| When the Fourth Imam Zainul
Abideen (AS) returned from Hajj, Shibli came to meet him. They engaged
in the following conversation: Imam: Did you go for Hajj O Shibli?
Shibli: Yes O son of the Messenger of Allah.
Imam: Did you stop at the Miqaat and put away the sewn clothes and
perform the sacred bath?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: When you stopped at Miqaat did you make the intention that you
are taking off the clothes of disobedience and putting on the clothes of
obedience?
Shibli: No
Imam: And when you had taken off your sewn clothes did you make the
intention that you had taken off hypocrisy and entering dubious acts?
Shibli: No
Imam: And when you took the bath did you have the intention that you
are washing yourself from all sins and errors?
Shibli: No
Imam: You did not stop at Miqaat, nor did you take off sewn clothes
nor did you perform the sacred bath.
Imam: Did you cleanse yourself and put on Ihram and fulfill your
covenant of Hajj?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: When you did this did you have the intention that you are
cleaning yourself with the nurah of the sincere repentance to Almighty
Allah the most high?
Shibli: No
Imam: When you put on the Ihram did you have the intention that you
are forbidding yourself everything that Almighty Allah has forbidden?
Shibli: No
Imam: When you fulfilled the covenant of Hajj did you have the
intention that you have nullified all other covenants with other than
Allah?
Shibli: No
Imam: You did not cleanse yourself nor did you put on the Ihram nor
did you fulfill the covenant of hajj.
Imam: Did you enter the Miqaat and pray the two Rakats of the Ihram
and did you chant Talbiyah?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: When you entered the Miqaat, did you make the intention of
entering as a visitor?
Shibli: No
Imam: When you prayed the two Rakats did you make the intention that
you are trying to get closer to Allah (SWT) with the best of acts from
the prayers and the biggest of good deeds from the acts of worship?
Shibli: No
Imam: When you chanted the Talbiyah did you have the intention that
you were talking to almighty Allah with all obedience and keeping quiet
from all disobedience?
Shibli: No
Imam: You did not enter Miqaat nor did you pray nor did you chant the
Talbiyah.
Imam: Did you enter the Haram and did you see the Kaaba and did you
pray there?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: When you entered the Haram did you have the intention that you
were prohibiting on yourself all backbiting of all the Muslims from the
Nations of Islam?
Shibli: No
Imam: And when you reached Makka did you make the intention with your
heart that you had come to Almighty Allah (SWT)?
Shibli: No
Imam: You have neither entered Haram nor seen the Kaaba nor prayed.
Shibli: No
Imam: Did you go round the house and did you touch the Rukn and did
you make Saee?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: And when you did the Saee did you have the intention that you
were running towards Almighty Allah and did Allah the knower of all
secrets know this?
Shibli: No
Imam: You did not go round the house nor did you touch Rukn nor did
you make Saee.
Imam: Did you touch the Hajar-e-Aswad and did you stand at the
Maqam-e-Ibrahim and did you pray two Rakats on it?
Shibli: Yes
Here the Imam gave a scream as if he was about to leave this world
saying Ah! Ah! Whoever touches the black stone it is as if he has shaken
hands with Almighty Allah (SWT). So Look O poor chap that you do not
destroy the reward of something whose sacredness has been made very
great and you do not spoil your Handshake by disobedience and by
grasping evil like the sinners.
Then Imam asked: Did you have the intention when you were standing on
Maqam-e-Ibrahim that you were are standing on every obedience and that
you have put behind you all disobedience?
Shibli: No
Imam: When you prayed two Rakats there did you make the intention
that you are praying the prayers of Ibrahim and that you are humiliating
Shaitan with your prayers?
Shibli: No
Imam: You did not stand on Maqam-e-Ibrahim nor did you pray two
Rakats on it.
Imam: Did you look over the well of Zamzam and did you drink from its
water?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: Did you have the intention when you were looking over the well
that you looking at obedience to Almighty Allah and closing your eyes
from all disobedience?
Shibli: No
Imam: You did not look over it nor did you drink from its water.
Imam: Did you run between Safa and Marwa and did you walk between it
repeatedly?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: Did you have the intention that you were between hope and fear?
Shibli: No
Imam: You did not run between Safa and Marwa.
