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In
the Qur’an, Allah says: [By
the Break of Day; By the Ten Nights; By the Even and Odd
(contrasted); And by the Night when it passes away; Is there (not)
in these an adjuration (or evidence) for those who understand?]
(Al-Fajr 89:1-5)
[And
proclaim the Pilgrimage among people; they will come to thee on
foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of
journeys through deep and distant mountain highways. That they 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). So eat you 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.]
(Al-Hajj 22:27-29)
[The
first House (of worship) appointed for people, was that at Bakkah;
full of blessing and of guidance for all beings. In it are Signs
manifest; the Station of Abraham; whoever enters it attains
security; pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to Allah, those who
can afford the journey; but if any deny faith, Allah stands not in
need of any of His creatures.]
(Aal `Imran 3:96-97)
The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are the most sacred days of the
year. They are mentioned as special days in Surat Al-Fajr. These
are the days of special blessings. Muslims are urged to do more
dhikr (remembering Allah), charity and good deeds during this
time. Fasting in these days is prescribed as nafl (supererogatory
act of worship) from first to the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah. The
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There are
no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than
these ten days." The people asked, "Not even jihad
for the sake of Allah?" He said, "Not even jihad for
the sake of Allah, except in the case of a man who went out to
fight, giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came
back with nothing." (At-Tirmidhi)
At this time millions of Muslims are gathering in and around the
sacred city of
Makkah
. They are coming from every corner of the globe to perform the
sacred rites of Hajj. We pray to Allah to bless all Muslims and
accept their Hajj and devotions.
Hajj is an important pillar of Islam. It has many benefits. It is
a command of Allah. It is obligatory once in life on every adult
Muslim, male or female, who can afford it physically and
financially. Muslims perform Hajj every year in millions in
number. They go there with great love and devotion.
Hajj has a form and a spirit. Its form is to have ihram, perform tawaf
(circumambulation of the Ka`bah) and sa`i (walking between the two
hills), go to Mina, `Arafat, Muzdalifah, do the rami (throwing
pebbles) at the Jamarat and make sacrifice of a sheep, goat or
camel. There are detailed rules that Pilgrims learn. Here at this
time, however, I want to discuss a few points about the spirit of
Hajj for our benefit and let us think about it in these days. This
will help us here also.
1. Hajj is a ceremony of love and devotion to Allah. A
Muslim’s relation with Allah is that of deep love, devotion and
obedience. We love Allah because He loves us. [He
loves them and they love Him...]
(Al-Ma’idah
5:54
). Prophet Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) loved Allah
and Allah took him as a friend (khalil). [Allah
took Ibrahim as a friend.]
(An-Nisaa’ 4:125) Hajj is deeply associated with Prophet Ibrahim
and his life-story. Hajj gives us a sense of history. Our faith is
deep-rooted in history. This is the religion of Allah given to us
by His many prophets: Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Isma`il and finally
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon them all). These
were the people who loved Allah, and Allah loved them and made
them the guides of humanity.
2. Hajj gives the universal spirit of Islam. People of all
races, colors and nationalities go there. They become one people
without any class or distinction. They look alike and do the same
things. The spirit of Hajj is to foster unity and universal
brotherhood and sisterhood among the believers.
3. Hajj gives us a focus, center and orientation. We have one Qiblah and that is our direction for worship. But we should not
have only one Qiblah for worship; we should also have unity of
purpose and mission in our life. Muslims should be the people of a
focus and direction, not a confused people or a people without any
orientation and direction. Our focus of life is Allah and the
House of Allah, the Ka`bah, on this earth. We have with us
Allah’s Book that we must hold fast together. [And
hold fast all together Allah’s rope and be not divided…]
(Aal `Imran 3:103)
4. Hajj is the ceremony of peace and harmony. The pilgrims
come in peace and spend their time together in the most peaceful
and respectful manner. They respect every person and every thing.
They do not harm anyone or anything. This is also the spirit of
Islam. Islam is a total commitment to care, compassion and
kindness. Hajj is the symbol of this commitment and it must be
manifest in our daily life.
5. Hajj is also a movement, action and sacrifice. The
pilgrim keeps on moving all the time, with tawaf, sa`i,
going to Mina, `Arafat, Muzdalifah, Mina again, around the Jamarat
and other places. It is a dynamic ceremony and this is the way a
Muslim’s life should be. Motion, action, and sacrifice – these
things bring success in this life and salvation in the Hereafter.
*Excerpted with modifications from:
http://www.isna.net |
