Here is the report of a thought provoking conversation between our fourth
Holy Imam Zainul-Abidin (AS) and Shibli. It is a must for those planning to go for Hajj.
When the 4th Imam (AS) returned from Hajj, Shibli
came to meet him.
They engaged in the following conversation:
Imam: Did you go for Hajj O shibli?
Shibli: Yes O son of the Messenger of Allah
Imam: Did you stop at the miqaat
and put away the sewn clothes and perform the sacred bath?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: When you stopped at miqaat
did you make the intention that you are taking off the clothes of
disobedience and putting on the clothes of obedience?
Shibli: No
Imam: And when you had taken off
your sewn clothes did you make the intention that you had taken off
hypocrisy and entering dubious acts?
Shibli: No
Imam: And when you took the bath
did you have the intention that you are washing yourself from all sins
and errors?
Shibli: No
Imam You did not stop at Miqaat,
nor did you take off sewn clothes nor did you perform the sacred bath
Imam: Did you cleanse yourself and
put on Ihram and fulfill your covenant of Hajj?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: When you did this did you
have the intention that you are cleaning yourself with the nurah of the
sincere repentance to Almighty Allah the most high?
Shibli:No
Imam When you put on the ihram did
you have the intention that you are forbidding yourself everything that
Almighty Allah has forbidden?
Shibli: No.
Imam: When you fulfilled the
covenant of Hajj did you have the intention that you have nullified all
other covenants with other than Allah?
Shibli: No
Imam: You did not cleanse yourself
nor did you put on the ihram nor did you fulfill the covenant of hajj
Imam: Did you enter the miqaat and
pray the two rakats of the ihram and did you chant Talbiyah
Shibli: Yes
Imam: When you entered the miqaat, did
you make the intention of entering as a visitor?
Shibli: No
Imam: When you prayed the two
rakaats did you make the intention that you are trying to get closer to
Allah SWT with the best of acts from the prayers and the biggest of good
deeds from the acts of worship?
Shibli: No
Imam: When you chanted the Talbiyah
did you have the intention that you were talking to almighty Allah with
all obedience and keeping quiet from all disobedience?
Shibli: No
Imam: You did not enter miqaat nor
did you pray nor did you chant the Talbiyah
Imam: Did you enter the Haram and did you
see the Kaaba and did you pray there?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: When you entered the Haram
did you have the intention that you were prohibiting on yourself all
backbiting of all the Muslims from the Nations of Islam?
Shibli: No
Imam: And when you reached Makka
did you make the intention with your heart that you had come to Almighty
Allah SWT?
Shibli: No
Imam: You have neither entered
Haram nor seen the Kaaba nor prayed.
Shibli: No
Imam: Did you go round the house
and did you touch the Rukn and did you make Saee?
Shibli: yes
Imam: And when you did the Saee did
you have the intention that you were running towards Almighty
Allah and did Allah the knower of all secrets
know this?
Shibli: No
Imam: You did not go round the
house nor did you touch rukn nor did you make Saee.
Imam: Did you taouch the Hajar e
Aswad and did you stand at the Maqame Ibrahim and did you pray two
rakats on it?
Shibli:Yes
Here the Imam gave a scream as if he was about to
leave this world saying Ah! Ah! Whoever touches the black stone it is as
if he has shaken hands with Almighty Allah SWT. So Look O poor chap that
you do not destroy the reward of something whose sacredness has been
made very great and you do not spoil
your Handshake by disobedience and by grasping evil
like the sinners.
Then Imam asked: Did you have the
intention when you were standing on Maqame Ibrahim that you were are
standing on every obedience and that you have put behind you all
disobedience?
Shibli: No
Imam: When you prayed two rakaats
there did you make the intention that you are praying the prayers of
Ibrahim and that you are humiliating Shaitan with your prayers?
Shibli: No
Imam: You did not stand on Maqame
Ibrahim nor did you pray two rakats on it.
Imam: Did you look over the well of Zamzam and
did you drink from its water?
Shibli: Yes.
Imam: Did you have the intention
when you were looking over the well that you looking at obedience to
Almighty Allah and closing your eyes from all disobedience?
Shibli: No.
Imam: You did not look over it nor
did you drink from it's water.
Imam: Did you run between Safa and Marwa
and did you walk between it repeatedly?
Shibli:Yes.
Imam: Did you have the intention that
you were between hope and fear?
