Slogan of Hajj

Narrated from Ali ibn Musa Ar Riza (as):

قال جاء رجل إلى الرضا ( ع ) فقال له يا ابنرسول الله أخبرني عن قول الله عز و جل الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ ماتفسيره فقال لقد حدثني أبي عن جدي عن الباقر عن زين العابدين عن أبيه ( ع ) أن رجلا جاء إلى أمير المؤمنين ( ع ) فقال أخبرني عن قول الله عز و جل الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّالْعالَمِينَ ما تفسيره فقال الحمد لله هو أن عرف عباده بعض نعمه عليهم جملا إذ لا يقدرون على معرفة جميعها بالتفصيل لأنها أكثر من أن تحصى أو تعرف فقال لهم قولواالحمد لله على ما أنعم به علينا رب العالمين و هم الجماعات من كل مخلوق من الجمادات و الحيوانات و أما الحيوانات فهو يقلبها في قدرته و يغذوها من رزقه ويحوطها بكنفه و يدبر كلا منها بمصلحته و أما

الجمادات فهو يمسكها بقدرته و يمسك المتصل منها أن يتهافت و يمسك المتهافت منهاأن يتلاصق و يمسك السماء أن تقع على الأرض إلا بإذنه و يمسك الأرض أن تنخسف إلابأمره إنه بعباده لرؤف رحيم و قال ( ع ) رب العالمين مالكهم و خالقهم و سائق أرزاقهمإليهم من حيث يعلمون و من حيث لا يعلمون فالرزق مقسوم و هو يأتي ابن آدم على أيسيرة سارها من الدنيا ليس تقوى متق بزائده و لا فجور فاجر بناقصه و بينه و بينهستر و هو طالبه فلو أن أحدكم يفر من رزقه لطلبه رزقه كما يطلبه الموت فقال الله جلجلاله قولوا الحمد لله على ما أنعم به علينا و ذكرنا به من خير في كتب الأولين قبلأن نكون ففي هذا إيجاب على محمد و آل محمد ( ص ) و على شيعتهم أن يشكروه بما فضلهم وذلك أن رسول الله ( ص ) قال لما بعث الله عز و جل موسى بن عمران ( ع ) و اصطفاه نجيا و فلقله البحر و نجى بني إسرائيل و أعطاه التوراة و الألواح رأى مكانه من ربه عز و جلفقال يا رب لقد أكرمتني بكرامة لم تكرم بها أحدا قبلي فقال الله جل جلاله يا موسىأ ما علمت أن محمدا عندي أفضل من جميع ملائكتي و جميع خلقي قال موسى ( ع ) يا رب فإنكان محمد ( ص ) أكرم عندك من جميع خلقك فهل في آل الأنبياء أكرم من آلي قال الله جلجلاله يا موسى أ ما علمت أن فضل آل محمد على جميع آل النبيين كفضل محمد على جميعالمرسلين فقال موسى يا رب فإن كان آل محمد كذلك فهل في أمم الأنبياء أفضل عندك منأمتي ظللت عليهم الغمام و أنزلت عليهم المن و السلوى و فلقت لهم البحر فقال اللهجل جلاله يا موسى أ ما علمت أن فضل أمة محمد على جميع الأمم كفضله على جميع خلقيفقال موسى ( ع ) يا رب ليتني كنت أراهم .

فأوحى الله عز و جل إليه يا موسى إنك لنتراهم و ليس هذا أوان ظهورهم و لكن سوف تراهم في الجنات جنات عدن و الفردوس بحضرةمحمد في نعيمها يتقلبون و في خيراتها يتبحبحون أ فتحب أن أسمعك كلامهم فقال نعمإلهي قال الله جل جلاله قم بين يدي و اشدد مئزرك قيام العبد الذليل بين يدي الملك الجليل ففعل ذلك موسى ( ع ) فنادى ربنا عز و جل يا أمة محمد فأجابوه كلهم و هم في أصلاب آبائهم و أرحام أمهاتهم لبيك اللهم لبيك لبيك لا شريك لك لبيك إن الحمد و النعمة و الملك لك لا شريك لك قال فجعل الله عز و جل تلك الإجابة شعار الحاج ثم نادى ربنا عز و جل يا أمةمحمد إن قضائي عليكم أن رحمتي سبقت غضبى و عفوي قبل عقابي فقد استجبت لكم من قبلأن تدعوني و أعطيتكم من قبل أن تسألوني من لقيني منكم بشهادة أن لا إله إلا اللهوحده لا شريك له و أن محمدا عبده و رسوله صادق في أقواله محق في أفعاله و أن عليبن أبي طالب أخوه و وصيه من بعده و وليه و يلتزم طاعته كما يلتزم طاعة محمد و أنأولياءه المصطفين الطاهرين المطهرين المنبئين بعجائب آيات الله و دلائل حجج اللهمن بعدهما أولياؤه أدخلته جنتي و إن كانت ذنوبه مثل زبد البحر قال ( ع ) فلما بعث اللهعز و جل نبينا محمدا ( ص ) قال يا محمد وَ ما كُنْتَ بِجانِبِ الطُّورِ إِذْ نادَيْنا أمتك بهذه الكرامة ثم قال عز و جل لمحمد ( ص ) قل الحمد لله رب العالمين على ما اختصني به من هذه الفضيلة و قال لأمته قولوا أنتم الحمد لله رب العالمين على ما اختصنا به من هذه الفضائل

“A man went to see Al-Reza (s) and said, O son of the Prophet of God! Please tell me what the interpretation of the following Words of the Honorable the Exalted God is, ‘Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds.’ The Imam (s) said, “My father (s) narrated that my grandfather (s) quoted on the authority of the Ornament of the Worshippers (Imam as-Sajjad) (s), on the authority his father (s) that a man went to see the Commander of the Faithful (s) and said, ‘Please tell me what the interpretation of the following Words of the Honorable the Exalted God is, ‘Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds.’ The Commander of the Faithful (s) replied, “‘Praise be to Allah’ means that God has made His servants recognize some of His Blessings, since they cannot recognize all of His Blessings in detail, because they are much more than to be enumerated or recognized. Thus He says to them, ‘Say Praise be to Allah for the Blessings which the Lord of the Two Worlds has bestowed upon us.’

