Now that we have learnt about the best of you, let’s now talk about Hajar and her sa’i.

Question: Can anyone tell me the common steps we have to take when we perform the Umrah or Hajj in Mecca? 

Yes! We have to make tawaaf around the Ka’bah, and walk/jog between the hills of Marwa and Safa, drink zam zam, and then shave or cut our hair. 

Question: Do you know who we’re emulating when we walk/jog between Marwa and Safa?

Hajar was a noble woman, who was also the wife of Prophet Ibrahim  and the mother of Prophet Isma’il . One day, Prophet Ibrahim  was instructed by Allah to leave his wife and baby in the barren desert. There were no people there, no water, no animals; it was completely deserted. Hajar  asked Prophet Ibrahim : “Did Allah command you to do this?”

Prophet Ibrahim replied “Yes,” to which she said: “Then certainly, He will not abandon us.”

After a while, Hajar’s milk started to run out and so did her food. Baby Ismai’l  was crying and crying out of thirst and hunger. Out of desperation, Hajar then starts running between the hills of Marwa and Safa, climbing to the very top of each hill and looking to see if anyone is there to help her and her baby.

After Hajar runss between the two hills seven times, the angel Jibril  appears and strikes the ground where baby Ismai’l  is crying, and out gushes zam zam water that is still quenching the thirst of and healing Muslims until today! 

Question: Do you know the Arabic word for what Hajar  was doing? 

It’s called sa’i (to pursue, endeavor, to strive). When we are putting in our utmost effort, sometimes, we won’t see the fruits of our labor directly. Hajar   did not see the zam zam gush out on the hilltop. Rather, Allah told Angel Jibril to strike the ground near Prophet Ismail’s body. However, Hajar’s effort is not lost with Allah . She had firm faith that Allah would not abandon them, and Allah rewarded and protected them. They were now in charge of the zam zam water; birds soon came to drink from it, and people soon followed. This once barren desert is now where millions of people go to perform Hajj and Umrah every single year. 

Question: I want you all to think of what your sa’i for the sake of Allah looks like. Do you feel like you are striving to please Allah ? When we look back at our family’s sa’i, will we be proud of it? 

Sometimes, we find ourselves only focusing on getting the zam zam, but we don’t want to put in the hard work that it takes to get there. So, every time you are struggling with a new idea, or doing a chore you don’t really want to do, or getting into the habit of learning how to read Qur’an and pray those extra prayers, remember that this is all a part of your sa’i and Allah will actually thank you for it.  Can you believe it?