Lessons Drawn from the Obligation of Hajj - I

The days of Hajj passed, its rituals are over and most of the pilgrims
returned home, carrying the memories of their journey to the House of
Allah Almighty. However, if the rituals of Hajj are over, its benefits
and objectives are not and will never come to an end.
A Christian missionary once said:
Islam will remain the strong rock that will destroy the ships of
Christian missionary activities as long as it has such strong pillars:
the Quran, Friday gathering and the conference of Hajj.
If this is how the enemies of the Muslims understand the objectives of
Hajj and the great role that it can play in the nation of Islam, then
how do Muslims themselves find Hajj? What are the benefits that one
can have during the anniversary of Hajj? What are the lessons that the
Ummah can draw from Hajj? Is Hajj composed of just rituals that are to
be fulfilled, rites, supplications and invocations that are to be
performed, or is it something greater than that?
Allah Almighty, Whose wisdom is great and sublime, can never Prescribe
nor Impose something unless it has numerous benefits and wisdom that
no one's knowledge can comprehend except Him, The Exalted, regardless
of who comprehends or does not comprehend this.
The nation of Islam in its times of difficulty and weakness needs – or
rather, it is in dire need of it – to thoughtfully contemplate, learn
and analyze every objective of the rituals of Islam, and Hajj is one
of them. In this way, it will draw lessons, renew determination, and
correct the direction and intention so that it may adhere firmly to
this religion and strive hard for its superiority, fighting whoever
averts from its way and stands against it.
The obligation of Hajj is great in its rituals, sublime in its
characteristics, noble in its fruits, magnificent in its benefits and
wonderful in its effects. It has uncountable benefits and interests.
Rather, Hajj includes the noblest objectives, the greatest wisdom and
extraordinary benefits. Allah Almighty Has Pointed out such benefits
and objectives in simple words, Saying )what means(:}And proclaim to
the people the Hajj ]pilgrimage[; they will come to you on foot and on
every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass. That they
may witness benefits for themselves.{]Quran 22: 27-28[ Ibn 'Abbaas,
May Allah Be Pleased with him, said, "The benefits of the worldly life
and the Hereafter."
Raising the banner of Tawheed )Islamic monotheism( high:
One of the greatest and foremost objectives of Hajj is raising the
banner of Tawheed high and reviving its characteristics that have
perished. This is the most important and clear objective of the
journey of Hajj. It accompanies it from the very beginning through
dedicating one's intention to Allah Almighty, Alone, and raising the
voice with Talbiyah to the very end with the last time of throwing the
pebbles during the last Days of At-Tashreeq, which is the last of the
rituals of Hajj that the pilgrim does before performing Tawaaf
Al-Wadaa', leaving Makkah to go home.
The people of the pre-Islamic era and Quraysh used to say Talbiyah and
associate partners with Allah Almighty in Talbiyah, saying:
Labbayka Allahumma labbayk. Labbayka la shareeka laka Illa Shareek
Huwa Lak, Tamlikuhu wama Malak )I respond to Your call, I respond to
Your call, You Have no partner except the partner that You Have, You
Own Him and whatever he owns(.
However, when the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, came, he
taught his Ummah pure Tawheed through the great beautiful Talbiyah:
Labbayka Allahumma labbayk, Labbayka la shareeka laka labbayk, Innal
hamda wan-ni'amata laka wal mulk, la shareeka lak )I respond to Your
call, O Allah here I come, In response to Your call, You Have no
partner, I respond to Your call. All the praises and blessings are for
You, All the sovereignty is for You, And You Have no partners with
You(.
This Talbiyah indicates sincere devotion and repentance, Tawheed
without associating partners and sincerity that is free of showing
off. Actually, every act that does not have sincerity lacks blessings
and will not be accepted. The Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
said that Allah Almighty Says:
He who does something for someone else's sake as well as Mine will
have that action renounced by Me to him whom he associated with Me and
I Will Disassociate Myself from him.
Therefore, the first lesson that the pilgrim and the Ummah as a whole
should learn perfectly from the lessons of Hajj is that of Tawheed and
repenting to Allah Almighty again at a time when people have started
to worship many different gods and deities and sound faith has
disappeared in the hearts of its people exactly as the embroideries of
a garment do. People have given up worshiping Allah Almighty to
worship others than Him such as supplicating the dead, believing in
the Awliyaa', ascribing worship, presents and vows to the graves,
seeking a child for a barren woman from them, seeking a husband for a
young woman that stayed a long time in the house of her father
unmarried, seeking a cure for the ill or the return of the absent.
Still there is another category of people who worship others than
Allah Almighty, seek support, help and provision from them, making
them their refuge and safety, believing that they are more powerful
than Allah Almighty. When any harm afflicts them, their hearts call
upon and turn to their deities other than Allah Almighty, unlike what
the polytheists used to do. Allah Almighty Says )what means(:
•}And when adversity touches man, he calls upon his Lord, turning to
Him ]alone[{]Quran 39: 8[
•}And when waves come over them like canopies, they supplicate Allah,
sincere to Him in religion. But when He Delivers them to the land,
there are ]some[ of them who are moderate ]in faith[.{]Quran 31: 32[
As for people nowadays, if adversity touches them, they turn to the
gods of the earth. They depend upon them; call upon them; supplicate
them; seek help and support from them; and present sacrifices for
them, even if the sacrifice is to slaughter Tawheed and sound faith.
Not to mention worshiping desires, property, wives, children and the
like. Hajj comes to change all such things. It comes to destroy the
throne of Shirk and establish the tower of Tawheed on its ruins:
Labbayka Allahumma labbayk, Labbayka la shareeka laka labbayk, Innal
hamda wan-ni'amata laka wal mulk, la shareeka lak. You the Almighty
Are The True God and True Deity. There is no Lord except You. There is
no god other than You. Here I come in response to Your call, truly in
devotion and slav¬ery.
Adhering firmly to the footsteps of the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam:
Amongst the lessons of Hajj is that the Ummah has to learn, remember
and comprehend – rather, it has to have firm conviction – that there
is no sublimity, success, prosperity nor guidance except through
adhering to and following the way of the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi
wa sallam. To adhere firmly to the footsteps of the Prophet,
sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, means that one should adhere to his
guidance regarding belief, actions, conduct, manners, rulings and
accepting his judgments.
Hajj is a wonderful lesson in this regard. It is practical practice
that the pilgrim will do and the whole Ummah will witness. It has
specific rituals and magnificent order that all pilgrims do at the
same time and place. The Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, has
explained this issue while saying when performing every ritual of
Hajj:"Learn from me your rituals )of Hajj and 'Umrah(."
Therefore, Ibn 'Abbaas, May Allah Be Pleased with him, said, "Perform
Hajj in the same way the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, did
and never say this is a Sunnah and this is obligatory."
This matter is not confined to Hajj only, but rather it is to be done
in all the different walks of life. Everyone has to obey the Prophet,
sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and follow his guidance, otherwise, doom
and abyss will be his fate. Allah Almighty Says )what means(:}But no,
by your Lord, they will not ]truly[ believe until they make you, ]O
Muhammad[, judge concerning that over which they dispute among
themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you
have judged and submit in ]full, willing[ submission. {]Quran 4: 65[