The twelfth month of the Islamic calendar is called Dhul Hijjah. It is the month that contains one of the greatest pillars of Islam – Hajj or the major pilgrimage. It also contains one of only two Islamic reoccurring festivals, Eid ul Adha. These two special occasions, the Hajj and Eid ul Adha, are inextricably linked by one special man, Prophet Ibrahim, known in Jewish and Christian traditions as Prophet Abraham.

Making the pilgrimage is often called following in the footsteps of Ibrahim. This is due to the fact that the rituals involved in the pilgrimage replicate many of the events in Prophet Ibrahim’s life. Eid ul Adha commemorates a specific trial in the life of Ibrahim. He was commanded by God to sacrifice, his son Ishmael. Eid ul Adha occurs on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, the day on which most of the Hajj rites have been preformed and the pilgrims slaughter an animal to honour Prophet Ibrahim’s obedience to God.

“Surely Ibrahim was an example, obedient to God, by nature upright, and he was not of the polytheists. He was grateful for Our bounties. We chose him and guided him unto a right path. We gave him good in this world, and in the next he will most surely be among the righteous.” (Quran 16:120-121)

In a divinely inspired dream, Ibrahim saw himself sacrificing his son Ishmael. All members of Ibrahim’s family demonstrated complete trust in God, therefore Ibrahim revealed the dream to Ishmael. He readily agreed that his father must carry out the command of God. Together they went to the place of sacrifice and offered Ishmael’s life to God. Ibrahim prepared to sacrifice his beloved son. At this point the shaytaan (satan) tempted Ibrahim trying to make him disobey God, but Ibrahim resisted and drove the shaytaan away. Ibrahim looked down at his son for what he believed was the last time but as the blade came close to Ishmael’s neck God stayed his hand and revealed that there was no need for Ibrahim to continue. His sacrifice had already been fulfilled.

Giving up something big for the sake of God, such as the life of your child, must seem like a huge and unimaginable sacrifice. Today even going without something small, such as a cup of coffee, to donate the money to charity seems like a large sacrifice. Try to imagine how Ibrahim must have felt as he held the blade above his child’s neck. In the last moment he was relieved of his duty to follow God’s commands. Having complete trust in God, knowing with certainty that God knows and wants what is best for us is often difficult, but it should not be.

“…And whosoever fears God and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine….” (Quran 65:2-3)

God replaced Ishmael with a sheep and it is for this reason that Muslims sacrifice an animal on the celebration of Eid ul Adha; however it is more than a celebration, it is a reminder. We are reminded of our own submission to the will of God. Those Muslim’s who are not making the pilgrimage and who can afford it sacrifice an animal in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s test.

“Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you….” (Quran 22:37)

The act of animal sacrifice is often misunderstood. God has no need for the blood or the meat; in fact God has no need for any of our acts of worship. However for our own benefit God commands us to turn to Him and obey Him. God looks for our piety, our goodness and our charity. The animal sacrificed is usually a sheep, a goat or a cow.

Distributing the meat from the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha strengthens many of our efforts to please God with our piety. Usually, a portion is eaten by the immediate family and relatives, a portion is given away to friends and neighbours and a portion is donated to the poor. The act symbolizes our willingness to give up our bounties to strengthen ties of kinship and friendship and our enthusiasm to give up things that are of benefit to us in order to help those who are in need. In the sacrifice we recognize that all blessings come from God.

Eid ul Adha commences on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah. For those who are not at the pilgrimage, it begins with an extra early morning prayer performed in congregation, called the Eid prayer. It is a time of celebration, a time to visit family and friends and thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. It demands contact with relatives, kindness to family and neighbours, and empathy and compassion for the poor. Above all Eid ul Adha reminds us that God is great and that He is the source of all bounties. Through the good times and the trying times God is the source of all comfort and all peace, and submission to Him brings the greatest benefits of all.

IAMC Eid ul Adha 2013 Khutbah:: Nouman Ali Khan: The Sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRPesQUApkw

islam is a monotheistic religion; Muslims worship God ONLY not the Ka'bah or anything else. While turning around the Ka'bah, Muslims chant: "there is no deity worthy of worship but God."

The Ka'bah is for unifying Muslims at prayers, as it would be chaotic if Muslims pray in any direction they choose.

The Ka'abah provides a chance to unity in prayers as all Muslims face only one spot throughout the globe.

It's a religious ritual that goes back to prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him.

At the time of prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, people even used to stand and give the call to prayer. One may ask those who allege that Muslims worship the Ka'bah: how come an idol-worshipper stands on the idol he worships?!

Muslims pray towards the Ka'bah as it has spiritual bond; it unites Muslims and equalizes between them.

The Jews pray before the Wailing Wall, yet they do not worship it; they just pray towards it.

