'Shah-i-Zinda' in California?

***
In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

Reflection
"Do not spy one another,
nor let any of you backbite others..." (Hujurat 49: 12)
***

IN June 1992 I was in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. One memorable place I visited was the Shah-i-Zinda Ensemble which includes the mausoleum of Khusam ibn Abbas, the cousin of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. (peace be upon him).

It was claimed that the body of the 7th century preacher was buried here after he was beheaded for his faith. Shah-i-Zinda means 'The Living King' - to some people of Khurasan (modern day Uzbekistan), Khusam is still living; he's in their hearts. 

Nowadays Islam is by far the dominant religion in Uzbekistan, as Muslims constitute more than 90 percent of the population. Recently the Shah-i-Zinda Ensemble came into limelight when the body of Uzbekistan's President, Islam Karimov was buried there. He was in power for 27 long years; his reign began a year before Uzbekistan's independence in 1991 from the claws of the Soviet Empire.

Khusam died in Samarkand (Khurasan) and he was buried there and to make a comparison our beloved Tok Guru Haron Din died at the Stanford University Hospital in San Francisco, California and his body was buried at Five Pillars Farm. To the people of Uzbekistan, Khusam who 'brought' Islam to them was Shah-i-Zinda (The Living King), so could our Tok Guru Haron Din be 'Shah-i-Zinda' in California?

Alhamdulillah, last Sunday morning, September 15th, I was lucky to meet a former 'mufti' who was cheerful to answer 'doubts' from a 'unlearned' layman such as the writer. When I asked him about the possibility of a future 'Shah-i-Zinda' in California where the 'tok guru' was buried, he did not answer directly but told about the story of Imam Sheikh Al-Shadhili (Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadhili (1196-1258 AD), the founder of the Shadhili Sufi order. 

He said when Al-Shadhili fell ill in the eastern desert of Egypt, he told his followers if he dies, they should bury him there; a lonely land far away from civilization. He did want people to honour him but that area which was called Humaithara now known as Sheikh Shazly had became a focal point of people from all over the world.

Answering other questions from the writer, the former mufti said the deceased should not be moved from the place he dies to another land unless that is for a valid reason. He cited that Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. who died in Aisya's (his wife) room was buried there even at time, the graveyard of Baqi' of Madinah was in existence.

'Sahaabah' (companion) of the Prophets s.a.w. too was to bury the deceased in the graveyard of the land or city in which he died, and to bury martyrs (for example Khusam ibn Abbas) where they died. Scholars said it is not proven in any 'hadith' or report that any of the 'sahaabah' was moved to a place other than the graveyard of the land or city in which he died, or to another place nearby.

They said it is not permissible to moved the deceased before burial to a land other than the one in which he died, unless that is for a valid reason such as fear that his grave may be violated. Scholars said part of honouring the deceased is to prepare him and bury him as soon as possible.

The former mufti said if a person had made a 'wasiat' (wish) that he or she was to be buried at the place he/she died, then it must be fulfilled. Reports said family members of Tok Guru Haron Din were in agreement that he be laid to rest in San Francisco as he had left a 'wasiat' regarding the matter.

He said the cost of bringing back the body would be very high and in Tok Guru Haron Din's case, Prime Minister, Dato' Seri Najib Razak dan his deputy,  Dato' Seri Zaid Hamidi had arranged for an aircraft to bring back the remains of the 'ulama'. Thanks for their concern, but the former mufti said, it is the duty of Muslims to bury the deceased as quickly as possible including to protect the deceased from the procedures that may be done to his body to prevent decay, and to avoid the extravagance of spending large amounts of money unnecessarily. 

To bring back bodies from far away places, many 'troublesome' and expensive and mostly importantly against 'syariah' procedures and process such as embalming including surface embalming where alcohol were used, had to be done.

This is in addition to delays in burial and un-necessary expenditure of thousands of ringgits. The Prophet s.a.w. was emphatic when he said: “Hasten to bury the corpse; for if it was righteous then you are sending it off to its welfare; and if it was otherwise then you are putting off a liability from your necks.” (Narrated by Imam al-Bukhari)

Scholars said the Prophet s.a.w. never moved a dead body from one location to another; he buried the person in the graveyard of the locality where the person died. He never transported the dead bodies to Makkah or Madinah even if the person/persons passed away just a few miles away from these holy places. This was the practical model followed by the 'sahaabah' during the time of the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs (Abu Bakar, Omar, Othman and Ali r.a.)

The former mufti said to this day, pilgrims including from Malaysia who died in Makkah and Madinah were buried in the city they passed away. There's a hadith that mentioned the grave of a blessed person would be widen from the place he/she was buried to his homeland in the Hereafter.

As a conclusion, scholars said burial of dead bodies in the graveyard of the city or place they die in as quickly as possible is a practical Sunnah. Corpses must not be transported to far away destinations except in a very rare, extraordinary situation where Islamic burial is not possible or corpse dignity is feared to be compromised. 

'Kerajaan lalu gagal beri tumpuan pengangkutan awam'...

***
Dengan Nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang, selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w.

Renungan
"Dan janganlah kamu menghampiri zina, sesungguhnya zina itu adalah satu perbuatan yang keji dan satu jalan yang jahat yang membawa kerosakan." - Maksud Ayat al-Quran Surah al-Israa': 32
***

TAJUK ruangan ini adalah pengakuan Perdana Menteri, Dato' Seri Najib Razak sendiri...beliau berkata demikian dalam ucapannya ketika perasmian majlis pecah tanah MRT aliran Sungai Buloh - Serdang - Putrajaya di Putrajaya Sentral 15 September lalu.

Najib dipetik sebagai berkata: "Sejak berdekad lalu kita (kerajaan) tidak memberi tumpuan kepada pembangunan pengangkutan awam," lantas mengumumkan dia sendiri akan membetulkan keadaan itu.

Syabas PM Najib tetapi siapakah kerajaan lalu itu? Bukankah ia Umno BN. Ertinya kerajaan Umno BN gagal dalam menyediakan pengangkutan awam dan istimewanya kali ini ketuanya sendiri mengakui kelemahan itu.

