HAJJ: A PILGRIMAGE
Not a Tour
IT is incumbent upon Muslims to perform Hajj, at least once in a lifetime, if they possess the means. As is clear from the following excerpts from the Quran and Hadith, Hajj is one important pillar among the five foundation pillars of Islam.
Pilgrimage to the House is a duty to God for all who can make the Journey. (3: 97)
The first House ever to be built for men (to worship God) was that at Makkah, a blessed place, a beacon for the nation. (3: 96)
“There are five basic pillars of Islam,” said the Prophet Muhammad: “To bear testimony that there is no deity save God, and that Muhammad is His Prophet; to establish prayer and pay the poor-due; to make pilgrimage to the House and fast during Ramazan.”
The root meaning of the word Hajj is “to set out” or “to make pilgrimage.” Canonically, it has come to refer to a Muslim act of worship, performed annually, in which the worshipper circumambulates the Kabah in Makkah, stays awhile in the plain of Arafat and performs other rites which together constitute Hajj—the act of pilgrimage.
The journey to Hajj is a journey to God. It represents the ultimate closeness to God one can achieve while living in this world
Hajj is a comprehensive act of worship, involving both financial outlay and physical exertion. Both remembrance of God and sacrifice for His sake are part and parcel of Hajj. It is an act of worship in which the spirit of all acts of worship has in some way or another, been brought into play.
The sacred duties of Hajj revolve around the House of God in Makkah. To a believer, the House of God brings to life a whole prophetic tradition, stretching from Abraham to Muhammad. The House of God stands as a model of true faith in God, and submission to the Master of the House. “The Prophets gave up everything and followed the Lord,” is the message that rings out from the Lord’s House; “leave all and follow Him. They were obedient to His will; be you so also. They served His cause on Earth; serve Him until you die, and you will prosper forever.”
The journey to Hajj is a journey to God. It represents the ultimate closeness to God one can achieve while living in this world. Other acts of worship are ways of remembering God; Hajj is a way of reaching Him. Generally we worship Him on an unseen level; in Hajj we worship Him as if we see Him face to face. When a pilgrim stands before the House of God he is moved to revolve around the Lord’s House, like a butterfly encircling a flower, clinging to His doorstep as a slave begging for his master’s mercy.
To perform Hajj is to meet God. When the pilgrim reaches the border of the Sacred Territory (Meeqat), he is filled with awe of God; he feels that he is leaving his own world, and entering God’s. Now he is revolving around Him, running towards Him, journeying on His behalf, making sacrifice in His name, praying to the Lord and seeing his prayer answered.
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 it is performed. Hajj is not merely a matter of going to Makkah and returning. There is much more to it than that. It has been prescribed so that it may inspire us with new religious fervour. To return from Hajj with one’s faith in God strengthened and rekindled— that is the hallmark of a true pilgrim.
The House of God in Makkah is one of God’s signs on earth. There, souls that 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 only for those who come prepared for them.
Hajj is a comprehensive act of worship, involving both financial outlay and physical exertion.
Otherwise it will be just a tour, a visit which leaves no lasting impression upon the tourist. “Hajj is to stand in the plain of Arafat.” These words of the Prophet Muhammad illustrate the importance of sojourning in the place.
The plain of Arafat, in which pilgrims spend one day, presents a picture of the arena of Judgement Day. Host upon host of God’s servants flock in from all sides to witness the spectacle. And what a spectacle! All are dressed in similar, simple attire. There is nothing to single out any person. All are reciting the same words:
All those who witness this spectacle will be reminded of the following verse of the Quran:
When the Trumpet is blown, and behold, from the graves they rush forth to their Lord. (36: 51)
To return from Hajj with one’s faith in God strengthened and rekindled—that is the hallmark of a true pilgrim.
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. They conjure up visions of what they will experience in the next world in this world itself.
For all these reasons, Hajj reigns supreme among all acts of devotion. Like 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.
