Hajj – The Sign of Unification

Surah Al-Hajj/The Pilgrimage:

“And (remeber) when We showed Ibrahim the site of the Sacred House (Ka’bah) saying: ‘Associate not anything with Me, and sanctify My House for those who compass it around, and those who stand up for prayer, and those who bow and make prostration’. 27

“And proclaim to mankind the Hajj.  They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they come from every deep and distant mountain highway.  That they may witness things that are of benefit to them and mention the Name of Allah appointed days, over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them (for sacrifice).  Then eat thereof and feed therewith the poor who have a very hard time.  Then let them complete the prescribed duties for them, and perform their vows, and tawaf (seven time running around Ka’bah) the Ancient House. 28-29

Such (is the pilgrimage):  whoever honours the sacred rites of Allah, then that is better for him with his Lord.  The cattle are lawful to you, except those mentioned to you (as exception): So shun the abomination of idols and shun the false statement.” 30

“It is not their meat nor their blood, that reaches Allah. it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you, that ye may glorify Allah for His Guidance to you and proclaim the good news to all who do right.” 37

Surah Al-Baqarah/The Cow:

“And remember that Ibraheem was tried by his Lord with certain commands, which he fulfilled:  He said, ‘I will make thee an Imam (leader) to the Nations.’  He pleaded: ‘and also from my offspring!’  He answered: ‘but My promise is not for evil-doers.”  124

Remember We made the House a place of assembly for men and a place of safety; and take station of Ibraheem as a place of prayer; and We covenanted with Ibraheem and Ismaeel, that they should sanctify My House for those who compass it round, or use it as a retreat, or bow, or prostrate themselves.”  125

“And remember Ibraheem said:  ”My Lord, make this a City of Peace, and feed its people with fruits, such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day.”  He said: “yeah, and such as reject faith, for a while will I grant them their pleasure, but will soon drive them to the torment of Fire, and evil destination indeed!” 126

“And complete the Hajj or ‘umra in the service of Allah.  But if you are prevented (From completing it), send an offering for sacrifice, such as you may find, and do not shave your heads until the offering reaches the place of sacrifice. And if any of you is ill, or has an ailment in his scalp, (Necessitating shaving), (He should) in compensation either fast, or feed the poor, or offer sacrifice; and when you are in peaceful conditions (again), if any one wishes to continue the ‘umra on to the hajj, He must make an offering, such as he can afford, but if he cannot afford it, He should fast three days during the hajj and seven days on his return, making ten days in all. This is for those whose household is not in (the precincts of) the Sacred Mosque. And fear Allah, and know that Allah Is strict in punishment.” 196

“For Hajj are the months well known.  If anyone undertakes that duty therein, let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the Hajj.  And whatever good you do, Allah knows it.  And take a provision for journey, but the best of provisions is right conduct.  So fear Me, o you that are wise.” 197

“It is no crime in you if you seek of the bounty of your Lord (during pilgrimage).  Then when you pour down from Mount Arafat, celebrate the priases of Allah at the Sacred Monument, and celebrate His praises as He has directed you, even though, before this, you went astray.” 198

“Then pass on at a quick pace from the place whence it is usual for the multitude so to do, and ask for Allah’s forgiveness.  For Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.  So when you have accomplished your holy rites, celebrate the praises of Allah, as you used to celebrate the praises of your fathers, but with far more Heart and Soul.  There are men who say: “Our Lord!  Give us (Your bounties) in this world!”  but they will have no portion in the Hereafter.” 199-200

“And there are men who say:  ”Our Lord!  Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the Fire!”  To these will be allotted what they have earned; and Allah is quick in account.” 201-202

“Celebrate the praises of Allah during the appointed day.  But if anyone hastens to leave in two days, there is no blame on him and if anyone stays on, there is no blame on him, if his aim is to do right.  Then fear Allah, and know that you will surely be gathered unto Him.” 203

Surah Al-e-Imran/The Family of Imran 

“The first House of worship appointed for men was that at Bakkah:  Full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings:  In it are signs manifest; the Station of Ibraheem; 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.” 96-97

Sermon at the Conquest of Makkah:

It was the 20th of Ramadan in 8th year of Hijrah, when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) along with his ten thousand companions peacefully conquered Makkah, he broke the idols inside Ka’abah and delivered an address:

“There is no God but Allah.  He has no associate.  He has made good His promise that He held to his bondman and helped him and defeated all the confederates.  Bear in mind that every claim of privilege, whether that of blood or property is abolished except that of the custody of Ka’abah and of supplying water to the pilgrims.  Bear in mind that for anyone who is slain the blood money is a hundred camels.  People of Quraish, surely God has abolished from you all pride of the time of ignorance and all pride in your ancestry, because all men are descended from Adam, and Adam was made of clay.”  