Bagi Najib, beliau bukan baru memegang tampuk kerajaan 'untuk membetulkan keadaan'. Beliau menjadi PM sejak 2009...sudah tujuh tahun di singgahsana kuasa, sungguh pelik baru sekarang beliau mengakui pengangkutan awam negara agak teruk.

Pada awal pemerintahannya, Najib gemar melaungkan slogan "BN memerintah, semua masalah selesai" tetapi terbukti sekarang dalam perkara berkaitan pengangkutan awam pun ia gagal apatah lagi dalam bidang lain. Mungkin PM Najib baru sedar keadaan ini selepas dikejutkan dengan laporan penumpang terpaksa berjalan di atas rel LRT baru-baru ini akibat 'ketidak-efisyenan' perkhidmatan pengangkutan awam.

Baru-baru ini saya berpeluang menaiki tren komuter KTM dari Bandar Tasik Selatan ke Tampin (Pulau Sebang); sehubungan itu dapatlah saya memberi sedikit input mengenai situasi pengangkutan awam negara kita. Alhamdulillah di Bandar Tasik Selatan saya tak perlu menunggu lama, saya menaiki tren jam 6.50 pagi dan sejam kemudian sudah sampai di Seremban, Cepat dan efisyen perkhidmatan itu!

Namun di stesen Seremban saya terpaksa menunggu satu jam untuk meneruskan perjalanan ke selatan. Tren yang bertolak hampir jam 9.00 pagi itu sampai di Tampin kira-kira jam 10 pagi. Dari stesen Tampin tiada bas penghubung (cuma ada sebuah dua kereta sewa yang cepat mendapat penumpang), jadi terpaksalah penulis 'menapak' sejauh lebih sekilometer ke stesen bas Tampin bagi mendapatkan bas ke Melaka.

Di stesen berkenaan, bas ke Melaka belum sampai. Hampir sejam menunggu barulah bas Panorama (di Melaka, semua perkhidmatan bas domestik dimonopoli oleh anak syarikat kerajaan negeri) muncul. Pemandu memakir bas di lorong pertama stesen itu tetapi kemudian 'ghaib', mungkin dia pergi minum. Sejam kemudian baru dia kembali, penumpang yang resah gelisah termasuk sudah basah baju mereka, masih bersopan beratur mengikut giliran menaiki bas.

Antara pengajaran daripada pengalaman saya menaiki pengangkutan awam itu adalah masa yang terbuang begitu banyak manakala kosnya juga tidak kurang tinggi. Bayangkan daripada memulakan perjalanan pada jam 6.30 pagi (menaiki komuter jam 6.50 pagi) saya hanya tiba di bandar Melaka jam 12.30 tengah hari sedangkan jika saya memandu sendiri masa diambil mungkin satu setengah jam saja! Kos pengangkutan awam juga tinggi; tambang tren Bandar Tasik Selatan ke Tampin lebih RM12 manakala tambang bas ke Tampin-Melaka RM4. Rasanya 'tak berbaloi' untuk menaiki pengangkutan awam untuk perjalanan seperti ini!

Sebenarnya, sudah puluhan tahun saya tidak menaiki bas berhenti-henti di Melaka yang kini dikuasai Panorama. Namun sebagai seorang bekas pengguna bas henti-henti yang memahami suka duka penumpang bas awam, sekarang ini hati saya bagaikan 'luruh' melihatkan datuk, nenek, makcik, pakcik dan anak-anak muda dan kecil menunggu berjam-jam dalam keadaan panas terik atau hujan di tepi jalan; bas yang ditunggu bagai tak kunjung tiba.

Benar, sebahagian besar pengguna bas awam di Melaka sekarang ini mengalami masalah berat. Sekalipun saya bukan penggunanya; jiran, saudara, rakan sebagai penumpang selalu merungut menyatakan; "memang susah nak dapatkan bas sekarang ini." Menunggu satu dua jam di tepi jalan adalah perkara biasa kerana kekerapan perjalanan bas dikurangkan. Seorang pemandu bas berkata, hal itu terpaksa dilakukan kerana jika tidak pengusaha bas akan mengalami kerugian besar.

Pengguna bas henti-henti semakin kurang kerana semakin ramai orang berkenderaan sendiri. Disebabkan kekurangan penumpang inilah pengusaha terpaksa mengurangkan perjalanan bas di samping mengelak laluan tidak menguntungkan. Namun bukan semua orang ada kenderaan sendiri; mereka terpaksa bergantung kepada perkhidmatan bas. Di seluruh Melaka, dilaporkan ada 30,000 pengguna tetap bas awam. Merekalah golongan teraniaya apabila perkhidmatan bas lembap atau tiada langsung.

Pengguna bas berhenti-henti Melaka dan di seluruh negara terutama di kawasan luar bandar akan 'terus setia' menunggu di tepi jalan raya; menunggu bas yang seolah-olah tak kunjung tiba, jadi di manakah kebenaran cakap berapi-rapi PM Najib Razak kononnya apabila "BN memerintah, semua masalah selesai."

Sekarang ini saya perhatikan, di Kuala Lumpur misalnya, kerusi pemandu bas semakin ramai diduduki oleh Mat Indon, Bangla, Myanmar dan sebagainya. Ya kini sudah ramai pemandu dan konduktor bas adalah orang seberang. Mereka menjerit: "Destinasinya mana ya Pak" seolah-olah kita berada di Jakarta pulak!

Mantapkan hubungan suami isteri di Tanah Suci...

DENGAN nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang; selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. 

Renungan

"Kalau sekiranya perempuan ahli syurga (termasuk bidadari) datang kepada penduduk bumi, nescaya akan disinarinya dunia antara langit dan bumi dan terpenuhinya dengan bau harum semerbak. Sesungguhnya tutup kepalanya lebih baik daripada dunia dan isinya." (HR. Bukhari) 

SYUKUR alhamdulillah, musim haji 1437 sudah tamat; jemaah haji mula berbondong-bondong kembali ke tanah air masing-masing. Tanggal 2 Oktober nanti kita akan menyambut tahun baharu Hijrah 1438 maka bermulalah kalendar baharu amalan kita diawali bulan mulia Muharam.

Seorang tuan guru dalam tazkirahnya yang saya hadiri baru-baru ini mengingatkan jemaah akan kepentingan meningkatkan amalan pada 30 hari setahun iaitu pada 10 hari pertama bulan Muharam, 10 hari terakhir Ramadan dan 10 hari terawal Zulhijah.

