Assalamu alaikum dear brothers and sisters,

Hajj is one of the most important pillars of Islam and one of greatest religious duties. It is obligatory to perform it once in a lifetime, subject to affordability.

مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً

those who can afford the journey

Hajj and Umrah begin with Talbiyah after wearing Ihram:

لبَّيك اللّهمّ لبَّيك، لبَّيك لا شريك لك لبَّيك،

“Here I am, O Lord, here I am, You indeed have no partner, here I am.

 إنّ الحمد و النّعمة لك و الملك، لا شريك لك لبَّيك.

All praise and bounties are Yours, and so is the absolute Domain. You indeed have no partners, here I am”.

“Labbayk” in Hajj is a response to the call of Allah.

In Makkah, a sea of people gather in white robes like a shroud to perform the Hajj.

Whatever the status of a person may be in his country, during the Hajj, there is no difference between him and other pilgrims.

Hajj is a universal message for humanity that, in the eyes of God, everyone is on the same level.

The concept of worship in Islam is not based on personal gain, but is also related to the welfare of other human beings.

The one who ignores the rights of the people does not deserve God’s forgiveness. The one who oppresses people is deprived of God’s mercy forever.

If this blessing of Hajj is used in the right sense, Hajj is a revolution for the Muslim nation.

As always, people from all Muslim countries are coming to perform the Hajj this year.

Despite their great resources, the rulers of Muslim countries are content with just issuing statements on the massacre of Palestinian children and women.

They are proving to be cowardly and devoid of honor and dignity.

As far as the rest of the world is concerned, only a few countries have raised their voices against the genocide and massacre of the Palestinian people.

Even after seeing the burned bodies of children and women in Rafah, and a headless baby, Western rulers still think that the Zionist state has not crossed the red line. They are still claiming the Zionist entity has “the right to defend itself”. 

Humanity is still alive and oppression is not decided on the basis of color, race and religion.

Those people who are constantly raising their voices against this massacre are fulfilling their human duties, especially the university students who have put their academic future at stake.

This year Allah may ask the Hajj pilgrims who say,

لبَّيك اللّهمّ لبَّيك

Here I am, O Lord, here I am,

whether you have raised your voice against the massacre of oppressed Palestinian women and children.

If the Hajj pilgrim does not fulfill his duty to defend the oppressed children and women then in response to “Labbayk”, we should not be surprised if Allah replies as:

لا لبیک و لا سعدیک‏

“No. I neither accept you nor shall I admit you.”

O Allah, we seek your help to never become a helper of the oppressor.

Regardless of color, caste and religion, we will always help the oppressed because our first responsibility is to defend humanity.

O Allah, hasten the emergence of our Imam for the end of oppression and for the establishment of a just society.

Syed Sartaj Zaidi

Chairman, Board of Trustees