Chapter 7 CONCLUSION
2.4 PRE-HAJJ RITES
2.4.1 THE NIYYAH
For many people the journey of hajj commences the moment a person sets forth from his residence. On the other hand there are those who believe that hajj actually commences when a person has made a firm intention to proceed to the sacred land for this noble purpose; thereafter many preparations have to be made by the prospective hajji. Though hajj is a compulsory tenet of Islam for the able person, there are people who have the means to perform hajj, yet do not do so. Then there are others who do not have the means to undertake the journey, but make a firm intention to perform this rite and strive towards achieving that objective.55
Firm intentions are also made when finance is offered to those who are unable to undertake this journey or when a request is made for someone to accompany a relative, as a mahram,56 or as a friend to go on this journey, as in the cases of Hajji Mogamat Mathews and Hajji Savd Abrahams (Ibrahim) who went on hajj in 1949 and 1950 respectively.
Hajji Mogamat Mathews made the intention to perform hajj when Mogamat Abrahams (better known as Kagafat) offered his father Gasant (Hasan) Mathews a 1948 Studebaker at a reasonable price of 300 pounds. Mogamat Abrahams wanted to sell his car, as he had made intention to perform hajj that year. Gasant Mathews bought the car for his son Hajji Mogamat, who had given his wages every week to his mother. He told Mogamat Abrahams to collect the cash on the Monday, since he had to draw cash from his son's savings account. Nonetheless Mogamat Abrahams decided to leave the car with Gasant.
After his departure, Gasant's brother-in-law, Imam Achmat Toefy of Stellenbosch, came to visit the family. Hajji Mogamat Mathews then showed his uncle (Imam Achmat Toefy)
the car his father had bought him for 300 pounds. In response Imam Achmat told his young nephew not to purchase the car, but to accompany him to Mecca, as 300 pounds would be sufficient for hajj. Hajji Mogamat Mathews then made intention to accompany his uncle to Mecca. Imam Achmat informed the owner of the car of his nephew's intention to perform hajj. Mogamat Abrahams was delighted with the good news and wished the two a safe and a blessed hajj .57
Hajji Sa'd Abrahams was 17 years of age when he performed hajj in 1950. He made his intention for hajj when his father's cousin, Dr Abdurahman f Abd al-Rahman) Abrahams, who was married for three months only, offered to pay for his ticket and for the other expenses of hajj.58 Imam Abdullah Gameeldien (Jamil al-Din)59 asserts that many people would make an intention for hajj, after they had lost a close relative, for example, a wife who loses her husband, or a husband who loses his wife or a son or daughter loses a parent. He mentioned that while being in Medina, a hajji's wife died after the first week of their journey. The hajji immediately phoned his son, who hved at the Cape, to proceed to Mecca immediately. The Imam believes that it was the decree of Allah that the son should join the father and also to perform hajj.
After receiving a bonus from his employer in 1974, Imam Fareed Manie (Farld), his wife Mymoena (Maymunah) and his mother-in-law, Fatimah Kamish made intention to perform hajj. Three weeks before his departure for hajj, Imam Fareed became ill and was diagnosed with acute ulcers of the stomach and subsequently had an operation. Because he needed another operation he could not perform hajj that particular year. His mother-in- law who had a mahram proceeded with her hajj. Imam Fareed suggested that his wife should also accompany her mother. However, she was concerned about her husband's illness as well as the five children she had to take care of - the baby was only 13 months
of age. Imam Fareed then made intention to perform hajj the following year. The following year while standing on the plains of "Arafah, Imam Fareed made the following duya' (supplication):
"O, my Lord! I could not keep my appointment last year, you know better, but verily I know, we can make the intention for hajj, but you are the One who invites your guests and you are the One who decides when we will perform hajj. Not before the time or after the time. And verily my Lord, you have chosen for me the best year to perform hajj. If I had to perform hajj last year I would have died on my way to Mecca. My Lord! You make everything perfect. I thank Thee". 60
On Friday, January 28,1983, an article appeared in the Cape Town Muslim News relating to Muhammad Zain Ibrahim's travel to Mecca, where his parents lived. With very little cash, he hitchhiked for thirteen days through several countries in Africa until he reached Mecca where he was re-united with his father after five years. He asserts that his excursion to Mecca did not constitute the fulfilment of hajj. He was under no illusion about his spiritual readiness then to undertake hajj - though he admits that the experience surrounding the hajj ritual has been one of the most extraordinary features of his life thus far and has probably led to a far greater degree of inner peace, maturity and tolerance in his personal relations. Muhammad Zain conceded that he had no intention to perform hajj, but his stay in Mecca made a definite impression on his life and he assured himself that the next time he goes to Mecca, he would be properly and thoroughly prepared to perform hajj.61
He further added:
"My personal experience is that one has to make a definite choice. You must have direction. Out there in the big wide world, beyond the borders of South Africa, you have complete freedom of choice; you can be what you want to be - but you are on your own. You have no protection, there are no grey areas. You can be completely swallowed up and destroyed by the "plastic" . You must retain a sense of reality and all you will have is your faith and you must assert your faith.
You cannot be wishy-washy and try to be all things to all people. If you are a Muslim you must be a Muslim and leave yourself and your contacts in no doubt at all about your faith, direction and sense of duty. The alternative is that you are nothing and your existence becomes horrid, lonely and meaningless!".