Berceloteh mengenai bab haji, teringat saya kolum kendalian saya dulu 'Kisah Dari Tanah Suci' yang bersiaran di Harakah lebih 10 tahun (2002-2014). Rupa-rupa masih ada insan yang menghantar coretan mereka kepada saya. 

Pada kolum kali ini izinkan saya menyiarkan celoteh seorang haji muda yang usahlah saya sebutkan namanya mengenai 'bilik berkat' (kamar khas yang boleh disewa pasangan suami isteri) di Makkah ketika musim haji. 

Bagi sesetengah orang bilik berkat adalah 'hal kecil (remeh)', tetapi kita perlulah berlapang dada kerana 'manusia tidak sama' - ada yang menganggap perkara itu sebagai 'perkara pokok' yang dapat menyumbang kepada kebahagiaan suami isteri yang akhirnya membawa seseorang bakal haji dan hajah fokus kepada ibadah.

Ketahuilah wujud perbezaan lelaki-perempuan dari segi perasaan, emosi, fikiran, tanggapan, dan sebagainya. Apabila mengetahui perbezaan itu, diharapkan suami isteri bermuhasabah diri seterusnya sedia 'melakukan pengorbanan'. Yalah, bukankah haji itu pengorbanan, pasangan suami isteri perlu melakukan pengorbanan menjaga hati (perasaan) dan naluri pasangan masing-masing demi keutuhan hubungan suci mereka. Mentelaahan godaan 'untuk tidak berkesefahaman' adalah tersangat tinggi di Tanah Suci', ya iblis dan syaitan kuat mengacau..

Menurut sesetengah ustaz, ada suami isteri veteran 'terlajak' ketika ihram, yalah kenapa tidak 'menyalurkannya' dengan jalan betul pada masa yang betul...bukankah bilik berkat boleh diperolehi dengan sedikit bayaran; agar hubungan suami isteri tidak keroh dan pada masa yang sama jemaah dapat menunaikan rukun, wajib dan sunat umrah dan haji dengan sempurna dengan gembira bagi memperolehi haji mabrur yang balasannya tiada lain melainkan syurga!

Berikut adalah celoteh jemaah haji muda itu: "Saya terpanggil untuk memberi sedikit komentar mengenai bilik berkat di Tanah Suci bagi jemaah haji Malaysia. Mengerjakan haji pada ketika usia muda dan bertenaga memang ada banyak kelebihan. Bakal haji dan hajah muda boleh berulang alik dari bilik hotel ke masjid sehingga lima kali sehari jika mahu.

"Saya sangat bersimpati dengan bakal haji dan hajah veteran; yang memang tidak dapat sepenuhnya untuk ke masjid lima kali sehari khususnya pada waktu kemuncak musim haji. Ini kerana kesesakan dan jauh.

"Sebelum saya ke Tanah Suci ada rakan-rakan yang juga sebaya (40-an) dan telah mengerjakan haji, mengusik dan mengingatkan saya jangan malu 'menempa' bilik berkat di Makkah ketika 'naik' haji. Dia menambah di Tanah Suci tahap 'libido' kita agak tinggi dan kalau tidak diuruskan dengan baik kita mungkin kurang fokus dan dikhuatiri akan melilau dalam beribadah.

"Saya hanya tersenyum mendengar nasihat sahabat-sahabat tersebut... sehinggalah saya sendiri mengalaminya. Betul kita tidak boleh menolak naluri kita sebagai manusia. Jika kita tidak berada di dalam ihram dan tidak terikat dengan pantang larangnya - kenapa tidak...khususnya selepas menyelesaikan umrah bagi jemaah yang mengerjakan haji tamattuk dan menunggu masa untuk menunaikan haji.

"Pada saya bukan aktiviti dalam bilik berkat itu yang menjadi fokus. Tetapi urusan ibadah di Tanah Suci akan jadi lebih 'tenteram' dan kita menjadi 'fokus' setelah perasaan dan naluri kita sebagai suami isteri ditundukkan mengikut fitrahnya.

"Ada jemaah yang mempunyai kemampuan menyewa bilik di hotel lain bagi tujuan 'berdua' suami isteri, itu terpulanglah kepada mereka. Apa yang pasti ada jemaah haji muda (malah veteran) perlu menerima hakikat - ada 'masanya' kita perlu untuk menggunakan bilik tersebut dan menunaikan 'tanggungjawab'. Percayalah selepas itu seseorang jemaah itu akan kelihatan sangat ceria dan santai dan bolehlah dia fokus kepada ibadah. Sebaliknya ada jemaah terutama lelaki sentiasa 'marah-marah' dan kelihatan amat tertekan.

Tak perlulah kita menyeksa diri dengan menjauhi isteri selama 43- 53 hari semata- mata kerana berada di Tanah Suci...Asal sahaja kita tidak berada di dalam pantang larang ihram,,,'go ahead'.

"Saya pernah bertemu dan berbual dengan seorang jemaah muda yang merungut dan memarahi staf Tabung Haji yang padanya sengaja berdolak dalik mengenai bilik berkat apabila dia memohonnya.

"Jelas kelihatan 'tension' di muka jemaah tersebut. Kebetulan kami ditakdirkan memilih sudut dan saf yang sama setiap kali ke masjid. Puas jugalah saya mendengar keluhan beliau. Saya akhirnya faham apabila melihat beliau dan isterinya yang sangat muda ketika usai solat dan pulang dari masjid.

'Moral of the story'...jangan malu-malu memohon dan guna bilik berkat...insya-Allah ia membantu kita fokus, tenteram, ceria dan gembira untuk beribadah. Semoga sentiasa dalam rahmat Allah."

Prepare for our long, long journey...

***
In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

Reflection
"Do not spy one another,
nor let any of you backbite others..." (Hujurat 49: 12)
***

ITS hard for me to digest what was told by an ‘ustaz’ (religious teacher) in a ‘tazkirah’ (lesson) at a ‘masjid’ near my house recently when he said that people (human beings) would spend about 500,000 years in ‘Padang Mahsyar’ (Hashr). One day in ‘Padang Mahsyar’ equals 50,000 years on earth.

