How the Hajj Pilgrimage Transcends Into Our Daily Lives

2 years ago

Hajj (pilgrimage), the travel begins with the neya (intention) and by cleansing the assemblage and wearing the ihram, 2 pieces of cloths without immoderate stitches and emblems connected it. A woman, however, indispensable screen her awrah (the intimate parts of the body) arsenic prescribed successful the Quran and for that, she needs further garments. As the travel begins, the pilgrims state the Talbiyah: “here I americium astatine Thy work O Lord, present I am. Here I americium astatine Thy work and Thou hast nary partners. Thine unsocial is All Praise and All Bounty, and Thine unsocial is The Sovereignty. Thou hast nary partners.”

The acts and rituals of the Hajj pilgrimage

The obligatory rituals of Hajj commence connected the 9th time of Dhul-Hijjah (the 12th and last period successful the Islamic calendar) by arriving astatine immoderate constituent wrong the boundaries of the plain of Arafah successful Makkah Al-Mukarramah (the Holy metropolis of Makkah) earlier the sunset. Even if it is lone for a moment, lasting successful Arafah connected that time earlier the sunset is the opening of one’s Hajj. The adjacent obligatory portion of the travel continues instantly aft sunset, the travel towards Muzdalifah. At slightest one-third of the nighttime needs to beryllium spent nether the unfastened entity astatine Muzdalifah. Then the pilgrim opts for the adjacent portion of the travel either to Mina oregon to the Al-Masjid-al-Haram. Those who take to spell to Mina archetypal volition yet person to spell to Al-Masjid-al- Haram and proceed the travel by 7 times tawaf (circumambulation) astir the Ka’ba (better known arsenic the location of Allah), the archetypal Masjid connected the world built by Prophet Ibrahim. Upon completion of tawaf, the pilgrims proceed the travel by marching 7 times betwixt Safa and Marwa (two mountains adjacent the Ka’ba), a ritual named Sa’ee. Part of the full travel includes throwing stones astatine the jamarat (three pillars wherever Satan is said to beryllium tied). In summation to these, the full travel requires spending astatine slightest 3 nights astatine Mina and offering a qurbani (sacrifice).

In Hajj, each and each ritual is simply a reminder of however a Muslim indispensable enactment successful narration to his/her iman (faith) successful Allah. The ihram reminds america of returning to our Lord (the Creator), arsenic it is akin to the shroud that volition beryllium fixed aft decease into the qabur (grave). Standing connected Arafah reminds Allah of forgiving Prophet Adam and his woman Hawa, and wherever mankind began their travel connected earth. Sa’ee is the remembrance of the lawsuit wherever Hajar, the 2nd woman of Prophet Ibrahim, accepted to enactment successful the mediate of the godforsaken with her babe without immoderate evident enactment for nutrient and shelter, pursuing the bid of Allah. Spending a nighttime successful the godforsaken of Muzdalifah nether the unfastened entity reminds the minuscule beingness of a quality entity successful the universe. Throwing stones astatine Jamarat reminds Prophet Ibrahim’s brushwood of Satan and threw stones to get escaped of its power truthful that helium tin obey Allah. The lawsuit of qurbani is linked to Prophet Ibrahim’s volition to sacrifice his astir beloved lad for the involvement of Allah.

Understanding the journey

Thus the travel of Hajj reminds america of the conception of Tawhid (oneness of Allah) successful each dimension. The travel reminds that, Allah is the Creator of the heavens and the world and everything successful between. Only Him we worship and obey, and to Him are each are bound to return. A pilgrim declares that by reciting the Talbiyah arsenic a grounds to surrender to Him astatine the opening of Hajj.

While performing Hajj, a pilgrim seems to person the utmost religion that Allah, the astir Merciful and the Most Kind, volition forgive each his past sins and volition assistance His blessings for the occurrence successful the beingness hereafter. Those who are yet to execute Hajj, besides person akin religion to person His forgiveness and blessings, if they would person the accidental to execute Hajj. Thus Hajj symbolizes a purification to pb towards the occurrence successful the beingness hereafter. Hence, portion performing the rituals, each pilgrim dedicates their relentless efforts to implicit the travel without immoderate mistakes. Even an unintentional mistake is corrected by offering antithetic forms of kafarah (penalty).

So does the Hajj pilgrimage transcend into our regular lives?

Is the level of religion and dedication during the Hajj of a pilgrim reflected during the travel of the regular beingness of a Muslim? In different words, to what grade does a pilgrim retrieve the travel to Arafah, Muzdalifah, Mina, Tawaf, Sa’ee and throwing stones astatine Jamarat, successful his/her regular life? Needless to say, careless of the pledge and effort we each make, we are bound to marque mistakes (sins) successful the ongoing travel of our regular life. Besides, galore of america mightiness not person the accidental to execute Hajj earlier we instrumentality to our Lord. That obliges the religion and dedication that a Muslim shows portion performing Hajj has to beryllium observed each infinitesimal during the travel of the regular life.

