Praise be to Allah. Praise be to Allah, Who guides to the truth and Who has made the Ka‘bah a qiblah for all Muslims. I praise Him, Glorified be He, and I thank Him for every favour, bounty, and blessing. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners, and Whose Divinity and Lordship we acknowledge beyond any doubt; and I bear witness that our master and prophet, Muhammad, is His servant and messenger, who left us on the clear path, the best of all religions. May Allah bestow His peace upon him and upon his family and Companions, who were chosen by Allah and who defended the religion and purified it from all falsehood.


Now then,


I advise you and advise myself to fear Allah. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


O you who believe! Fear Allah (by doing all that He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as He should be feared. [Obey Him, be thankful to Him, and remember Him always], and die not except in a state of Islam [as Muslims (with complete submission to Allah)]. (Al ‘Imran: 102)


The honoured Ka‘bah is the Muslims’ qiblah, the direction which they face in their prayers. It is the first house of worship towards which journeys were undertaken from every deep, distant ravine. Ibrahim (Prophet Abraham), peace be upon him, built the Sacred House in obedience to Allah’s command:


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And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) and (his son) Ismail (Ishmael) were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka‘bah at Makkah) ... (Al-Baqarah: 127).


Then he earnestly prayed and implored his Lord to accept this good deed of his from him, saying:


... Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower. (Al-Baqarah: 127)


Let us reflect on the case of Ibrahim, peace be upon him: a prophet building the Ka‘bah and earnestly praying to his Lord to accept his good deed from him. From this we learn that all our good deeds require the presence of the heart and sincere prayers to Allah to accept them from us.


Allah has made the Ka‘bah, the Sacred House, an asylum of security and benefits (e.g. Hajj and ‘Umrah) for mankind ... (Al-Ma’idah: 97)


The Ka‘bah is the direction of Muslims in all their circumstances and for the various acts of worship they perform. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The Sacred House is your qiblah while you are alive and when you are dead.” Every Muslim longs for the sacred sites from the bottom of his heart. Muslims’ souls are filled with nostalgia for Makkah, the city of security. They never feel satiated with it. No sooner do its visitors leave it and return to their families than they yearn for visiting it again. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


... so fill some hearts among men with love towards them ... (Ibrahim: 37)


The Ka‘bah is a place of refuge and sanctuary for men. Therefore, whoever commits a sin or falls into a mistake can circumambulate the Sacred House and pray facing the qiblah, or he can perform pilgrimage to this House, in the hope of having his sins forgiven and his ways mended, thus returning home free from sins like the day he was born.


It was by the Ka‘bah that Ibrahim, peace be upon him, prayed to Allah for peace and security. No one can enjoy life without peace, and no one can even enjoy the taste of food and drink without a sense of security. If fear prevails, the world will be a horrible place to live in, life will become marred, and people will be haunted by fright and terror. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


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So let them worship (Allah) the Lord of this House (the Ka‘bah in Makkah), (He) Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear. (Quraish: 3-4)


The Ka‘bah is the meeting place for fraternity and the fount of peace. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


Have they not seen that We have made (Makkah) a secure sanctuary, while men are being snatched away from all around them? ... (Al-‘Ankabut: 67)


The unity of the Muslim Ummah becomes most manifest when Muslims circumambulate the Ka‘bah; it is unity of words, deeds, and rituals. It is there that hearts gather around the House of Allah, the Most Great. People get closer to one another despite their different races, disparate languages, and diverse colours. They all face the same qiblah so that they may gather around the word of truth, purify their hearts, unite their efforts, and attain peace and harmony. It is a scene that instils in you the concept of unity and the principle of the one body. This is the true nature of the Muslim Ummah, which has now been afflicted by conflicting opinions, differing doctrines, and widespread fighting.


The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Do not revert to disbelief after me, by striking the necks of one another”. It is our hope that these blessed crowds of pilgrims who physically assemble around the Ka‘bah will renounce disunity, reject contention, and abandon their differences. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:


“My Lord said, ‘O Muhammad! When I make a decree, it is not withdrawn: I grant you that I shall not destroy your Ummah by a widespread famine that exterminates them all, nor shall I set on them an enemy not from among them that destroys them, even if they gather against this enemy from all the regions (or he said, ‘from among the regions’), but it is they [members of the Ummah] that will destroy one another, kill one another, and capture one another.”