Alhamdulillah (All praise belongs to God) a few days later, I came across this item in a newspaper that helped in my understanding about life. Among others, the report with a heading 'Oldest fossil dated by Aussies at about 3.7 billion-years-old' noted:

Life on Earth is even older than first thought, said Australian­ ­scientists as they unveiled fossils dating back 3.7 billion years, providing a potential new spur to study whether Mars once had life.

The fossilised structures — called stromatolites — preserved in ancient rocks along the edge of Greenland’s ice cap were 220 million years older than the previous record holders.

They prove that life emerged just a few hundred million years after the Earth was formed some 4.5 billion years ago, said lead researcher Allen Nutman of the University of Wollongong.

“This discovery represents a new benchmark for the oldest preserved evidence of life on Earth,” said Martin Julian Van Kranendonk, a geology professor at the University of NSW and one of the co-authors of the study published in the journal Nature.

“The structures and geochemistry from the newly exposed outcrops in Greenland display all of the features used in younger rocks to argue for a biological origin. It points to a rapid emergence of life on Earth.”

The 1cm to 4cm high Isua stromatolites — exposed after the melting of a snow patch in the Isua Greenstone Belt — matched other biological evidence on the evolution of the genetic code that placed the origins of life in a similar period, Professor Nutman said.

“This indicates the Earth was no longer some sort of hell 3.7 billion years ago,” he said. “It was a place where life could flourish.”

This news caught my attention; I made a paper cutting of it and put it inside my wallet, and one morning after a ‘kuliah subuh’ (early morning lesson) by an ‘ustaz’, I showed the piece to him and asked whether there’s ‘somebody’ on Earth before the existence of Prophet Adam peace be upon him (a.s.)

The ‘ustaz’ said, some scholars believed that Prophet Adam a.s. was sent to Earth some 10,000 years ago, Ibrahim (Abraham) a.s. some 4,000 years ago, Musa (Moses) a.s. some 3,500 years ago, Isa (Jesus) a.s. some 2,000 years ago while the seal of Prophets, Muhammad s.a.w. some 1,500 years ago. The question is; who ‘flourished’ Earth before the coming of Prophet Adam a.s.?

He said, according to scholars, there is nothing in the Qur’an or ‘sunnah’ (prophetic teachings) to indicate that there were any people living on Earth before Adam a.s. Rather the reports that speak of this are the opinions of ‘mufassireen’ (Qur'an commentators) among the ‘sahabah’ (companions) and ‘tabi‘een’ (successors).

Some said that the Earth was inhabited by the jinn, whom Allah SWT created from fire. At-Tabari narrated in his Tafseer from Ibn ‘Abbas r.a. that he said: “The first ones to dwell on earth were the jinn, and they caused mischief therein, shedding blood and killing one another.” Others said that there was no one on earth, jinn or otherwise, before Adam a.s.

Many scholars of tafseer say that the jinn were created before Adam a.s. and before them on Earth there were the hinn and the binn, then Allah caused the jinn to prevail over them, so they killed them and expelled them from the Earth and inhabited it after them.

After reading that scientists had evidence that there was life on Earth some 3.7 billion years ago, it was easy for me to understand when some ‘ustazs’ said that human beings would spend thousands and thousands of years during the 12 stages of life in the Hereafter such as in ‘barzakh’ (grave), ‘qiyama’ (judgment day), ‘mahsyar’ (al-hashr or gathering), ‘al-mizan’ (the scales of deeds) and ‘as-sirat al-mustaqeem’ (the straight path).

Remember that our life of perhaps 60 to 70 years on Earth was nothing compared to life on Earth which was proved to exist some 3.7 billion years ago what’s more in the Hereafter where we would lead a never-ending life! Our life in this world is temporary and we are just like a traveler. In his 'hadith'; Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. said: "My similitude and that of the life of this world is that of a traveler who took a rest at mid-day under a shade of a tree and then left it." (Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and al-Hakim) Thus, as 'a learned person' please prepare for our long, long (forever and ever) journey in the Hereafter. Remember we only have 'a one ticket' - there's no 'return ticket'!

‘As-sirat al-mustaqeem’ is like a bridge which runs hell underneath. The width of this bridge is like a strand of hair is cut seven and it is sharper than the sword. For believers it will be widened and facilitated crossing.  Fudhail bin Iyadh said mesh is time-consuming travel 15,000 years – 5,000 years upward, 5,000 years moving horizontally and 5,000 year of decline. 

If some scholars said Prophet Adam a.s. existed some 10,000 years ago, then he a.s. the people of his era were in ‘barzakh’ for that period of time. They are still in their graves, waiting for the ‘qiyama’. Some people would felt it long in their graves, others felt it was short; Allah SWT can do anything to time for He is The Creator of time; He is The Controller of time and space. It is His wish to do anything including time. In Ayahs 80-81 Surah Yasin, Allah SWT says: “Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth Able to create the like of them? Aye, that He is! for He is the All-Wise Creator. But His command, when He intendeth a thing, is only that he saith unto it: Be! And it is.”

The 'ustaz' said that in this world we needed to be on His straight path and perform good deeds as much as possible. It was because, in the Hereafter, we needed a lot of 'pahala' (rewards for good deeds) to 'finance' ourselves during our 'long long journey' before we would rewarded with Paradise or thrown into Hell (nauzubillah - God forbid). 

Please remember, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said: “When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: sadaqah jariyah (ceaseless charity); knowledge which is beneficial; or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (the deceased).” (Sahih Muslim)

The 'ustaz' told parents to work hard in raising virtuous sons and daughters who would be one of our greatest assets after our death. To have these beneficial off-springs the father must be in His straight path as Allah SWT says in the Qur'an: "O! You who believe, save yourself and your families from Hell-fire, whose fuel are humans and stones (idols) over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded." (At-Tahrim 66:6)

He reminded Muslims not to waste their time; there is a hadith which states: "Grasp five things before five others: your youth before your decrepitude, your health before you fall sick, your wealth before going into poverty, your free time before you get busy and lastly your life before your death (Tirmidhi); when we would embark for our long, long journey. 