It has been proven that Makkah is in the center of the earth and that the meridian of makkah is the only meridian in which the real north and the magnetic north meet and there is no magnetic deflection. There is electromagnetic energy and as you approach the Ka'bah, you are released from negative energy then filled with the Divine Energy.
So Muslims do not worship the Kaaba


Dr Zakir Naik speaking about Hajj - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOgc7unDerw

Do Muslims Worship the KA'BAH ? Dr. Zakir Naik (Urdu)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9MqYyFhpKM

Dr Zakir Naik about Hajj e badal and Does stonning during hajj hurt shaitan?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjoQ5-mn2rU

Du er helt og holdent forsvundet fra dig selv, midt i denne underkastelse af islamisk dogmetro – og hvis det er billedet på dine gode dage, tør man sgu ikke tænke på dine dårlige…;)

mvh
Simon

why not allow non-Muslims to go to Mecca - YouTube
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jjoc3Fhly0

The aims and purposes of Hajj and great and sublime. There follows an outline of some of them:

1 – A sense of connection with the Prophets (peace be upon them) from our father Ibraaheem who built the House, to our Prophet Muhammad the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his respect for the sanctity of Makkah. When the pilgrim visits the sacred places and performs the rituals, he remembers the visist of those pure Prophets to this sacred place.

Muslim (241) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: We traveled with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) between Makkah and Madeenah, and we passed by a valley. He said, “What valley is this?” They said, “The valley of al-Azraq.” He said, “It is as if I can see Moosa the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) putting his fingers in his ears beseeching Allaah, reciting the Talbiyah and passing through this valley.”

Then we traveled on until we came to a mountain pass. He said, “What mountain pass is this?” They said, “Harsha or Lift.” He said, “It is as if I can see Yoonus on a red camel, wearing a woollen cloak, the reins of his camel made from fibres of date-palm, passing through this valley reciting the Talbiyah.”

2 – The whiteness and cleanness of the pilgrims’ clothes is a sign of inward purity, cleanness of heart and the purity of the message and the method. This means putting aside all adornment and showing humity, and it is a reminder of death when the deceased is shrouded in similar cloths. So it is as if he is preparing to meet Allaah.

3 – Entering ihraam from the meeqaat is a physical expression of worship and enslavement to Allaah, and of submission to His commands and laws. No one passes it (without entering ihraam) because it is a command from Allaah and a law that He has prescribed. This confirms the unity of the ummah and its following one system with nod differentiation or exemptions with regard to the definition of the meeqaats.

4 – Hajj is the symbol of Tawheed from the first moment the pilgrim enters ihraam. Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said, describing the Hajj of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Then he started to say the words of Tawheed, ‘“Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk. Inna al-hamd wa’l-ni’mata laka wa’l-mulk, laa shareeka lak (Here I am, O Allaah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner).’”

Narrated by Muslim, 2137; see question no. 21617

5 – It is a reminder of the Hereafter when all the people come together in one place in ‘Arafah and elsewhere, with no differentiation between them. All of them are equal in this place and no one is better than anyone else.

6 – Hajj is a symbol of unity, because Hajj makes all people the same in their clothing, deeds, rituals, qiblah and the places they visit. So no one is better than anyone else, king or slave, rich or poor, are all the same.

So the people are equal in terms of rights and duties. They are equal in this sacred place, and differences in colour and nationality do not matter; no one has the right to differentiate between them.

Unity of feelings, unity of rituals.

Unity in purpose, unity in action.

Unity in words. “People come from Adam, and Adam came from dust. No Arab is superior to a non-Arab and no white man is superior to a black man, except in terms of piety (taqwa).”

More than two million Muslims all standing in one place, wearing the same clothes, sharing one aim, with one slogan, calling upon one Lord and following one Prophet… what unity can be greater than this?

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, those who disbelieved and hinder (men) from the path of Allaah, and from Al‑Masjid Al‑Haraam (at Makkah) which We have made (open) to (all) men, the dweller in it and the visitor from the country are equal there [as regards its sanctity and pilgrimage (Hajj and ‘Umrah)] — and whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong (i.e. practise polytheism and leave Islamic Monotheism), him We shall cause to taste from a painful torment”

[al-Hajj 22:25]

7 – It trains him to be content with modest clothing and accommodation, when he wears two pieces of cloth and it is sufficient for him, and his accommodation gives him just enough room to sleep.

8– Forgiveness of sins, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does Hajj and does not speak any obscene words or commit any sin will go back cleansed of sin as on the day his mother bore him.”

9 – Opening the doors of hope to those who commit sin, and teaching them to give up their sin in these holy places, so that they will give up a lot of their bad habits during the period of Hajj and its rituals.

9 – Pointing out the importance of Muslims coming together and establishing harmony. For we see usually each person travelling on his own, whereas in Hajj we see people coming in groups.

10 – Getting to know the situation of the Muslims from trustworthy sources, since the Muslim can hear directly from his brother about the situation of his Muslim brothers in the land from which he has come

From MTV to Mecca - Sis Kristiane Backer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v51nJUo8f3U

why not allow non-Muslims to go to Mecca - YouTube
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jjoc3Fhly0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGuFlzgmn74


HAJJ 2017 MAKKAH TAWAF LIVE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwVb_QkDj6c