14 the significance of the ḥajj (pilgrimage) and its rituals

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14. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ḤAJJ (PILGRIMAGE) AND ITS RITUALS Hajj or pilgrimage resembles the re-enactment of the experiences of the Prophet Abraham whose epithet was ‫َخلِ ْي ُل هللا‬ (“Allah’s friend”, “Allah’s beloved one”). He was the fore-father of Semitic prophets, and his selfless sacrifice has no parallel in the history of humankind. Hajj symbolizes the spiritual journey of our life. Life itself is a journey, from birth to death and beyond. We need guidance in our journey of life, as we need it in our pilgrimage journey. We have to know what to do and what not to do in our journey, either in life by following Islam or in pilgrimage by following the rituals prescribed in Islam, some of which are as follows: 1. Al-Iḥrām = state of sanctity The first step of our journey is to be in the state of ihram. We wash and wear a special kind of clothes (unstitched peace of white material cloth which looks like our coffin), make our intention for this sacred and spiritual journey, leaving our material world behind. In this state we are not allowed to do things which we usually can do in our normal material life, such as killing animals, cutting our nails and hair.

2. Al-Ṭawāf (Circumambulation) When we as pilgrims arrive at Makkah we go to the Holy Sanctuary (al-Masjid al-Ḥarām), and perform ṭawāf al-qudūm, namely, circumambulation around the Ka‘bah which is also called Baytullāh (“the House of Allah”) upon our arrival. This is obligatory, as Allah said: )92:‫ِيق (الحج‬ ِ ‫ور ُه ْم َو ْل َيطوفُوا ِب ْال َب ْي‬ َ ‫ُثم ْل َي ْقضُوا َت َف َث ُه ْم َو ْليُوفُوا ُن ُذ‬ ِ ‫ت ْال َعت‬ Then let them complete their prescribed duties (manasik hajj) and perform their vows, and circumambulate the Ancient House (the Ka‘bah) (Q. 22:29) This act is also a reminiscence of the building of the Ka‘bah by Prophet Abraham and Ishmael in its original foundation. In the material world the similar things happen, that everything keeps moving: the electrons encircle the protons of the atoms, the moon encircles the earth, the earth

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in turn encircles the sun, and the sun keeps moving in the Milky Way. The Milky Way and other galaxies also keep moving away and expanding the universe; in the spiritual world the angels are around the ‘Arsh (Throne) glorifying Allah, ‫ون ِب ِه‬ َ ‫ُون ِب َح ْم ِد َرب ِ​ِّه ْم َوي ُْؤ ِم ُن‬ َ ‫ش َو َمنْ َح ْولَ َه ُي َس ِّبح‬ َ ْ‫ون ْال َعر‬ َ ُ ‫ِين َيحْ ِمل‬ َ ‫الذ‬ ْ ‫ت ُكل َشيْ ء َرحْ َمة َوعِ ْلما َف‬ َ ْ‫ِين آ َم ُنوا َرب َنا َوسِ ع‬ ْ‫اغفِر‬ َ ‫ُون لِلذ‬ َ ‫َو َيسْ َت ْغ ِفر‬ ْ َ ‫ك َوق ِ​ِه ْم َع َذ‬ )7:‫ِيم (غافر‬ َ ‫ِين َتابُوا َوات َبعُوا َس ِبي َل‬ َ ‫لِلذ‬ ِ ‫اب ال َجح‬ Those (angels) who bear the Throne (of Allah) and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah) (saying): “Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive who repent and follow Your way, and save them from the torment of the blazing Fire” (Q. 40:7) 3. Al-Wuqūf bi-‘Arafah (Standing on the Plain of Arafah).

On the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah, between dawn and sunset every Muslim has to be present in this plain of Arafah, where the Mt. Arafah is located. The pilgrim has to be present there or his pilgrimage would not be completed. The Prophet s.a.w. said, )‫ (رواه ابن ماجة‬...‫ْال َحج َع َر َف ُة‬ Pilgrimage is (with being in) Arafah….

