- Importance of pondering over why Allah(s.w.t) wants us to go all the way to Makkah for hajj. - Explanation of Aayat 97 of Surah Aale Imran where Allah(s.w.t) mentions how it is a duty for a Muslim to go for hajj if he has the ability to do so. - Once the Kaaba’s walls were erected, Allah(s.w.t) asked Prophet Ibrahim to call people for hajj so that they could witness the benefits for themselves. - There are many benefits when we go for Hajj. - Getting to network and meet other business traders from around the world. - The most important benefits are the spiritual and social dimensions of Hajj. - Hajj is a powerful way of recognizing who we are. - We shed away all the artificial identities that we have whether it applies to our clothing or political and economic status. - Everyone is dressed in 2 pieces of Ehram (white cloth) which is a dress that does not belong to any other nation. - Realizing that no matter what race, colour, ethnicity background or status in society we come from, we are all just servants of Allah(s.w.t) and nothing else. - Islam does not say that you should not love people of your own tribe, culture or language. Infact, that is part of our innate nature. - Islam is against discrimination and prejudice amongst the believers on the basis of race, colour, culture or language. - According to the 4th Imam we will be accountable in the eyes of Allah (s.w.t) when we start preferring our own kind even if they are evil over the righteous ones from another tribe. - “Asabiya” (discrimanation/bias) is when you support your own people even if they are unjust and wrong. - Mention of the words of Malcom X, on the impact that hajj had on him from a letter that he wrote to his wife. - Islam is a religion that is colour-blind and is our identity as part of a global Ummah (nation). - Inspite of millions of Muslims going for hajj, we don’t see any changes when it comes to unity and equality amongst believers. - Example of the way the rich gulf state treats Muslims from other nations. - This attitude still present amongst those known as the custodians of the “haramayn”. - “Mawali” is the plural of the word “mawla” which means slave or client. - In the pre Islamic era, a foreigner would not have security for himself, his life and his property unless he would be affiliated with a local tribe. He would be a “mawla” of the tribe. - Islam abolished this but it was later revived again. Only the school of the Ahlulbayt opposed this concept. - The “mawalis” were attracted to the Ahlulbayt because they did not differentiate between Arab or non Arab, master or slave and rich or poor. - Narration of a story from the life of Imam Ali Raza (a.s) of when he asked all the workers and slaves to join him and eat dinner together. - Mention of all the Imams whose mothers were from different parts of the world. 4 of them being from the African continent. - Molana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi was the pioneer in tabligh among the African people. - Today Bilal Muslim mission is the pride of the community while it was not the case in the early days. MP3: Show Less >>