Allah – Glorified and Exalted – has blessed us with this safe Haram.
“Have we not established for them a safe sanctuary to which are brought the fruits of all things as provision from Us?” [Surah Qasas: verse 57]
“Have they not seen that We made [Makkah] a safe sanctuary, while people are being taken away all around them?” [Surah Ankaboot: verse 67]
So this is a great bounty that Allah has made easy His sacred house as a place of return for the people and a place of security where their security and safety is preserved. And verily this great house was built and constructed on monotheism and belief in Allah – Exalted and Majestic.
“And [mention, O Muhammad], when We designated for Ibraheem the site of the House, [saying], “Do not associate anything with Me” [Surah Hajj: verse 26]
So this mandates a Muslim to nurture authentic beliefs, sound methodology and following the prophetic guidance while living in this pure sanctity.
Verily reminding to worship Allah alone and being sincere to Him and busying oneself with worship especially by those who are visiting this Great house, no doubt this is a great priority on a Muslim.
And verily Muslim becomes pleased and delighted when he sees a congregation of worshippers praying or doing tawaaf or visiting and doing umrah, filling this Sacred house, in response to the call of Ibraheem:
“And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham said, “My Lord, make this city [Makkah] secure and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols. My Lord, indeed they have led astray many among the people. So whoever follows me – then he is of me; and whoever disobeys me – indeed, You are [yet] Forgiving and Merciful. Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful.” [Surah Ibraheem: verses 35-37]
So we welcome the visitors to the sacred house of Allah in these blessed occasions and we pray for them for acceptance, help and ability.
Here we have a group of pilgrims, all praise and bounty belongs to Allah, visiting this sacred house safely and peacefully, so we remind them and advise them and us to fear Allah – Exalted and Majestic – and being sincere to Him – Glorified is He , and good worship and sound belief and following the Sunnah of the prophet – peace be upon him – and caution against differences in belief that some Muslims believe, so we should revere Allah’s sacred house.
“And [mention, O Muhammad], when We designated for Ibraheem the site of the House, [saying]: “Do not associate anything with Me” [Surah Hajj: verse 26]
And Allah – Glorified and Majestic – said: “And We charged Ibraheem and Ismaeel, [saying]: ‘Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who are staying [there] for worship and those who bow and prostrate [in prayer].‘” [Surah Baqarah: verse 125]
So revering this house and caring for its holiness is important upon the visitor to the sacred house and also adopting the etiquette of Masjid al Haraam and cooperating with the workers in it especially with these great expansion projects occurring in the noble Haram and among them is the project of the custodian of the 2 holy mosques – may Allah protect him – of the mataf expansion. So we should assist – O brothers – in good and piety, cooperating with the authorities of the affairs of Masjid al Haraam and Masjid al Nabawi and cooperate with the guards who are sacrificing much to protect the safety and security of the pilgrims.
We should also stay far from crowded areas and not sit on pathways and in front of doors and at the Maqaam Ibraheem, and watching out for the tawaaf crowds.
So our Muslim brothers should be keen to give their brothers doing umrah and opportunity. And the tawaaf guides should give their Muslim brothers and opportunity, assisting in good and piety.
Collective cooperation in preparing a climate of worship in Masjid al Haraam; an appropriate atmosphere for the pilgrims and not to make it difficult for themselves and to help and have mercy on their brothers and be soft with them and to assist them in goodness and piety and stay away from crowded places and not harming their Muslim brothers by speech or action.
“And those who harm believing men and believing women for [something] other than what they have earned have certainly born upon themselves a slander and manifest sin.” [Surah Ahzaab: verse 58]
And the pilgrim should busy himself with that for which he came, i.e. discharging acts of worship and he shouldn’t turn to other affairs and we notice some of our brothers busying themselves with photography etc. which corrupts the sweetness of worship. So we should assist to care for the safety of Masjid al Haraam and the safety of the pilgrims and care about the holiness and etiquette of this Haram and care for its cleanliness and busy ourselves in worship and go to other levels in the Haram, for the Haram is wide, with many levels, so we shouldn’t insist on being on the mataaf only, but the levels of the Haram are many and especially the expansion of the custodian of the 2 holy mosques.
And an advice to the Muslim woman to ensure her hijab and modesty and staying away from intermingling with men and to look after her children and care for the children, upholding the trust and to make use of the time to draw near to Allah.
We ask Allah – Blessed and Exalted – to accept from us and you our good deeds and to reward our leader, custodian of the 2 holy mosques, for this blessed effort in preparing the climate for the visitors to Allah’s sacred house, so pray that Allah cures and comforts him, and grants him the ability to do everything that He loves and is Pleased with.
And our last prayer is praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah’s peace be upon you and His mercy and blessings and may Allah’s salutations and peace be upon our prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and companions.
Khutaab 