Pilgrimage to the Holy City of Makka (Hajj)

Everyone who can must, at least once, make the pilgrimage (hajj) to the holy city of Makkah. This pilgrimage occurs every year during Dhul Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Those who make the pilgrimage follow in the footsteps of Abraham (peace be upon him), the father of the prophets. 4,000 years ago, Abraham (peace be upon him) along with his wife Hagar and his son Ishmael set out on a vast journey wandering through Babylon, Syria and Arabia crossing vast hills, rivers, and deserts until arriving in the holy land of Makkah where Abraham (peace be upon him) received revelation from Allah:

"Do not associate with Me anything, and purify My house for those who circle around it and stand to pray and bow and prostrate themselves. And proclaim among the people the pilgrimage. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel from every remote path that they may witness the benefits for them and mention the name of Allah during the appointed days over what He has given them." (22:26-28)

First, Abraham and Ishmael (peace be upon them) had to raise the cubic structure, the Ka'bah, on the foundations of the "first house made for mankind" (3:95) - built originally at the dawn of creation by Adam (peace be upon him). Then Abraham (peace be upon him) had to proclaim the pilgrimage to mankind. Unconcerned as to who would hear his voice in this desert land, he climbed atop a nearby mountain and proclaimed to humanity the divine message of the hajj. This call has passed through the distances of space and time and still reverberates to the millions of people around the globe who answer his call and come to make the pilgrimage.


Significance of the Hajj

The hajj is the supreme symbol of universal brotherhood and is the greatest annual congregation in the world. Every year, in Makkah, millions of people from diverse origins stand shoulder-to-shoulder. Clad in the barest of materials - two pieces of white cloth - and performing the same rituals, no person can be distinguished from another on the basis of wealth, lineage, power, or education. The most powerful leaders are on the same level as the masses of the world. All artificial or human-imposed distinctions between human beings are lifted, and people have the chance to know each other solely as brothers and sisters in humanity for the span of a few days.

This sense of equality should translate back into everyday life; the person who has gone on the hajj should return home freed from erroneous notions of racism, classism, and so forth. For the Islamic people as a whole, the hajj serves as an enormous convention or conference in which news is passed on and problems are solved. Since the beginning of Islam, the hajj has been one of the major cultural unifying factors of the Muslim peoples since, every year, delegates from every civilization meet in one place.

The hajj also develops the human soul. Every human being, whether aware of it or not, is travelling towards Allah, and part of the essential spiritual development in life is to recognize and accept this journey. The hajj not only represents this journey physically but also forces the pilgrims to express their willingness to leave behind everything for Allah.

Allah has made known that among the ways to approach Him for forgiveness is to journey to His house, the Ka'bah in Makkah. Once Imam 'Ali (peace be upon him) was with a group of his followers in the vicinity of the Ka'bah when they saw a man holding in his hand the cloth cover of the Ka'bah and supplicating: "O Keeper of the House! This house is Your house, and this guest is Your guest. Each guest sees goodness from its host. Tonight, let Your goodness be the forgiving of my sins." Imam 'Ali (peace be upon him) asked his followers: "Did you hear the words of this man?" The said, "Yes, we did." Imam 'Ali (peace be upon him) replied: "Almighty God is more forgiving than to drive away His guests."


The rites of Hajj

The beginning of the pilgrimage is marked by proclaiming, "Labbayk, Allahumma, Labbayk" - "I am here, O Lord, I am here!" followed by, "You Who have no partner - I am here! Surely all praise and blessings are Yours, and the Kingdom - I am here, O Lord, I am here!"

During the hajj, all of the millions of people present engage in circling the Ka'bah (a practice called tawwaf). This constant circling around Allah's House symbolizes humanity's dependence on Allah and teaches the ones doing tawwaf to seek help only from Allah. It also illustrates how every person's ultimate being revolves around Allah.

After tawwaf, the pilgrims run between two small mountains called Safa and Marwa, re-enacting Hagar's search for water for her infant son Ishmael. Alone in the desert, she and her baby had been in desperate need of water, and she had been running back and forth looking for some hint of moisture in the sand. Seeing her effort, Allah produced for her the spring of Zamzam, a spring of cool, pure water which gushed forth at Ishmael's tiny feet and has continued to flow until this very day. By imitating her search, the pilgrims not only remember her story but also assimilate into themselves the message that they cannot sit and wait for Allah's blessings to unfold magically upon them. Rather, if they are in need of something, they should work hard and then hope for the munificence of God in response.

The most significant day of the pilgrimage is the Day of Arafat. Arafat is a desert outside the city of Makkah in which all the pilgrims must stand from noon to sunset and communicate with Allah. The time in Arafat marks the real essence of the hajj; Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) has said: "The hajj is Arafat." In Arafat, the pilgrims leave behind all material possessions except for the two pieces of cloth they are wearing and are returned to the same condition in which they were born. The vast gathering - imagine, millions of people all dressed alike all standing in the same place all at the same time - represents the true origin and fate of humanity: born from dust, living for a short while, and then being resurrected from dust again. The scene of Arafat resembles what the Day of Resurrection will be like as countless individuals are pieced together from dust again to withstand judgement by the Almighty.

At a place called Mina, the pilgrims throw pebbles at Satan. This act is extremely difficult and dangerous and represents probably the only case in human society where people would voluntarily enter a mob of people throwing stones in all directions. By stoning pillars, which are physical representations of Satan, the pilgrims reinforce inside themselves how they should treat Satan, who has sworn to be the enemy of mankind. This act is also another historical re-enactment; on his way to fulfill the command of Allah in slaying his son, Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) met Satan in each of these three places and, instead of listening to his dissuasions, threw stones at him.

At the end of the hajj, each pilgrim must sacrifice an animal just as Abraham (peace be upon him) did in lieu of his son. The sacrifice indicates the pilgrims' willingness to sacrifice anything in life for Allah. The meat of the animal should not be wasted, though; one-third may be kept for personal use while one-third should be given to friends and the final third to the poor.

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