Hajj (Pilgrimage)

Hajj (Pilgrimage)

The five pillars of Islam are compulsory deeds that all Muslims must fulfil if they are able to.

• The testimony of believing Allah is the only God and he has no partners and that Muhammad is his servant and messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم)

• To pray the five mandatory daily prayers

• To fast the month of Ramadhan

• Perform the (once in a life time) Hajj

• To pay the annual zakat

This article will focus on the 4th pillar, the great action to fulfil the rights of Hajj. Hajj (the great Pilgrimage) is to respond to the call of Ibrahim (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ), Allah says in his Glorious Book:

وَأَذِّن فِى ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًۭا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍۢ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍۢ

And proclaim to the people the ḥajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass [al-Hajj 22:27]

The call to perform Hajj was conveyed and Allah has commanded our Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) to fulfil the rights of Hajj leading his companions when and how to perform the rights of Hajj. The ulama have agreed that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) performed Hajj once in his lifetime, although some would argue he did 2 before the immigration to Medina. What’s important that Hajj is a mandatory act for all Muslims for those who are capable of doing so. Allah says in the Qur’an:

… وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ حِجُّ ٱلْبَيْتِ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًۭا …

“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence).” [Aal 'Imran 3:97]

This ayah, Allah is referring to the Great Pilgrimage, some may mistake this for Umrah (the lesser pilgrimage) and that’s it, this understanding is incorrect. The Ulama have agreed this is for the major Pilgrimage (Hajj) and there are requirements for it to be fulfilled. This article won’t go into the details of Hajj but the rather the command and back story of actions of Hajj.

Story of Hajj

Many of the rites of Hajj stems from the actions of Ibrahim (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) and his wife Haajar (عَلَيْهَا ٱلسَّلَامُ). The story goes back when Ibrahim (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) was commanded by Allah to sacrifice his son Ismail, this wasn’t a direct command but was inspired from three occurrences of the same dream he had, and the dreams of Prophets have are considered to be revelation. (Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When the Day of Resurrection approaches, the dreams of a believer will hardly fail to come true, and a dream of a believer is one of forty-six parts of prophetism, and whatever belongs to prothetism can never be false."… Hadith 7017).

When Ibraheem (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) came to realise the command to sacrifice his son he told his son that his had to fulfil the command of Allah by sacrificing him. Absurd this would seem if anyone of us does this today, in fact sacrificing someone dear to you would be beyond insanity. When Ismail was told of the command, he submitted to his father’s wishes and remained patient. He accompanied his father Ibraheem (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) to the site of the slaughter (A’rafah), on the way there, shaytaan tempted Ibraheem (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) from carrying out the slaughter and Ibraheem threw pebbles at shaytaan. Shaytaan tempted Ibraheem three times on his journey, and the act of Rami (throwing of pebbles at the Jamrat) is the reenactment of this incident. When Ibraheem (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) got to the site with Ismael he prepared his son in a sacrificial manner, by tying him up by the hands and legs, however knowing that he is his son sacrificing him was the most difficult action for him and so Ismael advised his father to blindfold him so that it would be easy for both of them.

The moment Ibraheem was about to slaughter Ismael, Allah command Ibraheem to stop and gave him a Ram to sacrifice in replacement of his son.

وَنَـٰدَيْنَـٰهُ أَن يَـٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ

قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ ٱلرُّءْيَآ ۚ إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلْبَلَـٰٓؤُا۟ ٱلْمُبِينُ

وَفَدَيْنَـٰهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍۢ

وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرِينَ

سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ

كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

إِنَّهُۥ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

O Ibraaheem!

You have fulfilled the dream!” Verily, thus do We reward the Muhsinoon (good-doers).

Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial.

And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (i.e. a ram);

And We left for him (a goodly remembrance) among the later generations.

“Salaam (peace) be upon Ibraaheem!”

Thus indeed do We reward the Muhsinoon (good-doers).

Verily, he was one of Our believing slaves.

And We gave him the glad tidings of Ishaaq (Isaac) a Prophet from the righteous.

We blessed him and Ishaaq (Isaac). And of their progeny are (some) that do right, and some that plainly wrong themselves.” [al-Saaffaat 37:99-113)

This story is the origin of Muhrims travelling from Mina and to Mount Arafah, then to Muzalifah then back to Mina for throwing pebbles at the Jamrat. Sacrificing an animal (Qurbani) is one major rites of Hajj that is done on any of the days of Tashriik (10th, 11th, 12th of Dhul Hijirah)

Story of Sai’

A separate story about Ibraheem (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) & his wife Haajar, this was a time before the Kabah was built and Ismail was a baby. Both Ibraheem (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) and his wife were travelling in a desserted area, no water, no shelter or trees could be found. At one point they settled at a spot in the dessert, and Ibraheem (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) walked off alone further into the dessert. Haajar with Ismail were left with little to no supplies of food & drink. When it came to the point of desperation, Haajar was panicking between two mountains ( Safah & Marwah), she started at Safah then ran to Marwah and at each mountain peak she was looking out for help or someone. She couldn’t see her son Ismail at times so she would run to the mountain until she climbed up. She did this seven times until she heard a sound in what we now know as the source of Zamzam. It was Jibriel who was sent down to strike the ground revealing the Zamzam water. Haajar having seen the water gushing out, she started to encircle the source of the water with sand. Had she not done so the water would have turned into a stream of river.

These two stories of Ibraheem and Haajar are the acts of Hajj we do today. Our Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) have given us the example to follow on how to fulfil the rites of Hajj, as Yawmul Arafah falls on Tuesday 26th May and Eid Adha follows the next day. Many people who are unable to perform Hajj will likely donate for a Qurbani (a sacrificial animal’s meat given to the needy) and also to fast on Yawmul Arafah is a confirmed Sunnah as the prophet said:

“I ask Allah that it may expiate for (the sins of) the year that comes before it and the year that comes after it.”

According to another report he said: “It expiates for the past and coming years.”

We ask Allah to forgive us our sins and that we may fulfill the rites to perform Hajj.

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