Welcome Home, Our Pilgrims!
May your Hajj be Accepted and your Sins Forgiven. Hajj Mabrur.
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “Whoever performs Hajj for the sake of pleasing Allah alone and therein utters no word of evil, nor commits any evil deed, shall return from it as free from sin as the day on which his mother gave birth to him.” Narrated by Abu Hurayrah (RA)
The Muslim Public Affairs Centre, MPAC, congratulates the pilgrims who travelled to Makkah and Medinah this year to partake in the significant milestone in every Muslim’s life: the annual Hajj. Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam, consists of several rites, which are meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials and triumph of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and his family on sacrifice and obedience. The Qur’an describes Prophet Ibrahim (AS) as follows:
“Surely Ibrahim was an example, obedient to Allah, 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.” (Surah An-Nahl: 120-121)
Many dreamed it, but few made it. This is one of the Favours of Allah which He bestows on whomsoever He pleases. Allah says in Qur’an 55: 13, “Then which of the favours of your Lord will you deny?” It is our joy that you have been privileged by Allah to complete the fifth pillar of our Deen as we beseech Almighty Allah to forgive your shortcomings and accept it from every one of you as an act of ibaadah.
The religion of Islam preaches respect for humanity, encourages brotherhood and peace and inspires the rest of the world to be whole-heartedly devoted to God Almighty alone. Hajj is an event that puts forward these same teachings and celebrates them. MPAC therefore calls upon Nigerian Muslims to use this special occasion as an opportunity for being good role models in our society, in accordance with the prophetic model; stay closer to God, care for the orphans and widows, assist those afflicted by tragedy, shun extremism and violence and help the less privileged in our society. We pray that God Almighty accept the soul of those who lost their lives whist on the journey into His special Mercy and bless our country with an increase in spirituality and righteousness, a renewed hope in humanity, and an unwavering commitment to justice, peace and truth.
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