Guidelines for Ḥajjīs

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

“وَٱلۡفَجۡرِ (١) وَلَيَالٍ عَشۡرٖ”

(Qur’an 89:1-2)

“Wa Al-Fajri (1) Wa Layālin `Ashr”

“By the dawn (1) By the ten nights” Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla swears by these blessed days. They most probably start tonight or tomorrow night. Of course, according to the calendar, it starts tonight, but still, we need to look at the moon.

Ten nights, He ﷻ says. These ten nights are from the great nights. Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says, fasting them is a great virtue. It is better than fasting on normal days. Of course, the obligatory fasting is ramaḍān. Apart from ramaḍān, all of them are sunnah and voluntary fastings. Those who want can fast. Those who don’t want to can not.

But fasting those virtuous days is a gain. It is a great blessing for those who can. If you can’t, may Allāh ﷻ forgive you. Fast the 8th and 9th, or at least the Day of ‘Arafah, the 9th of Dhul Ḥijjah. It is good to fast it. It should not be missed. Of course, the charity and good deeds done on these days are also more valuable.

In these blessed days, if the Day of ‘Arafah is on Friday, that year would be the year of Ḥajj ul-Akbar. I don’t know how they’ll do it this year. Those who go to ḥajj follow what they decide. And Allāh ﷻ accepts it, Allāh ﷻ willing. If it is Ḥajj ul-Akbar, it has the reward of 70 ḥajj.

But of course now, especially in these years, even if a person does one ḥajj, they say “Kiss it and put it on your head.” Indeed, it is so. Because it is very difficult to go. If Allāh ﷻ gives the person life, he will reach it. If He ﷻ doesn’t give him, he will have already passed away until his turn comes. But if he has the intention, then Allāh ﷻ will accept his ḥajj according to his intention.

Because as we said, it’s not an easy matter. It gets harder every day. That is, of course, the wisdom of Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla. In the past, it took them six months to go. People would come from all over the world in a year. It would take them six months, a year or at least forty days or two months to arrive. The matter of ḥajj used to take this much time. The journey was difficult, but they would feel comfortable when they arrived.

But now it’s the other way around. As we said, ḥajj is hardship. It is a worship that has hardship. It’s not an easy worship. No matter how much you do, if you do the most luxurious things, there will still be hardship. That hardship is also a benefit for the believer. It is a reward and thawāb for the believer.

Therefore, who goes to ḥajj should be patient. How happy is he who perform his ḥajj minding his own business without causing any harm to others and goes back! It would be very beautiful. Because Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla says, do not fight, do not argue during ḥajj. There are many of such things. Especially some of our mindless Turkish ḥajjis. They go there and talk politics, talk this and talk that.

You already went there with difficulty. Remove politics and political issues from your mind. Beg to to Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla and do something there for those three or five days. Disconnect from dunyā. Don’t even look at what they’re doing. Dunyā has been going on the same way ever since anyways. Dunyā has never been a paradise. Paradise is for who is on the way of Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla; paradise here and hereafter.

When you are in ḥajj and not in dunyā don’t keep saying, “This political party, this man did this. This one did that.” Leave them! That is not your duty. You are the one in ḥajj. Stand firm. Forget dunyā. Forget dunyā and look at where you are. Perform your prayers. No need to go shopping in markets. All markets everywhere are the same anyways. No need to wander here and there. As much as you can, perform your worship around the Masjid al-Ḥarām and the Kaaba or in Masjid al-Nabawī, the Masjid of our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam.

Don’t sit in the hotel room saying, “We paid a lot for this hotel. The hotel is right there with the Kaaba. We follow with the imām from the hotel room.” If you did so, may Allāh ﷻ accept it. However, it is better for you to go near the Kaaba. Of course, now they don’t leave you near the Kaaba. Wherever you are, up or down, stand in one place and perform your prayers and worship.

In shā’a Llāh, may Allāh ﷻ accept it. May Allāh ﷻ grant it to people. And may He ﷻ give those who intend according to their intention, in shā’a Llāh. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

27 May 2025/ 29 Dhul Qa’dah 1446

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul

For more resources on Hajj (Dhul Hijjah), please click here.