hijjah and a blog on Arabic have in common? At first it might seem a very unlikely combination - a combination that could very well qualify as suitable material for your typical lateral thinking question.

So as not to keep you in suspense any longer, let me give you the answer. While, after I've given you the answer, it would not be difficult to see how these three elements are combined, the mas'alah, though, that is behind the question might prove a little bit difficult to understand. The main point, then, is to understand how these 3 things are connected, and if you, in addition to that, also understand the mas'alah then that is a bonus.

So, first of all, the underlying mas'alah is a Nahw mas-alah, and that is how it is relevant to my blog. Second of all, the mas'alah involves the word الْكُحْلَ (or kohl) and that is how kohl comes into the picture. In fact, the mas'alah in the Arabic linguistic literature is known as "the mas'alah al-kuhl" (مسألة الكحل) . Third of all, a real example of the mas'alah al-kuhl comes from a hadith ascribed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in which he extols the excellence of the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah and the excellence of fasting on these days. And what is actually meant by the first 10 days (in the context of fasting) is the first 9 days, because the 10th day is Yawm al-Nahr or Eid al-ADHaa, and is forbidden to fast on the Eid al-ADHaa. I stated between brackets "in the context of fasting" because there are other wordings or even reports that state in place of the word "fasting" "good works" so as to make it more general.

Now, as for the mas'alah al-kuhl, here it goes (and fasten your seat belts because it's going to be a bumby ride). In Arabic the verb is known to make certain nouns marfu', and certain other nouns mansub, because it is an action and an action must proceed from someone and sometimes it can also proceed onto something else. For example, the verb كَتَبَ (to write) must proceed from someone in the sense that he does or performs the act of writing, and it can also proceed onto something else in the sense that it gets done or applied to a letter for example. So you might say: كَتَبَ الرَّجُلُ الرِّسَالَةَ (the man wrote the letter). Now, there are certain nouns (call them verb-like nouns) that can also do what verbs do, that is, they can also make certain nouns marfu' and others mansub. This is so because they also denote action just like verbs, and actions proceed from people and proceed onto other things (depending on the type of action). One such noun is the اسم الفاعل (or active participle) such as كَاتِبٌ . So you can say for example: أَكَاتِبٌ الرَّجُلُ الرِّسَالَةَ (Is the man writing the letter?), where الرَّجُلُ is the Fa-'il and الرِّسَالَةَ the Maf-'ul bihi of the noun "كاتِبٌ" .

Having said, there are also other types of noun can also perform the verbal function but with many more conditions that make the whole thing a bit complicated. Anyhow, I'm going try to explain it in a way that is IMHO the least difficult, insha Allah. Another type of noun with verbal power or force but under very strict circumstances is the اسم التفضيل (ism al-tafDil or the noun of comparison) such as أَفْضَلُ (better), أَجْمَلُ (more beautiful), etc. Now, the اسم التفضيل is able to make a substantive noun Marfu' as shown in the following example which has become famous as the mas'alah al-kuhl:

مَا رَأَيْتُ رَجُلاً أَحْسَنَ فِيْ عَيْنِهِ الْكُحْلُ مِنْهُ فِيْ عَيْنِ زَيْدٍ

[I have not seen a man in whose eye(s) kohl is more beautiful than in the eye(s) of Zayd]

Now, in order for the اسم التفضيل to perform this verbal function of making a substantive noun Marfu' the following conditions need to be met as per the example just given:

(1) the اسم التفضيل must occur in a sentence containing a negation, which in the example is: مَا رَأَيْتُ

(2) the negation must be followed by a noun denoting a class of objects rather than someone or something specific, which in the example is رَجُلاَ ,

(3) this noun in turn must be described or qualified by the اسم التفضيل , which in the example is أَحْسَنَ ,

(4) this اسم التفضيل in turn must be followed by a noun that bears no grammatical connection to the previous generic noun, which in this case is الكحل which contains no Damir to show that it is connected to the previous generic noun, and

(5) this noun (which is الكحل ) must be preferred over or compared from two perspectives which here is (a) the eye of the man (in general) and (b) the eye of Zayd. The way to explain this last point is to take a hat, for example, and place it on my head and see how it looks, and then to take the same hat and place it on someone else's hat and see how it looks, and then one can conclude that: this hat looks better on that someone else's head than what it (i.e. that same hat) looks on my head.

This then is the mas'alah al-kuhl. As for the hadith that has been ascribed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), this is its wording in the Sharh of Ibn 'Aqil on the famous al-Alfiyyah of Ibn Malik:

مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَى اللهِ فِيْهَا الصَّوْمُ مِنْهُ فِيْ عَشْرِ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ

(There aren't days on which fasting is more loved by Allah than on the ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah)

I'm yet to find this wording of the hadith, though, in a credible hadith collection while I have come across other wordings of the hadith. Another wording mentioned in the Arabic linguistic literature is: ما من أيام أحبَّ إلى الله فيها الصومُ من أيام العشر . In some of the Hadith literature that I have consulted الْعَمَل or الْعَمَل الصًّالِح (good deeds in general) is used in stead of الصَّوم so as to make more general the kinds of good that you can do on those days.

Finally, you might be asking yourself: Is there any particular relevance in having chosen this specific topic for the post rather than another topic? The answer is: Yes, and reason is that the start of Dhul-Hijjah is just a couple of days away, and I'm just reminding myself before I remind anyone else of the excellence of doing good works on the first ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah (including fasting on the first nine Days) which is the least we can do while our brothers and sisters are all performing the holy rites of Hajj, not only out of respect for the greatness of the time that we will be finding ourselves in but also in solidarity with the Hujjaj who are performing this great pillar of Islam. May Allah accept all their good deeds and du'as, and grant them a Hajj Maqbul and Mabrur, and return them safely to their loved ones all spiritually enriched with the Blessings of Hajj and the Barakah of the Greatest Cities on earth (Makkah and Madinah), and may we soon be able to follow in their footsteps as Allah's Chosen and Honoured Guests, Ameen Allahumma Ameen!

PS. I recently came across the following hadith compiled by al-Bukhari in his Collection of Sahih Hadith in the Book of the Two Eids, the Section on Doing Righteous Works during the Days of al-Tashriq:

مَا مِنْ أيَّامٍ الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللهِ فِيْهِنَّ مِنْ هَذِهِ الأَيَّامِ (يَعْنِيْ عَشْرَ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ) قَالُوْا: وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللهِ؟ قَال: وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللهِ، إِلاَّ رَجُلاً خَرَجَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْجِعْ بِشَيْءِ

There aren't any days in which righteous work is more loved by Allah than these Days (i.e. the Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah). They said: Not even Jihad in the Path of Allah? He said: Not even Jihad in the Path of Allah, except a man who goes out (in the Path of Allah) with his life and his wealth, and does not return with anything (therefore).