Hajj in the eyes of Hazrat Junaid Baghdaadi RH

Following are the dialogue between Hazrat Junaid BaghdaadiRH and an unknown
traveler who visits the HazratRH after performing Hajj.

Traveler:
As Salaamalaikum

Hazrat:
Walaikum Assalaam. Where are you coming from?

Traveler:
Master I'm returning from Hajj Baitullah.

Hazrat:
You've been to Baitullah for Hajj? Have you completed your Hajj?

Traveler:
Yes master I'm returning from Kabatullah. I've completed all the essentials
[Arkaan] of Hajj and fulfilled the great obligation [azeem farz] of Hajj and I'm at
your service.

Hazrat:
When you left for Hajj, did you also leave all your big and small sins?

Traveler:
Master I didn't think of this, just thought of Hajj and left my town for Mecca.

Hazrat:
So you never left for Hajj. Well, tell me this: You spent so many days and nights
traveling for Hajj, while at it you went through various stations and wherever you
had to stay during nights, did you then contemplate ALLAH and did you try to
achieve nearness of ALLAH?

Traveler:
Master I never thought of this matter.

Hazrat:
Then you neither travelled towards Kaaba nor reached any stations towards it. OK!
tell me this when you tied ihram [unstitched cloth] and shed your usual clothing,
did you also shed your bad habits and bad nature or you still had them on in spite
of being in ihram?

Traveler:
Master I never imagined all this.

Hazrat:
So you never put on ihram either, when you were at Arafat did you experience any
opening [kashf] of observation [mushahada]?

Traveler:
Master what do you mean by this?
Hazrat:
By this I mean to ask you if you felt the divine presence of ALLAH in front of
your eyes and did your eyes feel illuminated with divine vision?

Traveler:
Master I never felt any of these experiences, I just did my Hajj as an obligation.

Hazrat:
So you never stationed at Arafat, actually you never reached Arafat. Did you go to
Muzdalifah?

Traveler:
Yes I reached Muzdalifah also.

Hazrat:
When you reached Muzdalifah, did you negate your inner desires?

Traveler:
No I never paid any attention to it.

Hazrat:
So you haven't been to muzdalifah either. OK, when you were circumambulating the
Kaaba did you envision the enjoyable beauty of ALLAH?

Traveler:
Master I didn't get it. What do you mean by envisioning or enjoying the beauty of
ALLAH?

Hazrat:
I meant to ask you if you had the vision [jalwa] of our beloved ALLAH and witness
any divine spectacles [Karishma] while circumambulating the Kaaba.

Traveler:
No master i didn't experience any of these things.

Hazrat:
Then you haven't circumambulated the Kaaba either. When you did the sa'y [run] in
between safa-marwah, did you try to grasp the truth [haqeeqat], philosophy [hikmat]
and purpose [maqsood] behind the sa'y?

Traveler:
I never thought of these things so how could I grasp the purpose.

Hazrat:
So you haven't done the sa'y either. OK! when you reached the slaughter grounds
for sacrifice, did you sacrifice your sick ego [mauzy nafs] and its unlimited
desires? Did you use the knife to cut both the throat of the sacrificial animal and
your ego or you let loose your desires and cut the animals throat?

Traveler:
Master I just followed the sacrificial rules and slaughtered the animal I never
thought of my ego or desires.

Hazrat:
If so you haven't offered the sacrifice either. OK! when you were stoning the
Satan did you also throw your lowly desires, bad company and bad fiends?

Traveler:
No master I didn't think of this.

Hazrat:
So you haven't done ramy [stoning] either. Go back! go and perform Hajj again.
perform it like Hazrat IbrahimAS has done. Keep his qualities and his spiritual
condition in mind and be loyal and self-surrendering to ALLAH. Your Hajj should be
a display of intimate loyalty and total surrender. ALLAH accepted IbrahimAS loyalty
and complete submission and made it witness in the Holy Qur'an: Wa ibrahimallazee
waffa [and of Ibrahim who fulfilled his engagements (53:37)] ...