LABBAYK ALLAHUMMA LABBAYK!!!!

Labbayk :The Response to the call
THey have left the warmth of their homes,their loved ones,draped in the attire of the Muhrim, ready to go to the most revered of lands..the House of Allah, in the Holy city of Mecca..

There are few acts which have to be performed in sequence so that the Hajj is correct and one of these actions is the TALBIYAAH or The Call..
Imam Sajjad AS had a conversation with one of his companions called Shibli regarding the various actions of the Hajj..a conversation so profound and thought provoking..taking the reader to the real inner essence of the Hajj...
Read On!!!!

Imam(a) asked Shibli "How did you recite the Talbiyyah?". He replied " I said , Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk, ( I have come, O Allah! I have come)".
Imam(a) asked "When you said Labbayk, you and your Lord were the only ones,and there was nothing in between?" . Shibli replied "No! My Master, I was reciting Labbayk as per Arabic grammar and pronounciation very loudly".
Imam(a) then replied "Then you were not even capable of saying Labbayk. Labbayk is said by the one who hears a call" . Labbaik is an Arabic sentence which is a reply to call.
If someone calls then you respond by saying that "I have come". But if someone has not heard any call, and yet says "I have come", you will say he has lost his senses, Did you hear any call from Allah(SWT). If not, then to whom were you saying "Labbayk(I have come)" You just made a shout in the Desert!. You are the guest of Allah(SWT).
This recitation of "Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk" , means "O Lord i have heard your call. You invited me and I have come to you .I am present on your call. This implies that when you say Labbayk, you need to first hear the call, then say Labbayk. "

Did you hear this call? You did not hear this, because you did not remove your worldly attire, you just removed your wollen dress. You will not hear the call unless you remove your worldly attire, this dress of love of world. Review the journey of 30 -40 years of your life span. Remember whatever you did. Start thinking and doing Muhaasebah (accounting)of your wordly acts. Up to now you had molten glass filled in your ears, so how will you hear the call? If I put blocks my ears, and then starting saying Labbayk , Labbayk , people will laugh at me, because to whom am i saying "I am coming", when i cannot hear any call. First open your ears.
Your ears are closed with the love of world, with the sins you committed. First remove these, then you will hear the call to which you respond with Labbayk.

Then when your master says Come! O my servant! , then you respond , " I am coming". Now throughout the journey keep on saying Labbayk( I have come), now your concentration should not be on anyone else.
It should not happen that you have removed the dress of worldy attire, have worn the dress of Obedience to Allah(SWT), but during the journey you again lose track, it should be a continous Labbayk. Now you keep on walking, and reach the Haram(vicinity of Kaaba). Now stop saying Labbayk, Why? Because you have reached the destination, you have reached the physical location from where the call came.Now who is in your vision? what should you do now? It just myself and YOU (my lord).

This Hadith really left me awe-struck at the depth of the holy words.. and we take the Talbiyyah as mere utterance neccessary when donning the Ihraam...something to be said as a ritual,just as we perform most of our actions...Isnt it time for some introspection..to smell the coffee before it is too late????

NEXT:EHRAAM and its inner meaning..inshallah!!!
Iltemaase Dua