RNA – Speaking before the Friday prayer sermon in Tehran, Hujjat al-Islam Sayyed Ali Qazi-Askar referred to the upcoming Hajj Week and the beginning of the dispatch of Hajj pilgrims to the Land of Revelation [Makkah and Madinah] and also referred to several hadiths (narrations) about the importance of the Hajj pilgrimage and said, “Muslims need to be aware of their problems during the Hajj and decide on the fate of the Islamic world.”
Explaining that in the past year, the representative of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei] in Hajj and Pilgrimage Affairs, said some people acted in such a way that they implied to the people through sedition and incorrect plans that the Hajj as a very defective and simple act and some took the wrong path and added, “These people didn’t know the significance of the Hajj and they said ‘why we must spend our money there?’”
He considered the creation of spiritual and moral transformation in the people and the reformation of society, the deepening of religious beliefs of the people, the promotion awareness of the Hajj pilgrims, the increase of religious brotherhood inside the country and abroad, the relationship between the academic and religious personalities of the Islamic world and the exchange of experiences as among the capacities of the Hajj.
Hujjat al-Islam Qazi-Askar stated that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated, “Our most important need is unity because the enemies want to create dissension in order to benefit from conflict” and added, “We demonstrate the unity and religious brotherhood between ourselves and the Muslim world.”
His Eminence stated, “One cannot look at the pilgrimage in a simple manner and when a political problem occurs, think that we must cancel the Hajj. The capacity of the Hajj is so high that if we let it go, others will use it against us.”
He said that the enemies spend billions to destroy Shi’ism while we are the destroyers of terrorism and they promulgate that we are sponsors of terrorism and said, “The Hajj gives us the opportunity to respond to political doubts and, on the other hand, to express the features of the Islamic Revolution at no cost.”
Hujjat al-Islam Qazi-Askar referred to the Hajj as a pillar of religion and noted Makkah is considered as the best land on Earth and said, “The foundations of religion are linked to the Ka’bah and God has established the Ka’bah as a means of the consistency of Islamic society.”
He referred to a narration from Imam Ali in Nahj al-Balaghah which states that “The Lord has placed Hajj as a means of strengthening religion” and added, “The Hajj has a high position.”
The representative of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Hajj and Pilgrimage Affairs said, “Imam Ali al-Ridha stated, ‘All who are in the east and west of the world, on land and on sea and those who recognize or don’t perform the Hajj, must enjoy from the blessings of Hajj.’”
In conclusion, Hujjat al-Islam Qazi-Askar said, “We must convey our regards to the soul of Imam Khomeyni, who revived the Abrahamic Hajj, and wish success to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, who offers his lofty and deep thoughts about the Hajj every year and we wish the Hajj pilgrims tranquility, complete security and for their success and honour and for their return to their homelands.”
The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah, the holiest city for Muslims, and a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey.
Rasa News Agency
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