NOW IT IS NIGHT, THE EVENT OF FEAST OF SACRIFICE IN AL-MASH'AR AL-HARAM
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NOW IT IS NIGHT, THE EVENT OF FEAST OF SACRIFICE IN
AL-MASH'AR AL-HARAM
The eve of Eid ul-Adha is among four blessed nights along with the Laylat ul-Qadr ?the Grand Night- for keeping vigil. Imam Ali (a.s) says:
?I like to see myself free during four nights to engage in prayer: the eve of month of Rajab, the eve of mid-Shaban, the eve of Eid ul-Fitr (feast of breaking the fast), and the even of Eid ul-Adha.?3
The pilgrims should reduce their sleep and food and instead engage in prayer, for the hours and days spent in the Hajj rites are very important. God introduces them as numbered and stated days:
وَاذْكُرُوا اللهَ في أَيَّامٍ مَعْدُودَاتٍ
And laud Allah during the numbered days. (The Holy Quran; 2:203)
وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللهَ في أَيَّامٍ مَعْدُودَاتٍ
And mention the name of Allah in stated days. (The Holy Quran; 22:28)
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3 See al-Muraqabaat; the introduction
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To sum it up, the pilgrims must take advantage of these transient heavenly hours during which they are God's guests and He has declared His readiness to fulfill the requests of His guests:
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ اُدْعُونِي اَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
And your Lord says: Call upon Me, I will answer you. (The Holy Quran; 40:60)
If a beggar asks for something, it is not strange, but when a generous one is looking for a beggar, it is something unusual. A hadith says:
إِنَّهُ إِذا كَانَ آخِرُ اللَّيْلِ يَقولُ اللهُ تباركَ وتَعالى هَل مِن داعٍ أُجيبُهُ؟ هَل مِن سائِلٍ فَأُعْطيهِ سُؤالَهُ؟ هَل مِن مُستَغفِرٍ فَأغفِرُ لهُ؟ هَل مِن تائبٍ فَأتوبُ عليهِ؟
When night comes to an end, Allah will say: Is there anyone calling upon Me so that I will answer him? Is there anyone asking Me so that I will fulfill his request? Is there anyone to ask forgiveness so that I will forgive him? Is there any repentant so that I will accept his repentance?1
How can God possibly reject His servants' calls and begging when He Himself says:
وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلا تَنْهَرْ
And as for him who asks, do not chide (him). (The Holy Quran; 93:10)
As everything is prepared for our duaas to be answered, we first pray for the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a.s), confess our wrongdoings, and supplicate in this way:
فَما كُلُّ ما نَطَقتُ بهِ عَن جَهلٍ مِنّي بِسوءِ أَثَري ولا نِسيانٍ لمِا سَبَقَ مِن ذَميمِ فِعلي لكِنْ لِتسمَعَ سماؤكَ ومَن فيها وأرضُكَ ومَن عَليها ما أظْهَرتُ لكَ مِن النّدمِ ولجأتُ إليكَ فيهِ من التّوبةِ، فَلَعلَّ بعضَهُم بِرحمتِكَ يَرحمُني لِسوءِ موقِفي أو تُدرِكُهُ الرِّقّةُ عليَّ لِسوءِ حالي فيَنالُني منهُ بِدعوَةٍ هيَ أسمَعُ لدَيكَ مِن دُعائي أو شَفاعَةٍ أَوْكَدَ عِندكَ مِن شَفاعَتي تكونُ بِها نجَاتي مِن غَضَبِك وفَوزَتي بِرضاكَ.
Now all that I have said rise up from my ignorance of my evil footsteps or forgetfulness of my blameworthy acts in
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1 See Ad-Deilami's Irshad ul-Quloub chapter 13 p.92
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the past, but in order that Thy heaven and those within it and Thy earth and those upon it may hear the remorse which I have professed to Thee and the repentance through which I have sought asylum with Thee. Then perhaps one of them, through Thy mercy, may show mercy upon my evil situation or be seized by tenderness for my evil state. There may come from him for my sake a supplication to which Thou givest ear more than to my supplication or an intercession surer with Thee than my intercession through which I may be delivered from Thy wrath and attain to Thy good pleasure.?1
REFLECT FOR AN HOUR
Amid all acts of worship, reflecting on the philosophy of the Hajj rites, staying in al-Mash'ar al-Haram and the praiseworthy act of gathering pebbles and the mysterious acts in Mina as well as reflecting on all these acts is a superior act of worship. The Holy Prophet (saw) says:
فِكْرَةُ ساعَةٍ خَيرٌ مِن عِبادَةِ سَنَةٍ.
An hour of reflection is better than a year of worship.2
Imam Reza (a.s) says:
ليسَ العِبادَةُ كَثْرَةٌ الصّيامِ والصّلاةِ وإنمّا العِبادةُ كَثْرَةُ التَّفَكُّرِ في أمْرِ اللهِ
Worship is not an excess of praying and fasting, rather it is reflection on Allah's creation.3
