1. This is a journey that was under taken by Prophets and Messengers before you. Those who take the path of the Prophets affirm the Tawheed of Allah. Some come to perform Haj with their hearts attached to other than Allah. They invoke the dead and the righteous, whether present or absent. Such actions are the opposite of Tawheed (which means to worship Allah alone). They are Shirk no matter what people may term them because those deeds amount to setting up partners with Allah. So, free your intention from any devotion to other than Allah. Repent and come with a sincere heart submitting to Allah (alone) remembering what Prophet Ibrahim and his son Isma'il (peace be upon him) said when they were raising the foundations of Allah's House, the Ka'ba: “Our Lord! And make us submissive unto You and of our offspring a nation submissive unto You, and show us our Manasik (all the ceremonies of pilgrimage – Haj and Umrah, etc.), and accept our repentance. Truly, You are the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.” (Qur'an, 2:128) 2. You are set to depart and you may or may not return to your home. Make this journey to Allah's House as Allah wants it. Think of the next journey that is surely coming, the one that leads to the meeting with Allah, Most High. This raises questions like: What did I prepare for that Day? Am I following Allah's Commands? Am I a follower of the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)? Do I really know Allah? “And invoke not any other ilah (god) along with Allah, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). Everything will perish save His Face. His is the Decision, and to Him you (all) shall be returned.” (Qur'an, 28:88) 3. When you reach the Meeqat, remind yourself that there is another Meeqat that is still to come. It is the Meeqat (appointed meeting) on the Day of Ressurection: “Say (O Muhammad, peace be upon him): ‘(Yes) verily, those of old, and those of later times. All will surely be gathered together for appointed Meeting of a known Day.'” (Qur'an, 56:49-50) 4. When you start the Talbiyah remember the Command of Allah to Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him): “And proclaim to mankind the Haj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Haj).” (Qur'an, 22:27) The Talbiyah you make is in response to Prophet Ibrahim's (peace be upon him) proclamation to visit Allah's house of worship. 5. Upon entering Makkah remember that you are in the Secure Sanctuary: “Have We not established for them a secure sanctuary (Makkah), to which are brought fruits of all kinds, a provision from Ourselves, but most of them know not.” (Qur'an, 28:57) Let one devote himself to seeking repentance, having a good view of Allah, hoping that Allah will grant him security from His Punishment. 6. You will enter one of the gates of Al-Masjid Al-Haraam. Then there you are before the magnificent House of Allah, Most High, the Ka'bah. Now you see what you hoped to see for a long time. Thank Allah for making this possible and hope that He will grant you the greatest reward of seeing His Majestic Face on the Day of Resurrection. This thankfulness is not just in saying Alhamdulillah, but by obeying Allah while on Haj and for the rest of your life. 7. You start your Tawaf knowing that it is a great time for glorifying Allah. Remember Him by His Names, Attributes and Actions. Also while in Tawaf try to reflect upon the time when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was prevented from doing the same thing you are doing today. Then think about what he did in clearing out the site from the symbols that were worshiped besides Allah. All idols were demolished. Make lots of du'a. Ask Allah to guide you to hold on to the correct belief till your death. Ask Allah to save you from all forms of Shirk and Bid'ah.
