A HISTORY OF THE HAJJ
Hajj
literally means ‘to set out for a place’. Islamicly, however, it
refers to the annual pilgrimage that Muslims make to Makkah with the
intention of performing certain religious rites in accordance with the
method prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings
of God be upon him.
Hajj
and its rites were first ordained by God in the time of the Prophet
Abraham and he was the one who was entrusted by God to build the Kaaba -
the House of God - along with his son Ishmael at Makkah. God described
the Kaaba and its building as follows:
“And
remember when We showed Abraham the site of the [Sacred] House
[saying]: Associate not anything [in worship with Me and purify My House
for those who circumambulate it [i.e. perform Tawaaf] and those who stand up for prayer and those who bow down and make prostration [in prayer etc.].” (Quran 22:26)
After
building the Kaaba, Abraham would come to Makkah to perform Hajj every
year, and after his death, this practice was continued by his son.
However, gradually with the passage of time, both the form and the goal
of the Hajj rites were changed. As idolatry spread throughout Arabia,
the Kaaba lost its purity and idols were placed inside it. Its walls
became covered with poems and paintings, including one of Jesus and his
mother Maryand. Eventually over 360 idols came to be placed around the
Kaaba.
During
the Hajj period itself, the atmosphere around the sacred precincts of
the Kaaba was like a circus. Men and women would go round the Kaaba
naked, arguing that they should present themselves before God in the
same condition they were born. Their prayer became devoid of all
sincere remembrance of God and was instead reduced to a series of hand
clapping, whistling and the blowing of horns. Even the Hajj call was
distorted by them with the following additions: “No one is Your partner except one who is permitted by you. You are his Master and the Master of what he possesses.”
Sacrifices
were also made in the name of God. However, the blood of the
sacrificed animals was poured onto the walls of the Kaaba and the flesh
was hung from pillars around the Kaaba, in the belief that God demanded
the flesh and blood of these animals.
Singing,
drinking, adultery and other acts of immorality was rife amongst the
pilgrims and the poetry competitions, which were held, were a major part
of the whole Hajj event. In these competitions, poets would praise the
bravery and splendor of their own tribesmen and tell exaggerated tales
of the cowardice and miserliness of other tribes. Competitions in
generosity were also staged where the chief of each tribe would set up
huge cauldrons and feed the pilgrims, only so that they could become
well-known for their extreme generosity.
Thus
the people had totally abandoned the teachings of their forefather and
leader Abraham. The House that he had made pure for the worship of God
alone, had been totally desecrated by the pagans and the rites which he
had established were completely distorted by them. This sad state of
affairs continued for nearly two and a half thousand years. But then
after this long period, the time came for the supplication of Abraham to
be answered:
“Our
Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall recite
unto them your verses and instruct them in the book and the Wisdom and
sanctify them. Verily you are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” (Quran
2:129)
Sure
enough, a man by the name of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullaah was born in the
very city that Abraham had made this supplication centuries earlier.
For twenty-three years, the Prophet Muhammad spread the message of
monotheism - the same message that Abraham and all the other Prophets
came with - and established the law of God upon the land. He expended
every effort into making the word of God supreme and his victory over
falsehood culminated in the smashing of the idols inside the Kaaba which
once again became the universal centre for the worshippers of the one
True God.