This Ummah will always resist defeat at the hands of its enemies as long as its members remain united and joined together. But when they fight against one another and kill one another, an enemy not from among them will be set on them and will violate their sanctities. History tells us that whenever the Muslim Ummah deviates from the Straight Path, and when its members destroy one another, commit injustice against one another, and fight and kill one another, it loses its dignity, falls under the control of its enemies, loses its strength, and suffers humiliation, decline, and dire consequences. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


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And obey Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength departs, and be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are As-Sabirun (the patient). (Al-Anfal: 46)


Brothers in Islam!


The Ka‘bah is the centre of the Earth. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


... that you may warn the Mother of the Towns (Makkah) and all around it ... (Ash-Shura: 7)


Therefore, all those on the face of the earth are around the Ka‘bah. Let the Muslim Ummah make it the fixed pivot around which life in its entirety revolves, and from which it derives inspiration for the firmness of its method, the consolidation of its principles, the purity of its sources, and the clarity of its goal. Muslims should contemplate these perceptions every day and even in every prayer when they face the direction to Allah’s Sacred House.


The Ka‘bah is the qiblah to which all Muslims turn. This gives the Muslim Ummah the distinctive character of glory, dignity, and great determination, for it is a nation which should reign supreme and occupy a leadership position. It has its own beliefs, principles, and method. The balance is disturbed only when it loses its identity and salient features and lives as a follower rather than a leader, guided by others rather than guiding the whole world.


The Ka‘bah is also a place which Allah has blessed. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing ... (Al ‘Imran: 96)


One sign of this blessing is indicated in the verse in which Allah, Exalted be He, says:


... to which are brought fruits of all kinds ... (Al-Qasas: 57)


Another sign of this blessing is that, at this sacred place, acts of worship are ceaselessly performed, rewards are multiplied, good deeds are done in abundance, and sins are forgiven. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


... and circumambulate the Ancient House [Al-Bayt Al-’Atiq] (the Ka‘bah at Makkah). (Al-Hajj: 29)


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It is also said that Al-Bayt Al-’Atiq means “the Emancipated House”, because Allah, Exalted be He, has taken it upon Himself to free it from the hands of tyrants and disbelievers until the Day of Judgement.


In one of the corners of the Ka‘bah there is the Black Stone, which came down from Paradise. It is just a stone that can neither bring benefit nor cause harm. People are aware that they only kiss it or touch it to follow the practice of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said concerning it, “By Allah! Allah will raise it on the Day of Resurrection with two eyes with which it sees and a tongue with which it speaks, testifying in truth to whoever touched it.”


The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, told us about the end of times, saying, “An army will raid the Ka‘bah and when it reaches a desert land, all of them will be swallowed up by the earth.” Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, asked; “O Messenger of Allah! How can they all be swallowed up by the earth when there are among them their common folks and those who do not share their evil intentions?” He answered, “All of them will be swallowed up by the earth but they will be raised for Judgement according to their intentions.”


May Allah bless you and me with the Great Qur’an and make us benefit from its verses and wise words. I have said what you have heard and I ask forgiveness of Allah, the Most Great, for myself, for you, and for all Muslims for any sin we have committed. Ask Allah for forgiveness. He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.


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Part Two


Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; the Only Owner of the Day of Recompense. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners, the God of those who preceded us and those who are yet to come; and I bear witness that our master and prophet, Muhammad, is His servant and messenger, the ally of the pious. May Allah bestow His peace and blessings upon him and upon all his family and Companions.


O Muslims!


I advise you and advise myself to fear Allah.


Jabir ibn Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The best days in this life are the [first] ten days [of Dhul-Hijjah].” The Prophet’s Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah! Is there nothing to match them, not even fighting in the cause of Allah?” He replied, “There is nothing to match them, not even fighting in the cause of Allah, unless it be a man who goes out [in the cause of Allah], gets killed, and his face gets rubbed with dust.”


The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said, “There are no days in which doing righteous deeds is more beloved to Allah than these ten days [the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah].” The Prophet’s Companions asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Not even fighting in the cause of Allah?” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Not even fighting in the cause of Allah, unless it be a man who goes out offering his soul and his wealth in the cause of Allah and does not return with either of them.”


The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, also said:


“There are no days that are greater in the sight of Allah and in which doing good deeds is more beloved to Him than these ten days [the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah]. Therefore, recite a great deal of Tahlil (saying, ‘La ilaha illa Allah’ (There is no god but Allah)), Takbir (saying, ‘Allahu Akbar’ (Allah is the Greatest)), and Tahmid (saying, ‘Al-Hamdu lillah’ (Praise be to Allah)) during these days.”


