Al-Hajj (islamic)

Allah -the Almighty- had legislated Al-Hajj, and made it for those who are capable of it, but one who couldn’t do it is relieved from it. Al-Hajj is to go to Mecca to perform the rituals of Al-Hajj, it is a great pillar of the five pillars of Islam.

The best words to start our article about Al-Hajj is Allah, the Almighty saying: { And for Allah, the people pilgrimage to the house, for those who are able to it, and whoever disbelieved, God is needless to the worlds}. Al-Hajj is the biggest annual gathering of human beings, In Al-Hajj people from every where be together in their path to Allah -the Almighty- who said: {And call the people for pilgrimage, they come on foot or riding camels, they come from every deep ravine}

Why did Allah -the Almighty- legislated Al-Hajj?

Al-Hajj is a journey for the sake of Allah, and no one but him, and through this journey, the servant learns to dispense with every thing and be striped of all adornments of life, heading for Allah- the Almighty- leaving behind all what he possesses, his cravings, and pleasures, doesn’t need any thing but satisfaction of Allah. In Al- Hajj, the servant affords the hardships of travel and transmission saying with his heart and soul before his tongue: (I respond to You, Oh Allah, no partner for you, the thanks and the grace are for you and the ownership, there is no partner for you). Allah- the Almighty also made Al-Hajj to teach his servants to rise above disagreements and to refrain from hatefulness and hostility, as Allah -the Almighty- said: {Al-Hajj is in known months, then who imposes the pilgrimage in them, no craving, or depravity, or argument in Al-Hajj}. Equality is evident in Al-Hajj, as all Muslims from everywhere, and of all races and ethnics, and all material standards are equal in front of Allah, in their rituals and worships, even in their uniforms, as Prophet Muhammad –peace and blessings be upon him- said in his farewell sermon: (Oh, people, your Lord is one, and your father is one, all of you are Adam’s, and Adam is from dust, the most honored one of you, for Allah, is the most devout one, An Arab has not a distinction over a foreigner, except by righteousness, did I inform you, oh God, bear witness)

The virtue of Al-Hajj:

It is the best acts of worship, and its reward is the same as for Jihad. Prophet Muhammad(p.b.u.h) said: (Accepted Hajj has no reward but Paradise) And on the other hand, Al-Hajj erases sins as if one is just has been born, as Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) said: (Whoever comes to this house and doesn’t crave or deprave, will return as he was born by his mothers)

The steps of Al-Hajj:

After Ibrahim -peace be upon him- finished building Al-Kabaa, the archangel Gabriel -peace be upon him- showed him the rituals of Al-Hajj as following; -Ihram, it is the intention of performing Hajj. -Tawaf, it is circumambulation around the Kaaba. -Scrambling, between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwa mountains. -Mena, Pilgrims go there to pray and sleep. -Arafat, Pilgrims stand on Arafat mountain in supplication and praise till sunsit. -Muzdalifah, they go there to pray Maghrib and to collect 21 pebbles. -slaughtering a sacrifice. -Tawaaf al-Ifaadah, Pilgrims perform seven circuits around Al-Kabaa. -Throwing pebbles. -Tawaaf al-farewell, and it is also seven circuits.

The story of scrambling and Zamzam well:

Al-Hajj has a great story which its star is an Egyptian woman, she is “Hagar” the Prophet of Allah Ibrahim’s wife, and the Prophet of Allah Ismail’s mother- peace be upon them. The story starts when Ibrahim -peace be upon him- left her and her baby in a barren desert, where no life or water in it, which was “Mekkah”, and she asked him not to leave her in this place and she wanted to know why he wanted to leave them their, but the Prophet of Allah, continued to walk away, and communing his Lord, here, she understood that it was an order from Allah -the Almighty- and she said: So He will never lose us. After a while, they ran out of date and water, her baby “Ismail” was crying from hunger, so she got up and scrambled seeking for water in a valley between two mountains, which were “Al-Safaa and Al-Marwa”, she went back and forth between them for seven times. Untill the well of Zamzam blew up, and water flew, and still flowing till now. The story of Al-Hajj rituals: Throwing pebbles: Ibrahim –peace be upon him- was visiting Hagar and Ismail from time to time, until Ismail grew up and became a well built young man. Ibrahim saw in his sleep that he is slaughtering his son Ismail, whereas Prophet’s dreams are orders from Allah, he complied with what Allah has demanded, and he told Ismail about his dream , who complied to what Allah has ordered too, in their way to implement the order, the Satan stood in their way in three places to whisper to him not to slaughter his son, and in each place Ibrahim was throwing seven stones at him tell the Satan dropped to the ground. Standing in Arafat: Pilgrims walk up the mountain of Arafat on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah month, after the sunrise, till the sunset, and they keep praying and increase supplication, after prayer to Prophet Muhammad, and thank God and praise to the Almighty. Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) said: ((Al-Hajj Arafah) as it is the greatest pillar of Al-Hajj. Slaughtering a sacrifice: When Ibrahim was initiated in slaughtering his child, a glad tiding came to him and his son was ransomed with a ram. And this day became an Islamic festival ” Eid al-Adha” and Slaughtering the sacrifice became a rite for Muslims to commemorate this story, and Allah -the Almighty- said: {And we called him that, Oh Ibrahim you have believed the revelation, that’s how we reward the doers of good deeds}.