A verse to reflect on
﴿وَأَتِمُّوا الْحَجَّ وَالْعُمْرَةَ لِلَّهِ﴾“And complete the Hajj and the Umrah for Allah.”
al-Baqarah 2:196 · translation of the meaning · Quran.com
The scholars of tafsir said: perform them both completely, with their pillars and obligations, and purely for Allah alone.
Notice the words “for Allah”. The verse does not only command Umrah; it settles whom it is for. The body can reach Makkah while the heart stays attached to photos or to what people say. So the first step of the journey is to have a single destination: Allah.
Today’s hadith
“Actions are only by intentions, and every person will have only what he intended.”
al-Bukhari (1) and Muslim (1907), narrated by Umar ibn al-Khattab
Imam al-Bukhari opened his Sahih with it, and the scholars said it touches every area of the religion. Two Umrahs can look identical; what separates them before Allah is what is in the heart.
And the good news: a sincere intention raises a simple deed. Even your preparation today is recorded for you if you intend it for Allah.
Today’s story: the people of the cave
The Prophet ﷺ told of three men from before our time. Rain drove them into a cave in a mountain, and a rock rolled down and sealed the entrance. They had no way out except Allah, so they said to one another: call on Allah by the most righteous of your deeds.
The first appealed to Allah by his kindness to his parents: he never gave milk to anyone before them. One night he came late and found them asleep, so he stood holding the vessel until dawn. The second appealed by a sin he was able to commit and then left out of fear of Allah. The third appealed by having kept the wages of a worker, investing them until they became great wealth, and then handing all of it over to him.
Each of them said: “O Allah, if I did that seeking Your Face, then relieve us,” and the rock moved until they walked out. (al-Bukhari 2272, Muslim 2743)
The lesson: on the day of hardship, nothing helped them except a sincere deed kept hidden between them and Allah.
Today’s task
Write on a piece of paper: “Why am I going for Umrah or Hajj?” List three honest reasons, then cross out any reason that looks toward people.
And begin a small hidden good deed that you keep up until your journey, and tell no one about it.
Today’s dua
اللهم إني أعوذ بك أن أشرك بك وأنا أعلم، وأستغفرك لما لا أعلمO Allah, I seek refuge in You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for what I do not know.
al-Adab al-Mufrad by al-Bukhari (716), graded authentic by al-Albani
The Prophet ﷺ taught it to his companions when he warned them of hidden shirk, meaning showing off: seeking refuge from what you know of yourself, and asking forgiveness for what is hidden from you.
A question for self-reckoning
If you knew that no one would ever learn that you made Umrah or Hajj, would anything change in your longing for the journey?