Hajj - Significant Practice in Islam

Hajj Significant Practice in Islam

Affinity Intercultural Foundation Page 1 Prepared by Mehmet Ozalp

HAJJ Significant Practice in Islam

Objectives

Briefly describe the rituals of Hajj

Describe the meaning of Pilgrimage and its aspects of worship

Demonstrate how this practice expresses the beliefs of Islam

Analyse the significance of this practice for both the individual and the Muslim

community

The Quran and Hadith on Hajj

[It is] the place whereon Abraham once stood; and whoever enters it finds inner peace. Hence,

pilgrimage unto the Temple is a duty owed to God by all people who are able to undertake it.

The Holy Quran, Chapter 3, Verse 97

"And proclaim to mankind Al-Hajj (Pilgrimage).

They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep valley and

distant place to perform Hajj


[However,] you will be committing no sin if [during the pilgrimage] you seek to obtain any bounty

from your Sustainer. And when you surge downward in multitudes from `Arafat, remember God at

the holy place, and remember Him as the One who guided you after you had indeed been lost on your

way.


Prophet Muhammad said: Whoever performs Hajj to this house Kabah and does not commit

any obscenity and wrongdoing, he, or she, will come out as the day he, or she, was born pure and

free from sins.

Prophet Muhammad



Description of Pilgrimage Hajj

The Arabic word hajj literally means to embark out for a place. In Islamic terminology, hajj refers

to the annual pilgrimage that Muslims embark onto Maccah with the intention of visiting holy places

and performing certain religious rites in accordance with the way prescribed by the Prophet

Muhammadpbuh

.

Hajj, or the Pilgrimage, consists of visiting a number of sacred places such as Kabah, Mt Arafat and

performing specific rites during the period from the 8th

to 13th

Dhul Hijjah, the twelfth month of the

Islamic Calendar. This pilgrimage is done once in a lifetime by those Muslims rich enough to make

the journey. Hajj has a number of important rituals associated with it, including:

1. Putting on ihram, the two pieced cloth.

2. Circumambulating the Kabah seven times.

3. A fast walk between Safa and Marwah near Kabah.

4. Visiting and staying at Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah.

5. Throwing pebbles at three fixed places in Mina.

6. Shaving or trimming hair.

7. Sacrifice of an animal which is distributed to the poor.

Hajj is Abrahamic

Hajj is more than just a matter of connecting with the historical legacy of Islam, but is rather a form

of collective worship, and a way of establishing a connection with the monotheism and its human

legacy symbolised by Abrahampbuh

and the first human Adampbuh

respectively.

Abraham was an exemplar model for monotheism and a mentor for all believers in One God. His

faith and submission to One God was equal to the faith of a whole nation as described in the Holy

Quran.

Hence, it is not a surprise that most of the Hajj rites are Abrahamic.

Kabah signifies oneness of God, the creator of the universe and every living creature.

The Story of Abraham

Abraham had two wives, Sarah, the mother of Isaac and Hagar the mother of Ishmael.

When Ishmael was a baby, Abraham took his wife Hagar with Ishmael to Mecca at a time when it

was an arid place. This was a command from God for which he acted without hesitation because he

had trust in his Lord. His wife Hagar fully submitted to Gods command due to her strong faith and

agreed to migrate to Mecca and live there alone with her son.

Initially, it was very difficult for Hagar in Mecca; at the time Mecca as a city did not exist. It was part

of a valley called Bekka. When Hagar ran out of water and her son cried because of thirst, she

walked and ran scanning the whole area searching for water.

Hagar ran back and forth seven times between two rocky hillocks, Safa and Marwa. Hagar kept

searching until she found the sacred water known as zamzam. This water sprang forth miraculously

under Ishmael's tiny feet.



Sacrificing of Animal

Pilgrims provide a qurban (sacrifice) on Eid (Festival) day by organising the slaughtering of a sheep

and having its meat distributed to needy people. The meat is usually canned and donated to poor

people in other countries as humanitarian aid. In many countries, this is the only time that the

people get the chance to eat meat.