Not
only did the Prophet rid the Kaaba of all its impurities, but he also
reinstated all the rites of Hajj which were established by God’s
Permission, in the time of Abraham. Specific injunctions in the Quran
were revealed in order to eliminate all the false rites which had become
rampant in the pre-Islamic period. All indecent and shameful acts were
strictly banned in God’s statement:
“There is to be no lewdness nor wrangles during Hajj.” (Quran 2:197)
Competitions
among poets in the exaltations of their forefathers and their
tribesmen’s’ achievements were all stopped. Instead, God told them:
“And
when you have completed your rites [of Hajj] then remember God as you
remember your forefathers; nay with a more vigorous remembrance.” (Quran
2:200)
Competitions
in generosity were also prohibited. Of course, the feeding of the poor
pilgrims was still encouraged as this was done in the time of Abraham,
but God commanded that the slaughtering of the animals which was done
for this purpose should be done seeking the pleasure of God rather than
fame and the praise of the people. He said:
“So
mention the name of God over these animals when they are drawn up in
lines. Then, when they are drawn on their sides [after the slaughter],
eat thereof and feed the beggar who does not ask, and the beggar who
asks.” (Quran 22:36)
As
for the deplorable practice of spattering blood of the sacrificed
animals on the walls of the Kaaba and hanging their flesh on altars,
then God clearly informed them that:
“It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches God, but it is Taqwaa (piety) from you that reaches Him.” (Quran 22:37)
The
Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, also put a
stop to the practice of circling the Kaaba in a state of nudity and the
argument that the pagans put forward to justify this ritual was sharply
rebutted in God’s question:
“Say: Who has forbidden the adornment [i.e. clothes] given by God which He has produced for His Slaves?” (Quran 7:32)
Another
custom which was prohibited through the Quran was that of setting off
for Hajj without taking any provisions for the journey. In the
pre-Islamic period, some people who claimed righteousness, having total
dependency on God, would travel to perform Hajj begging food the whole
journey. They considered this form of behavior a sign of piety and an
indication of how much faith they had in God. However God told mankind
that to have sufficient provisions for the journey was one of the
preconditions for making Hajj. He said:
“And take a provision [with you] for the journey, but the best provision is piety.” (Quran 2:197)
In
this way, all the pre-Islamic practices, which were based in ignorance,
were abolished and Hajj was once more made a model of piety, fear of
God, purity, simplicity and austerity. Now, when the pilgrims reached
the Kaaba, they no longer found the carnivals and the frolic and
frivolity that had once occupied the minds of the pilgrims there
before. Now, there was the remembrance of God at every step and every
action and every sacrifice was devoted to Him alone. It was this kind
of Hajj that was worthy of the reward of paradise, as the Prophet said:
“The reward for an accepted Hajj is nothing less than paradise.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
Hajj
is the fifth pillar of Islam and it was enjoined by Allaah on the
Muslims to be performed once during one's lifetime. This pillar is
observed during the month of Thul-Hijjah.
Building and Purifying the Ka`bah:
Allaah,
the Exalted, enjoined His Prophet Ibraaheem, may Allaah exalt his
mention, to rebuild the Ka`bah. So the Prophet Ibraaheem and his son
Ismaa`eel, may Allaah exalt their mention, rebuilt it in order to be a
safe and secure haven for the monotheists. Allaah also enjoined the
Prophet Ibraaheem, may Allaah exalt his mention, to clear Allaah's
Sacred House from any impurity, destroy all idols, and eliminate all
innovations and deviations in religion so that it would be ritually pure
and clean for the believers.
Proclamation of Hajj:
After
the Ka`bah was completely built and purified, Allaah enjoined the
Prophet Ibraaheem, may Allaah exalt his mention, to proclaim Hajj to all
mankind and call them to visit the Sacred House. The Prophet Ibraaheem,
may Allaah exalt his mention, complied with Allaah's command and called
people to perform Hajj. Allaah says (what means):
"And
proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on
foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant
(wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj)." [Quran 22:27]
Allaah inspired the believers to respond to the call of Prophet Ibraaheem, may Allaah exalt his mention, saying "Labbayk Allaahuma Labbayk" (In
response to Your call, O Allaah here I come)!. The believers went to
the Sacred House of Allaah on foot and some were riding their camels
which were starved and weakened because of the long journeys. Until
today, people still travel to Makkah to perform Hajj using various means
of transportation.
Allaah enjoined only the Muslims who are financially and physically able to perform Hajj.
Allaah says (what means):
"And
Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka'bah) is a duty that
mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one's
conveyance, provision, and residence)." [Quran 3:97]
During
the time of Hajj, Muslims from all over the world gather at the same
time and place to perform Hajj rituals, supplicate Allaah, and ask Him
for forgiveness. At the same time they come to know each other and the
differences between them, such as economic conditions, gender, color,
and language, are all disregarded. Hajj that is properly performed has a
great reward. The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:
"Properly performed Hajj will receive no reward other than Paradise". (Ahmad)
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