A person said to Sayyiduna Haatim Asam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه : I have intended to go on the Hajj-pilgrimage. Whom would you like to recommend as my travelling companion so that I could be blessed with his company and reach the Divine court to receive the Divine mercy? He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه  said: O brother! If you need a companion, keep the company of the Holy Quran by reciting it. If you want a comrade, make angels your comrades. If you need any friend, then Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ is the owner of the hearts of His friends. If you need provisions, belief in Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ is the best provision. Then, considering the Holy Ka’bah to be in front of you, perform Tawaf of it happily. (Bahr-ud-Dumu’, pp. 125; ‘Aashiqan-e-Rasool ki 130 Hikayaat, pp. 101)

Dear Islamic brothers! What a beautiful piece of advice Sayyiduna Haatim Asam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه  gave. Would that! We also become practicing upon this advice and become among those who understand the greatness and purposes of the journey of Hajj. It is commonly observed that some people embark on the blessed journey of Hajj and ‘Umrah every year, they behold the blessed Ka’bah and do its Tawaf and after performing other rites of Hajj, they are blessed with visiting the blessed shrine of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. However, when they return, they indulge in the sinful life as they were previously indulged in and the sins they used to commit remain within them. Such people should contemplate upon the fact that after all, what is the reason? We could not reform ourselves despite going to these sacred places again and again. Is it the case that we performed all these Hajj and ‘Umrahs only for the desire of Nafs, to show-off to people and to be called “Haji Sahib”? Because the hardships of worship are turned into easiness due to the desire of performing numerous Hajj and ‘Umrahs, and being acclaimed as a devout worshipper and abstinent in the sight of people.

As Sayyiduna Abu Muhammad Murta’ish رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه  states: ‘I performed numerous Hajj, and most of them were performed without taking any provisions for Hajj. Then I came to know that this is a deception of my Nafs; because once my mother ordered me to fill up and bring a pitcher of