Importance of Hajj

Hajj started with Ibraheem (Peace be upon him) who left his legacy
both in the Hanifiyah, the pristine religion of Islam and in Hajj. The
legacy of Ibraheem (A) was his millah, way, of true submission to
Allah. He was the first one who used the word "Islam". He named anyone
holding to the same faithas him a Muslim meaningthe one that
surrenders and submits to the will ofthe Creator, Allah. We read in
Surat al-Hajj,
"And strive in His cause asyou ought to strive, (withsincerity and
under discipline). He has chosenyou, and has imposed no difficulties
on you in religion; it is the way of your father Abraham. It isHe who
has named you Muslims, both before andin this (Revelation); that the
Messenger may be a witness for you, and you are witnesses for mankind!
So establish regular Prayer, give regular Charity, and hold fast to
Allah! He is your Protector, the best to protect and the Best to
help!" (22:78)
His submission and total surrender to the Will of Allah is related to
his establishment of Hajj. Even if Ibraheem (A) did not remain in
Makkah to the end of his life, he laidthe foundations of the Ka'bah in
the middle of Makkah valley as well as the principles of Tawheed,
genuine monotheism, in the heartof his son Ismaeel (A). The latter was
also a prophet and a messengerof Allah, who kept the promise to
preserve and guard Ka'bah as well as the Islamic faith. Later on, one
of his descendents through Kedar – the second son ofIshmael as
prophesied in Genesis 25:13 and a few other places – Muhammad (S), who
was also a Hanif, rejected the idolatry and paganism brought to Makkah
and called to the same faith as his forefathers Ibraheem (A) Ismaeel
(A). He was chosen by Allah tobe the last Messenger sent as Mercy to
the world. He restored that legacy, Islam, and preserved the Ka'bah
from the alien beliefs and practices. He reminded people of the
religion of Ibraheem (S) and its tenets and called everyone to the
religion of Ibraaheem (Peace be upon him).
The building of the Ka'bah was by Ibraaheem and his son Ismaeel (Peace
be upon them). This house was named "Ka'bah" after its cubic shape. It
is the center point for Muslims all over the world. When a Muslim
wants to pray, he, or she, must face Qiblah – the direction towards
Makkah. Hajj also cannot be performed except in Makkah and its
vicinity. The al-Masjid al-Haraam, holy mosque, was the first mosque
built in the world. It is today the most visited place on earth and
that is why it iscalled al-Bayt al-'ateeq meaning the ancient house.
One prayer in this mosque equals one hundred thousands prayers
elsewhere as stated in a few authentic hadiths.
When Ibraaheem (A) finished the construction of Ka'bah, he called
people to Hajj and prayed to Allah to bless Makkah and its vicinity
and to make people come visit it until the Dayof Judgement though it
was remote and in the desert.
"Remember Abraham said: "O my Lord! Make this city one of peace
andsecurity: and preserve meand my sons from worshipping idols. "O my
Lord! They have indeed led astray many among mankind; he then who
follows my (way) is of me, and he that disobeys me, but You are indeed
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. "O our Lord! I have made some of my
offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Your Sacred
House; in order, O our Lord, that they may establish regular Prayer:
so fill the hearts of some among people with love towards them, and
feed them with Fruits: so that they may give thanks." (14:35-7)
Allah (swt) always relates the story of Hajj and Ibraheem to Tawheed
and Islam, which is the way of Ibraheem, Muhammad, and all the
prophets (Peace be upon them).
