The 19th Pillar,
Performing the Pilgrimage to Allâh’s Sacred House in
Makkah.
The
Ḥajj to Makkah is an obligation once in a lifetime
for those who are able to perform it.
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The Ḥajj is obligatory on
every Muslim who is adult, sane and capable. Ḥajj is compulsory once in the lifetime for
whoever is able to perform it: {Due to Allâh, from the people, is a pilgrimage to the House - for
whoever is able to find thereto a way} (Q3: 97).
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The Ḥajj is the worship
demonstrating and manifesting the unity of the whole Islamic nation. It is also
a means for achieving the major religious purpose concerning the nation, namely
the establishment and the development of an excellent, righteous, successful
and benevolent nation. The Ḥajj is a means of reviving the Islamic nation, and strengthening its
cohesion and unity. It is also a means for showing respect and glorification of
the rites and symbols of Allâh. It gives the opportunity for each human to
benefit of the good effects and blessings of the righteous people and to
benefit of the blessings accumulated in the sacred land over the centuries due
to the influx of angels especially those associated with these holy places.
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This pillar is from the pillars of the natural
and innate religion, the pillars of formal (superficial or minor) Islâm and the
pillars of true Islâm. This pillar must be celebrated and manifested to show
the affiliation to the Islamic nation. The unity of the nation can be realized
by unifying the system of values and morals, the goals, the rituals and the
purposes on all levels. This pillar
helps strengthen and consolidate the unity of the Islamic peoples and is
reminding them that they are one united nation.
Performing the Ḥajj is a
worship that Allâh mandated Muslims to perform once in a lifetime. Muslims
should gather in the Holy city of Makkah, to perform their pilgrimage’s rites
during recognized days in recognized months, in order to achieve the objectives
that Allâh indicates by this worship. The Ḥajj is the
worship that is filled with symbolic actions. The Ḥajj makes Muslims feel real importance
of life here on earth, and the afterlife, by stripping away all markers of
social status, wealth, and pride. In the Ḥajj all are truly equal. The Ḥajj helps
achieve the major religious purposes. It demonstrates the unity of religion,
the unity of nation and the unity of humanity.
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The Pilgrimage is proclaimed among men
so that they may witness the benefits provided for them, and celebrate the name
of Allâh, through the days appointed, over the cattle which He has provided for
them then they eat thereof and feed the distressed ones in want.
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Muslims are to perform and observe the
rites as the messenger Ibrahîm did. The major rites are mentioned in the Qur'ân. In this
regard, the Messenger ordered Muslims to perform the rites which
are the inheritance of Ibrahîm. These rites as performed by the Messenger had been preserved
and recorded by the main scholars of jurisprudence. The necessary rites of the Ḥajj must be
performed following one of the credible schools of jurisprudence with some
modifications.
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The Ḥajj is
an expression of unity and equality among Muslims, for, Muslims gather from all
over the world using one type of costume, performing the same rites regardless of
race, country, and social status. This is a demonstration and a manifestation
of the value of equality of all people which is an Islamic value. Allâh
declared that He has created
mankind in the form of a male or a female, and made them into nations and
tribes, that they may know one another. He declared that the most honorable
with Him is that who has the most Taqwâ. Therefore, the superiority is determined
according to some essential attribute known only to Allâh and not determined
according to some subjective criteria.
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From the purposes of the Ḥajj are:
1- To remember, praise, and glorify Allâh.
2- To ask for Allâh's forgiveness for past sins and mistakes.
3- To attain the attribute of Taqwâ.
4- To remember the favor, the blessings and the grace of Allâh.
5- To show to the other peoples the glory of Islâm and the unity
of its nation.
6- To help strengthen and consolidate the nation.
7- To present to humanity an excellent example of removing class
distinctions.
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One of the pilgrimage’s rites and
rituals is to offer a sacrificial animal as an oblation to Allâh. Allâh said
that it is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Him but Taqwâ. The attainment of Taqwâ, which affects and appears in the
Muslim’s behavior, is one of the most important purposes of performing the Ḥajj or any
other worship.
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Performing the Ḥajj
plays a big role in the rectification of the Muslim’s behavior. Allâh enjoined humankind
to take a provision with them for any journey. He declares that the best of
provisions is the Taqwâ.
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Pilgrims wear special clothes that
strip away distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand equal before
Allâh. The Ḥajj provides a
unique opportunity for those of different nations and from every corner of the
globe to meet one another each year. Once a year, Muslims of every ethnic group, colour, social status, country,
and culture gather together in Makkah and stand before the Ka3bah praising Allâh together. It is a
ritual that is designed to promote the bonds of Islamic brotherhood by showing
that everyone is equal in the eyes of Allâh. The major criterion of preference
is the degree of Taqwâ
which expresses the inner status of the human known only to Allâh.
