The Holy Quraan is a LIGHT/NOOR for the entire humanity and Islaam is a clear/easy Deen with Guidance and good tidings for the believers, (Ref: Al-Quraan: 005:015 / 006:105 / 027:001-002 / 054:017 and more).

Allah has not imposed any compulsion or difficulty in following the Holy Quraan nor it has been made complicated with any contradiction or error, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 002:002, 256 / 004:082 / 018:001 / 022:078 and more).

Allah’s Guidance is complete and none and not even our Prophet can disobey, change or alter Allah’s words except following it strictly, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 006:015 / 010:015 / 018:027 / 033:062 and more).

Islaam is based on Truth and nothing but the Truth. Always uphold the Truth in all matters of life, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 002:042,047,213 / 004:122,170 / 007:181 / 039:002 and more).

HAJJ AND HAJJ BADAL:

HAJJ is Farz once in a life time subject to affordability, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 003:096-097). HAJJ performance should be based on hard earned, personal and Halal income and there should not be any debt and other obligations on the person performing HAJJ. There is no concept of a free Hajj or performing Hajj on someone else money as it is Fard only on those who can afford it.

HAJJ-e-Badal or performing HAJJ for someone else, dead or alive, as a substitute conflicts with the clear directives of the Quraan as follows:

… No bearer of any burden can bear the burden of another person, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 017:015 / 035:018). Hence every person is solely and directly accountable before Allah for his deeds and misdeeds. None can perform Hajj Badal on someone else behalf (dead or alive).

… Persons alive or dead are not equal and the dead lying in graves can listen nothing, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 035:022).  Hence avoid all kinds of Shirk/Bidah like performing Hajj Badal for others or any dead person.

… The dead and deaf can hear nothing, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 027:080). Hence avoid all misguidance contrary to the Quraanic edict that the dead persons including Pirs, Faqirs, Babas can hear anything, Dua or act as Wasila to Allah.

… The dead will only be awakened on the Day of Judgment and until then they will sleep under BARZAQ (barrier/veil) which prevents them from awakening, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 023:100 / 027:080 / 030:052). Hence avoid all kinds of Shirk/Bidah like performing Hajj Badal for the dead and asking for recommendation/help/Dua from the Mazars/graves of Pirs, Babas and saints as if they are alive in the graves wrongly being projected.

… Allah strictly directs the Muslims to avoid all excesses and over-acting in religious matters and rituals and uphold the TRUTH and not to follow the misguidance of such people who have gone astray from the Right Path of Allah, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 002: 042 / 004:171 / 005: 077). Hence avoid all excesses in rituals like performing Hajj again and again and also Hajj Badal for others dead or alive as you have to uphold Allah’s Truth of Guidance in the Holy Quraan and thus answerable to Allah alone.

… Allah does not accept the repentance of such evil doers who continue to indulge in sins and evils until death, (Al_Quraan: 004:018). Therefore avoid the common belief and misguidance that after every Hajj performance, all sins are automatically washed off nowhere supported as such in the Quraan or authentic Hadith. More over this gives a wrong impetus to commit more and more sins and perform repeated Hajj to wash off the sins.

NOTE: Therefore after HAJJ performance and sincere Taubah (repentance), the person concerned should shun all sins and evils and live a life of piety and righteousness and do good deeds to earn the Blessings of Allah.  Further instead of excessive performances of Hajj/Umrah, the money thus saved may be spent on any good deed and helping the poor and the needy. According to authentic Hadeeth, our Prophet performed Hajj only once to set an example for his followers to avoid excesses.

QURBANI/SACRIFICE OF ANIMALS:

HAJJ Qurbani is linked with performance of HAJJ only and the place of Qurbani is only near Kabaa in Makkah. Allah allowed Qurbani by those performing Hajj for eating and distributing the meat to the poor and the needy. Further Allah has allowed that those who cannot afford to make Hajj Qurbani, they should keep fast for 3 days during HAJJ and further fast for 7 days after they reach their homes, thus totalling10 days. Please see details in Al_Quraan: 002:196 / 022:026-037. This indicates how Allah has made the Hajj rituals easy to follow. Hence please avoid all misguidance, exploitation and deviations in this regard and must follow the Quraan.