Refining our good deeds including when sacrificing animals

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

Reflection

The Declining Day (Al-'Asr)
1. By the declining day,
2. Lo! Man is in a state of loss,
3. Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort 
one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance.
***

IT is fruit season again. Local fruits such as rambutans and durians are in abundance. On September 2nd  upon entering the masjid in my kampung for Friday prayers, I saw two basket-full of rambutans being placed at its entrance.

Alhamdulillah (All praise belongs to God), a good resident had 'sadaqah' (donated) the fruits - obviously the person would like to share with fellow kampung folks the good things Allah SWT had blessed upon him/her. 

After prayers, upon leaving the masjid, I was shocked to see 'kulit' (skin of) rambutans' strewn all over the place - astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness from Allah) when an ugly thought raced inside my mind - who ate the rambutans - human beings or 'monyet' (monkeys)?

Well dear readers; to 'sadaqah' fruits such as the rambutans was a good deed; but why not refine our doings...may I suggest to rambutans' donors at masjids in future to place several rubbish bins near their baskets of fruits with big sign boards with bold words like 'PLEASE DO NOT LITTER'. If people keep on messing the place, then they are truthly 'monyet'...err I mean in characters, again I seek forgiveness from Allah SWT.

After all, 'dirty people' are 'dirty people'; an 'ustaz' (religious teacher) once said perhaps only the law could teach them lessons. This is why enforcement of the law is very important. Some people are only afraid of being fined; if that is the case then why not we follow some strict societies like the Singaporeans who went to great length such as fining those who do not flush after using toilets?

To our enforcement authorities and men, please wake up...I seen people throwing rambutan's skin out of their cars on the roads. Luckily, they did not throw out durian's skin! Then there are drivers who stopped or slowed their cars only to put their used cup or bottled drinks on the roads. Many smokers are fond of throwing out their cigarette buts (still alight) out of their cars, posing danger to other road-users. They might caused fire if the cigarette buts fell on dried grass and 'lalangs'.

Our dirty habits of littering was obvious during the celebration of 'Merdeka' recently. It was rubbish wave after the event. After the cleaning job of DBKL and Alam Flora workers, tonnes of rubbish we seen deposited on the roadside. It was reported that the cleaning work involved 70 workers, took two days to finish and cost a whooping RM100,000! Celebrating 'Merdeka' was a good deed but of course littering was not!

Since this week we would be celebrating 'Eid Adha' let us have a thought about refining our deeds when sacrificing animals. The Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. said in a 'hadith' with the meaning: "Allah has decreed kindness or proficiency in all things. So when you kill, kill well, and when you slaughter, slaughter well. Let one of you sharpened his blade and spare suffering to the animals he slaughters." (Saheeh Muslim)

If we had to kill, for example kill insects such as cockroaches inside our kitchen, kill it well. When killing a lizard, perhaps we could do it with one blow - please do not torture the animal for example giving a life lizard to our cats for they would play if it. Cats are fond of playing...they do not kill their prey immediately.

During my 54 years existence in the world, I had witnessed several events of sacrificing (slaughtering) the animals...but sorry to say that I had never had the knife in my hands to slaughter any animal. But I must admit that some people do it in fine ways...for example before slaughtering the animals they dig  holes so that blood would flow inside it so that blood would not splash and spur the place. Please do not harm the feelings of the animals such as sharpening our knives in front of them.

 

Muslims celebrate 'Eid Adha' on the 10, 11,12 and 13th of Dhul-hijjah commemorating the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim a.s. (peace be upon him) to sacrifice his beloved son, Prophet Ismail a.s. as an act of obedience to Allah SWT. Muslims who can afford are encouraged to sacrifice their best domesticated animals such as cow, sheep and goat as symbol of Prophet Ibrahim’s a.s willingness to sacrifice his only son to his second wife, Hajar (Hagar).

In Malaysia, during the festive of  'Eid Adha', thousands of animals were slaughtered by individuals and various groups which organized the events such as masjids' committee members. The meat of the sacrificed animals were then distributed to the poor and needy nevertheless the rich too were given the meat as presents. 

Regarding this aspect in a 'tazkirah' (Islamic lesson), I heard an 'ustaz' (religious teacher) saying sacrificing animals to God (Allah SWT) but distributing the meat to the needy display and prove the beauty of Islam.

"We sacrifice the animals just to please Allah SWT, but Allah does not need the meat. We give away the meat for the benefit of fellow human beings. It is such a beauty; compare it with some 'praying rituals' carry out by men of other beliefs where the items 'sacrificed' such as food and fruits such as oranges and apples are left to rot under trees or are being washed away in waters of rivers and seas," said the ustaz.

Regarding the act of sacrificing animals, Allah SWT says: "Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that (to) which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good." (Surah Al-Hajj 22: 37)

'Subhanallah' (Glory be to God), Allah SWT The Mighty Rich does not need the meat; is is meant to feed the poor. 'Alhamdulillah' nowadays Muslims of Malaysia have made themselves available almost everywhere at poor countries of the world to sacrifice animals there. 

Troops of Malaysian Malaysian volunteers and workers are having their arms busy in countries such as Cambodia, Philippines (southern part of the country), Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand (southern part of it) and far away lands such as Sudan during the days of sacrificing the animals that is on the day of Eid Adha (10th Dhul-hijjah) and the days of Tashreek - 11, 12 and 13th of Dhul-hijjah.

Of course regarding the sacrificing of animals during Eid, the Holy Land is a place where hundred thousands of cows, camels and sheep are slaughtered; and during a hajj season a few years back, Saudi Arabia’s prestigious sacrificial meat utilization program sent the meat of one million heads of sheep and 10,000 cows and camels to the poor and needy in many poor countries, as well as Syrian refugees.

It was reported that its inception in 1983, the project has utilized and distributed meat of more than 16 million livestock, amongst the poor in Saudi Arabia and 27 other countries. Subhanallah, the sacrificing of animals by Muslims during Eid Adha truly benefited people through out the globe; it clearly points up to the 'beauty of Islam'.

While Muslims worldwide are celebrating Eid Adha, some four million very, very lucky men and women have been chosen by Allah SWT to be His guests performing hajj in the Holy Land. 

Pilgrims are recommended to recite this verse: "Labbayk, Allahumma, Labbayk, Labbayk, La Shareeka laka, Labbayk Innal-hamda wan n’mata laka wal-mulk, La shareekala" – (Here I am at Your service, O Lord here I am, No partner do You have, Here I am, Truly the praise and the favour is Yours and the dominion. No partner do You have).