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The pilgrim should avoid all kinds of sins
in order to attain Allâh’s forgiveness and to be cleansed from his past sins.
He must not speak obscene language. He must not commit sins. The Messenger got used
to declare the acceptance of worship by saying that the performer is rewarded
with Paradise .
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The rites of the Ḥajj include
going around the Ka3bah seven
times, and going seven times between the hillocks of Safâ and Marwâ. The pilgrims later stand together on the
wide plains of 3arafât,
mention loudly the name of Allâh, glorifying Him, praising Him, and asking Him for
what they wish and for His forgiveness.
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The Muslim must carry out the rites of Ḥajj as an act
of worship. He must know that the Ka3bah
as well as other sites should not be worshiped beside Allâh. There is no deity
except Allâh.
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In the Ḥajj,
the Muslims gather from all parts of the world at one place, wearing the same
white garment and worshiping one God; with no difference between them. There is
no superiority for a Muslim over another Muslim except by Taqwâ and good deeds.
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By the Ḥajj, Muslims achieve cooperation and mutual
recognition, they remember the Day that Allâh will raise all of them up and
gather them at a single place for reckoning. They thereby prepare for what is
after death through acts of obedience to Allâh.
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Once in a lifetime, the Ḥajj and the 3umrat are decreed for those who can afford them. The Ḥajj begins with a bath or shower, followed by a state of sanctity
called "Iḥrâm," where the male pilgrim
wears seamless sheets of material, and the woman wears a modest dress.
Throughout the Ḥajj, the pilgrim abstains from sexual
intercourse, vanities such as shaving and cutting the hair, arguments,
misconduct, and bad language. Cleanliness, bathing, and regular hygiene
practices are encouraged.
During the Ḥajj
it is not wrong to maintain regular hygiene practices such as bathing and
washing. The pilgrims must cooperate in matters of righteousness and piety and
avoid arguments, misconduct, bad language and losing temper.
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The Muslim must do the Ḥajj when he can
afford it. It is not required to sell his assets and become poor to go on Ḥajj or to
spend the rest of life in debt and misery. Allâh is Most Merciful. He does not charge a soul except
with that within its capacity.
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The
Ḥajj must be observed during
the four Sacred Months. The first part of the pilgrimage is called 3umrat. 3umrat
can be performed by itself any time during the year. However, performing 3umrat
by itself is not a substitute for Ḥajj.
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The Steps for performing Ḥajj and 3umrah are as follows:
1. Preparation
a- Start with a bath or shower.
b- Make intention for the Ḥajj.
c- Enter state of Sanctity (Iḥrâm) - Seamless sheets of material for men, modest dress for women.
2. Rites:
3umrat part of the Ḥajj
a- Make counter-clockwise circumvolution around the Ka3bah seven times while glorifying and praising Allâh.
b- Walk between the knolls of Ṣafâ
and Marwat seven times with occasional trotting.
c- If only 3umrat is being performed, cut or shorten hair and
remove Iḥrâm garments.
The 3umrat is now complete.
3. Rites: Second part of the Ḥajj (3arafât, Muzdalifat, Mina, Makkah)
a- Proceed to 3arafât
for a day of worship, meditation, and glorification of Allâh from dawn to sunset.
b- After sunset go to Muzdalifah for the night and commemorate Allâh for guiding you. Observe the 3ishâ' there.
c- Go to Mina for at least 2 days. - On the first morning offer
animal sacrifice. Mention Allâh's
name upon them, eat of them and feed the miserable and poor.
d- Return to Makkah for farewell circumvolution around Ka3bah 7 times while glorifying and praising
Allâh.
e- Cut or shorten hair and remove Iḥrâm garments.
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Performing the Ḥajj is a
worship that Allâh mandated Muslims to perform once in a lifetime. During the Ḥajj they
experience the unity, breadth and diversity of the Islamic community. Pilgrimage
is also an expression of unity and equality among Muslims, for, Muslims gather
from all over the world using one type of costume, performing the same rites.
In addition, performing pilgrimage plays a big role in the rectification of the
Muslim’s behavior. The pilgrim should avoid all kinds of sins during the Ḥajj.
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The purposes of performing the pillars
of Islâm for a Muslim are the rectification, purification and sanctification of
his behavior and keeping his heart in association with Allâh. The sign of his
success is to find that Allâh has the highest stature in his heart.
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The
Hajj or pilgrimage to Makkah, a central duty of Islâm brings together Muslims of all races and tongues for one of
life's most moving spiritual experiences.