To measure our level of religion successful our regular life, compared to the level of religion that we person during the Hajj, fto america exemplify an important ritual of Hajj. Sa’ee reminds however Prophet Ibrahim and his 2nd woman Hājar submitted themselves to the bid of Allah [Al-Quran, 14: 37]. At the quality level, some Nabi Ibrahim and Hajar would see the absurdity of getting nutrient and structure successful the mediate of that desert. Such a calculated fact, a information astatine the horizontal level (or “horizontal truth”) (Figure 1) would unit them to judge that the parent and the babe would not past successful the desert. However, their submission was guided by their religion connected the oneness of Allah who creates everything retired of thing and lone He who controls everything connected world and successful the heavens and everything successful betwixt [Al-Quran, 39: 62]. Thus, their religion successful the oneness of Allah yet proved the horizontal truth, the anticipation of being perished successful the desert, to beryllium wrong.

A Muslim begins the travel of beingness by accepting and declaring the shahada (testimony of bearing witness). At antithetic times, Allah sent antithetic Nabi and Rasul (messenger) for antithetic ummah (nation, race, oregon tribe). All of them called their respective ummah oregon qowm (tribe) towards the tawhid, i.e., the oneness of Allah [Al-Quran, 51:56]. Thus each prophet called for the aforesaid grounds of tawhid, “there is nary deity but Allah” to their people. Whenever a contention oregon people deviates from the close path, Allah sent a Nabi oregon Rasul to usher them by reminding that “there is nary deity but Allah”, truthful that they worship and obey Him but none.

To pb the beingness connected the close path, mankind frankincense has been reminded of the aforesaid information again and again. Hence this remains arsenic “the eventual truth” for mankind (Figure 1). A Muslim contiguous is nary objection to this. In different words, a Muslim contiguous indispensable pb the travel of beingness towards the eventual truth. The grounds of Tawhid i.e., Oneness of Allah is existent successful each facet of the beingness including quality life. It tells that Allah is the lone Creator of everything successful the heavens and world and everything successful between.

Prophet Muhammad taught his Ummah the eventual truth, that determination is nary deity but Allah, similar different Nabi and Rasul earlier him taught their ummah. By accepting Muhammad (peace beryllium upon him) arsenic the past Messenger of Allah, the radical of his clip accepted the oneness of Allah. Since then, those who accepted this eventual information were guided successful their travel of beingness successful the consecutive path, and those who denied this information remained astray [Al-Quran, 48:29]. Those who judge the eventual information participate the bound of Islam and go a Muslim. Indeed Allah asked mankind to go a Muslim earlier they dice [Al-Quran, 3:102]. Upon accepting the eventual truth, a Muslim starts his travel arsenic a Mu’min (believer) who not lone accepts and declares the eventual information but besides acts accordingly. There are much than 80 verses successful the Quran that bid the Mu’min to pb their beingness accordingly. For instance, a Muslim oregon Mu’min is asked to found Salat (five times daily), execute fasting, execute Hajj (if capable), and debar what is forbidden.

In reality, not each Mu’min tin travel each of Allah’s commands successful his lifetime. Thus antithetic Mu’min would look to travel antithetic paths yet towards the aforesaid direction, i.e., towards the eventual information (Figure 2). A Mu’min past whitethorn (aim to) go a palmy Mu’min by adding perfections successful performing their obligations (Al-Quran, 23:1-10). Such arsenic a palmy Mu’min not lone found salat but besides offers salat with each solemnity and afloat submissiveness; crook distant from Al-Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk, falsehood, and each that Allah has forbidden); and past but not slightest defender their chastity. Thus a palmy Mu’min is obliged to obey the bid fixed to mankind (in general) arsenic good arsenic a Muslim. Hence, the level of obedience to the obligations fixed by a Mu’min reflects their presumption of religion and dedication to the eventual truth.

Conclusion

What an idiosyncratic believes successful and however s/he believes arsenic information determines however they would re/act. In different words, what we cognize arsenic information guides america to physique our faith; religion leads america to observe (evaluate) an lawsuit successful a definite predisposition and that reflection helps america to make our cognition and yet that cognition leads america successful our mode to re/act. Thus religion becomes the starting constituent of a travel from reflection to make a cognition and yet to re/act (Figure 3). Standing connected the way towards the eventual truth, 1 determines what is close oregon what is incorrect (good oregon bad, utile oregon useless, and beneficial oregon harmful).

by Mohammad Tariqur Rahman (PhD). Dr. Rahman is simply a visiting Research Associate astatine the Institute of Halal Research. Professor, Faculty of Dentistry. University of Malaya, Malaysia.

Source Muslim Vibe