By Nasser Kasozi Akandwanaho
Every year during the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, is the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar. It is a very sacred month in the Islamic calendar, one in which the Ḥajj (Pilgrimage) takes place as well as the Festival of the Sacrifice.
The Cultural Consulate of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kampala organized a Competition on the Philosophy of Hajj, its importance and Impact on Unity and Development where students, scholars, journalists and religious leaders participated in Uganda.
Comrade, Mohammad Reza Ghezelsofla,the Cultural Chancellor of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Uganda welcomed participants and congratulated them upon Eid Al-Adhuha.
He said that we should emulate the relevance of sacrifice by offering the best as prophet Ibrahim(A.S) did.
Sofla cautioned participants to worship almighty Allah because he’s entitled to be worship as that for freemen not for transaction or slavery Islam teach us how to arrange our lives.
He said that the meaning of Mecca is that all people who go there becomes sinless except for deeds between Almighty God and people.
He said that if it’s between human beings,then they have to clear among themselves for someone to be free.
According to the meaning of Hajj is determination,Will,Movement, Promising,migration among others.
“Dhu al-Hijjah” literally means “Possessor of the Pilgrimage” or “The Month of the Pilgrimage”. During this month Muslim pilgrims from all around the world congregate at Mecca to visit the Kaaba. The Hajj is performed on the eighth, ninth and the tenth of this month. Day of Arafah takes place on the ninth of the month. Eid al-Adha, the “Festival of the Sacrifice”, begins on the tenth day and ends on sunset of the 13th.
He said that hajj involve movement as the water that moves is always fresh and clean. It is also a worship that coordinate with others for solidarity and brotherhood.
He said that prophet Muhammad PBUH used to say that “Respect the guests even if they’re disbelievers”
Imam Khomeini used to say that he had to sell his Abba to give food to the needy and therefore ibadah is not only praying and fasting.
All prophets used to say that be free from polytheists (mushirikin), people who believe that there are more than one God. He continued that one of the prophet’s policy was to be soft with believers and hard on people who cover the reality of almighty Allah.
Basilah (Awareness), pilgrimage brings about awareness among participants from negative to positive.
He said that every Hajj, the supreme leader of Iran issues pilgrimage message to the world. Although we are not able to meet at the Kaaba physically but the souls are under the rope of
Allah and for those nations under oppression,resistance is the only solution.
In Arab culture, seven stands for too much especially succumbrating(rotating) around the kaaba among others.
Hajj is the source of change to humanity as the almighty Allah never change the condition of the people until they take the first initiative.
Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) said that if someone support two young people to marry,then he or she becomes Hajj.
Oustadh Adam Ssebyala and Sheikh Sowedi Muganza were judges and asked questions about Hajj.
Sheikh Sowedi welcomed participants for attending and committing themselves to reach to the event and thanked the cultural chancellor for organising the competition.
Questions:
1. What’s the position of Mecca in the spiritual life of Muslims?
Ibrahim
2.What are the places in Mecca where Muslims go to perform rituals?
Hajat Jamirah
3. How can Hajj solve the crisis of the Islamic ummah and it’s problems?
Zziwa Sakib
4. What are the solutions for Muslim ummah?
Sharif Ssemakula
5. Elaborate briefly about the originality of Sahai in Islam
Zziwa Sakib
6. What is Tawaf?
Ashiraf Ssebanenya
7.Abuzar or Mahazi delayed the prayer and if not them,who did
Ibrahim
8. What is the best among these categories of ibaadah; Transactional ibaadah, Gratitude Isaiah and Slavery ibaadah
Sharif Ssemakula
9. What is the supreme leader’s message
Kineene Najib
10. What’s the last month of the Islamic calendar
Zziwa Ashiraf
11. What is the secret meaning of Jamarat
Ashiraf Ssebanenya
First position
Zziwa sakib from Metropolitan international university
Second position
Ibrahim Muhammad Musa
Third position
Sharif Ssemakula from Metropolitan international university
Winners were awarded with cash prizes by the Cultural Consular at kololo
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