For Muslims who are not performing hajj in their homelands, they are encouraged to perform recommended deeds during the first nine days of Dhul-hijjah such as fasting especially on ‘Wukuf’ day (on the 9th Dhul-Hijjah) and giving charity. Then during Eid Adha (10th Dhul-Hijjah) when Muslims perform ‘solat’ (Eid prayers) and the days of Tashreek (11, 12, and 13th Dhul-Hijjah) they are recommended to do the slaughter or ‘korban’ (sacrifice) animals (such as sheep and cow).

Scholars said one of the special characteristics that Allah has blessed the Muslim ummah; are the times of the year, during which, acts of obedience and worship are extremely advantageous. These times of the years are in fact gifts from the Allah that He has given to Muslim ummah. Allah announces mercy, blessings and presenting gift of great rewards during these seasons.

 Abu Hurairah relates that the Messenger of Allah. said, "There are no days more loved to Allah for you to worship Him therein than the 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah. Fasting any day during it is equivalent to fasting one year and to offer salatul tahajjud (late-night prayer) during one of its nights is like performing the late night prayer on Lailatul Qadr'. 

Another virtue of the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah is that the Day of Arafah (9th day of Dhul-Hijjah). The Day of Arafah is a great day during which Allah frees many of His worshippers from the fire of Hell. The Messenger of Allah s.a.w. said: "There is no day during which Allah frees more worshippers from the fire of Hell than during the day of Arafah."

'Korban' or sacrificing of animal has great great rewards in the eyes of Allah SWT. Sayidatina Aisha' reports that the Prophet s.a.w. said,"The son of Adam does not perform any actions on the day of sacrifice which is more pleasing to Allah than the shedding of blood. The sacrificed animal shall come on the Day of Judgment with its horns, hair, and hooves. The sacrifice is accepted by Allah before the blood reaches the ground." (Tirmizi).

Pasar Melaka mendap; jutaan ringgit lebur...

***
Dengan Nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang, selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w.

Renungan
"Dan janganlah kamu menghampiri zina, sesungguhnya zina itu adalah satu perbuatan yang keji dan satu jalan yang jahat yang membawa kerosakan." - Maksud Ayat al-Quran Surah al-Israa': 32
***

PASAR Besar Melaka Sentral di Peringgit boleh runtuh pada bila-bila masa disebabkan bangunan itu tidak mampu bertahan lama berikutan keadaan struktur asasnya yang semakin mendap...demikian lapor sebuah akhbar harian nasional baru-baru ini yang memetik laporan Institut Kerja Raya Malaysia (Ikram).

Bangunan pasar hampir runtuh ini bukan 'cerita pembangkang' tetapi diakui sendiri pemimpin pemerintah yang cepat-cepat memindahkan gerai 342 peniaga ke tapak sementara di depan (parkir) pasar tersebut. Kini, khabarnya mereka akan dipindahkan ke lokasi lain di sekitar bandar raya Melaka.

Nasib peniaga dan pengguna (orang ramai) satu hal tetapi ada perkara perlu diketengahkan dan diketahui awam adalah berjuta-juta ringgit wang rakyat telah dileburkan untuk membina kompleks Melaka Sentral (termasuk pasar) yang selepas beberapa tahun digunakan, mengalami pelbagai kerosakan teruk dan akhirnya diakui pihak berkuasa boleh runtuh pada bila-bila masa!

Sebagai pengguna tetap Melaka Sentral sejak ia dirasmikan Perdana Menteri (kini bekas) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pada 14 Mei 2004, saya menyimpan sedikit sebanyak maklumat mengenai kompleks ini yang merangkumi stesen bas, bazar dan pasar besar. Ia terletak di tanah tebus guna seluas 46.6 ekar dan dibangunkan dengan kos RM53 juta. Ada pihak mendakwa ia dibina dengan kos RM61 juta.

Kerosakan di kompleks berusia kira-kira 11 tahun ini bukan perkara baru. Dulu bangunan pasarnya pun didapati tidak selamat tetapi diperbaiki dan digunakan kembali. Demikian juga lantai stesen bas yang mendap, sudah diperbaiki.

Timbul persoalan mengapa wang rakyat bernilai berjuta-juta ringgit dihabiskan untuk membina kompleks kegunaan awam yang cepat benar menjadi rosak dan kemungkinan besar tidak dapat digunakan seperti bangunan pasar itu. Apa, adakah wang rakyat boleh dibelanjakan sebegitu rupa tetapi hasil pulangan diterima adalah seperti apa disaksikan hari ini...bangunan retak dan boleh runtuh bila-bila masa?

Tidak terfikirkah pemimpin dan pemaju bahawa tapak Melaka Sentral itu sebenarnya tanah paya yang belum 'cukup matang' untuk dibangunkan kompleks yang gah itu.

Dulu (pada 2010), platform bas yang mendap dan rosak teruk terpaksa diperbaiki secara besar-besaran selepas lantainya merekah teruk dengan jubinnya sudah tersembul dan pecah di sesetengah tempat.

Demikianlah banyak wang, mungkin berjuta-juta ringgit 'dileburkan' untuk membaiki stesen bas dan bangunan pasar  yang rosak teruk di Melaka Sentral. Bagi saya yang kerap berurusan di Melaka Sentral, ia bagaikan 'rumah kedua' saya.

Jika bangunan itu diibaratkan rumah saya, tentulah saya naik darah kerana selepas habis puluhan dan ratusan ribu ringgit, rumah saya sudah rosak sedemikian rupa sedangkan ia baru saja digunakan. Tentu saja saya akan marahkan pemaju dan kontraktornya tidak akan memanggil mereka untuk menjayakan lagi projek-projek saya. 

Ya, Melaka Sentral adalah bagai ‘rumah’ saya. Saya ‘sayangkannya’, tak teringin saya harta rakyat bernilai jutaan ringgit ini diperbuat sedemikian rupa. Seluruh rakyat, terutama orang Melaka perlu sayangkan Melaka Sentral kerana ia dibina atas duit jerih rakyat. 