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The
recorded origins of the divinely prescribed pilgrimage are traced to the
Prophet Ibrahîm. According to the Qur'ân, it was Ibrahîm who, together with his son Isma3îl, built the Ka3bah, "the House of Allâh," the focal point toward
which Muslims turn in their Ṣalât five
times each day. It was Ibrahîm, who received the revelation concerning the
rituals of the Ḥajj. Saying that the Ka3bah is the
House of Allâh does not at all mean that Allâh dwells in it but indicates the
importance and honor of this place.
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The
Ḥajj to Makkah is once-in-a-lifetime obligation
upon male and female adults whose health and means permit it. Before setting
out, a pilgrim should redress all wrongs, pay all debts, plan to have enough
funds for his own journey and for the maintenance of his family while he is
away, and prepare himself for good conduct throughout the Ḥajj. The Iḥrâm is a symbol
of purity and of the renunciation of evil and mundane matters.
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The
Ḥajj is
one of the pillars of Islâm.
This is the name given to the pilgrimage to Makkah, the focal point of Islâmic community, where once every year
Muslims from all over the world gather to perform a special type of
congregational worship. This takes the form of a symbolic enactment of certain
Islamic teachings, the observance of which is a requirement on both spiritual
and material levels, since it demonstrates the individual's readiness to put
Islamic precepts into practice in his everyday life. Individual acts of Islamic
worship may be similarly defined, but the scale on which they take place during
Ḥajj and their close combination
produces an intensification of their overall effect. The successful Ḥajj has excellent
effects on the human self.
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The
ideal of all men living on earth as God's servants, and therefore as equals, is
expressed in the wearing of Iḥrâm (a very
simple form of clothing) by all pilgrims, irrespective of their nationality.
In this way, all artificial, discriminatory barriers are broken down between
people from all walks of life. It is also the earnest wish of Islâm that people's lives should revolve
around God, and a symbolic demonstration of this takes place during the
pilgrimage in the circumambulation of the House of God.
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One
of Islâm's major goals
is that humankind should live in remembrance of that Day when all will be
assembled before Allâh.
The gathering of the pilgrims on the plain of 3arafât, is a visible reminder of this crucial
moment in the Afterlife.
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Islâm desires that the believer should adhere
to the covenant he has made with Allâh, even if this entails the sacrifice of his property or even
his life. At Mina, therefore, during the rites of pilgrimage, the pilgrims
sacrifice an animal, thus showing themselves ready to make whatever sacrifices
are demanded of them. It is also a requirement of Islâm that people should patiently endure the inconveniences they have
to suffer, and during the Hajj season, pilgrims have innumerable opportunities
of displaying their self-restraint.
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From
the purposes of Ḥajj is to remember Allâh, thank Him, praise Him
and acknowledge His blessings and favors. Ḥajj is a rehearsal for
a life of seeking Allâh, struggling in His cause, keeping for Him the highest
degree in the heart and living as He desires.
The Ḥajj is also a reminder of the Last Day. Its greatest
message is that if one desires to be with Allâh he should be prepared to
sacrifice not only one's possessions but also one's very life for Him. In this
way, it is a lesson in living a God-oriented life. The Ḥajj is
also a colossal demonstration of human equality.
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The
Ḥajj is a great and all-encompassing act of worship.
If it is correctly performed, its impact will be permanent. This once
in-a-lifetime pilgrimage will leave its indelible stamp upon the self of the
pilgrim, thus changing for the better the whole course of his remaining life.
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Whatever
their backgrounds and class, all who participate in the pilgrimage wear simple
garments, two seamless white cloths for men and an outfit that entirely covers
the body, except face and hands, for women. These coverings symbolize purity as
well as the unity and equality of all believers, an equality that transcends
class, wealth, privilege, power, nationality, race and color.
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The
Ḥajj is the largest, regularly scheduled international gathering on
Earth. In the days of Ḥajj, pilgrims participate in a variety of
ritual actions and ceremonies re-enacting and commemorating (symbolizing) key
religious events. They walk and sometimes run seven times along a corridor of
the Grand Mosque. In great contrast to the circumambulation of the Ka3ba, which centers on spiritual contact with Allâh, this rite symbolizes
humankind’s ongoing effort, movement, and struggle through life, expressing a
believer’s persistence in life’s struggle for survival.
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Makkah
is the site of the first house of worship. The rituals performed in the
pilgrimage follow the footsteps of Ibrahîm; the father of Muslims.
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Gathering of different people at an appointed
times and places opens the door to opportunities of trade, information
exchange, cultural exchange, networking, etc. This idea of the meeting and
mixing of people and races can be clearly seen in the following verse:
“O mankind, We created you from a male and female, and We made you into
nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Surely, the most honorable
among you in the sight of Allâh is the most righteous (who has the highest
degree of Taqwâ among you). Allâh is 3alîm-un-Ḫabîr (Omniscient, Absolutely Expert).” (Q 49:13)
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