Listen to the rhythm of your heart
Now that you have resolved to make the most important trip of your lifetime, what kind of hajj will it be? Alhamdulillahi, you have come a long way; because resolving to make the trip is a major step. You have delayed it long enough because of wrong priorities. Rather than seek Allah's forgiveness through hajj, you chose to buy that 'tokunbo' car of yours; rather than make the trip to the best spot on earth (the Ka'abah) you went to the 'hottest' spots of 11K, USA and even the West African coast for your vacation; then rather than choose a spot in Paradise (the reward of a blessed hajj), you bought a spot of the earth to build a house. Hence, rather than seek the lasting Allah's Pleasure first, you've gone in desperate search of fleeting dun ya. Still, alhamdulillahi, you are back on track with your intended pilgrimage; so what kind of hajj would it be?
Let's share in the dreams of Ali ibn Muwaffaq (RA) for some indications: "I made pilgrimage one year and I slept at Mina in the mosque of al-Khayf on the night of Arafat. There I dreamt I saw two angels and one called out to his companion: 'Do you know how many came on hajj this year to the House of Allah?' 'No;' the other replied. 'Six hundred thousand and do you know how many of them were accepted.' 'No', the other replied again. 'Only six souls!' At this point, I woke up with dismay, anxiety and deep concern and I said to myself: "If only six souls had their hajj accepted, where am I placed?"
If you search your intentions well and your devotion at each of the hajj rites and hajj sites; maybe you may know where your pilgrimage will be placed.
Allah, the Ever-Merciful who has proclaimed
"the pilgrimage among men" (Q22:27),
always bestows His Mercies on everyone who strives in His cause. Ibn Muwaffaq continued his narration: "I joined the stampede from Arafat, stopping at Muzdalifa and 1 pondered how great was the multitude and how few would find acceptance. I slept again and I dreamt of the two angels as before. They hailed each other, then once said: "Do you know what our Lord, Great and Glorious is He, has decreed tonight? 'No.' To each of the six he has given a hundred thousand.' I awoke this time with a feeling of indescribable joy".
Indescribable joy is the state of the pilgrim for as the Prophet (PBUH) assured,
"a blessed pilgrimage is better than this world and till it contains. For a blessed pilgrimage, there is no reward but Paradise. " (MusIim).
And Umar (RA), the- third caliph, further assured:
"the pilgrim is forgiven, as are those for whom he seeks forgiveness in the months of Dhul-Hijja, Muharram, Safar and twenty days of Rabi-al- Awwal" (reported by Imam al-Ghazzali).
All ibn Muwaffaq, the man of the many dreams, made several pilgrimages on behalf of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and dreamt that the Prophet (PBUH) asked him thus: "Ibn Muwaffaq, did you make pilgrimage and shouted 'Labbayk' (Doubly at Your Service, Lord!) on my behalf? I confirmed this and he (PBUH) said:
"I shall reward you for it on the Day of Resurrection. I shall take you by the hand at the waiting place and lead you into Paradise, while other creations are in dread of reckoning." If you make your pilgrimage solely for Allah, seeking His Pleasure and submitting fully to Him; your dreams can be as sweet as that of Ali ibn Muwaffaq! May Allah bless our pilgrimage efforts. May Allah make our hajj, hajj mabrur.