(Reported by Ibn Majah) That day all pilgrims were in one place, a reminder of the coming Grand Assembly on the Judgment Day when people will stand equal before God waiting for their final destiny, and as the Prophet Muhammad said, "Allah does not judge according to your bodies and appearances, but he scans your hearts and looks into your deeds." The pilgrims chant answering the call Allah through Prophet Abraham a.s. and later Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. to come to visit the Ka’bah, citing, as taught by the Prophet s.a.w., as follows: ،‫ إِن ْال َحمْ َد‬.‫ك‬ َ ‫ك لَب ْي‬ َ َ‫ك ل‬ َ ‫ك لَ َش ِري‬ َ ‫ لَب ْي‬.‫ك‬ َ ‫ك اللهُم لَب ْي‬ َ ‫لَب ْي‬ .)‫ك (رواه مالك‬ َ َ‫ك ل‬ َ ‫ك لَ َش ِري‬ َ ‫ َو ْالم ُْل‬.‫ك‬ َ َ‫َوال ِّنعْ َم َة ل‬ “O Allah, here we are responding to your call. Oh God,

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(we witness that) there are no partners with You. To You belongs all Praise, Grace and Dominion.”

(Reported by Malik) It was in this plain of ‘Arafah that the Prophet proclaimed the completion of his mission. Allah said, ُ ‫ت لَ ُك ْم دِي َن ُك ْم َوأَ ْت َمم‬ ُ ‫ْال َي ْو َم أَ ْك َم ْل‬ ‫ْت َعلَ ْي ُك ْم نِعْ َمتِي‬ ُ ِ‫َو َرض‬ )3:‫اْلسْ َ​َل َم دِينا (المائدة‬ ِ ْ ‫يت َل ُك ُم‬ "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" (Qur’an 5:3( 4. Sacrifice Sacrifice which is done on the same day of the Feast, ‘Īd alAḍḥā, is the reminiscent of the sacrifice of Prophet Abraham a.s. After three night vision of sacrificing his only son, he became certain that it was Allah’s command which had to be executed. However, at the last moment, Allah replaced his son with a ram. This was the highest level of sacrifice, sacrificing what you love most; it is total obedience.

Although Ismā‘īl (Ishmael) is not mentioned by name in the Qur’an, there are many indications that he was the intended son to be sacrificed, whereas according to the Christians it was Isḥāq (Isaac).

When Prophet Abraham prayed for offspring from the righteous, Allah gave him glad tiding of a forbearing boy (Q. 37:100-101). The boy Ishmael was born when Abraham was 86 years old (Gen. 16:16), whereas Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 years old (Gen. 21:5). Abraham was 99 years old and Ishmael was 13 years, when they were both circumcised (Gen. 17:24-26).

Then Allah commanded Abraham to take his wife Hajar and his baby Ishmael to Makkah to live there, long before Isaac was born. He asked Allah to protect them and to provide them with food and make people love them (Q. 14:37). When Hajar asked whether this was Allah’s command to take them to

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Makkah or his own will, he said that it was Allah’s command, and that made her content. Abraham then visited them regularly in Makkah. It was said that Ishmael was 8 years old when his father visited him and a vision that he sacrificed his son Ishmael.1 He was the only son of Abraham at that time.2 5. Stoning Satan (Iblis) After 8 years leaving Hajar and Ishmael in Makkah he came back to visit them. They were overjoyed, but at the same time Abraham had a vision that he sacrificed Ishmael in three executive nights, meaning it was Allah’s command. He asked his wife to dress up Ishmael, and told her that he was taking him to a friend, meaning Allah. So Abraham took his son Ishmael from Makkah to Mina where he would be sacrificed. They arrived on the same day due to the short distance; about 12 km.3 When According to Biblical account, Sarah ordered Hajar and Ishmael to be taken away, because Ishmael was mocking. They were taken to Beersheba. Ishmael must have been over 14 years old. He cried out of thirst, and the angel told her that God had heard the boy crying, to lift him by the hand, and he would be made into a great nation. When she opened her eyes she saw a well of water.

They lived in the Desert of Paran, and his mother got a wife for him (Gen. 21:820) 2 When the Bible said, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah (Gen. 22:2), this indicated that Abraham did not like Ishmael, which was unlikely, although he was the first born, and the answer of his prayer, because Isaac was the only son he loved.

Moriah where Isaac was to be sacrificed is the present Mt. Zion. This mount is very important for the Jewish tradition, as it was the central of Jewish history.

Here Jacob dreamed of a ladder to heaven, the place where King Solomon later built the first Temple, and where Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead.

