The Arabian Peninsula Partnership
The Gospel for every person and a church for every people in the Arabian Peninsula amongst indigenous peoples
26 July 2020
HAJJ PRAYER - JULY 29-31, 2020
• The Hajj is scheduled for July 29-31, 2020. Dates may vary slightly based on the sighting of the moon that defines the beginning of the lunar month. Because of Covid-19, Hajj this year will be very limited and only open to those who are residing in Saudi Arabia.
• In Luke 7, Jesus says to a sinful woman, "Your sins are forgiven...Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Jesus has the authority and power to forgive all of our sins through His atoning sacrifice on the cross and His glorious resurrection. However, the 1.8 billion Muslims in the world today reject God's mercy by rejecting Jesus as Savior.Instead, they go on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia in order to receive forgiveness of sins from Allah.
• Consider this one Hadith (the sayings of Muhammad): It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Prophet say: "Whoever performs Hajj for the sake of Allah and does not utter any obscene speech or do any evil deed, will go back (free of sin) as his mother bore him." (Al-Bukhaari, 1449; Muslim, 1350)
Therefore, the Hajj is the pinnacle of life for Muslims. They seek not only the forgiveness of sins but also to deepen their allegiance to Allah.
• The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam; all Muslims are commanded to perform the Hajj at least once in their lifetime if they are able. The Hajj begins on the 8th day of the 12th month of Dhul Hijjah in the Islamic calendar. During these days, over two million Muslims from all over the world flock to Mecca to perform sacred acts and follow the steps of Muhammad their prophet. This year, the Hajj will start on July 29th and it lasts for three or more days.
• Everything that Islam forbids comes with a warning of punishment in this life and in the hereafter. There are also rewards in the form a blessing or a sign of God's favor, but the most sought-after reward for many Muslims is the forgiveness of their sins. Pray that the increasingly commercialization of the Hajj will lead to disillusionment among Muslims. Pray that they will be fed up with empty rituals, dead works, and hypocrisy.
Because of the Covid-19 global pandemic Hajj will be very limited this year. Many Muslims have already decided to cancel their long-planned trip and have lost the non-refundable deposits they made for the trip to Mecca because tour operators have gone bankrupt. A trip for the Hajj can cost up to $10,000 to $15,000 per person and many Muslims save money for years in order to pay for the trip. Pray that God will use these circumstances to work in the hearts and minds of Muslims so they will see the materialism and empty ritualism of Islam. Pray that they will know that forgiveness of sins is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ. You can find an informational video about the Hajj below.
Hajj Prayer 2020 - coronavirus
PTAP on the PrayerMate App
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