Part 1

You are commanded to keep patient and endure the difficulties and annoyance from others, and do not react to others harassment except in good way and with toleration.

Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, is one of the best deeds. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was once asked, “Which deed is best?” He said, “Belief in Allah and His Messenger.” He was asked, “Then what?” He said, “Jihad for the sake of Allah.” He was asked, “Then what?” He said, “An accepted Hajj.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

We talked in a previous article about four messages that one catches from visiting the sacred House of Allah, the Ka`bah, for Hajj. We are going to continue this interesting topic as we find it is useful for the pilgrims to take these messages into consideration, having returned from Hajj.

Fifth: Message of Belonging Is to Islam

When one puts the first foot in Mecca, one is get amazed not only by the enormous numbers of people but also by the diversity of their colors, genders, ages and languages. One sees the Arab and the non-Arab, the males and the females, the old and the young, and people with different colors, nationalities, cultures, histories, jobs and life conditions. The common factor between all of those is one thing, namely belonging to Islam. If you want to describe all of them with one word, you can simply say “Muslims”, a designation given to them long ago by the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham, peace be upon him). The Qur’an says:

And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you “Muslims”. (Al-Hajj 22:78)

They follow this religion because it knows no discrimination on any basis. The only thing with which a human being excels another human being according to Islam is attaining taqwa, a word that means piousness, fear of Allah and obedience to Him.

In his Hajj, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stood on the `Arafat mountain speaking to the masses of people who offered Hajj with him, in his Final Sermon, “No Arab is superior to a non-Arab and no white man is superior to a black man, except in terms of taqwa.”

Affiliation to Islam means to submit to Allah as your God, Muhammad as your Messenger and Islam as your way of life.

Have you got the message!!

Sixth: Message of Humbleness

When commencing Hajj, a pilgrim enters in a state of Ihram (ritual state for Hajj or `Umrah). Every male pilgrim wears a specific dress consisting of two white garments that have no pockets or decoration. It is so simple and reminds of the hereafter.

In Prayer, you stand side by side with someone who may be less than you in rank or position, but still he may wear expensive clothes, watch and fragrant perfume, and with his nails and beard trimmed. Yet in Hajj, once you enter in the state of Ihram, you have to wear only two white garments wrapped around your body, and you are forbidden to wear any sewn clothes, apply perfume or trim your nails or hair. All pilgrims looks the same, with same dress and look, does not this teach you humbleness?

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Wealth does not decrease because of charity, and Allah increases His slave in honor when he forgives others. And no one humbles himself before Allah but Allah will raise him (in status).” (Muslim)

Have you got the message!!

Seventh: The Message of Forbearance

The great masses of people bring unbearable crowd, annoyance and harassment as well as the calls of help from others. In this atmosphere you offer you Hajj rites with utmost hope that Allah accepts your deeds, and fear that your Hajj may not be accepted. Yet, forbearance is what makes this easy for you. You are commanded to keep patient and endure the difficulties and annoyance from others, and do not react to others harassment except in good way and with toleration. Actually, this is another message of Hajj.

There are three kinds of forbearance: forbearance on performing worship, forbearance on keeping away from sins and forbearance on the decrees of fate. In Hajj, you are experienced to a lot of hardship and fatigue and stay a long time in waiting and you are commanded to endure and tolerate. Almighty Allah says:

O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful. (Aal `Imran 3:200)

Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account. (Al-Zumar 39:10)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever performs Hajj and does not commit any obscenity or commit any evil will go back (free of) sin as on the day his mother bore him.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Have you got the Message!!

                                                                                                                                                                                                       To be continued…..

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So, the whole worship of Hajj is just to implant in the heart that Allah is the Only God Who has no partner.

Almighty Allah commanded Ibrahim (Abraham, peace be upon him) to proclaim unto people the pilgrimage to Makkah (Surah Al-Hajj 22:27). He (peace be upon him) submitted to the command of Allah and called out people to come to the blessed House of Allah, the Ka`bah, and perform the worship of Hajj. Ibrahim abode by the order and Allah undertake the dissemination of his call to people everywhere.

In Islam, Hajj is the fifth pillar of the religion of Islam. It wipes out the sins and renews one’s relation with God. Moreover, it is a manifestation of the Islamic equity and unity, as all Muslims wear the same dress, repeat the same dhikr (remembrance of Allah), perform the same rites, and supplicate the same God following the same Prophet (peace be upon him).

Those people are truly blessed, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “For an accepted Hajj there is no reward but Paradise.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) There are a lot of other hadiths talking about the great rewards of Hajj.

However, after preforming Hajj, visiting the most sacred places on the earth –for us as Muslims-, standing at `Arafat, circumambulating the Ka`bah, and visiting the mosque and grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him), question now is: “Have you got the message?”

In the following lines, we will share the lessons that we all learn from Hajj.

First: The Message of Monotheism

Muslim, as some may wrongly believe, do not leave to Mecca in order to show more glorification to the Ka`bah, the black stone or the grave of the Prophet Muhammad. They have come to glorify the One and Only God, Allah the Almighty. You can glimpse this from the supplication repeated by all pilgrims, that is: “Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am. You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty. You have no partner.” So, the purpose of the worship of Hajj is simply to implant in the heart that Allah is the Only God Who has no partner by repeating these words for a lot of time that instills in the heart of the believer that Allah is the Only One worthy of worship and other gods are nothing.

Have you got the message!!

Second: The Message of Following the Prophet

The great masses of people, who move in millions to Mecca, are actually following the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). They inspire the Prophet’s statement, “Take your rites (of Hajj) from me.” (Muslim) Each pilgrim does their best to keep as much as possible to the very way that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed Hajj. A similar statement the Prophet said regarding Prayer, “Pray as you have seen me pray.” (Al-Bukhari) In this manner, the whole acts of worship should be offered, i.e. the very way offered by the Prophet.

Have you got the Message!!

Third: The Message of Good Manners

In the context of Hajj, the Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “Whoever performs Hajj and does not utter obscenities or commit sin, will come back as on the day when his mother bore him (i.e. with his sins forgiven).” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) Also, Almighty Allah says,

The pilgrimage is (in) the well-known months, and whoever is minded to perform the pilgrimage therein (let him remember that) there is (to be) no lewdness nor abuse nor angry conversation on the pilgrimage. (Al-Baqarah 2:197)

In the midst of crowds and in spite of the heat of the sun, you are commanded to keep to good morals and Islamic ethics.

Have you got the Message!!

Fourth: The Message of Sacrifice

The Prophet Ibrahim was ordered by Allah to slaughter his only son Isma`el (Ishmael) (peace be upon them both). He decided to carry out the order of Allah and asked his son Isma`el to help him perform that order. The Qur’an relates that story in the following verses:

And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, “O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think.” He said, “O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast.” And when they had both submitted and he put him down upon his forehead, We called to him, “O Abraham, You have fulfilled the vision.” Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good. Indeed, this was the clear trial. And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice. (Al-Saffat 37:102-107)

Prophet Ibrahim gave precedence to the Command of Allah upon every command, and both of them were ready to sacrifice; Prophet Ibrahim was ready to sacrifice his son, and Isma`el was ready to sacrifice himself.

Have you got the message!!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              To be continued…..

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