Haj-the pilgrimage

Yesterday responding to that original call of Ibrahim Alahisalam and following in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (Sallahualahiwasllim), over two million people from every corner of the globe gathered at Mecca to perform Hajj.

Along with the profession of faith, daily prayers, a month-long annual fast and charity to the poor, Hajj is one of the five tenets of Islam. Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for every Muslim, male or female, provided he or she is healthy enough to travel and has the means to undertake the pilgrimage.

One very important obligation during Hajj is the wearing of unstitched clothing comprising two sheets (women wear normal clothes with a scarf to cover the head). All Hajjis, rich and poor, black and white, are dressed in this way, so that all men of all countries look alike in identical, simple garments, and no pilgrim may then feel tempted to take pride of place over another.

The Sacred Mosque of Mecca, due to continuous expansion, can accommodate about one million pilgrims at one time. Here the pilgrims encircle the holy Kabah seven times, which symbolically represents how man's life must revolve around God. Near the Kabah, are two small hills called Safa and Marwah - 'Signs of God' as they are described by the Qur'an. The hills, which were previously outside the precincts of the Sacred Mosque, have now been enclosed within its boundaries. The pilgrims walk briskly back and forth seven times between these hills, a distance of about 394 metres.

This rite is performed in memory of Abraham's wife Hagar, who ran helplessly between the two hills seven times in search of water for her baby, Ishmael, who was suffering from thirst.

God was pleased and a miracle took place - a spring gushed forth from which the baby could drink water. The well, known as Zamzam, still quenches pilgrims' thirst.

On the first day of Hajj, the pilgrims set out for Mina, a small town about three miles from Mecca. Here the pilgrims stay three nights and three days. Over two million perform the rites of stoning the pillars that represent the devil. It is the place where, in obedience to God's commandment, Abraham took his son Ishmael to sacrifice him, but later sacrificed an animal instead on God's command.In commemoration of this act, Muslims sacrifice an animal on the Eidul Azha.

Today three pillars stand on the very spot where the incident took place. As one of the rites of Hajj, the pilgrims also throw small pebbles at these stone pillars, which symbolise the devil within ourselves. This is meant to kill the soul's desires and the ego.

From Mina, the pilgrims go on to Arafat, where the climax of the pilgrimage - "the Standing of Arafat" takes place. For this reason the Prophet said, "Arafat is Hajj." The centre of attention is the 200 feet high Mount of Mercy from which the Prophet Muhammad preached his last sermon in 632 AD. Seated on a camel, he addressed a crowd of 100,000 laying emphasis on the importance Islam attaches to human equality. Again, speaking with equal emphasis, the Prophet said: "No Arab is superior to a non-Arab and no non-Arab is superior to an Arab. No black man is superior to a red man and no red man is superior to a black, except through taqwa (fear of God). Indeed the noblest among you is the one who is deeply conscious of God."

Here the pilgrims stand 'before God', praying and listening to sermons. After a short stay here the pilgrims return to Mina via Muzdalifa and proceed to Mecca for the last encircling of the Kabah, which ends the Hajj. Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad's mosque and grave are situated, also attracts pilgrims in great numbers. Though it is not part of Hajj, the pilgrims, out of their great reverence for the Prophet, stay there for a few days also, praying in the Prophet's Mosque and visiting historical sites.

Text and pic: Ruzaik Farook