The act symbolises a Muslims willingness to give up things that are of benefit to them or close to

their hearts, in order to follow God's commands. It also symbolises a Muslims willingness to give up

some of their own bounties, in order to strengthen ties of friendship and help those who are in

need. The symbolism is in the attitude - a willingness to make sacrifices in our lives in order to stay

on the Straight Path.

The Qur'an describes Abraham as follows:

Surely Abraham was an example, obedient to God, by nature upright, and he was not of the

polytheists. He was grateful for Our bounties. We chose him and guided him unto a right path. We

gave him good in this world, and in the next he will most surely be among the righteous."

(Qur'an 16:120-121)

And "We made him (Abraham) pure in this world and in the hereafter; he is most surely among the

righteous. When his Lord said to him, 'Submit,' he said, 'I submit myself to the Lord of the Worlds.'"

(Qur'an 2:130-131)

Thus, slaughtering of sheep is significant in many ways;

- It ended the sacrificing of human beings which was a common practice during Prophet Abrahams time.

- The slaughtering of the sheep is symbolic of the sacrifices one makes in devoting ones life to God. In the Quran, Abraham is referred to as the first Muslim for this reason. A Muslim is

someone who submits or surrenders to God.

- The sacrifice is representative of ones God-consciousness;

[But bear in mind:] never does their (sacrificed animals) flesh reach God, and neither their blood: it is

only your God-consciousness that reaches Him.

(Quran 22:37)

The spiritual meaning of Hajj and its aspects of worship

The Quranic verse, All that is in the heavens and on the earth extols and glorifies God, for He is the

Tremendous, the Wise, (Quran, 57:1) tells us that all creatures of God glorify, praise and, hence,

worship God in a language of their natural disposition. When a seed lifts a tall tree or a bud on a

branch opens up into a beautiful flower, all reflect the Power, Wisdom and Glory of God. Just as this

occurs individually when creatures display the wonders of the Creator and live in accordance with

the purposes of their creation, they also worship God collectively by obeying to the call of God in

large numbers. All great animal migrations numbering in millions and synchronised blossoming of all

plants in springtime are examples of collective acts of worship seen in nature. For example, it has



only been discovered that corals on the Great Barrier Reef on the east coast of Australia, germinate

at the same time in a year across a thousand miles of the reef. The wilder-beasts in Africa migrate in

tens and thousands to greener pastures in the steps of Africa all at the same time.

Muslims also obey to the call of God by turning up in millions at the time of pilgrimage. The central

aims of worship, that is exalting, glorifying and praising God, occur individually and collectively.

Muslims exalt God by showing up in mass, as though saying You are greater than my self and above

the whole of humanity; here we are ready to worship you in mass. They glorify God by going around

the Kabah, as though saying just as we are circling the one and only Kabah, the oldest place of

worship on earth, we only obey you the Absolute One worthy of worship. They praise God through

the collective supplication (dua) and remembrance of God in the plains of Mt Arafat.

Another common act of worship observed in the universe is that all entities orbit around a central

point. While electrons orbit the nucleus in an atom, the earth and planets orbit the sun. Solar system

orbits the centre of the Milky Way and so on. Muslims join in this cosmic mode of worship and

synchronise with the universe and all existence by circling the Kabah.

Muslims believe that the Kabah was the first place of worship built by the first human and the first

prophet, Adampbuh

. It was later rebuilt on the same foundations by Abrahampbuh

and his son

Ishmailpbuh

and declared as a shrine dedicated to monotheism. Abrahampbuh

called on people to

make pilgrimage to the site. Before the days of Islam, the Hebrew Bible confirmed the existence of

this pilgrimage to Mecca (or Beca). Psalm 84:46 says, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising You. Blessed are those whose

strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Beca,

they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

The climax of Pilgrimage occurs at the plains of Mount Arafat, about twenty kilometres outside of

Mecca. All pilgrims have to be present in this location at the same time simulating the day of

resurrection. Everybody wears the same simple garment and supplicates to God with no distinction

of race, status or wealth.

