FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Dr. Farida Khanam has been a professor at the Department of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. A Study of World's Major Religions, A Simple Guide to Sufism are two of the books amongst many others, of which she is the author. She has also translated many books on Islam authored by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Currently, the chairperson of Centre for Peace and Spirituality (CPS International), an organization founded by her father Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, she is a regular contributor of articles to journals, newspapers and magazines. Dr. Khanam has edited Maulana’s English translation of the Quran and has also translated his Urdu commentary of the Quran into English. Under Maulana Wahiduddin Khan Peace Foundation, along with the CPS team, she has designed a series of courses on peace-building, countering extremism and conflict resolution.
HAJJ—THE PILGRIMAGE
HAJJ or pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam. The Prophet observed: “There are five basic pillars of Islam. To bear testimony that there is no deity save Allah, and that Muhammad is His Prophet; to say prayers regularly and pay the poor due, to make a pilgrimage to the house of God, and fast during the month of Ramazan. The root meaning of the word “Hajj” is ‘to set out’ or to make a pilgrimage. Canonically it has come to refer to a Muslim act of worship, performed annually in the month of Zul Hijjah, the twelfth month of the lunar calendar.
To perform Hajj is incumbent at least once in a lifetime, upon every Muslim, who is an adult, free, in good health and has sufficient money for the expenses of the journey. Women have to be accompanied by a close relative like husband, father, son or brother.
Among all Muslim acts of worship, Hajj holds a prominent position. In one Hadith, the Prophet called it “the supreme act of worship”. But it is not just the rites of pilgrimage that constitute this importance, it is the spirit in which Hajj is performed. Let us put this another way and say that it is not merely a matter of going to Makkah and returning. There is much more to Hajj than that. Hajj has been prescribed so that it may inspire us with a new religious fervour. To return from Hajj with one’s faith in God strengthened and rekindled—that is the hallmark of a true pilgrim. Hajj assumes a supreme act of worship when it is undertaken in its true spirit, and performed in the proper manner. It will then be the greatest act in a pilgrim’s life, he will never be the same again.
To go on Hajj is to meet God. When the pilgrim reaches the border of the sacred territory, he is filled with awe of God, he feels that he is leaving his own world, and entering God’s. He feels he is revolving around Him, running towards Him, journeying on His behalf, making a sacrifice in His name, praying to the Lord and seeing his prayers answered.
The House of God in Makkah is one of God’s signs on earth. The souls which have strayed from the Lord take comfort in Him once again; hearts which have become hard as stone are brought low before Almighty God; eyes which have lost their vision are filled with divine radiance. But these blessings of Hajj are available only to those who come prepared for them. Otherwise Hajj will be just a tour, a visit which leaves no lasting impression upon the traveller.
The blessings of Hajj are available only to those who come prepared for them. Otherwise Hajj will be just a tour, a visit which leaves no lasting impression upon the traveller
The pilgrims gather on the plain of Arafat in order to recall the time when they will gather on the plain of the Last Day. It is to conjure up visions in this world of what they will experience in practice in the next world. The Prophet Muhammad said: “Hajj is to stand in the plains of Arafat.” This shows how important it is to visit Arafat and to spend time there. The plain of Arafat, where the pilgrims spend one whole day is like a picture of the Day of Reckoning. Believers come in from all sides to witness the spectacle. All are clad in a simple garment. There is nothing to make anyone stand out from the rest. All recite the same words: “Here we are at your service, Lord.” Anyone who sees this spectacle must be reminded of this verse from the Quran: The trumpet will be blown and, at once they will rise up from their graves, and hasten to their Lord. (36: 51)
For all these reasons, Hajj reigns supreme among all acts of devotion. Just as the sacred mosque in Makkah has a station above all other mosques, so the worship that is performed there—as part of the pilgrimage—stands head and shoulders above all other acts of devotion.
Dr. Farida Khanam
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