All things consist of the created things including the animate and inanimate. He manages the animates with His Power, feeds them their sustenance, protects them behind His Own Shield and plans all of their affairs according to His Own Plans. He maintains the inanimate with His Might. He keeps what is held together from tearing apart and keeps what is in separate parts from collapsing into one. He keeps the sky from falling down except with His Own Permission, and prevents the Earthfrom sinking in except with His Own Permission, since He is Kind and Merciful to His servants.

The Imam (s) continued, “‘The Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds’ means their Owner, their Creator, and the Provider of their daily bread through ways which they know of and ways which they do not know of. The daily sustenance is divided up. It will reach the Children of Adam no matter which way they go in this world. One’s piety will not cause an increase in it, neither will a wicked person’s corruption cause a decrease in his share of the daily bread. There is a veil in between one and his share of the daily bread, and he is running after his daily bread. If one tries to escape from his share of the daily bread, it will follow him just as death does. God - the Exalted the Magnificent - says, ‘Say, Praise be to Allah’ for the Blessings that He has granted us (the Divine Leaders) and because He has made a good mention of us (the Divine Leaders) in the Books of the past before we were even born. This makes it incumbent upon Muhammad (s) and the nation of Muhammad and their followers to praise Him for the nobilities which God has given them.

That is why God’s Prophet (s) said, ‘When the Honorable the Exalted God appointed Moses, the son of Imran (s), and chose him to supplicate to Him, God rent the sea asunder for him, rescued the Children of Israel, granted him the Torah and the Tablets, Moses (s) saw his rank near his Lord - the Honorable the Exalted - and said, ‘O Lord! You have honored me in such a way that You have never honored anyone else before me.’ Then God - the Exalted the Magnificent - said, ‘O Moses! Don’t you know that Muhammad (s) is nobler near Me than all My angels and all My creatures?’ Moses (s) said, ‘O Lord! Now that Muhammad (s) is nobler for You than all Your creatures, are there any Households among the Households of the Prophets which are nobler for You than my Household?’ Then God - the Exalted the Magnificent - said, ‘O Moses! Don’t you know that Muhammad’s Household is nobler than all the Households of the Prophets just as Muhammad (s) is nobler than all the Prophets (s).’ Then Moses (s) said, ‘O Lord! Now that the Household of Muhammad is as such, is there any nation amongst the nations of the Prophets (s) which is nobler than my nation? You set up the clouds as shadows for them (my nation), sent down the Manna and quails for them and You rent the sea asunder for them.’ Then God the Exalted the Magnificent said, ‘O Moses! Don’t you know that the nation of Muhammad is the noblest of all My nations just as Muhammad is the noblest of all My creatures?’ Then Moses (s) said, ‘O Lord! I wish I could see them.’ Then the Honorable the Exalted God revealed to Moses (s), ‘You will not see them. It is not the time for them to come now. But you will see them in the Garden - the Eternal Garden and Paradise. You will see them in the presence of Muhammad. They will live among its Blessings and enjoy its everlasting good. Do you want Me to let you hear their words?’ Moses (s) said, ‘Yes, my Lord!’ God - the Exalted the Magnificent - said, ‘Stand in front of Me like a debased servant standing in front of a Magnificent King and stretch out your back.’ Then Moses (s) did that. Then our Lord - the Honorable the Exalted called out, ‘O nation of Muhammad!’ Then all of them replied from the loins of their fathers and from the wombs of their mothers, ‘Here I am at Your service, O Lord! Here I am. There are no partners for You. Here I am. Praise be to You. Blessings and the Kingdom are Yours. There are no partners for You.’

Then the Imam (s) added, “The Honorable the Exalted God established this as the slogan of the Hajj pilgrims. Then our Lord - the Honorable the Exalted said, ‘O nation of Muhammad! This is My decree for you: My Mercy has overcome My Wrath, and My Forgiveness is ahead of My Chastisement. I will accept your supplications before you call Me. I will grant you (something) before you ask Me. I will take to Paradise whichever of you who visits Me having sincerely testified and practically honored that ‘There is no god but God; There are no partners for Him; Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, and Ali ibn Abi Talib (s) is Muhammad’s brother - his Trustee and Master after him. It is obligatory to obey Ali (s) just as it is to obey Muhammad (s). After the two of them (Muhammad (s) and Ali (s)) the Masters are the Chosen Masters, the Purified ones, the Cleansed ones, the ones who will inform (the people) about the miracles of God and express the Proofs of God’, even if his sins are as much as the foam on the sea.”

Then the Imam (s) added, “When the Honorable the Exalted God appointed Muhammad to the Prophethood, He said, O Muhammad! ‘Nor wast thou at the side of (the Mountain of) Tur when we called (to Moses)…’ that is, We called your (Muhammad) nation with this honor. Then the Honorable the Exalted God told Muhammad, ‘Say, ‘Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds’ for this nobility which was granted especially to me.”

[Source: Uyoon Al Akhbar Ar Reza Vol.1 Chapter.28 Hadees.30]