Last week Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) visited Jeddah for one day to attend an Islamic finance seminar.
He was on a business visa which expilictly forbade performance of Umrah and Haj. Giving due respect to this absurd restriction he did not perform Umrah and only visited the Haram Shareef to pray fajr salah and make tawaf.
Shaykh is quite particular about these kinds of laws and restrictions. He considers them to be a part of religious injunction to fulfill the rules and regulations made by the authorities in-charge. He takes them very seriously and expects that the murids also do the same.
Shaykh is also particular about the five year rule for Hajj and tasrih. That is, a person should not perform another Haj before a five years interval. This applies to all Mulisms, both living in Saudi Arabia and abroad. In addition, those living in Saudi Arabia have to get an authentic Haj permission certificate (tasrih) from the concerned authorities prior to Haj.
Assalamu alaykum,
This lesson really struck me and has come into my mind repeatedly over the past month. There are many “minor” laws that we often break, occasionally even being proud of it—like obeying the speed limit. It will take a lot of effort to seriously follow regulations that you disagree with or feel don’t apply to you as much as others.