The ‘five pillars’ of Islam are the foundation of a Muslim’s life. They are the belief in the Oneness of God and his last Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the five daily prayers, giving alms to the needy, self-purification through fasting; and the pilgrimage to Makkah or the Hajj. The Hajj is a mandatory [...]

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The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka

The Hajj – the journey of a lifetime for Muslims

By Brigadier (Ret) M. Z. Ishrath
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The ‘five pillars’ of Islam are the foundation of a Muslim’s life. They are the belief in the Oneness of God and his last Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the five daily prayers, giving alms to the needy, self-purification through fasting; and the pilgrimage to Makkah or the Hajj. The Hajj is a mandatory duty on all Muslims capable of making the journey both physically and financially.

An Iranian female pilgrim looks towards the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah. Reuters

Muslims from all over the world are taking part in this largest gathering on earth, the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Makkah. For more than 14 centuries, countless millions of Muslims, men and women from all over the world, have made this pilgrimage, a religious obligation that every Muslim must fulfil at least once in his or her lifetime. The pilgrimage focuses on Makkah, Islam’s holiest site and the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). Religious observances in Makkah during Hajj could be considered as the spiritual climax of every Muslim’s life. The pilgrims enter into a sublime state of total devotion and purity.

Muslims believe in all the prophets sent by Almighty Allah starting from Adam (Peace be upon him). All of them had a common goal – to guide humankind in the right path.

The Hajj consists of several rituals, meant to symbolise the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials and tribulations of Prophet Abraham (Peace be upon him) and his family.

During Hajj, people from all countries, rich and poor, monarchs and peasants, men and women, old and young will all stand before Almighty Allah, seeking his mercy, forgiveness and the acceptance of their good deeds. The pilgrims dressed in two pieces of unstitched cloth, abide by the same rules and regulations and say the same prayers at the same time in the same manner, for the same goal. The Hajj also enables Muslims from all around the world to come together in a spirit of universal brotherhood to worship the one God. This demonstrates the concept of equality of mankind, which is the most, loud and clear message of Islam, signifying that there is no place for superiority on the basis of race, gender or social status.

Another feature of this journey is that the Hajj provides a unique opportunity for Muslims to reflect on their lives, contemplate the greatness of Almighty Allah and to return to their families and homes spiritually enriched and cleansed of all sin. According to Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) a person who performs Hajj properly (Hajj mabroor) will return home as a new born baby devoid of all sins.

The rites of the Hajj, which are of Abrahamic origin, include: Circumambulating, counter-clockwise, seven times the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure, which acts as the Islamic direction of prayer; running back and forth between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah as Hagar (Hajara, Abraham’s wife) did during her search for water; drinking from the Zam-zam Well, standing together on the wide plains of ‘Arafat’ (a large expanse of desert outside Makkah) and joining in prayer for God’s forgiveness, in what is often thought as a preview of the day of judgment and the ritual of stoning the devil.

It was on a Hajj day that Holy Prophet Muhammad, in his final year of life, gave his farewell sermon. He stood on the plain of Arafa and proclaimed the completion of his mission with a message from Allah: “This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam, or submission to God, as your religion” (Quran 5:3).
The holy prophet laying emphasis on the importance of the remembrance of Allah on the day of Arafa said that “Hajj is Arafa”.
The Hajj reminds us of the life hereafter, especially the gathering on the day of judgment when people will be resurrected and will stand equal before Almighty Allah waiting for his final verdict for the worldly deeds during one’s lifetime. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has said, “God does not judge according to the shapes and appearances of your bodies, but Almighty scans your hearts and minds and will judge according to your deeds.”

Culmination of Hajj is marked by the Hajj festival or better known as Eid-ul- Adha. Muslims all over the world celebrate this day with special prayers and ritual sacrifices. Pilgrims sacrifice a sheep or goat, in remembrance of Prophet Abraham (Peace be upon him) and share the meat with the poor. This re-enacts the story of Abraham’s near-sacrifice of his son, Ishmael, when commanded by Allah to test his faith. Almighty Allah then provided a sheep to Abraham as a substitute for his son for sacrifice. This act demonstrates Prophet Abraham’s ((Peace be upon him) unswerving faith and total submission to Almighty Allah’s command.

Muslims in Sri Lanka will celebrate the Hajj Festival on October 27.




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