The Spirtual Aspect of HAJJ

Imam Zainul Abedin (a.s) was received by Shibli when he was back from Hajj and the following dialogue occurred between them

The Imam (a.s): Did you perform Hajj, Shibli?
Shibli: Yes, son of Allah’s Messenger (saw), I did.
The Imam (a.s): The Imam (a): As you stopped at Meeqaat, did you intend to remove the garment of disobedience (to God) and put on a garment of obedience (to Him)?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam (a.s): As you stopped at Meeqaat, did  you intend to remove the garment of disobedience (to Him)?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you removed your sewn clothes, did you intend to get rid of ostentation, hypocrisy, and involvement in suspicious matters?
Shibli: No, I did not?
The Imam (a.s): As you performed ghusl, did you intend also to wash from sins and offenses?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): In that case, you did not really stop at Meeqaat, remove your sewn cloths, and performed ghusl. You cleaned yourself thoroughly, entered the state of Ihraam and intended to perform Hajj, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam (a.s): As you cleaned yourself, entered the state of Ihraam, and intended to perform Hajj, did you intend to clean yourself with (cleanser of) pure repentance to Allah?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you entered the state of Ihraam, did you intend to abstain from every matter that Allah deems unlawful?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you intended to perform Hajj, did you intend to get rid of any pledge that you took with anyone other than Allah?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): In that case, you did not clean yourself thoroughly, enter the state of Ihraam, or intend to perform Hajj. Did you enter Meeqaat, offer the two-Rakaat prayer of Ihraam, and say Labbayk (Talbiya)?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam (a.s): As you entered Meeqaat, did you intend to meet all the qualifications of the visitation of the Sacred House of Allah?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you offered the two-Rakat prayer, did you intend to seek nearness to Allah through the best deeds such as prayers and the finest of deeds by God’s servants?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you said Labbayk, did you intend to utter every statement of obedience to Allah and not speak any statement of disobedience to Him?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): In that case, you did not enter Meeqaat, offer the two-Rakaat prayer of Ihraam, or say Labbayk. You entered the Sacred Precinct, saw the Kaaba, and offered prayers there, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam (a.s): As you entered the Sacred Precinct, did you intend to abstain from backbiting any Muslim from the community of Islam?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you arrived in Mecca, did you intend to aspire towards Allah and no one else?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s):In that case, you did not really enter the Sacred Precinct, see the Kaaba, or offer prayers. You circumbulated the Holy House, touched the corners, and performed the Saee, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam (a.s): As you performed the tawaaf, did you intend to seek refuge of Allah (from the trickeries of Satan and evil temptations) and that He, the Knower of the unseen, knew this from you?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): In that case, you did not really circumambulate the Holy House, touch its corner, or perform the Saee. You caressed the Black Stone, stopped at the Station of Ibrahim (a.s) and offered a two-Rakaat prayer there, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam (a.s) then cried so loudly and said: To caress respectfully the Black Stone is to shake hands with Allah. Look, poor man, do not ever waste the reward for the thing that is greatly sacred and do not breach your reverential caressing by acts of violation (of God’s instructions) and seizure of illegal things, just like the sinful. As you stopped at the Station of Ibrahim (a.s), did you intend to stop at every act of obedience (to God) and leave every act of disobedience (to Him)?
Shibli:No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you offered the two-Rakaat prayer, did you intend to offer the same prayer that was offered by Ibrahim (a.s) and to take down Satan?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): In that case, you did not really respectfully caress the Black Stone, stop at the Station of Ibrahim (a.s), or offer the two-Rakaat prayer there. You came near to the well of Zamzam and drank from its water, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam (a.s):As you did, did you intend to come near to acts of obedience (to God) and cast your sight down from acts of disobedience (to Him)?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): In that case, you neither really came near that well nor did you drink from its water. You did Saee between Safa & Marwa, walked, and frequented between them, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam (a.s): As you did, did you intend to be between hope and fear (of God)?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): In that case, you did not really roam, walk, or frequent between Safa and Marwa. You then left for Mina, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam (a.s): Did you intend to save people from your tongue (words), heart (ill intention), and hand (deeds)?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): In that case, you did not really leave for Mina. You did wuqoof in Arafat, mounted Jabal al-Rahma (Mount Mercy), recognised Nemira Valley, and supplicated to Allah at al-Meel and Jamarat, did you not?