Then Muhammad turning to the people said:  ”O Quraish, what do you think of the treatment that I should accord you?”  And they said, “Mercy, O Prophet of  Allah. We expect nothing but good from you.” 

Thereupon Muhammad declared:  ”I speak to you in the same words as Joseph spoke to his brothers. This day there is no reproof against you; Go your way, for you are free.”

Last Sermon of  Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):

Then it was the 10th year of Hijrah, 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, in the plains of Arafat, sitting on his she-camel on ‘Jabl-e-Rahmat (Mount of Mercy), when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) delivered his last sermon:

“O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again.  Therefore, listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust.  Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners.  Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you.  Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds.  God has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived.  Your capital, however, is yours to keep.  You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity.  God has Judged that there shall be no interest, and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn Abd’al Muttalib shall henceforth be waived…

Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion.  He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you.  Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under a trust from God and with His permission.  If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness.  Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers.  And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship God, perform your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadan, and offer Zakat.  Perform Hajj if you have the means.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve.  An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; white has no superiority over black, nor does a black have any superiority over white; [none have superiority over another] except by piety and good action.  Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood.  Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly.  Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before God and answer for your deeds.  So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me, and no new faith will be born.  Reason well, therefore, O people, and understand words which I convey to you.  I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example, the Sunnah, and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and it may be that the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly.  Be my witness, O God, that I have conveyed your message to your people.”

After his sermon, the verses from Surah Al-Maidah/The Table Spread were revealed, ” This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.” 

What is Hajj?

Hajj literally means “an intentional traveling to a sacred place”.  In religious terms, it is simply a journey of Muslims to the city of Makkah in Dhul-Hijja, the last month of Islamic Calendar.  It is one of the five pillars of Islam which is made mandatory once in a lifetime.  it provides the sense of unification to the Muslims around the world.  This compulsory act of worship is a combination of rites that must be performed in first ten days of Dhul-Hijja.  Hajj begins on the 8th of Dhul-Hijja and ends on the 12th of the same month, in addition to Umrah which is performed on the 7th of Dhul-Hijja. The trip also includes a visit a Masjid An-Nabwi (The Prophet’s Mosque) in Madinah. The journey also reminds Muslims of many historical personalities and events that took place in Makkah.

Sa’i (running between Mount Safa and Mount Marwa) is the sunnah of Hajerah/Hagar (the wife of Prophet Ibraheem/Abraham a.s.) who ran between the two mountains seven times in search of help for her child Ismaeel/Ishmaeel.  As the infant was crying and his heels were rubbed on the ground, the water gushed out which is called Zum Zum.  All Muslims follow this sunnah after Tawaf (running around Ka’bah seven times) and enjoy drinking Zum Zum.

Among the rituals of Hajj, Arafat is the height of the journey, the extract of the whole worship or the real Hajj.  ”Arafah” is the 9th day of Dhul-Hijja when Muslims reach the Plains of Arafat in masses and pray to God and wail for forgiveness.  According to Muslims’ belief, the Final Judgment of all human beings will take place at Arafat.  Scholars say that fasting on the day of Arafah removes sin for a year.

The 10th of Dhul-Hijjah is called ”Yaum-un-Nahr/The Day of Sacrifice”.  All Muslims come back to Mina (a place near Makkah) for stoning the Devil at Jamrat and sacrificing an animal.  The day is celebrated as “Eid Al-Adha”.  This happens for three days.  These rituals follow the story of Prophet Ibraheem (a.s.) sacrificing his son Prophet Ismaeel (a.s.) to make his dream come true to please God.  While they were advancing towards Mina to obey their Lord, the Devil appeared and tried to dissuade him from his action.  Prophet Ibraheem (a.s.) threw few pebbles at him.  Right at the moment when Prophet Ibraheem (a.s.) was about to cut the throat of Ismaeel, Angel Jibraeel (a.s.) appeared and stopped him.  He told them that God is pleased with their submission to this extent and asks them to slaughter a ram.

