When tawheed is firmly established in the core of the human soul, it leads to the appearance of high moral standards, wise sayings, and good deeds. The pillars of Islam come to spread light in the world through Prayer, fasting, and zakah. Hajj, then, comes to represent the peak of faith and Islam, both in legislation and practice. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Islam is based on five (pillars): testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing Prayer, paying zakah, fasting (the month of) Ramadan, and performing Hajj to the House (the Ka`bah in Makkah), which is obligatory for him who can find a way thereto.”

That is to say, Hajj is an obligation performed once in a lifetime, preceded by the performance of the daily and yearly obligations. As for Prayer, for example, it was enjoined in the beginning as two Prayers; one in the morning and another in the evening. Afterwards, on the night journey of Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi`raj and soon before Hijrah (the Prophet's migration from Makkah to Madinah), Prayer was enjoined as five daily Prayers, yet fifty in reward. Stressing the virtue of Prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) once asked his Companions, “If there was a river at the door of anyone of you, and he took a bath in it five times a day, would any dirt remain on him?” They replied, “Not a trace of dirt would be left.” The Prophet added, “That is the example of the five Prayers, through which Allah blots out evil deeds.” Provided that a Muslim regularly establishes the obligatory five daily Prayers, the yearly obligation of fasting the month of Ramadan rises as a step forward on the journey of spiritual and moral purification. The obligation of fasting was decreed by Allah in AH 2.

As regards the virtues of fasting, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Almighty Allah said, ‘Every action of the son of Adam is for him, except fasting, for it is solely for Me, and I give the reward for it.’ The fast is a shield. If one is fasting, he should not use foul language or raise his voice. If someone reviles him or fights with him he should say, ‘I am fasting.’ By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the bad breath of the one who is fasting is better in the sight of Allah on the Day of Resurrection than the smell of musk. There are two times of pleasure for the fasting person: when he breaks his fast, he is pleased with his fast-breaking, and when he meets his Lord, he will be pleased with his fasting.”

As for zakah, it is obligatory when a Muslim has a certain amount of money or property on which zakah is due and it remains in his possession for a full lunar year. Zakah was decreed by Allah in AH 2, after the enjoinment of fasting. It is regarded as a means of purification for a Muslim from miserliness; it is purification for the heart and soul. Hence, we find that the pillars of Islam are complementary. The Muslim reaches the peak by performing the obligation of Hajj, which was decreed in AH 6.

Therefore, the Muslim who has performed Hajj is supposed to have observed all the pillars of Islam and performed all religious duties and then he returns from his journey of Hajj to continue the process of spiritual and moral purification. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The performance of two `Umrahs (Lesser Pilgrimage) is expiation for what is committed between them. And the Hajj accepted by Allah has no reward but Paradise.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also tells us that whoever performs Hajj and does not sexually approach his wife, nor does he commit sins while performing Hajj, will go home as sinless as a newborn child.

That is to say, Hajj is based on all other acts of worship that involve the heart and soul, control the body and physical desires, and rise from sincerity of faith and ultimate submission to Almighty Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Perhaps the chanting of Talbiyah (a formula repeatedly chanted by pilgrims upon Hajj), which involves the pilgrim’s heart, soul, and body, is a clear expression of man’s spiritual and physical submission to his Great Creator. “Ever at Your service O Allah! Ever at Your service! Ever at Your service! You have no partner! Ever at Your service! Surely, all praise and grace are Yours, and so is dominion! You have no partner!”

Muslims who perform Hajj merely to gain fame or respect, or for trade or tourism, miss the most significant objective a wise person may seek, waste the most precious value in life, and disregard the deepest spiritual thing in the universe, namely, sincerity to Almighty Allah.