As for the Sunnah Ibrahimi event, this took place some 6000 years before the Quraan was bestowed by Allah on our Prophet on completion of our Deen-e- Islaam, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 005:003). The details are mentioned separately in another Surah Al-Sifah, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 037:102-108). Actually in those days people were much deviated and also indulged in human sacrifices to please their false and Demi Gods. Hajj and Namaz rituals were not complete. As such Allah wanted to guide these deviated humanity to the right path. Hence Allah ordered Hazrath Ibrahim  to slaughter his son, Hazrath Ismail which he tried to comply. Then Allah pleased with the devotion and submission of Hazrath Ibrahim put a lamb/goat instead for slaughter. Hence this Sunnah Ibrahimi can be given any time subject to requirements (Ref: Al_Quraan: 022:034) but cannot be linked as a Faraiz/obligation with ‘Eid ul Adha Namaz’ prayed only by those NOT performing Hajj and that too without Azan. This is a simple ritual wrongly made binding on us to become overzealous to indulge in mass slaughter of animals and wastage of money instead of helping the poor and the needy. At the most each family can make one Qurbani if required with Halal income.

Further, those who perform Hajj don’t pray Eid-ul Adha Namaz and therefore it has been made a Wajib Namaz without Azan for non-Hajis without any binding of Qurbani. Actually this is a very simple ritual made hard due to exploitation and lack of the Quraanic knowledge on our part. Please avoid misguidance and excesses in religious matters and rituals (Ref: Al_Quraan: 004:171/005:77). Please read the Quraan or its translation again and again to understand the Quraan and improve your Deeni knowledge.

… Allah directs the Muslims to uphold the TRUTH of the Holy Quraan and avoid all sort of excesses and over-acting in religious matters and rituals and not to follow the misguidance of such people i.e. Alims, Maulanas, scholars, Imams etc who have gone astray from the Right Path of Allah, (Ref: Al _Quraan: 002:042 / 004:171 / 005:077). Hence avoid Qurbani excesses due to misguidance and exploitation.

… Be moderate as Ummath Wasth in all matters of life and rituals, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 002:143).

… Allah has prohibited Qurbani/slaughter of calf (being infant) and the cow for Qurbani should neither be too old nor suffer from any disability/defect but should be young, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 002:067-071). Hence please desist from slaughtering an infant calf. Avoid misguidance. Follow Allah’s Guidance strictly in this regard as none can amend it.

… Only the piety (TAQWA) of the Qurbani giver reaches Allah not the meat, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 005:027 / 022:037). Hence the Qurbani giver should be pious with Halal income only.

NOTE: Islaam is an easy and clear religion and there is no compulsion or force in our DEEN as to slaughter animals on mass scale on the occasion of Eid Ul Adha by those not performing Hajj. Even if necessary have, only one Qurbani for a whole family is enough. Please avoid committing excesses and over-acting in religious rituals due to misguidance and exploitation on the basis of weak Hadiths, tales and stories, traditions and sayings contrary to the Quraan. Instead please help the poor and needy. Please note that every one of us is answerable directly to Allah alone for all of our deeds and misdeeds without any Sifarish / recommendation / Dua of any Wasila / saint / Pir / Baba / Alim / Imam etc. (dead or alive) as in other non-Islaamic religions.

… Allah prohibited priesthood, (Ref: Al_Quraan: 057:027) as its results in religious exploitation.

All our brothers, sisters and younger generation who don't know Arabic are cordially requested to read translation of the Quraan with explanation/Tafsir again and again to understand the Guidance/Mohekmath of Allah (003:007) to avoid being misled, deviated or misguided. The basic aim of Allah is to guide the erring and deviated entire humanity to HIS Right Path and not the Arabs alone. Tilawath means following the Guidance of Allah (003:007) after reading and understanding the Quraan and not simply reading or reciting it without understanding as being projected. Thanks.

References:    The Holy Quraan by Abdullah Yusuf Ali;
                           Tarjuma Quraan by Syed Abul Ala Maudoodi;
                           The Quraan by Saheeh International, Shah Faisal National Library, Ryadh, Saudi Arabia.