The Soul Of Hajj

The Soul of Hajj
Hakkında The Soul of Hajj




The Soul of Hajj

No annual event on the face of the globe, religious or non-religious, compares to hajj in terms of the sheer number of participants, duration of the event and the breadth of agenda In spite of this fact, it has always remained equally fascinating and mysterious to not only non-Muslims, who are barred from entering the holy city, but also to millions of Muslims, who had not performed hajj

What then is hajj? In essence, hajj is man's evolution toward Allah; his return to Him It is a symbolic demonstration of the philosophy of creation of Adam , the first man To further illustrate this, it may be stated that the performance of hajj is a simultaneous show or exhibit of many things It is a show of creation It is a show of history It is a show of unity It is a show of Islamic ideology It is a show of Ummah, the community of Muslims That is why, it is said in the Quran: "And proclaim unto mankind the hajj That they may witness things that are of benefit to them" (Quran 22:27-8)

Just as in any other good show or movie or theatre-play, the following conditions prevail in hajj Allah is the stage Manager The theme portrayed is the actions of these main characters - Adam, Haw'a (Eve), Ibrahim, Hajera, Isma'il , and Shaytan The main scenes are - Masjid al-Haram, 'Arafat, Mas'a (space between the mountains - Safa and Marwa), Mash'ar (area between 'Arafat and Mina) and Mina Important symbols are - Kaba, Safa, Marwa, day, night, sunshine, sunset, idols and rituals of sacrifice The dress and make-up are - 'Ihram, halq and taqseer (part of ceremonies of hajj involving cutting of hair and nails, afterward) Lastly, the player of the show is - YOU - the Hajji You are the main feature of the performance The role of Adam, Ibrahim, Isma'il and Hajera in confrontation between Allah and Satan is all played by you As a result, you are the hero of the show!

Hajj is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him or her who can find a way or means to get there (Quran 3:97) It is not a tax on your wealth, but a duty Thus, to qualify, you must be sane and wise to understand what you are getting into, and able-bodied to go through this task, and lastly, have the means or resources to perform hajj

The pillars of hajj are five

(1) 'Ihram, (2) waiting at 'Arafat, (3) Tawaf of the Ka'ba, (4) sa'iy or running between the Safa and the Marwa and (5) cutting or trimming of hair

Others are not pillars, although some may require kaffara or penalty, if not done The person who puts on the 'Ihram or cloth for either 'Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) or hajj (greater pilgrimage) is called a Muhrim

The months of hajj are the three

These are the Arabic months of Shawwal, Dhul-Qadah and first ten days of Dhul Hijjah Thus, one cannot put on Ihram before Shawwal Hajj and 'Umrah are performed in three ways - ifrad, tamattu and qiran

Ifrad involves first performing hajj and then Umrah

Tamattu is when one first performs Umrah and then hajj, both in the same year with some break in between the two

Qiran is when one puts on the 'Ihram with the intention of combining both hajj and 'Umrah without any break in between the two

There are ten etiquettes of hajj These are:

Requite all wrongdoings and satisfy all adversaries

Make provision for hajj from one's lawful wealth

Learn the pillars of hajj and its ceremonies

Be kind and forbearing with others, lest the reward be nullified

Observe the obligations of prayers and its statutes

Be open-handed, maintain the poor and spend as much as he/she is able to

At the station of 'Arafat, remember the Day of Judgment (Yawmil Qiamat)

Should not miss visitation of the Prophet's grave in Madinah

After return from hajj, one should turn toward Akhirat (Hereafter)

One should remember his parents and other close relatives who have passed away with pious prayers and make-up for them if they could not fulfill their obligations for hajj

The steps of hajj are the following:

Miqat - putting on 'Ihram at designated places with wudhu

The show of hajj begins with Miqat At this point, the participant must change his/her clothes Clothes show individuality, status, preference and distinction They create superficial barriers that separate man from man The concept of "I" (and not "We") emerges which gives birth to discrimination At Miqat you assume your original shape as a "man", just one of "children of Adam" who will die one day The cloth of 'Ihram is, therefore, the anti-thesis to that "individualism", it is the kafan (or burial shroud) You wear the kafan, the two pieces of cloth, just like everyone else You join the mass, the multitude and become nothing or just a drop of water in the ocean that has no special identity of its own An atmosphere of genuine unity prevails everywhere It is a human show of Islamic unity, it is a show of universal brotherhood The bodies were left in Miqat and the souls are motivated here This is the beginning of your journey, your voyage to nothingness There is no sex, no perfume, no shoes, no sewn clothes and head covers for men, no face mask, no cutting of hair or nails, ie, absolutely no signs of aristocracy or distinction In the state of Muhrim, you don't even look in a mirror to see your own image You don't hunt any animal, you don't uproot any plant So you kill the tendencies of aggression by being peaceful to nature You cease to remain or behave as somebody Hajj is a movement to returning to Allah, just as Allah says in the Quran: Wa ilal-lahil maseer (24:42), meaning, "Unto Allah is the journeying" All your selfish egos must be buried at Miqat You witness your own dead body and visit your own grave By sacrificing your individuality, you focus on reality, the basic purpose for which you were created - that being a slave unto Allah Just as when you would be buried in two pieces of cloth, leaving behind all your wealth and worldly belongings, here in Miqat you practice a dress rehearsal for that inevitable event