Hajj
Hajj Reflections – Whoever Allah Calls
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Hajj Reflections: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
I did not think I’d be going for Hajj this year. I made the intention last year, but due to unexpected financial constraints, I found myself in Ramadan without any money to go for Hajj. This year, I had no intention or expectation to go for Hajj.
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One night in Ramadan, some friends told me they were organizing a competition in which six winners would get to go to Hajj for free as guests of Saudi Arabia. I’d never won a competition in my life so I did not get too excited. That night was an odd night during the last ten nights and I had a dream that I would be going for Hajj for free this year! I woke up very excited and immediately got my hands on a copy of the competition form and started researching the answers.
Soon my wife and I had found all of the answers, filled in the forms and submitted it anxiously waiting for the announcement of the winners. Two nights before the winners were announced, I had a dream that a specific friend of mine organized for me to go for Hajj for free. That friend was the one announcing the winners on radio so I sat next to my receiver expecting to win the competition.
As each winner was announced, my heart began to sink. Soon all six winners were announced and I was not one of them. I felt a deep emptiness inside of me, and did not sleep well that night due to the sadness that had engulfed me. I had not been for Hajj before and had not been to Saudi Arabia since 2006. My heart yearned to return to the holy lands and by that time, I had already been reciting the talbiyah for a few days. The thought also kept lingering in my head, “What did that dream mean then?”
The next morning, I awoke to find a message on Facebook from the same brother in my dream telling me to phone him urgently. I immediately phoned him and he asked me if I had been for Hajj before. When I replied in the negative, he said he would try to organize something for me. As it turned out that besides the six competition winners, the Saudi Arabian government was also taking six chosen guests from South Africa and I had been chosen!
Soon afterward, I found myself leaving for a two week, all expenses paid, five star Hajj package, even though I did not possess the money to afford even an Umrah trip. It was then that I understood something I had heard many times in my life, “It is not those who possess the money but those who Allah chooses who go for Hajj”
It would turn out to be an amazing two weeks and I would learn many things from my experiences in the holy lands of Islam, which I will reflect on in the next few articles, insha’Allah.
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Zuleyka
December 14, 2010 at 2:18 AM
MasyaAllah…. :-)
รขโฌลIt is not those who possess the money but those who Allah chooses who go for Hajjรขโฌย <<< yeah.. never get enough on saving as the cost keep increasing by year. how i wish could be the chosen one one day.
Ismail Kamdar
December 14, 2010 at 2:42 AM
Make dua. Inshaa Allah, when the time is right, Allah will make a way for you.
In one community I know, they have this excellent tradition that every year the wealthy members of the community get together and sponsor a Hajj trip for some others (usually six people) who can not afford it and have never been there before. I think this is an excellent initiative to start in any community.
Zuleyka
December 17, 2010 at 9:10 PM
InshAllah.. Ameen..
Yeah. That is really an excellent tradition. MasyaAllah..
May Allah grant Al-Jannah for them.
Hafsa
December 14, 2010 at 3:34 AM
SubhanAllah!
Amad
December 14, 2010 at 5:50 AM
You know the more I think about it, true dreams, esp. with Islamic messages are signs of the truthfulness of the deen for those who have them. How else could you explain them?
Mashallah for the blessing and I think it had a lot to do with your sacrifices in the financial constraints … the story that is untold… may Allah accept it from us.
Ismail Kamdar
December 14, 2010 at 6:04 AM
As for dreams being a sign of the truthfulness of one’s Deen, it is possible because the prophet (pbuh) did say that towards the end of time, true dreams would increase in frequency as signs of the truth. On the other hand, even Non-Muslims can have true dreams like the two prisoners and the king in the story of Yusuf (pbuh), and Allah knows best.
I decided to keep that part of my story private as I am afraid a public mention could lead to Niyah problems.
Ameen
Amad
December 14, 2010 at 6:37 AM
True dreams in themselves are a sign of the the unseen… no science can explain it.
HadithCheck
December 14, 2010 at 8:28 PM
Here are some ahadith of the Prophet peace be upon him on dreams:
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: รขโฌลTowards the end of time, hardly any dream of a Muslim will be false. The ones who have the truest dreams will be those who are truest in speech. The dream of a Muslim is one of the forty-five parts of Prophet-hood. Dreams are of three types: a good dream which is glad tidings from Allah, a dream from the Shaytan which causes distress, and a dream that comes from what a man is thinking of to himself.รขโฌย [Muslim; 2263]
It was narrated that Abu Qutadah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: รขโฌลGood dreams come from Allah and bad dreams come from the Shaytan. If anyone sees a bad dream that scares him, let him spit drily to his left and seek refuge with Allah from its evil, then it will not harm him.รขโฌย
(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 3292)
Ismail Kamdar
December 16, 2010 at 4:47 AM
This is very true.