Mereka perlu marah kerana bangunan kesayangan mereka sudah jadi sedemikian rupa. Tidak marahkah anda jika rumah anda sudah rosak selepas baru saja anda duduki sedangkan duit pinjaman bank dan sebagainya masih banyak lagi berbaki untuk dibayar saban bulan? Penat anda belum habis, rehat anda belum terasa puas tetapi tempat kediaman hampir menyembah bumi! 

Kematian Karimov dan kenangan di Uzbekistan...

DENGAN nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang; selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. 

Renungan

"Kalau sekiranya perempuan ahli syurga (termasuk bidadari) datang kepada penduduk bumi, nescaya akan disinarinya dunia antara langit dan bumi dan terpenuhinya dengan bau harum semerbak. Sesungguhnya tutup kepalanya lebih baik daripada dunia dan isinya." (HR. Bukhari) 

SELEPAS empayar Soviet Union terlerai membawa kepada pembentukan 15 republik merdeka pada 1991, saya berpeluang menjejakkan kaki di beberapa republik itu; salah satu daripadanya Uzbekistan yang terletak di Asia Tengah.

Ketika itu Uzbekistan 'berpresidenkan' Islam Karimov, saya sungguh bertuah kerana dapat mewancara beliau di ibu kota Tashkent. Karimov yang tertarik dengan pendekatan pemerintah Malaysia membangunkan negara, sudah beberapa kali ke Kuala Lumpur. 

Sekalipun di banyak negara pemimpin tertinggi sudah bertukar tangan, Karimov tetap di singgahsana kuasa sehingga beliau diumumkan meninggal dunia pada Jumaat, 2 September lalu pada usia 78 tahun setelah memerintah selama 27 tahun!

Karimov yang mewarisi kuasa dari era Soviet, terkenal dengan pemerintahan kuku besi (termasuk 'melenyapkan' mereka yang didakwa militan Islam malah PBB sendiri menyifatkan penyeksaan dilakukan Karimov terhadap musuhnya sebagai bersistematik), disemadikan di kawasan pemakaman Shah-i-Zinda, Samarkand (kampung halamannya). Kompleks pemakaman Shah-i-Zinda ini yang bermaksud 'Raja Yang Terus Hidup' mengandungi bangunan lama zaman berzaman kini menjadi antara tarikan utama pelancong ke Samarkand.

Shah-i-Zinda ini dikatakan mempunyai kaitan dengan kisah Khussam ibn Abbas, sepupu Rasulullah s.a.w. yang terkorban di bumi yang kini dikenali negara Uzbekistan dalam usaha beliau mengembangkan Islam. Sekalipun Khussam sudah syahid dan dipercayai dikebumikan di pemakaman Shah-i-Zinda, bagi sesetengah penduduk, dia tetap hidup di hati mereka. Dialah 'Raja Yang Terus Hidup'!

Jika Khussam ibn Abbas terus hidup di hati penduduk Uzbekistan, apakah Islam Karimov sebagai presiden pertama pasca merdeka juga demikian? Wallahu A'lam Bishawab...hanya Allah Yang Maha Mengetahui.

Dengan kematian Islam Karimov yang menyebabkan nama Uzbekistan disebut-sebut di persada dunia, saya teringat tulisan lama saya mengenai kunjungan ke negara yang kini sudah menjadi salah satu destinasi kunjungan popular pelancong Malaysia.

Antara lain saya menulis: "Ketika menziarahi makam Khussam ibn Abbas di Samarkand, terbayanglah di kotak fikiran saya mengenai pengorbanan sepupu Rasulullah s.a.w. ini. Dari Tanah Arab, Khussam menggembara beribu-ribu kilometer meninggalkan tanah air untuk menyampaikan seruan Islam di Khurasan (kini Uzbekistan).

"Beliau bukan menaiki kapal terbang seperti kebiasaan kita hari ini, tetapi menggunakan kudrat binatang seperti kuda dan unta. Jika kita yang menaiki pesawat pun kadang-kadang tidak tahan dengan cabaran menggembara, bayangkanlah dugaan yang dihadapi oleh Khussam. Sepupu Rasulullah s.a.w. akhirnya syahid dan dimakamkan di bumi Khurasan.

"Bukhara dan Samarkand adalah gambaran kebesaran Islam zaman silam. Nama-nama masyhur dalam dunia Islam seperti Ibnu Sina, Abu Nawas, Imam Bukhari dan Muslim adalah sinonim dengan rantau ini. Penakluk agung seperti Timurlane yang mempunyai empayar yang terbentang luas dari pinggir Eropah ke China juga memusatkan pemerintahannya di Samarkand.

"Menyelami pengorbanan Khussam dan Saad ibn Waqqas (seorang sahabat Rasulullah s.a.w.) yang pergi lebih jauh lagi (negara China) untuk menyampaikan seruan yang dibawa oleh Nabi Muhammad s.a.w., membuatkan saya insaf. Bagaimana Khussam dan Saad melakukannya?

"Di sini saya lihat buminya berpadang pasir manakala gunung-ganangnya diselimuti salji. Apabila angin bertiup, ia begitu kencang menyebabkan tubuh dicengkam kesejukan sehingga tulang. Bagaimana mereka merentasi halangan ini?"

Subhanallah, nama Khussam ibn Abbas abadi di bumi Khurasan (Uzbekistan); dia menjadi 'Raja Yang Terus Hidup' sekalipun sudah meninggal dunia lebih 1,000 tahun lalu. Sekalipun bumi Khurasan 'dijarah' pemerintah zalim silih berganti termasuk komunis, 'yang baik tetap terpelihara kebaikan dan namanya'! Khussam ibn Abbas sudah membuktikannya, kita pula bagaimana?

'Merdeka', hajj and unity...

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

Reflection

The Declining Day (Al-'Asr)
1. By the declining day,
2. Lo! Man is in a state of loss,
3. Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort 
one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance.
***

SPORTS, food and humour bind us, said Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in his live 59th National Day (Merdeka) address to the nation. 

The Prime Minister was right in saying the three things that could united us as Malaysian but an 'ustaz' during his 'tazkirah' (lesson) which I followed recently said that to achieve total unity among us, we had to be united in 'iman' (faith) first.