Shibli:Yes, I did.
The Imam (a.s): As you stayed in Arafat, did you intend to recognize Allah, Glorified is He, and His knowledge, and recognize His hold on the ecord of your deeds and His full acquaintance with your heart and secrets?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you mounted Jabal al-Rahma, did you recognise that Allah would have mercy upon every believing man and woman and overns every Muslim male and female?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you were on Nemira, did you recognise that:
a. your advices and warnings to people are fruitless unless they are originated from Allah’s instructions?
b. you should not preach Divine commands & prohibitions unless you first practice & abstain?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you stopped at al-Alam and an-Nemiraat, did you recognise that these signs would testify for your acts of obedience (to God) and would keep you like the Keeping Angels whose mission is to keep you according to Allah’s instructions?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): In that case, you did not really stop on Arafat, mount Jabal al-Rahma, recognise Nemira, supplicate to Allah, or stop at an-Nemirat. You passed by the Two Signs (al-Alamain), offered a two-Rakaat prayer before doing so, walked in Muzdalifah, picked up pebbles there, and passed by Al-Mash-ar al-Haram, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam (a.s): As you offered the prayer, did you intend it to be thanksgiving that saves from every hardship and alleviates all difficulties?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you walked between the Two Signs without turning to right or left, did you intend not to turn away from the right religion either in your heart, tongue, or other organs?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you walked in Muzdalifah and picked up pebbles, did you intend to get rid of every act of disobedience and every item of ignorance and to fix in your behaviours every item of knowledge and good deed?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a): As you passed by al-Mash-ar al-Haram, did you intend to carry in heart the slogan of the pious people and the God-fearing ones?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): In that case, you did not really pass by the Two Signs, offer a two-Rakaat prayer, walk in al-Muzdalifah, pick up pebbles there, or pass by al-Mash-ar al-Haram. You reached in Mina, threw the pebbles, had your hair cut, slaughtered your sacrificed animal, offered prayer in Kheif Mosque, returned to Mecca, and performed Tawaaf al-Ifadha, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam (a.s): As you arrived in Mina and threw these pebbles, did you feel that you achieved your aim and that your Lord would fulfill all your needs?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you threw the pebbles, did you intend to stone Iblis, your enemy, and anger him through your precious Hajj?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s):As you shaved your head, did you intend to purify from all filths and from liabilities of people that lie on your shoulders, and to get rid of sins as if your mother had just given birth to you?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you offered prayer in Kheif Mosque, did you intend that you would never fear anything except Allah and (the responsibilities of your past) sins and that you would hope for nothing except Allah’s mercy?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you slaughtered your sacrificial animal, did you intend to cut off the throat of greed by clinging to the reality of piety, and to follow the exemplary tradition of Ibrahim (a.s) who intended to slaughter his dear son (so as to carry our God’s order)?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): As you returned to Mecca and performed Tawaaf al-Ifadha, did you intend to have flown with Allah’s mercy, return to the obedience to Him, cling to His love, perform all His precepts, and seek nearness to Him?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam (a.s): In that case, you neither reached Mina, nor did you throw these pebbles on Satan, nor did you shave your head, nor did you perform the rituals of the Hajj, nor did you offer prayer in Kheif Mosque, nor did you perform Tawaaf al-Ifadha, nor did you offer sacrifice for the Lord.
Go back, you did not perform Hajj. As he heard these words, Shibli wept heavily for the shortcomings of his performance of Hajj and decided to perform ideal Hajj the next year, and he did.