Often when doing Dawah to atheists, I always ask them about supernatural experiences and dreams.
Allah sends signs to everybody, and many atheists get dreams which make them doubt that something else might be out there that they can not explain.
Hiba
December 16, 2010 at 8:10 AM
SubhanAllah….i too was blessed to perform Hajj this year, and alhamdulillah I do believe that Allah helps those who He wishes to help and things happen along the way that make a lot more sense at a later date.
May Allah accept our Hajj.
Ameen.
My personal reflections are up on my website, would be interested in your comments: http://muslimink.com/?p=298
Sabihah
December 17, 2010 at 3:15 AM
slmz, I also went on the journey of hajj this year, and alhmadurillah I had a life-changing hajj. Allah made everything so easy, and having the opportunity to be in the service of my mother as well as other fellow hajees was more self fulfilling, jazakallah to Ismail for the article makes me yearn to visit the holy lands again soon, ia. To HIBA I agree 100% with your personal reflections, I too watched the old preserve to perform tawaaf and make shukar to allah for all the bounties he has blessed us with.
May allah give everyone the opportunity to perform Hajj repeatedly, ameen.
Ws, request for duas
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Shiraz
December 14, 2010 at 10:05 AM
When we went it was just a matter of a few months of planning. The MSA decided to do a Hajj trip and it just went from there. It was not certain until the very end. This was us over there.
Nida Ahmad
December 14, 2010 at 11:16 AM
Dear Mr. Ismail Kamdar
Wow, please pray for us that we get called by Allah someday too for a umrah or hajj as well.. :)
Great article!!
Ismail Kamdar
December 16, 2010 at 4:48 AM
May Allah take you for many Hajj amd Umrahs
Allegra C
December 14, 2010 at 12:01 PM
Subhanallah! Alhumdulillah!
hayat
December 14, 2010 at 12:34 PM
may allaha accept your hajje, i dream several times that saying lebeykellahum lebeyk and i never did hajje , inchalla when the time comes i will go inchalla.
thank you for sharing this is so great and gives us hope
Hassan
December 15, 2010 at 7:04 AM
I went hajj last year, no prior intention, no money, everything happened so quickly and I was in hajj.
I know people who have money and health yet they have not gone (or called) for hajj yet.
Hena Zuberi
December 15, 2010 at 11:28 PM
Hajj Mabroor Brother Ismail- your didn’t win the competition but you won anyways !! Allah really wanted you there, MashaAllah.
AS
December 17, 2010 at 12:07 PM
Subhanallah, I just spoke with my mom this morning and she was telling me her dream that she got a chance to go on Hadz. I’ve been encouraging her to start making plans for next year. I can’t wait to share this article with her as it fits perfactly with what she has been experiencing.
Zuleyka
December 17, 2010 at 9:05 PM
MasyaAllah… :-) She must be very happy.
Just an advice, do not put much hope on the dream rather do make du’a that Allah will make it true. InsyaAllah :-)
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Hussain
December 26, 2010 at 10:51 AM
Masha Allah.
Dua’ for me to get a Hajj. I pray Allah (SWT) give us all to perform Hajj.
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Roshanara
December 29, 2010 at 9:45 AM
This is what we call” Unbelievable, but true”. When there are a thousand other possibilities, imagine the same brother in the dream arranging for your Haj trip. Masha Allah, You indeed are the chosen one, getting the right opportunity at the right time. May Allah bless you with many more such miraculous events. Have you written on what you felt on seeing the Kaaba the very first time, Brother?
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Muna Bushra
October 3, 2013 at 1:32 PM
This is fantastic and very nice that such things really do happen. One often does not remember dreams, but true dreams are usually very vivid & definitely from God.
Some dreams are vivid and one may wonder even years later if that is what was meant, especially if it’s something one would never have imagined doing.
Ayesha Syed
October 3, 2013 at 2:23 PM
Once I had a dream many years ago that I was doing Hajj and I had Hijab and Niqab. I did not wear Hijab back then, I started wearing Hijab and Niqab after some years, The Hijab part came true I hope one day i perform Hajj too.