Tariq A. Al-Maeena

 

Some two million worshippers gathered in the holy sites around Makkah to perform one of the five obligatory pillars of Islam. Many prayed for world peace and prosperity for all. And as the Haj rituals begin to wind down in these following days, it must be remembered that the pilgrimage that they have successfully completed was not simply one of donning plain white pieces of cloth and going through the motions.



Haj in its most basic meaning translates as an act "to continuously strive to reach one’s goal." It is the last of the five pillars of Islam.  The other four are a declaration of faith in one God and in Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the five daily prayers, offering regular charity, and fasting during the month of Ramadan.   Pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation only for those who have the physical and financial ability to undertake such an arduous journey. In Islam Haj summarizes this spiritual journey toward this essence.



Haj is unquestionably the most demanding of all Islamic rituals, and the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Whoever performs Haj to this house - Kaaba - and does not commit any obscenity and wrongdoing, he, or she, will come out as the day he, or she, was born - pure and free from sins."



Its importance within our religion has been noted by the late Egyptian scholar Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq who stated in his book Fiqh-us-Sunnah:  "Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ’The performance of Umrah is expiation for the sins committed between it and the previous ones. And the reward for Haj Mabrur (pilgrimage accepted by Allah) is nothing but Paradise.’" (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book 27, Hadith no. 1)



During these last few days of worship, pilgrims would certainly have reaped many benefits, such as the opportunity to correct one’s faults, to sincerely atone for their worldly sins and to make up for any shortcomings or wrongdoings of their past.



Haj is the conglomeration of millions of Muslims who rising above geographical, linguistic, level of practice, cultural, ethnic, color, economic, and social barriers converge in unison in Makkah, and that is a tribute to the universality of the Haj.



An Islamic scholar said that the rituals, the experiences of Haj can be overwhelming.   “Imagine yourself stepping on the same land where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to step and going through valleys and mountains wherein he used to receive the divine revelation.



“It gives you another perspective of how much he and his Companions did suffer in order to get this message communicated to us in its most perfect and purest form. It happens a lot that we hear about things but when we see them with our own eyes, it places us in a different atmosphere.



“When you go to the mountain of Heraa’, you realize that this is the same place where the Prophet (pbuh) used to seclude himself from the whole world for one month every year. It is the place that witnessed the revelation of the first words of the Qur’an and the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel.

 

“When you move in the Grand Mosque of Makkah and remember Ibrahim and his son Ishmael, you can feel the true meanings of sacrifice and how a father left his newborn with his weak mother in that barren piece of land.”



The rigors that pilgrims have just completed were not simply mindless exercises prescribed in textbooks for them to blindly follow and then carry home as a trophy of "being there".  The gathering of such a large and diverse group of Muslims is also to strengthen and renew bonds across many borders and their diverse inhabitants.



In his last Haj sermon, the Prophet (pbuh) advised those present to convey the meaning and message of the rituals they had just performed to those who were absent from this great assembly.  Thus a pilgrim’s journey does not end simply with the termination of the rituals he or she has just completed.  Pilgrims now carry the responsibility of conveying the message of peace back to their homelands irrespective of faith. 



For those who have journeyed this arduous road, it has been their moment. It is not an easy task for many but a highly rewarding one. It was their time to devote themselves to the true meaning of Islam.  Islam is after all about tolerance. Hopefully, they all have been reinforced with the sanctity of this religion of peace. 



As they begin to wind down their journey, they should strengthen their resolve to shun the temptations that have been denied them in our Holy Book, and resist the calls of those who promote or incite violence and mayhem.  Moreover, the message of peace and goodwill must be carried back with positive energy to their people across the globe.  It is like being born again with a clean slate.

 

– The author can be reached at talmaeena@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @talmaeena