Written by Nakia Jackson
Friday, 20 January 2006

Jackson led a mixed-gender congregation in the Eid prayer on January 10, 2006 in Cambridge, Mass. Jackson is "a muscian, educator, and trouble-maker living in a suburb of Boston."

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu. Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim. As-salatu wa salamu ala Nabiyyina Muhammadin wa ala alihi wa sahibihi wa sallim. Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allahu wa la sharika lahu, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu.

Peace, mercy and the blessings of Allah be upon you. In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful. Peace and blessings be on Muhammad, his family and companions. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah; He has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is Her servant and messenger.

Au’dhu billahi mina-shaitan ir-rajim, Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim.

ان الصفا والمروة من شعائر الله فمن حج البيت او اعتمر فلا جناح عليه ان يطوف بهما ومن تطوع خيرا فان الله شاكر عليم

Truly Safa and Marwa are the symbols of Allah. Whoever goes on pilgrimage to the house (of Allah) , or on a holy visit, is not guilty of wrong if he walks around them; and he who does good of his own accord will find appreciation with God who knows everything (Q 2:58)

One of the deeply resonant rituals of Hajj is the sa’i. We run between the hills of Safa and Marwa to commemorate Hagar’s search for water for her infant son, Ismail, whose story comes to us through the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, (SAWS). Ibrahim had left Hagar and Isma’il alone in the Arabian desert, and as their food supply diminished, Hagar’s desperation to provide for her son grew. She ran from Safa to Marwa and back again, seven times, searching for any sign of water in the desolate valley. At last, upon discovering water bubbling from the earth near her son, Hagar dug into the spring later called Zamzam. Millennia later, this spring still gives life- sustaining water to millions of pilgrims and residents of Mecca.

But Mecca is not the only place that the sa’i occurs. Mothers the world over perform the sa’i of Hagar daily, racing between low paying jobs, meager welfare payments, inadequate health and child care, and other formidable challenges in a no less desperate search to help their children survive. These women race not through the desert, miles from human habitation, but in our cities and towns today. Yet where is their Zamzam? Are they less deserving than Hagar of Allah’s provision? Does not God’s bounty extend to them, as well? The Qur’an would suggest otherwise, that there is indeed a source of sustenance for these needy women and children. Once upon a time, the Zamzam became clogged, and it could provide no water for pilgrims until the objects that blocked its flow were removed. God has established a Zamzam for the Hagars that struggle before us daily to provide for their children, but it is one that has become clogged with apathy, fear, and despair.

We often become overwhelmed when we are confronted with the vast desert of need, sure that our meager contributions couldn't possibly make a difference. We see the obstacles that often lay between our contributions and those in need, and fear that our giving won't reach those who need it. We look at our bank balances and wonder how we shall make our own ends meet, let alone someone else's. What we often do not see is that God knows that we are troubled by these worries, and assures us in the Qur'an that what we give is not lost to us, but a loan to be repaid by Allah, and She assures us that no gift given for His sake is in vain.

While helping the world's poor can be a life-consuming, daunting task, there are many ways to be of great assistance that are blessedly simple. Donating to a reputable charity takes minutes and can save lives. Volunteering for a local soup kitchen or shelter takes a few hours a week, for those who can spare them. Websites like "The Hunger Site" make it possible for many to be fed and given medical care, and it takes a mere click of the mouse to help provide a meal. I call upon you not to give all that you have, but to give what you can, so that you may have more than you could ever imagine.

The Qur’an promises great reward for those who become like Zamzam, surfacing to provide not for fame or for some personal benefit, but providing simply because the need is there. We must remove those obstacles in our lives that keep our compassion and love from bubbling to the surface. Once we have done so, that drop of the Divine that we have all been imbued with can flow through us, offering Divine love and bounty to those modern day Hagars.

We must become like Zamzam, flowing with the same love that brings blood from your heart to your veins and arteries and back again, the same love that opens the rose bud, the same love that brought you into this world and will call you back home. We must overflow with God's mercy, not just for the Hagars of the world who need us so, but also because if we allow ourselves to become blocked with apathy or fear, our life-giving power will remain obscured even to ourselves. Zamzam flows not only because Hagar needed it, but because it has its own urgent need to flow and keep flowing. Allah was a hidden treasure, and desired to be known. You are all treasures. Become known. Free yourselves, flow like Zamzam, and become a conduit for Divine love, life, and light.

Praise to God, and prayers and peace upon the Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions and their followers.

Glory to God, praise to God, God is Greater. There is no God but Allah, He is one and has no partner, Hers is dominion and Theirs is praise, and He is capable of all things.

Oh Allah, bring light into my heart. Oh Allah, grant me light, and make light in my mind, and light in my body and light in my blood. Oh Allah, make for me a light in my grave, and a light in my bones. Increase me in light, increase me in light, increase me in light. Grant me light upon light.

Amin Amen