How great are the words the pilgrims repeat as they begin their rites: “Labbayk Allahumma labbayk,” “Here I am, O Allah, here I am.”
But have we ever paused over what these words mean?
Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali, known as Zayn al-Abidin (may Allah have mercy on him), was a man of worship and humility.
The biographies relate that when he entered ihram for Hajj and was about to say the talbiyah, his colour changed and he began to tremble. When he was asked why he hesitated, he said he feared that his call would not be accepted. The report goes on to say that when he did say the talbiyah, he fainted and fell from his mount.
It is a reported scene that portrays the intense awe its subject felt.
A moment to reflect
The talbiyah is not a set of words we repeat without attention; it is a declaration that we are turning to Allah and answering His command.
Humility does not mean that fear should overwhelm hope; the believer holds together reverence for Allah, fear of falling short, and a good opinion of His mercy.
What do we know, and what do we not know?
- We know: this report is narrated in the major works of history, asceticism and biography across the Muslim schools, among them Tarikh Dimashq by Ibn Asakir, Hilyat al-Awliya by Abu Nu‘aym, Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala by al-Dhahabi and Sifat al-Safwah by Ibn al-Jawzi.
- We do not claim: that the trembling and fainting that came over him are asked of everyone in ihram; they are not among the sunnahs of ihram, nor a sign that worship has been accepted.
Sources
- Ibn Asakir, Tarikh Dimashq, entry on Ali ibn al-Husayn.
- Abu Nu‘aym al-Asbahani, Hilyat al-Awliya wa Tabaqat al-Asfiya.
- Al-Dhahabi, Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala, entry on Ali ibn al-Husayn.
- Ibn al-Jawzi, Sifat al-Safwah.
- Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, entry on Ali ibn al-Husayn.
- Among Shia sources: al-Shaykh al-Saduq, and Bihar al-Anwar by al-Majlisi.
When you say “Labbayk Allahumma labbayk,” are you aware that you are answering Allah’s call with your heart and your deeds, not with your tongue alone?