Mt Arafat has a very significant place in the history of humanity. According to Islam, this is the place

where the first man, Adampbuh

and his partner Eve sincerely repented and received forgiveness for

their mistake committed in Paradise. Similarly, Muslims turn up in millions at the same place and

time, as Adampbuh

and Eve did, to repent for their sins and ask forgiveness. The plea and petition of

millions of people at the same time is a compelling spiritual force that begs forgiveness. If three

million people walked to the palace of a president and asked for something, certainly he would not

reject them. According to Prophet Muhammadpbuh

, God will not return a sincere pilgrim asking

forgiveness empty handed. His or her sins will be wiped off and attain the sinless state of a newborn.

Since human rights cannot be forgiven by God, pilgrims usually see their family and friends and

settle any unsettled issues and ask for forgiveness for mistakes and sins done to them.

Thus, when Muslims circle the Kabah and collectively pray in the plains of Mt Arafat, they are

affirming their commitment to God and to monotheism. As people from all races and nations gather

at the spiritual epicenter of the world, the Kabah, they are affirming their common paternal

ancestry with Adampbuh

and their spiritual ancestry with Abrahampbuh

.



The fundamental spiritual benefit of Hajj

While shahadah detaches one from finite and false masters; salat detaches one from the worldly

affairs; zakat detaches the worshipper from the pangs of material wealth; and fasting detaches the

worshipper from the physical desires and emotional impulses, pilgrimage is a detachment from the

load of sins and racism.

If we do not clear the sins of the past it leads one to despair of getting close to God. We would even

be ashamed to enter into the presence of God in prayer. There is the possibility that despair in time

can lead to loosing motivation and enthusiasm for spiritual closeness to God. Therefore they must

be removed. The removal comes in settling any human rights before the pilgrimage and sincere

repentance and plea at Arafat. This is the reason why the prophet has said Hajj is Arafat.

One final potential human problem is the issue of racism that prevents us to develop spiritually. This

is because racism leads to superiority complex over other races or it justifies transgression of the

rights of other people. There needs to be a display of such magnitude that would make one realise

that feelings of race superiority is harmful. Pilgrimage enables a Muslim to realise the universality of

Islam as he sees Muslims from all over the world from all nationalities and races. A pilgrim develops

an acute sense of equality of human beings in practice rather than just theory. It simulates the Day

of Judgment when masses gather in one place wearing only a two-pieced white garment without any

stiches. In addition, this uniform dressing is an expression of the absolute equality of human beings.

Muslims also realise the universality of Islam when they witness Muslims from all races and

nationalities worshipping the One God. It was this experience that led to the transformation of

Malcolm X. After witnessing the equal and peaceful stance of all races and all nationalities before

God, he denounced his extreme racist beliefs towards white man in response to racism towards

African Americans.

Other benefits of Hajj for human development

Pilgrimage is a total human experience and has great benefits for a Muslim. In addition to the above

fundamental spiritual benefit, pilgrimage has other spiritual benefits. The certainty of the faith of a

Muslim increases through pilgrimage. Seeing millions of people worship one God is an immense

witness that He exists. Visiting Kabah where a number of prophets are reported to be buried and

Mt Hira where Quran first started to be revealed increases his or her attachment to the Quran and

the Holy Prophet Muhammadpbuh

. Masses moving in unison and with a common dress stripped of all

worldly possessions enact the Day of Judgment. Seeing the places where human history was shaped

demonstrates the Divine Plan and Determination. The extra self-control and exercise of human will

reminds them of their accountability in having the freedom of choice.

In addition to removing racism, pilgrimage is the greatest social event in the world. For centuries

Muslims shared ideas, passed on experience and books when they met for pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage also has great mental benefits. Many mental skills such as determination, perseverance,

patience and control of human will are exercised and developed in trying conditions of the hajj.

Inner spiritual peace and contentment reach their peak removing stress and any sign of depression.

By leaving everything behind for a long period of time provides the effect of true recreation for the

mind and the spirit.

Physical benefits are not neglected in pilgrimage. Hajj is very much a physical event. Going around

the Kabah seven times and fast walk between Safa and Marwah gives Muslims ample exercise and



remind them the need to be physically fit and also the value of good health especially when they see

older pilgrims struggling in doing the rites.

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Hajj - Significant Practice in Islam