TO THOSE RETURNING FROM ILEYA OR PILGRIMAGE: ETIQUETTE OF RETURNING FROM A JOURNEY.
1- RETURNING HOME SWIFTLY
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Traveling is a torment because it deprives a traveller of his food, drink and sleep. So when one of you has accomplished his purpose of journey, let him return home quickly.” [Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Ibn Hajar said: (The Hadith indicates repugnance of being away from one’s family without need and desirability of returning quickly, especially for the people who may be harmed by his long stay. [Fat’hul-Baari].
2 UNDESIRABILITY OF RETURNING HOME AT NIGHT (after a long journey):
Jabir ibn `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) forbade a traveler to return home at night.”
Imam Muslim recorded: “If one of you comes (back from a journey) at night. He should not enter his house as a night visitor (but should wait) until a woman whose husband has been away from house has removed the hair from her private parts and a woman with dishevelled hair has combed her hair.”
Jabir narrated: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade that traveler would return home at night doubting their fidelity or spying into their lapses.” [Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
# The traveller should let his family know about his arrival beforehand and should not enter upon them suddenly without notification . If these were done, then the prohibition of night arrival is lifted [Sharh of Sahih Muslim by An-Nawaawi].
3 DESIRABILITY OF OFFERING TWO (VOLUNTARY) RAK’AH IN THE MASJID UPON RETURNING.
Ka`b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “Whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him) returned from a journey in the forenoon, he would enter the Mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs before sitting.” [Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
This is one of the abandoned Sunnah that only few people apply. Allahu Musta’aan
4- GIVING GIFT OR ﻧﻘﻴﻌﺔ ًNAQEE’AH
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that,“When returning from a journey, bring a gift for your household be it stones.” (Abu Dawud)
# I.e a traveller should come home with a gift even If it is as cheap as stones.
-It is mustahabb to offer naqee’ah, which is a type of food that is made to welcome a traveller, and the word may also refer to what is done by the arriving traveller or what others do for him … among the evidence that is quoted for that is the hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) which says that when the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah from a journey, he would slaughter a camel or a cow. Narrated by Al-Bukhaari.
So, holding abode Makkah party is not wrong if it is in the confinement of the sunnah.
QUESTION: What’s ruling on Hajj parties which people slaughter and welcome those coming from Hajj?
ANSWER:
IBN UTHAYMEEN said; There is NOTHING WRONG with this.
There is nothing wrong with HONOURING the PILGRIMS on their ARRIVAL, because this is a kind of congratulating them and encouraging them to do Hajj.
But SQUANDERING and EXTRAVAGANCE is what is FORBIDDEN, because extravagance is forbidden whether on this occasion or at OTHER TIMES.
ALLAAH, may He be blessed and exalted, says: “and WASTE NOT by EXTRAVAGANCE. Verily, He likes not Al‑Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance)” [AL-AN’AAM 6:141]
“Verily, the SPENDTHRIFTS are brothers of the SHAYAATEEN (devils)” [AL-ISRA’ 17:27]
But if it is an APPROPRIATE feast, with enough for those who are present or a little more, then there is NOTHING WRONG with it from a SHAR’I point of view, and from a social point of view.
This may be in the VILLAGES, but in the CITIES it does not happen, and we see many people coming back from Hajj with no meal made for them. But in the small villages this may happen, and there is nothing wrong with it. The people of the villages are generous and none of them would like to fall short in his treatment of another.
[LIQAA’AAT AL-BAAB AL-MAFTOOH 154/QUESTION NO. 12]
By AbdulGaniy Adebisi
