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All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Brothers and sisters, the session has already started. You can submit your questions. Please, make your questions short and clear so as to help us answer all your questions.

Yours,

Islam Online Fatwa Editing Desk.

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

In your case because of your special circumstances you need not worry about the mistakes you made unwilfully in regards to tawaf Al-wida`. Although the majority of scholars are of the opinion that tawaf Al-wida` is best done immediately prior to your leaving Makkah, in this special case, you are excused. You have the option of following the view of Imam Abu Hanifah: According to him, tawaf Al-wida` is still considered as valid, even though a person had engaged in other activities after having done the same. In his view, tawaf Al-wida' does not necessarily has to be done immediately prior to one's departure; for it essentially means that it is the last of the rites of hajj associated with the Sacred House.

In conclusion: You need not worry about offering a fidyah for the mistake; your tawaf is still considered as valid. Allah has not appointed for us any hardship in our religion. You will now recognize the mercy of Allah inherent in the fact that our great imams have held divergent views and in their divergence of views there is always mercy, since a person who is in hardship can opt out for the flexible view in another school, even though he is wont of following another school in majority of issues.

May Allah accept your hajj and wipe out all your sins-ameen.

Allah Almighty knows best.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

If you had the intention of making hajj and you were prevented from fulfilling the same, you need not worry: You can do it another time when your circumstances improve and the hurdles in your way are removed.

Hajj, you should know, is only obligatory on those who fulfill two essential prerequisites: Financial and physical ability, as well as the accessibility of the journey. In your case, since you were not given the visa, hajj did not become fard (obligatory) on you. So you need not worry.

Anyway, Allah will reward you for your intentions. But that does not mean that you are excused from performing hajj when you are able to undertake the journey.

Allah Almighty knows best.

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

If you had made a vow to give sadaqah (charity) you ought to fulfill it if you can, whenever you are financially able to do the same. By fulfilling your vow, you have cleared your conscience.

Allah teaches us in the Qur'an that He is all-Merciful, Who is ready to turn towards His slaves who repent and ask forgiveness.

The verses and traditions you have alluded to apply to the hypocrites who persist in their evil ways: Even in their case, Allah opens the door of forgiveness - provided they believe and make amends.

In conclusion: You need not worry as long as you fulfill your vow and ask Allah for forgiveness and repent to Him sincerely.

Allah Almighty knows best.

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Iman can be strengthened by engaging in acts that sustain and reinforce it: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Faith is planted in the heart, attested and confirmed by actions." Here are some tips to follow in order to reinforce your faith:

1. Begin your days by counting Allah's blessings and always cherish gratitude towards Him;

2. Perform your prayers regularly and on time, preferably in congregation;

3. Read the Qur'an on a daily basis;

4. Seize whatever opportunities you have to do as many good deeds as possible;

5. Before going to bed, ask Allah for forgiveness and sleep with a clear conscience.

May Allah bless us all to do whatever it takes to increase our Iman-ameen.

You can also read:

Tips to Enhance Faith after Hajj

Tips and Steps to Increase Taqwa (Piety)

Allah Almighty knows best.

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

We are not to offer views in religion simply based on personal whims and opinions: Allah orders us in the Qur'an to come to Makkah from distant paths using whatever means of transportation available to us. It is also fine to walk to Makkah for Hajj, if the distance is short. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as well as his companions came to Makkah riding camels and mules.

There is no harm in walking, if by doing so a person does not torture himself: torturing oneself however is directly opposed to the spirit of mercy inherent in our religion.

Allah Almighty knows best.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Hajj is full of lessons for Muslims whereby we can affect real changes in the way we practice Islam and in the way we carry ourselves: Let me mention a few:

1. Hajj should unite the Muslim Ummah on the common goals and aspirations, for hajj is a great lesson in breaking barriers that separate people from one another: barriers of race, nationality, ethnicity, color, language, etc.

2. Hajj ought to instill in us the great values of faith, surrender, trust and sacrifice for the sake of Allah and for the truth;

3. Hajj ought to develop in us sound faith. It should keep alive in our minds the thought of standing before the Lord for final reckoning.

4. Last but not least, hajj ought to make us vigilant against the snares of the Devil who is ever trying to snatch our faith and lead us astray.

You can also read:

Lessons to Learn from Hajj

Allah Almighty knows best.

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

As far as I know there is no authentic hadith to this effect. Having said this, however, I must rush to add: It is indeed a good idea to welcome hujjaj (pilgrims), and while doing so we may also ask them to pray for us as they are more likely in better state of purity and acceptance of deeds than most of us. It is ok to do so as long as we do not turn it into a ritual. For, it must be stressed; we are not allowed to institute rituals in religion without the sanction of revelation.

You can also read:

How To Receive Hajjis?

Allah Almighty knows best.

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

We are not accountable in Islam for thoughts or whisperings that flood our minds as long as we do not dwell upon them and as long we reject them as soon as we become aware of them: every human being is bombarded with flashes of thoughts all the time which are beyond anyone's control.

We are however accountable for the thoughts we cherish, nurture and develop as well as the intentions we form in our minds. In order to understand this concept I suggest you read Imam Ghazali's detailed analysis of the issue in his Ihyaa', which is available in English now.

Coming to the issue of whether speakers and scholars such as Dr. Zakir Naik who study other religions are going out of the fold of Islam, the answer is definitely no. In Islam, we are to know other religions and ideologies in order to clarify where Islam meets with them and where it differs.

The Qur'an itself cites the false views of the pagans in order to refute them. That is why our scholars taught us that one who cites the false views of infidels cannot be reckoned as an infidel.

As for the specific action you have mentioned, by simply making a gesture like that one cannot be considered an infidel as long as his intention is not to imitate them in their specific ritual.

May Allah help us persevere in our faith-ameen.

Allah Almighty knows best.

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

My advise to those who are cherishing the intention of performing hajj is that they should not do so unless they are mentally and spiritually ready to perform it, for by engaging in acts such as the ones you have mentioned they are invalidating their hajj: For we ought to refrain from all forms of wrangling, quarrelling, obscenities, lewdness and frivolities during hajj.

Therefore, anyone thinking of doing hajj must attend courses on hajj conducted by trained scholars: Such courses expose them to the rites of hajj as well as its moral and spiritual aspects, while educating them about the appropriate behavior and manners they must manifest while performing this noble rites.

Allah Almighty knows best.

Brothers and sisters, we are so sorry for not answering all your questions because the time is over. We apologize for any inconvenience. Do keep in touch. Join us in coming sessions.

Yours,
Islam Online Fatwa Editing Desk.

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