The Hajj Collection

As we received so much positive feedback for our Ramadan Reader, please find below an assortment of resources that centre on the days of the Hajj and the festival of Eid-ul-Adha. 


Talks and Lectures

Hajj: The Inward Spiral - A sermon exploring the deep significance of the Hajj, with its rites echoing in distant pre-eternity when all souls past present and future stood in witnessing before God.

The Purification of Hajj -  A striking khutba discussing the transformative qualities of yearly festival and ritual, moving beyond mere pageantry to times when our selves can be cleansed and elevated.


Sacrifice and Submission - An Eid-ul-Adha khutba drawing the parallel between the sacrifice that Abraham was commanded to make and the ones we have to make when clearing our lives of those obstacles in our lives barring us from the Divine.

Fathers and Sons and Hud and her Sisters - A pair of sermons that both centre on the House of Abraham, which of course feature so strongly and prominently in the origins and the significance of the Hajj.


Articles
 
Ten Good Manners for Hajj - A translation by the Sheikh from Imam Ghazali's magisterial Ihya ulum ad-Din.

From Drury Lane to Makka - A moving account of the first recorded visit English Muslim to the Holy Sanctuary

Hajj: an inward journey - An article published in Emel magazine, exploring the idea that Hajj is a journey on different planes, the effects of which transcend space and even time.

Thought for the Day transcripts

21st January 2005 - Hajj in full swing

Fathers and Sons

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 21st October 2011 - 25mins 54secs

Hagar, that ‘root out of a dry ground’, the most fertile woman in history.

Contentions 1:30, Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad

In the run up to the pilgrimage of Hajj the Sheikh gave a captivating account of the prophetic destinies of the houses of the sons of Ibrahim, upon them all be peace. Highlighting the difference between the Testament and Qur'anic accounts of how Hajar (Hagar) came to find herself in the barren valley of Mecca, the Sheikh shows how then, as now, truth and righteousness is still to be found with the outcast, or in the Prophet's words, peace be upon him, "with the broken-hearted".

However despite the divergences within the great Abrahamic stream we learn that the Islamic message is one of inclusiveness. The Qur'an is replete with the accounts of the scions of Isaac; Ya'qub (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph), Musa (Moses), Harun (Aron), Dawud (David) and Isa (Jesus). Later in the khutba, after regaling us with the thrilling account of the discovery of Zamzam, the Sheikh tells us of the fulfillment of this other Abrahamic line, with the arrival of Muhammad, the Chosen One, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. The universal nature of his mission is resoundingly confirmed with his words "I was sent (as a Messenger) to mankind, in its totality".

Lest our blog-post title intimate to some that the Abrahamic and Muhammadan story is another androcentric saga, the Sheikh dwells during the sermon on the monumental matriarch of our tradition, Hajar. A perfect example of one who would put her reliance solely with God, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would invoke her memory and those like her on the battlefield when he would exclaim:

"I am the son of heroines, and pure women"

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Blessed Births & Beginnings

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - 26th February 2010 - Cambridge - 27 mins 21 secs

TRANSCRIPTION PENDING

This sermon was given just after the celebration this year of the birth of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and reflects on the importance of remembering and giving thanks for the blessings of Allah - none more necessary to thank and praise Him for than sending His Guidance through the example of the best of creation. Sheikh Abdal Hakim in particular focuses on the role of the mothers of some of the prophets (may Allah bless them all), by whose determination, love, strength and faith Allah renewed the manifestation of His Mercy in the world through the sons they bore and raised.

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Some Islamic Perspectives on Gender

Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - date unknown - 45 mins 37 secs

TRANSCRIPTION PENDING

In this talk the sheikh discusses that crucial but perenially prickly issue of gender. He doesn't offer a comprehensive 'Muslim view' or really touch on the topics that are often discussed in this context such as women's rights in divorce and inheritance. Rather he offers a series of reflections on some of the underlying structures that underpin Islamic approaches to gender, offering some comparative remarks also on recent Christian theology. One main element relates to how we gain knowledge of God through His Divine Names, and how these can be seen to offer some insight into the relationship of 'masculine' and 'feminine' principles or virtues. The second element considers the females role models or ideals found in Islam, including: Hajar (Hagar), mother of Ismail (peace be upon him) and spiritual and physical ancestress to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him); Asiya, wife of Pharoah and adoptive mother of Musa (Moses - peace be upon him); Khadija, first wife and also employer of the Prophet; and Aisha, his later wife and an archetype of Islamic scholarship and teaching (may God be pleased with all of them.)

Questions follow the talk at 38 mins 19 secs.

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