Today, the Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem, stands on the site of the sacrifice of Isaac. It was the place where Adam first offered sacrifice, as well as his sons Cain and Abel. The Land of Moriah was said to have been the place where God created the universe, and the dust of Moriah is said to have been used to create Adam.

3 According to the Bible it took 3 days for Abraham, Isaac and two servants to reach the place where Isaac would be sacrificed. The distance was 50 miles (over 75km) which took them 3 days either from Beersheba or the land of Philistine to reach their destination. On the third day the two servants were 1

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they reached Mina, Abraham told him that he had a dream that he sacrificed him, and asked his opinion. The son said, “My father, obey the command given by Allah. You will, Insha’Allah, find me steadfast (Q. 37:101-102). Give my shirt to my mother as it will be a source of comfort for her and wrap me in your own shirt. Put me face down so you can’t see my face, lest you hesitate in carrying out my slaughter.” This was a test for both of them. On their way, Satan persuaded him not to obey Allah.

Satan came to Hajar, telling her that when Abraham told her he was taking Ishmael to a friend, he meant he was taking to Allah by sacrificing him. When she asked whether it was Allah’s command, he said it was. Then she said even one hundred Ishmaels could be sacrifice in that way.

In Mina Satan appeared in three spots to distract him and to disobey Allah. Gabriel told him to pelt Satan, so he threw seven stones at him, and Satan disappeared. This spot is called Jamratul Ūlā (the First Place for Throwing). Satan appeared again, and Gabriel told him again to throw 7 stone at him, and he disappeared him. |This spot is called Jamratul Wusṭā (the Middle Place for Throwing). Satan appeared again, and Gabriel told Abraham to pelt him again, and he did with seven stones, and Satan disappeared again. This spot is called Jamratul ‘Aqabah (steep place for throwing). Following this ritual, the pilgrims are required to resist Satan’s temptation in obeying Allah, so that when they come back they would become better Muslims.

6. Running between Mt. Ṣafā and Mt. Marwah When the child Ishmael became thirsty, his mother went back and forth franticly between the two hills, Mt. Ṣafā and Mt. Marwah to find water. When she returned to her baby who was left behind, and Isaac asked his father, “…, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” His father answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son!” Isaac only knew that he was the intended sacrifice when his father bound him and laid him on the altar on the top of the wood.

(Gen. 22: 4-9)

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crying suddenly water came out, either by Ishmael who hit the ground or by Gabriel, now called the well of Zamzam inside the Masjid al-Ḥarām.

7. Visiting the Prophet Although visiting the tomb of the Prophet is not obligatory for the pilgrims, it is highly recommended to visit his tomb which is inside the mosque of Madinah. He said: ْ ‫ار َقب ِْري َو َج َب‬ (‫ارقُ ْطنِي َو َغيْره‬ َ ‫ت لَ ُه َش َفا َعتِي ) َر َواهُ الد‬ َ ‫َمنْ َز‬ Whoever visited my grave my intercession would be incumbent for him. (Reported by al-Dāraquṭnī and others) In general, returning from performing the accepted pilgrimage is like being “born gain” Muslim. The Prophet s.a.w. said: ْ ُ‫ْت َفلَ ْم َيرْ ف‬ َ ‫َمنْ َحج ْال َبي‬ )‫ث َولَ ْم َي ْفس ُْق َر َج َع َك َما َولَ َد ْت ُه أُم ُه (رواه أحمد‬ Whoever performs the pilgrimage to the House (of Allah) without committing any act of obscene manner and corruption therein he would return as if he was just born by his mother (Reported by Ahmad) )CIVIC, 3 October, 2014( :‫المراجع‬ ‫المكتبة الشاملة‬ )‫ هـ‬313 .‫تفسير الطبري (ت‬ )‫ هـ‬171 .‫تفسير القرطبى (ت‬ )‫ هـ‬777 .‫تفسير ابن كثير (ت‬ Abu Khalil, Dr. Shauqi . Atlas of the Qur’an. Riyadh, Darussalam, 2003 Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qur’an Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qur’an Holy Bible: New International Version, 1973 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_%28son_of_Jacob%29 The Egyptian Society for Spiritual and Cultural Research http://www.gotquestions.org/Abraham-Isaac.html#ixzz3EiEW2S00 www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/.../Vayera/.../ake dah.htm http://www.amazonintl.in/forum/index.php/topic,19048.0.html