Be united in 'iman' and only after that perhaps we could look for 'extra or temporary factors' such as through sports, food and humour as pursed by the PM. Sports without 'iman' would not bring us no where, perhaps in this world we would have all the glitter and glamour (perhaps won gold at the Olympics), but is that our aim in life; the question is what are our 'chances' in the Hereafter?

How could sports could bind us where certain disciplines such as gymnastics, beach volleyball and swimming forced women participant to be in a 'one or two piece outfits' that 'bares all'...nowadays even 'burqinis' are ban on beaches of some countries...all these divide us because human beings (the powerful) tend to instill (force) their way of life to others...

Only with 'iman' we could be united in propagating the truth and of course we could not be united in propagating sinful acts and ill activities.  In the Qur'an, Allah SWT says: "...And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty." (Al-Ma'idah; 5:2)

Scholars said, Allah has enjoined upon us to cooperate in righteousness and piety with everybody. What matters is that our common endeavour is a good one. He has forbidden us from cooperating with people in sin and transgression, regardless of who they are. In this way, Allah has defined for us the limits of cooperation, but He has not placed restraints on who we can cooperate with. 

With 'iman' intact in our hearts, we could utilize fully 'the extra and temporary factors' such as sports, food and humour; they could be steered to be in line with our 'iman' thus we would be rewarded both in this world and Hereafter. 

Allah told us to be successful in both worlds; we pleaded to Him with this du'a: 'Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil 'akhirati hasanatan waqina 'adhaban-nar' (Our Lord! grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire." (2:201)

In Islam all our actions are considered 'ibadah' (acts of worship) and would be rewarded by Allah The Greatest; be in small matters such as going to the toilet or of highly looked upon jobs such as administrating departments to governing states or countries. But one important aspect must be looked upon and that is our 'niat' (intention); if our 'niat' is in line with the teaching of Islam then we would be rewarded otherwise, our deeds would be wasted.

Well, if doing 'small things' such as going to the toilet could be an 'ibadah', then what could be said about 'bigger and more important things' such as involving in sports and celebrating one’s country’s independence day or 'Hari Merdeka'. It is also an 'ibadah' if we fulfill the requirements stipulated in Islam.

Let us look at what renowned Muslims have said about 'merdeka'. At the height of the conquest of Persia, the Muslim general, Sa'ad ibn Waqqas carried out Caliph Umar Al-Khattab's will and sent to Rustum (or Rustam), the Persian great general, a number of his companions lead by Asim ibn Amir to call on him to follow Islam and Allah's path.

The conversation between them and the Persian leader lasted long. Finally they ended their talk by Asim telling him, "Allah has chosen us to turn whom He chooses of His creatures from paganism to monotheism, from the narrowness of life to its freedom, from the ruler's injustice to Islam's fairness. Whoever accepts our offer we will leave him alone and will refrain from hurting him. Whoever fights us, we will fight him until we fulfill Allah's promise."

The points elaborated by Asim to Rustum are looked upon as the meaning of 'merdeka' (freedom). It was regarding 'transforming' people from paganism to monotheism, from the limitations of life to freedom and from a ruler's injustice to the fairness in Islam.

In Islam, each of us is equal in the eyes of Allah SWT. There is no difference between a rich and a poor man. Yes, only 'takwa' (fear of Allah) differentiates people for He says in the Qur'an: "O mankind! We have created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that who has At-Taqwa. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware." - (Surah Al-Hujurat, verse 13)

The celebration of the National Day (August 31st) and 'Hari Malaysia' (September 16th) this year coincided with the occasion of Eid Al-Adha; this year it falls on Monday, September 12. So to dear readers, Eid Mubarak.

According to the Muslim calendar (the Hijra year), Eid Al-Adha falls on the 10th Dhul-hijjah; the blessed month of Hajj. For this year, Dhul-hijjah, the 12th month of the Muslim calendar of Hijra began on Saturday, September 3, 2016. This is the month Muslim perform hajj, with its peak when they do ‘wukuf’ (to stop or gather) in Arafah (or Arafat) on the 9th Dhul-hijjah (Sunday, 11st September).

Wukuf, being the highest 'rukun' (component) of hajj must be rendered; without which hajj does not take place. The requirement is the presence in Arafat, regardless of whether the pilgrim is riding, walking, sitting or moving. In Arafat one is to spend the afternoon from dhuhr (midday) to maghrib (sunset) prayer times making du’as (supplications) and repenting to leave Arafat with all of one's sins forgiven.

For Muslims who are not performing hajj in their homelands, they are encouraged to perform recommended deeds during the first 10 days of Dhul-hijjah such as fasting especially on ‘Wukuf’ day and giving charity. Then during Eid Al-Adha (10th Dhul-Hijjah) when Muslims perform ‘solat’ (Eid prayers) and the days of Tashreek (11, 12, and 13th Dhul-Hijjah) they are recommended to do the slaughter or ‘korban’ (sacrifice) animals (such as sheep and cow).

Regarding the hajj, this year about four million Muslims from all corners of the world were expected in the Holy Land to perform the hajj manasik (rites and ceremonies performed at hajj). After Arafah, the pilgrims would then proceed towards Muzdalifah and pick up pebbles there to be used when stoning the Pillar of Aqabah or Qubra on Eid Adha (10th Dhul-Hijjah).

In Mina, they are required to stay for three nights where they will stone the three ‘jamrahs’ beginning with the first Pillar (i.e. the one which is furthest from Makkah), followed by the middle Pillar and lastly the Pillar of Aqabah. 

The pilgrims will also shave their heads or cut their hair and then proceed to Makkah to perform the Tawaf Al-Ifadah (circling the Kaabah seven times which is an essential part of Hajj) and then perform Sa’y (walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwa). After completing their hajj, pilgrims fulfill their days by performing prayers and 'tawaf' in the Grand Masjid of Makkah (Masjidil-Haram) before going home.

Doing reflections about the activities of hajj helps us to understand why it was concluded that only by 'iman' could united people. Imagine, the 'azan' (call of prayers) made 4,000,000 (four million) people (according to Wikipedia) went rushing to Masjidiharam (Haram Mosque), and then they were in deep concentration, prostrating to Allah SWT - all the actions of the 'imam' were followed by the million of congregators...where else in the planet could we see this demonstration of united hearts, souls and bodies?

Subhanalllah, only 'iman' could unites people...