"Remember We made theHouse a place of assembly for men and a place of
safety. And take the Station of Abraham as a place of prayer; and We
covenanted with Abraham and Isma'il, thatthey should sanctify My House
for those who compass it round, or use it as a retreat, or bow, or
prostrate themselves (therein in Prayer). And remember Abraham
said:"My Lord, make this a Cityof Peace, and feed its People with
fruits' such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day." He said:
"(Yes), and such as reject Faith, for a while will I grant them their
Pleasure, but will soon drive them to the torment of Fire, an evil
destination (indeed)!" And remember Abraham and Isma'il raised the
foundations of the House(with this prayer): "Our Lord! Accept (this
service)from us: for You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. "Our
Lord! Make of us Muslims bowing to Your Will); andof our progeny a
people Muslim, bowing to Your (Will); and show us our places for the
celebrationof (due) rites; and turn unto us (in Mercy); for You are
the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. "Our Lord! Send amongst them a
Messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Your Signs to them and
instruct them in Scriptureand Wisdom, and sanctifythem: for You are
the Exalted in Might, the MostWise." And who turns away from the
religion of Abraham but such as debase their souls with folly? Him We
chose and rendered pure in this world: and he will be in the Hereafter
in the ranks of the Righteous. Behold! His Lord said to him: "Bow
(your will to Me):" he said: "I bow (my will) to the Lord and
Cherisher of the Universe." And this was the Legacy that Abraham left
to his sons, and so did Jacob; "O my sons! Allah has chosen the Faith
for you; then die not except in the state of submission (to Allah)"
(2:125-32)
And talking about the first call to Hajj, Allah (swt) says,
"Behold! We gave the site, to Abraham, of the (Sacred) House,
(saying): "Associate not anything (in worship) with Me; and sanctify
My House forthose who compass it round, or stand up, or bow, or
prostrate themselves (therein in prayer). And proclaim thePilgrimage
among people; they will come toyou on foot and (mounted) on every kind
of camel, lean on accountof journeys through deep and distant mountain
highways. Thatthey may witness the benefits (provided) for them, and
celebrate the name of Allah, through the Days Appointed, over the
cattle which He has provided for them (for sacrifice): then eat
thereof and feed the distressed ones in want. Then let them complete
the rites prescribed for them, perform their vows, and (again)
circumambulate the Ancient House. Such (is the Pilgrimage):
whoeverhonors the sacred rites ofAllah, for him it is good in the
sight of his Lord" (22:26-30)
As we see here, Hajj was practiced before ProphetMuhammad (S) came,
butthe latter removed the false worshipped idols and ended all pagan
beliefs and practices, which had changed gradually the way of Ibraheem
and Ismaeel (A)as well as the Ka'bah's sanctity. Many rituals were
innovated by people over time, but Prophet Muhammad (S) showed his
companions with every detail how to perform the best pilgrimage. He
(S) said,
"O people! Learn from methe way how to perform your Hajj rituals for I
do not know if I will be able to make Hajj next year ornot." [Muslim,
An-Nassaa'i, Abu Dawud, and Ahmad].
Hajj: A station of Commemorations:
When we perform Hajj, we should relate the rituals to our forefathers
and ancestors in faith: Ibraheem, Ismaeel, Haajar, and Muhammad (S) as
well as the first generations of Muslims. In Hajj, we commemoratethem
as well as their sacrifice, sincerity, dedication and patience, which
constitute the main elements of their legacy. We should not perform
Hajj only physically, but spiritually as well. We should try to
understand the meaning of every thing we do andsee what lessons we can
draw. The following points are some reflections on the pillars of Hajj
and some other rituals:
- In the state of Ihram wewear for a couple of daysa seamless garment,
which is exactly like a shroud. It is a symbol of total renunciation
of worldly life in order to get purified and to raise the soul to a
high spiritual level of consciousness of Allah and the Eternal life.
It makes the pilgrim humble, equal to others, and helpless as if it is
the Day of resurrection.
The restrictions of the state of Ihraam are very rigorous in terms of
the way the pilgrim behaves with others, with himself,and with Allah
and also in terms of using regular worldly things such as putting
perfume, cutting one's hair…etc. This makes Hajj a school of
discipline, taqwah and self-control. A school, which can produce
righteous, decent, honestand hardworking peopleas the five daily
prayers and the fasting of Ramadan and the pillars of Islam do.
- In Tawaaf – Circumambulating around Ka'bah- the pilgrims walk fast
to commemorate the first generation of Muslims who came with the
Messenger of Allah (S) to perform Hajj. When the Polytheists of Makkah
started saying that the Prophet's companions were sick because they
were effected by the fever of Madinah, the Prophet (S) wanted to
disappoint them and show the opposite. That is why men almost jog with
short steps in the first three circumambulations and uncover their
right shoulders during all the tawaaf.
We also imitate the angels who circumambulate around al-bayt
al-Ma'amour – thefilled house – above in the seven Heaven as reported
in many authentic hadiths.
When we kiss the Black Stone, which was brought from Jannah,
weremember the other life and pray to Allah that Paradise will be our
abode. In the Hadith , theProphet (S) said that when the Black Stone
was brought from Jannah., it was very white, but it darkened and
became black because of the sins of human beings. We kiss it because
we saw the Prophet (S) doing it and it is simply an act of following.
The stone cannot bring any benefit or harm to us. All the rituals, the
pillars of Islamand our lives should be established by following the
best. If we understand deeply the meaning of "I bear witness that
Muhammad is the servant and Messenger of Allah" as following the
pattern of the model chosen by GodAlmighty, we will certainly reach
Jannah through the straight path, which is drawn by that model
practically.