Imam: Did you go out to Mina?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: Did you have the intention that every Muslim was safe from your
tongue, your heart and you?
Shibli: No
Imam: You did not go out to Mina.
Imam: Did you stay a short time at Arafa and did you climb Jabal al-Rahma
and did you recognize the wadi of Namira and did to supplicate to
Almighty Allah near al-Mil and al-Jamaraat?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: Did you conceive by your stay in Arafa the gnosis (Irfan) of
Almighty Allah (SWT) and the knowledge of good things and acts; and did
you conceive that your book of deeds was in the hands of Allah and that
Allah had full knowledge of your secrets and what is in your heart?
Shibli: No
Imam: And when you climbed the Jabal al-Rahma did you have the
intention that Almighty Allah may have mercy on all believing men and
all believing women and that He will help all Muslim men and women?
Shibli: No
Imam: Did you have the intention at wadi of Namira that you would not
enjoin good until you practice it yourself and you would not forbid evil
until you leave it yourself?
Shibli: No
Imam: And when you stopped at al-Mil and al-Jamaraat did you have the
intention that they were witnessing all your acts of worship and that
they were guarding you together with guardian angels by the order of
Almighty Allah?
Shibli: No
Imam: Then you did not stay at Arafat nor did you go up the Mountain
of Mercy nor did you recognize the wadi of Namirah nor did you
supplicate to Almighty Allah.
Imam: Did you pass between the two columns pray two Rakats before
crossing; go to Muzdalifah pick up pebbles and cross the Mash'arul Haram?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: When you prayed the two Rakats, did you have the intention that
you were praying the prayer of thanksgiving within the ten nights which
removes every hardship and facilitates every ease?
Shibli: No
Imam: At the time of passing between the two columns without
deviating to the right or the left did you have the intention that you
would never deviate from the true religion to the right or the left
neither with your heart, tongue nor with your limbs?
Shibli: No
Imam: When you walked through Muzdalifah and picked up the pebbles
did you have the intention that you have plucked all acts of
disobedience and ignorance and that you had affirmed knowledge and
action?
Shibli: No
Imam: Then when you walked in the Mash'arul Haram did you have the
intention that you had embossed your heart with the identification of
those who have Taqwa and fear of Almighty Allah the Most High?
Shibli: No
Imam: Then you did not pass between the two columns nor did you pray
the two Rakats, nor walked into Muzdalifah, nor picked up the pebbles
nor walked in the Mash'arul Haram.
Imam: Did you arrive at Mina, throw stones at the Jamarah and did you
shave your head and slaughter the sacrifice and did you pray in Masjid
al-Kheef and did you return to Makkah and perform the Tawaf of Ifadha
(return) to Makkah?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: When you reached Mina and pelted the Jamarah did you have the
intention that you have attained your goal and your Lord has fulfilled
all your needs?
Shibli: No
Imam: And when you pelted the Jamarah did you have the intention that
you had pelted your enemy Iblees and by completing this precious Hajj
you had disobeyed him?
Shibli: No
Imam: And when you shaved your head did you have the intention that
you had cleansed yourself from all filth and from all the injustice of
the children of Adam and that you had purified yourself from sin just
like a new born baby.
Shibli: No
Imam: And when you slaughtered your hadiya did you have the intention
that you are cutting the artery of greed by holding fast to the reality
of piety and that you are following the tradition of Ibrahim (A.S.) when
he was prepared to slighter his son, the fruit of his heart, through
which he established the Sunna of gaining nearness to Almighty Allah for
those who came after him?
Shibli: No
Imam: And when you returned to Makka and did the Tawaaf of Ifadha did
you have the intention that you had come back with the Mercy of Almighty
Allah to His obedience and that you had clasped His love that you had
performed your duty to Him and had gained nearness to him?
Shibli: No
Imam: Then you did not reach Mina nor did you pelt the Jamaraat nor
did you shave your head nor did you slaughter the hadiya nor did you
pray in the Masjid Al-Kheef nor did you return to Makkah and perform the
Tawaaf of Ifadha. Go back because you have not performed Hajj!
Having heard all this Shibli started to cry because of what he had
missed in his Hajj and he continued to learn the secrets of Hajj until
he could perform the Hajj through knowledge and understanding. |