O Servants of Allah! Ask Allah to bestow His peace and blessings on the Messenger of Guidance, as Allah has commanded you to do so in His Holy Book. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


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Allah sends His Salat (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet (Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)) and also His angels (ask Allah to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salat on (ask Allah to bless) him (Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting (salutation i.e. AsSalamu ‘Alaikum). (Al-Ahzab: 56)


O Allah! Bestow Your peace upon Muhammad, his wives, and his offspring as You bestowed Your peace upon the family of Ibrahim, and bestow Your blessings upon Muhammad, his wives, and his offspring, as You bestowed Your blessings upon the family of Ibrahim; You are All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious. O Allah! Be pleased with the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, along with their families and the Prophet’s honourable Companions, and also be pleased with us together with them, by Your forgiveness, generosity, and benevolence, O Most Generous of all the generous!


O Allah! Grant power and glory to Islam and Muslims. O Allah! Grant power and glory to Islam and Muslims. O Allah! Grant power and glory to Islam and Muslims, subdue disbelief and the disbelievers, and destroy Your enemies – the enemies of Your religion. O Allah! Make this country of ours and all other Muslim countries safe and secure.


O Allah! Grant us safety in our homelands and make good our leaders and those in charge of our affairs. O Allah! Make whoever harbours evil intentions towards us and towards Islam and Muslims preoccupied with his own problems and make his plotting the cause of his own destruction, O All-Hearer of Supplication! O Allah! Make whoever harbours evil intentions towards us and towards Islam and Muslims preoccupied with his own problems and make his plotting the cause of his own destruction, O All-Hearer of Supplication!


O Allah! We ask You for Paradise and every word or deed that brings us closer to it, and seek refuge in You from Hellfire and every word or deed that brings us closer to it.


O Allah! Make good for us our religion, which safeguards our affairs, make good for us this world in which we live, and make good for us the Hereafter, which will be our eternal abode. Make our life an increase for us in all goodness and our death a respite for us from all evil, O Lord of the Worlds!


O Allah! We ask You for the ways to good, the outcomes of good, the beginnings of good, and the ends of good, and we ask You for the highest ranks of Paradise, O Lord of the Worlds!


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O Allah! We ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and freedom from want. O Allah! Be with us and not against us, render us victorious and not defeated, and plan for us and not against us. Guide us and lead us to guidance; and grant us victory over those who have oppressed us.


O Allah! Make us among those who remember You and praise You, who are humble to You, and who often implore You and return to You in repentance.


O Allah! Accept our repentance, forgive our sins, approve our cause, guide our tongues to say the truth, and purify our hearts from envy.


O Allah! Have mercy on our dead, cure the sick among us, and relieve our distress, O Lord of the Worlds!


O Allah! Guide our ruler to what You love and accept. O Allah! Lead him to Your guidance, make his deeds pleasing to You, and guide his Deputy to what You love and accept, O Lord of the Worlds!


O Allah! Guide all Muslim rulers to act according to Your Book and to rule according to Your Shari’ah, O Most Merciful of all the merciful!


O Allah! Grant safety to the pilgrims of Your Sacred House. O Allah! Grant safety to the pilgrims of Your Sacred House. O Allah! Grant safety to the pilgrims of Your Sacred House. O Allah! Protect them from all evils and sins. O Allah! Help them to return safe and sound to their homes, fully rewarded and with their good deeds accepted, O Most Merciful of all the merciful! O Allah! Accept their pilgrimage, approve their endeavour, forgive their sins, and reward them for their righteous deeds, O Lord of the Worlds!


Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers. (Al-A‘raf: 23)


Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful. (Al-Hashr:10)


Our Lord! Give us that which is good in this world and that which is good in the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of Hellfire! (Al-Baqarah: 201)


Verily, Allah enjoins Al-‘Adl (i.e. justice and worshipping none but Allah Alone – Islamic Monotheism) and Al-Ihsan


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[i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allah, totally for Allah’s sake and in accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to kith and kin (i.e. all that Allah has ordered you to give them e.g., wealth, visiting, looking after them, or any other kind of help): and forbids Al-Fahsha’ (i.e. all evil deeds, e.g. illegal sexual acts, disobedience of parents, polytheism, to tell lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right), and Al-Munkar (i.e. all that is prohibited by Islamic law: polytheism of every kind, disbelief and every kind of evil deeds), and Al-Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression), He admonishes you, that you may take heed. (An-Nahl: 90).


Remember Allah and He will remember you. Thank Him for His favours and He will give you more. Verily, remembrance of Allah is greater than all, and Allah knows what you do.