- In as-Safaa and al-Marwah we commemorate Haajar (Peace be upon her),
the mother of Ismaeel (A) and the wife of Ibraheem(A). She performed
Sa'y when she was looking for water for her son. After she relied on
Allah and assured Ibraheem that Allah won't leave them without help
(he left with them some dates and water but soonit was finished after
a couple of days…). She was certain that Allah would not forsake her
and her son. In that remote place, water sprung out from under the
feet of Ismaeel the baby. After the certitude she had, her strong
faith in Allah, her sacrifice of searching for water by going back and
forth between as-Safaa and al-Marwah, Allah answered her du'aa and
blessed her with a water that run and never stopped in an arid and
rocky land. She left a great legacy in sacrifice, piety, trust in
Allah, and patience. Allah wants us to learn from her to the point
that he made Sa'y between as-Safaa and al-Marwah one of the pillars of
Hajj and Umrah.He says,
"Behold! As-Safa and al-Marwah are among the Symbols of Allah. So
ifthose who visit the Housein the Season or at other times, should
compass them round, it is no sin inthem. And if any one obeys his own
impulse toGood, be sure that Allah is He Who recognizes andknows."
(2:158)
- In Arafaat we commemorate the Success of Muslims over the pagans of
Makkah. It was the success of truth over falsehood. There, the Muslim
remembers that truth always prevailsno matter how long it takes for
falsehood and delusion to last and deceive. 'Arafaat is also the
symbol of unity and solidarity because it is a pillar of Hajj that
should be done by all the pilgrims in the same place and at the same
time following the same way. The day of Arafah reminds us also of the
Day of Judgement when we will all stand up waiting for the Just
Judgement of Allah Almighty.
Arafaat is also another symbol of manifestation of Tawheed in terms of
the unified collective standing of all the pilgrims at the same timein
the same place. Moreover, when Prophet Muhammad (S) performed Hajj he
stood on Arafaat as his forefather Ibraheem used to do instead of
standing on Muzdalifah as the Quraish pagans used to do because they
believed they should not go beyond al-Haram boundaries. This was
alsoanother example of the distortion of the religion of Ibraheem and
Ismaeel(A).
- In the Stoning at al-Jamaraat, we commemorate Ibraaheem (A) and
remember how strong and firm he was against Shaytan – our enemy since
the time of Adam (A). We should rememberhow Satan does his utmost
effort to distract us from doing what we're supposed to do to become
closer to Allah and to enter Paradise. Allah has told us that Satan is
our enemy and that we should be constantly in this life in a state of
war with him,
"Then We said: "O Adam! Verily, this – Satan – is an enemy to you and
your wife: so let him not get you both out of the Garden, so that you
are landed in misery." (20:117)
"Verily Satan is an enemyto you: so treat him as anenemy. He only
invites his adherents, that they may become companionsof the Blazing
Fire." (35:6)
We also reflect on the great sacrifices and trials Ibraahem had to
undergo such as offeringhis son Ismaael that he had to wait for his
birth for many decades. In the middle of joy and happiness for
becoming a father, Allah wanted to see how strong was his commitment
to Him. He ordered him to offer the most valuable thing he had; his
only son at that time. Ibraheem and Ismaeel did not fail in that very
difficult test and earned the pleasure of Allah. Allah called this
trial a great one when Hesaid, "For this was obviously a great trial."
"So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah), and he had
laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice), We called out to
him, "O Abraham! You have already fulfilled the vision!" thus indeed
do We reward those who doright. For this was obviously a trial. And We
ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice" (37:103-07)
The most important thingwe should keep in our minds is that Allah
knowsbetter than we do even ifwe sometimes think that a certain action
is not clear to us or does not make a sense to us and why do we have
to perform it. Of course Allah orders only what is good and just for
us and all mankind. We should accept and submit to Allah. As a matter
of fact, one of the meanings of Islam is acceptance.
In commemorating this, the pilgrim should think whether he, or she, is
ready to offer the dearest thing to his, or her, heart for the sake of
Allah. This religion cannot survive in the hearts of people without
sacrifices, devotion, sincere love, commitment, and dedication. Allah
(swt) says,
"By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you give (freely)
of that which you love; and whatever you give, of a truth Allah knows
it well." (3:92)
Lessons and Reflections:
- Hajj is an act of Worship– not tourism or promenade – which requires
a physical and spiritual preparation.
- It is a station of renewing Iman as many other stations where
sinsare wiped out by forgiveness and where faith, trust, and love of
Allah, His Messengers, and the believers increase. The pilgrim
getspurified and comes out of his sins like a newbornbaby.
- It is a school of training for Taqwah – consciousness of one's
duties towards Allah -, good character and discipline like in the
other schools of the pillars of Islam.
- It is a manifestation of brotherhood, equality and Unity. The
Muslims are like different branches but from one tree. In Hajj, we
learn how to develop the Spiritof Unity.
- It is an annual Muslim convention attended by Muslims from different
horizons, colors, races, and tongues… They exchange ideas and news and
celebrate their unity in faith and diversity in culture.
They meet in their center-point Makkah (Qiblah). Muslims always have
to have a center-point and should be constantly focused on their noble
goals.

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