As Allama Iqbal has mentioned in his poetry, the story of Harum (Ka’abah) is a strange and simple story of sons of the two great Prophets.  It begins with the Prophet Ismaeel (a.s.) and ends with the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain (a.s.).  The sacrifice that Prophet Ismaeel (peace be upon him) was saved from, Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) had to go trough it along with his two sons.  The Devil tried to stop Prophet Ibraheem (a.s.) from obeying God and was disappointed.  But Devil never tried it on Imam Hussain (a.s.) as he must have known that he won’t succeed in stopping the caravan to Karbala.  This is not a comparison between the two families but a realization that how  Prophets and their families respond to God Almighty.  Not a single moment they wasted in replying “Here I am, O Allah!  Here I am.”  In fact, this statement is the spirit of entire pilgrimage.  May Allah’s peace and blessing be upon them all, Ameen!

“Here I am, O Allah! Here I am.  Here I am, no partners to You.  Verily! All Praises and Blessings are due to You and to You is the entire kingdom”  This is Talbeeh, the Glorification and Praise of Allah (SWT), a sacred slogan which pilgrims of Hajj call throughout their journey.  It reminds them of the Day of Judgement when whole mankind will be gathered there for final accountability.

میں حاضر ہوں اے رب, میں حاضر ہوں۔۔۔ میں حاضر ہوں آپ کا کوئی شریک نہیں, میں حاضرہوں۔۔۔ بے شک تمام تعریفیں اورنعمتیں آپ کی اور باشاہی بھی۔۔۔آپکا کوئ شریک نہیں۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔

علامہ اقبال نے فرمایا

  غریب و سادہ و رنگیں ہے داستان حرم ۔۔۔ نہایت اسکی حسین, ابتداء ہیں اسمعیل 

داستان حرم دوعظیم پیغمبروں کے عظیم بیٹوں کی الله سے محبت کی کہانی ہے۔۔۔ اس کی ابتداء حضرت اسمعیل علیہ السلام نے کی۔۔۔ ان کی ایڑیوں سے پھوٹنے والے چشمے نے مکہ کو آباد کیا۔۔۔ زم زم کا پانی اب تک کڑوڑوں لوگوں کو سیراب کر چکا ہے۔۔۔ پھر جب حکم خداوندی ہوا تو الله کی رضا کے لئے خود کو قربانی کے لئے بھی پیش کردیا اور وہ بھی اسطرح کہ اپنے ہی باپ کے ہاتھوں ذ بح  ہونا تھا۔۔۔ پھر والد کے ساتھہ مل کر کعبے کی تعمیر کی۔۔۔

اس داستان کو انتہا تک حضرت امام حسین علیہ السلام نے پہنچایا۔۔۔ وہ خنجر جو حضرت اسمعیل علیہ السلام کےگلے پہ چلنے سے روک دیا گیا تھا, وہ نہ صرف امام حسین بلکہ انکے بیٹوں پر بھی چلا۔۔۔ ابلیس حضرت ابراہیم علیہ السلام کی راہ میں آیا کہ شاید انہیں الله کی فرماں برداری سے روک سکے لیکن ناکام ہوا۔۔۔ البتہ امام حسین کے راستے میں آنے کی کوشش نہیں کی۔۔۔ شاید اسے معلوم تھا کہ وہ اس چھوٹی سی جماعت کو ان کے مقصد سے روک نہیں سکے گا۔۔۔ بات دو رسالت کے گھرانوں میں مقابلے کی نہیں۔۔۔ بلکہ یہ پہچاننے کی ہے کہ الله سے محبت کرنے والے کس حد تک قربانی کا حوصلہ رکھتے ہیں۔۔۔

ایک لمحہ ضائع کئےبغیر انھوں قربانی کے لئے دی جانے والی پکارپر لبیک کہا۔۔۔ میں حاضر ہوں اے رب, میں حاضر ہوں۔۔۔ کم ازکم ایک بار حج کو فرض کرنے کا مقصد شاید یہی ہو کہ ہر مسلمان ان دو عظیم واقعات سے کوئی ہدایت حاصل کرلے۔۔۔