Shibli: No
Imam: You did not run between Safa
and Marwa.
Imam: Did you go out to Mina?
Shibli: Yes.
Imam: Did you have the intention
that every Muslim was safe from your tongue, your heart and your and?
Shibli: No. You did not go out to Mina.
Imam: Did you stay a short time at
arafa and did you climb Jabal AlRahma and did you recognize the wadi of Namira and did to supplicate to
Almighty Allah near Al-Mil and Al-Jamaraat?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: Did you conceive by your stay
in Arafa the gnosis (Irfan) of Almighty Allah SWT and the knowledge of
good things and acts; and did you conceive that your book of deeds was
in the hands of Allah and that Allah had full knowledge of your secrets
and what is in your heart?
Shibli: No.
Imam: And when you climbed the
Jabal AL rahma did you have the intention that Almighty Allah may have
mercy on all believing men and all believing women and that He will help
all Muslim men and women?
Shibli: No.
Imam: Did you have the intention at
wadi Namira that you would not enjoin good until you practice it
yourself and you would not forbid evil until you leave it yourself?
Shibli: No
Imam: and when ou stopped at alam
and Al-amirat did you have the intention that they were witnessing all
your acts of worship and that they were guarding you together with
guardian angels by the order of Almighty Allah?
Shibli No
Imam: then you did not stay at
Arafat nor did you go up the Mountain of Mercy nor did you recognize the
wadi of Namirah nor did you supplicate to Almighty Allah Imam: Did you
pass between the two columns pray two rakah before crossing, go to
Muzdalifah pick up pebbles and cross the Mash'arul Haram?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: When you prayed the two
Rakats, did you have the intention that you were praying the
prayer of thanksgiving within the ten nights
which removes every hardship and facilitates every ease?
Shibli: No.
Imam: At the time of passing
between the two columns without deviating to the right or the left did
you have the intention that you would never deviate from the true
religion to the right or the left neither with your heart, tongue nor
with your limbs?
Shibli: No.
Imam: When you walked through
Muzdalifah and picked up the pebbles did you have the intention
that you have plucked all acts of disobedience
and ignorance and that you had affirmed knowledge and action?
Shibli: No.
Imam: Then when you walked in the
Mash'aril Haram did you have the intention that you had embossed your
heart with the identification of those who have taqwaand fear of
Almighty Allah the Most High?
Shibli:No.
Imam: Then you did not pass between
the two columns nor did you pray the two rakah,nor walked into
Muzdalifah, nor picked up the pebbles nor walked in the Mash'arul Haram.
Imam: Did you arrive at Mina, throw stones
at the Jamarah and did you shave your head and slaughter the sacrifice
and did you pray in Masjid al-Kheef and did you. return to Makka and
perform the Tawaf of Ifadha (return) to Makka?
Shibli: Yes
Imam: When you reached Mina and
pelted the jamaraat did you have the intention that you have attained
your goal and your Lord has fulfilled all your needs?
Shibli: No.
Imam: And when you pelted the
Jamaraat did you have the intention that you had pelted your enemy
Iblees and by completing this precious Hajj you had disobeyed him?
Shibli: No.
Imam: And when you shaved your head
did you have the intention that you had cleansed yourself from all filth
and from all the injustice of the children of Adam and that you had
purified yourself from sin just like a new born baby.
Shibli: No.
Imam: And when you slaughtered your
hadiya did you have the intention that you are cutting the artery of
greed by holding fast to the reality of piety and that you are following
the tradition of Ibrahim A.S. when he was prepared to slighter his son,
the fruit of his heart, through which he established the sunna of
gaining nearness to Almighty Allah for those who came after him?
Shibli: No.
Imam: And when you returned to
Makka and did the tawaaf of Ifadha did you have the intention that you
had come back with the Mercy of Almighty Allah to His obedience and that
you had clasped His love that you had performed your duty to Him and had
gained nearness to him?
Shibli: No.
Imam: Then you did not reach Mina
nor did you pelt the jamaraat nor did you shave your head nor did you
slaughter the hadiya nor did you pray in the Masjid Al-Kheef nor did you
return to Makka and perform the tawaaf of Ifadha. Go back because you
have not performed Hajj!!
Having heard all this Shibli started to cry because
of what he had missed in his Hajj and he continued to learn the secrets
of Hajj until he could perform the Hajj through knowledge and
understanding.