After Eid al-Adha prayers at Surau Nur Perdana in Putrajaya and during our blessed meals at home, my grandson, Izz Fayyadh of Year 3 Primary School, inquired about my previous performance of Hajj, by asking “Why declaring our intention at the beginning of Hajj pilgrimage is utmost important?”
I replied, “Our intention must be strongly asserted. We will grow out of our ‘shell’ as do the seeds of dates. Being extremely conscious, we must have faith in our heart. Enlighten our heart with the flame of love to Allah. A Muslim only physically touches his forehead on the ground if he does not understand the meaning of prostration. He who does not realize the essence of Hajj only brings back from Mecca a suitcase full of souvenirs, and empty heart & mind.”
I added, “There are many souvenir shops in Mecca which sell jewelries, clothing, carpet, household items, etc. Many people treat Hajj as a tourist attraction going to Mecca and Madinah and they spend lots of time and money to fill their suitcases. Nowadays, Mecca is a good ‘common market’ for foreign trade.”
Fahmie, who came to wish me Eid al-Adha Mubarak, a colleague of my son, Haji Muhammad Farouq then joined in to pose a couple tough fundamental questions, “Oh uncle Hajj – where are you going now? Back to your life and to your world? Are you returning from Hajj the same way you came?”
I humbly replied, “Never! Never! Islam in itself a universal religion of peace. The Noble Quran says: “The Almighty Allah (God) calls to the home of peace, (Surah Yunus 10:25). This is the message of Islam to mankind. It means that "Build a world of peace on earth so that we may be granted a world of peace in our eternal life in the Hereafter. Therefore, I will to try emulate & play the role of at least the companions of Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him.”
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