Delivers Hajj sermon; Says Islam has preached for being
compassionate towards parents, children, relatives, all creatures
Mount Arafat
Imam-i-Kaaba Sheikh Mohammad bin Hassan Al Shaikh on Saturday while delivering the Haj sermon at Masjid-i-Nimra on the plains of Arafat, urged all Muslims to rid their hearts of hatred and be more kind in their treatment of others.The Imam-i-Kaaba impressed upon the need for showing campassion towards parents, children, relatives and all living beings. He called upon Muslims to remain united in the bonds of brotherhood. He reminded them that God’s blessings are infinite and one must find solace in this fact and continue to seek them.
More than two million Muslims gathered at the sacred hill of Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia for an intense day of worship and reflection on what’s considered the climax of the annual Haj pilgrimage to perform the main ritual of Hajj “Waqoof-e-Arafat”.
Pilgrims clad in white robes signifying a state of purity spent the night in a sprawling encampment around the hill where God tested Hazrat Ibrahim’s (AS) faith by commanding him to sacrifice his son Hazrat Ismail. It is also where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) gave his last sermon.
Many had tears streaming down their faces as the men and women raised their hands in worship on the slopes of the rocky hill. Other worshippers who had been praying in the nearby Mina area ascended in buses or on foot from before dawn. Some carried food, carpets for camping and fans to keep cool as temperatures rose towards 40 degrees Celsius.
The pilgrims spent the day on Mount Arafat. By sunset they moved to the rocky plain of Muzdalifa to gather pebbles to throw at stone columns symbolising the devil at Jamarat on Sunday, which marks the first day of Eidul Azha.
Imam Al-Sheikh Muhammad bin Hassan, in his sermon on the day of Arafat as part of the Muslim pilgrimage (Haj), urged the Muslim Ummah to eradicate hate from within, adopt to the true essence of morality and ethics, and strive to implement political and economical structure in accordance with the religion of Islam. From Masjid-e-Nimra, he addressed more than two million Muslim pilgrims from around the world, who have converged in Makkah for rituals that retrace the Holy Prophet Mohammed’s last pilgrimage to Makkah.
He pointed out that Allah Almighty doesn’t like arrogance, and the Almighty has created men and jinn for his worship. “Muslims should choose a path of righteousness, strongly hold the belief of the unity of God […] whosoever fears Allah, Allah saves him from the fears of this world and hereafter […] O wise people! Ponder over the Universe and its system,” Imam Al-Sheikh Muhammad preached in his sermons to Muslims. He further mentioned: “Human beings will enter into paradise by Allah’s mercy and grace […] and the path of piety leads to success […] keep yourself prostrate before the God and make a habit of reciting the Holy Quran.” “He who strives to purify himself [from sins], Allah bestows him purity,” he stated, while urging Muslims to be obedient to call for obligatory prayers as it is an important pillar of Islam.
He further said that indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to those who are kind-hearted, and it is by the grace of Almighty that people are saved from devils’ whispers. He urged all Muslims to pray for each other by terming them as ‘brothers’.
Sheikh Mohammad bin Hassan asserted that Islam has preached for being compassionate towards parents, children, relatives, and all the creatures. He said Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) has described the entire Muslim Ummah as one human body, signifying that pain in one organ affects the entire body. He said Muslims have been asked to strictly follow the path of Allah and refrain from getting divided. He said the Muslims who have piety and righteousness are given preference to other Muslims in Islam.
