and His stating that He knows them implicitly urges the performance of good works, all the more so in those exalted sites and noble sanctuaries. One should seize the opportunities there and compete in every form of virtue: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, Qur’an recitation, circumambulation, and all manner of spoken and practical kindness.
“Take provision…” (Q 2:197) for this blessed journey; for carrying provisions frees a person from dependence on others, spares him the need to covet what they possess, enables him to help fellow travelers, be generous with his companions, journey with cheerfulness, and draw nearer to Allah.
The provision intended here is the food and supplies that keep the body functioning—something modest yet useful. The true, lasting provision, however, is taqwā (God-consciousness): the provision that leads to the Abode of Permanence and ushers one into the highest and everlasting delight. Whoever abandons this provision is left stranded, vulnerable to every evil and barred from reaching the dwelling place of the God-fearing.
A person whom Allah grants success may even turn his physical provisions into a means of gathering both kinds of provision by seeking thereby the Face of Allah: fulfilling what he owes himself, his companions, and all connected to him, practicing the recommended forms of kindness, and intending obedience to Allah. Intention is the foundation of every good thing; it makes what is deficient complete and turns habit into worship.
Then He said: “And be mindful of Me, O people of understanding.” That is, O possessors of sound reason, fear your Lord; for mindfulness of Him is the greatest command of the intellect, and neglecting it is proof of a corrupted mind and unsound judgment.
Having commanded His fear, He made it clear that seeking His bounty through lawful trade during the seasons of Hajj or at other times involves no blame—so long as it does not distract from what is obligatory, the main purpose remains the pilgrimage, and one attributes any profit to Allah’s favor rather than to personal skill while ignoring the One who grants the means. To do otherwise is hardship itself at all times—how much more when it accompanies so noble a rite!