significance of pilgrimage (hajj)

8/6/2019 Significance of Pilgrimage (Hajj)

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Significance of Pilgrimage (Hajj)

Devoted believers of different religions isolate themselves from people in order to

purify their hearts. In the quest for intimacy with the divine, they retreat to mountain

caves, monasteries, or hermitages and prefer solitude to the company of others.

God has favored Islam - as the last Testament - with Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to bethe Islamic form of monasticism when a set period of time is devoted by the pilgrims

rituals and performance to the task of freeing minds and hearts from all worldly

concerns. The pilgrim seeks to pursue a unique form of collective worship of Allah and

seeks closeness to Him in the one and only location chosen by Him.

If the pilgrim understands where Hajj really stands in Islam, he will notice in himself a

process of spiritual transformation through the rituals. Every step of Hajj serves as a

reminder, a sign of submission to Allah, an instructive tool for self discipline and piety,

and an exhortation to the faithful aspirant.

As Hajj provides every pilgrim with tranquility of heart, inner purity, and fullness ofunderstanding of his existence in the cosmos, every single step should recall the ideas

of the creation, glory of divine transcendence, and the unity of the believers that

crosses boundaries and ethnic and gender diversities. In the heart of every aspect of

Hajj is some reflection signifying the Hereafter.

Submission to the One and Only God

In Islam, God should be the goal of the human heart. Since Allah has attributed the

Kabah to Himself, this connection is enough in itself to make one yearn for this

blessed location and its surrounding space.

The pilgrim should always be aware that the moment he leaves his family and

homeland behind, his resolve should be purely for the sake of Allah, untarnished by

hypocrisy and desire for any personal material gain. He should be fully aware that only

what is sincere in his intention and action will be accepted and cherished by Allah.

The Bond of Faith

If the pilgrim hopes his visit is to be accepted, he should carry out Gods commands,

cast off iniquities, repent for all acts of disobedience, and sever his hearts connection

from all worldly concerns during Hajj. Then he can turn to Allah as he turns his face inthe direction of the Kabah in each prayer. Unless the pilgrim does so, he will get


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nothing from his journey except trouble and hardship at the outset, and dismissal and

rejection at the end.

Leaving his house, the pilgrim should know that he has now left hearth and home,

bound for God on a journey unlike any worldly voyage. The seamless garments worn

in the state of ihram (consecration) remind him of the shroud he will wear after death.The pilgrim should be conscious at heart of what he wishes, where he is heading, and

Whom he intends to reach. Allah is the Host of the visitors to His House who have

been summoned and have answered the call, in whom a great longing has been

awakened.

The diversity of the pilgrims reflects the diversity of all humankind at the assembly

point on the Day of Resurrection. The separation from family and relatives should put

the pilgrim in mind of the desolation and solitude of the tomb, where he will find

nothing to relieve his agony but his hope in Gods love and mercy.

Observing Ihram

Responding to the summons of Allah, one should recall that mankind will be

summoned and gathered together at the site of resurrection, responding to Allahs call.

They will be divided into the favored and the abhorred, the accepted and the rejected.

Exactly like the pilgrims at the assembly point, they will be oscillating initially

between fear and hope, when they do not know whether or not they will be enabled to

complete their pilgrimage and whether their deeds have been accepted by Allah.

As the pilgrim reaches Makkah, he should remember that he has arrived safely at the

Sanctuary of Allah. Allah has chosen to attribute the Kabah to His own Self because it

was the first place established on earth for devotion of the One God. Prophet Ibrahim

(Abraham) and his son Ismail (Ishmael) once shared in building it, long before the

time of Prophet Muhammad. Entering the Holy Sanctuary, the pilgrim should naturally

dread not being worthy to approach Allah. Yet his hope should be uppermost, for

Allah is Generous and Compassionate, the honor of the House is tremendous, the

visitors right is respected, and protection is assured for all who seek refuge.

The pilgrims heart should be filled with reverence, fear, hope and love, especially

during tawaf (circumambulation of the Kabah). One should not suppose that the

purpose of it is the physical circumambulation of the House. It is not a body rotating

around another physical body. The true purpose is the circling of the heart aroundremembrance of the Lord of the House, making Allah (God) the center of his life. The

heart should reach a point when consciousness begins with Allah alone and ends with

Him alone, just as the circumambulation starts from a point around the House and ends

at that same point.

Supplication at the Mount of Arafat

Standing at Arafat, pilgrims gather for supplication with their different tongues and

different ethnic backgrounds, which recalls the site of resurrection. When their

aspirations are joined, their hearts become devoted exclusively to humble supplication

and entreaty, their hands raised to Allah, their necks outstretched, and their eyes turnedheavenward as they aspire of one accord in quest of mercy.


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They should not suppose that God will disappoint their hopes, frustrate their endeavor,

or begrudge them an overwhelming mercy. It is said that it is a grievous sin for a

Muslim to attend the standing on Arafat and to imagine that Allah has not forgiven

him, as it would be doubting Allahs infinite compassion and generosity. The

conjugation of aspirations and the strength derived from contiguity constitute the secretof pilgrimage and its ultimate purpose. There is no way to obtain Allahs mercy in

such abundance as by the conjugation of aspiration and the simultaneous mutual

support of all hearts.

Visiting the City of Gods Messenger

Muslims regard Prophet Muhammad to be the moral example and chosen guide for

mankind. He is the last prophet who received the last Testament to complete the

revelation of the Old and New Testaments that were revealed to the Prophets Musa

(Moses) and Isa (Jesus). Visiting his tomb at Madinah is not an essential obligation to

make Hajj valid or complete. Honoring him remains a matter of the heart, and aMuslim proves his love towards the Prophet by following his path of Islam.

However, it is strongly recommended that whoever can reach Madinah should visit the

Prophets burial place to pay his respect to the greatest teacher that the world has ever

known. Remembering his struggle for justice and equality, the Muslim knows in his

heart that Muhammad was a humble human being. His message was sacred, but he

died like any other human being and the ultimate sacredness and divinity remains for

Allah only.

Aware that Prophet Muhammads precious steps have trodden in every place around

Madinah, the pilgrim ought to walk with dignity and caution, recalling the

Messengers humility and graceful gait. The purpose should be pure love for the

Prophet and longing to behold his city of refuge and early Islamic society.

Visiting the tomb should be controlled by the most decent manners, for visiting a

Prophet in death should be as visiting him in life. One should approach the tomb as he

would approach the noble person of the Prophet if he were still alive. Touching and

kissing the tomb is not allowed. Muslims respect and love is not for the walls or

stones of any tomb, not even that of the Prophet, but should be for the great message

and the noble person who strived to convey it throughout his life.

To conclude, throughout Hajj, the pilgrim should watch the duties of his heart at all

stages. He will realize if he has been accepted or not by watching his heart and its

conduct. If he finds his heart adverse to this world and inclined to be intimate with

Allah, then he may count on acceptance, for Allah accepts only those whom He loves.

Throughout the performance of Hajj, the pilgrim can easily observe that it is a course

of spiritual enrichment and moral rearmament, a journey of intensified devotion and

disciplinary experience, a course of humanitarian interests and inspiring knowledge, all

put together in one single Pillar of Islam.

&For more information about Islam :


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