Chapter 2: Surat Al-Baqarah (The Cow), verses 198-203
Translation:
“It shall be no offence for you to seek the bounty of your Lord. When you return from Arafat, remember God as you approach the sacred monument. Remember Him that gave you guidance when you were in error. Then go out from the place whence the pilgrims go out and implore the forgiveness of God. He is Forgiving and Merciful. And when you have fulfilled your sacred duties, remember God as you remember your forefathers, yet with deeper reverence. There are some who say: ‘Lord give us abundance in this world.’ These shall have no share in the hereafter. But there are others who say: ‘Lord give us what is good both in this world and in the next and keep us from the fire of Hell.’ These shall have a share of what they have earned. Swift is the reckoning of God. And give glory to God on the appointed days. He that departs on the second day incurs no sin, nor does he who stays longer, if he truly fears God. Have fear of God, then, and know that you shall all be gathered before him.” (2:198-203)
Commentary:
Fear of God
is the basic element of worship. As long as one remains in this frame of mind,
it does not matter if one lags behind while others are early in performing
certain rites of pilgrimage, or if one attends to some private business while in
the holy land. What is important is that one should enter into the spirit of
pilgrimage—fear of God, remembrance of Him, prayer, thanksgiving and
wholehearted submission to God. While on a pilgrimage, one should make sure not
to do anything which runs counter to this spirit. There should be no feeling of
superiority over fellow-pilgrims, that is, one should “go whence the pilgrims
go.” Making too much of one’s forefathers, praising their great deeds, is
also against the spirit of pilgrimage: pilgrimage is for the glory of God, not
for praise of the self. What place can such attitudes and activities have in
Hajj, the very lesson of which is the equality of man before One, Supreme God.
If one does not assimilate this lesson during the pilgrimage, what chance is
there of one applying it in the rest of one’s life?
Prayers,
especially those offered during pilgrimage, are an outward manifestation of an
inward state. Whatever one cherishes in one’s heart, one expresses in prayer.
One who has set his mind on worldly riches and grandeur will concentrate on
little else when he prays to God, whereas while one who seeks the next world,
with its infinite happiness and blessings, will make this the central theme of
devotions.1
1
The best prayer for man is to say to his Lord: ‘O my
God, give me in this world whatever You see good for this world, and give me in
the next life whatever You see good for that world and save me from eternal
doom.’