By Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel (RA)
Once,
on viewing the Mataaf from one of the upper levels of Masjidul Haraam, the
scene of thousands of people engaged in Tawaaf, brought to my mind the
following analogy:
The
sight of those thousands of people moving around the Baitullah reminded me of
the wash cycles of the washing machine.
And
indeed, we find that parallels can be drawn between the Tawaaf and the work of
the washing machine.
The
purpose of the washing machine is to wash our clothes clean. …We place dirty
clothes into the drum of the machine and we add the detergent, bleach and
softner. With a press of the Start button, the drum starts to spin, water pours
in and the machine does its work of extracting the dirt, repeatedly, until the
final rinse.
Once
the drum stops, the clothes are taken out, hung up to dry, and when dry, they
are ironed – with the end result being well pressed, crease-free, clean
clothing.
Tawaaf
has some resemblance to the purpose and work of the washing machine; except
that we are not washing dirty clothes; rather we are washing our hearts – our
spiritual hearts.
Like
dirty clothes are placed into the washing machine, we place our dirty hearts
into the Tawaaf – hearts which are stained with all kinds of sins, including
the ‘tough’ stains of major sins. …What is not found in this heart? So much has
soiled and spoilt our hearts : Pride,
Jealousy, Malice, Vanity, Hubbe Dunya, Hubbe Jah and the deep, dirty stains of
lustful gazes, backbiting, and other such evils have blotted our hearts, have
smeared and blackened them.
Before
washing badly stained clothing, a stain remover is used. Accordingly, the stain remover of regret and remorse over our sins, and
the sincere intention that what is past being really past, is applied to our
hearts.
The
Hajre Aswad can be likened to the ‘START’ button. The intention of Tawaaf and
the raising of the hands with ‘Bismillah
Allahu Akbar wa-lillahil Hamd’, signify the commencement of the Tawaaf. Simultaneously
the washing of the heart commences. The detergents of Istighfaar, Durood
Shareef, and Zikrullah, then contribute to the cleansing of the heart.
Just
as water gushes into the drum, Allah Ta’ala’s Tajalli, His Special Mercy and
Noor, which is cascading onto the Baitullah, drench those who are in Tawaaf.
These are the ones who are the first to benefit and they benefit more than all
others. Their hearts too are being soaked with this Noor, similar to how the dirty
clothes become soaked with water.
The
detergent of sincere Istighfaar and Taubah wash the heart. …The amount of detergent
a person needs for washing his clothes, depends on the size of the load. So if our hearts are heavily loaded with
sins, then naturally, the demand will be of plenty of Taubah and Istighfaar.
If
we want our hearts to be white, the bleach of Zikrullah is added to the Tawaaf,
just as bleach is used when a person wants his white clothes to be as white as
possible.
If
we want our hearts to be soft, then the softner of Durood Shareef is also
released into the washing of our hearts.
Each
round of Baitullah is similar to the wash and rinses that the dirty clothing go
through for a good, clean wash. Round and round, each cycle is completed with
Istighfaar and Taubah, Durood Shareef, Dua and Zikrullah. Together with that
Tajalli, the dirt of the heart is being extracted, until the final rinse and
spin – the 7th round. Now the heart is clean and purified.
…If
we entered the Tawaaf with full concentration on Allah Ta’ala, and complete
focus of the great privilege of Tawaaf of Baitullah – which is in reality
Tawaaf of Rabbul-Bait, then we will experience that beautiful Noor and that
Tajalli.
Naturally,
for the full benefit of Tawaaf, the gaze
has to be controlled. If a person has ‘khauf-e-Khuda’ and he has ‘Azmat’ of
Baitullah, he will not raise his glance towards strange women; he will not cast
an evil gaze – in the Tawaaf and out of Tawaaf. …If during Tawaaf, the person is engaging in lustful gazes and other sins,
there will be just an accumulation of darkness and dirt.
Once
the heart is washed, it is taken out of the Tawaaf – clean and bright and
white. After completion of the 2 Rakaats of Waajibut Tawaaf, the person
proceeds to the Multazam, where he places his chest against the wall. That
pressing of his chest, is akin to pressing and ironing the “creases” of his
heart; similar to how clothes are
ironed, making them ‘crease-free’.
The
tears shed at the Multazam are like droplets of sweet musk which now fragrance
that heart. SubhanAllah, what a sparkling heart, emitting the sweetest of
scents… Whilst we will sense it – Insha-Allah - we will have to thereafter look
after this cleanliness and this sparkle.
We
have to make sure that we fulfill the rights of that Taubah, by making amends on
our shortcomings in Huqooqullah (the rights of Allah Ta’ala) and Huqooqul Ibaad
(the rights of the servants of Allah Ta’ala). Whatever is outstanding of
Salaah, Zakaah, fasts, will have to be made up for, and whatever is due to
people will have to be returned to them, or forgiveness secured from them.
May
Allah Ta’ala grant us all the Taufeeq of making such Tawaafs, which only
increase our hearts in purity and whiteness, which increase that Qurb (proximity)
to the Owner of the House.
