Sublime Benefits and Objectives of Hajj - I

Hajjis one of the pillars of Islam which was prescribed in the ninth
year after theHijrah)emigration( of the Prophet,. It is out of the
mercy of Allaah The Almighty towards His slaves that He has
enjoinedHajjupon them at least once in a lifetime. Allaah The Almighty
Says )what means(:}And ]due[ to Allaah from the people is a pilgrimage
to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way.{]Quran 3:97[
Abu Hurayrahnarrated that the Messenger of Allaah,addressed them
saying:"O people, Allaah has made Hajj obligatory for you; so perform
Hajj."Thereupon, Al-Aqra' ibn Haabis said,"O Messenger of Allaah, )is
it to be performed( every year?"The Prophet,, remained silent, but the
man repeated )these words( thrice, whereupon the Messenger of
Allaah,,said:"If I were to say 'yes', it would become obligatory )for
you to perform it every year( and you would not be able to do it."Then
he said:"Leave me with what I have left to you, for those who were
before you were destroyed because of excessive questioning, and their
opposition to their prophets."]Saheeh Muslimand others[
The occasion ofHajjhas many benefits and objectives spanning
ideological, personal, societal, moral and educational aspects. These
include the following:
1- Deepening faith and strengthening piety:
There is no doubt that performingHajjin theSharee'ah-prescribed manner
strengthens faith and cleanses the self from its impurities. It rouses
Islamic emotions with the purpose of realizing the greatness of Allaah
The Almighty and feeling humble submission to Him where pilgrims
actually live for a number of appointed days in the atmosphere of
divine inspiration and in the places of the revelation of the Noble
Quran. Thus, thousands of souls head in overwhelming spirituality
towards greater, more tangible religious commitment, complete
submission to Allaah The Exalted, sincere adherence to and fruitful
interaction with His orders and prohibitions.
Allaah The Almighty referred to this great purpose and the useful
positive meanings it encompasses in the verse in which He Says about
aHajjritual )what means(:}Their meat will not reach Allaah, nor will
their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you.{]Quran 22:37[
2- Feeling the sacrifices of the first Muslims:
The heightened spirituality of the days ofHajjmakes the Muslims recall
the early days of Prophethood. A believer experiences first-hand the
extent of the sacrifices of the Companionsand realizes the efforts of
the first Muslims who established the basics of religion, adhered to
the rulings and spread the virtues and merits of this religion. They
endured the sufferings and trials they faced from their enemies and
the sacrifices they offered in terms of their souls, money, families,
times and interests. Due to these trials and sacrifices, the Prophet,,
warned againstdisparaging or abusing them. He said:"Allaah, Allaah!
Fear Him with regard to my Companions! Do not revile them after me!
Whoever loves them loves them with his love for me…"He also said in
another narration:"If any one of you spent gold equal to Uhud )in the
cause of Allaah( it would not be equal to even a handful or even half
a handful of what was spent by one of them."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
3- Total obedience to Allaah The Almighty:
Performing the rituals ofHajjin spite of the variety of their forms,
times and places and the difference in their utterances, numbers and
contents instills in the souls of the pilgrims the value of obeying
Allaah, the One and the Only. It teaches them to comply in totality
with His orders, rulings and instructions even if they do not know the
wisdom behind them or their material consequences.
Among the actions that prove this total submission to Allaah are
performingTawaafaround theKa'bahseven times, kissing the Black Stone,
throwing the pebbles with known and appointed times and numbers,
standing at'Arafaatand then heading at night towardsMuzdalifahto stay
the night therein.
Thus, the physical, intellectual and spiritual activities of man merge
in a great and noble manner for him to get used to executing the
orders of Allaah The Almighty and adhering to His instructions with
truthfulness, sincerity, submission and humility without hesitation
nor delay, even if the material benefits of this do not appear
immediately.
'Umarused to kiss the Black Stone and say,"No doubt, I know that you
are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not
seen the Messenger of Allaahkissing you, I would not have kissed
you."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
)To be continued(