The History Of Hajj Hajj In Pre-Islamic Times Hajj was first ordained in the time of Ibraheem ('alaihi salaam) but was later distorted over the passage of time. The Hajj had degenerated into a place where poets would sing tribal praises or satirize other tribes. Competitions of generosity were staged for the purpose of one tribe to be exalted in the whole of Arabia. Singing, drinking, adultery and all kinds of immorality were indulged in with little thought of Allah. The rite of tawaaf had been reduced to a circus with men and women going round the Ka'bah unclothed. Prayer was but hand clapping and whistling and blowing horns. Sacrifices were made to other than Allah and the blood of the sacrificed animals was poured on the walls of the Ka'bah. Even the four sacred months of Hajj, namely Shawwal, Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah and Muharram were tampered with if the tribes wanted instead to fight during these times. Many distorted rites continued during the Hajj for more than two thousand years. Not until the coming of the final Prophet and Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was the Hajj purified to remain so until the Day of Reckoning. It was he (alaihi salaat wa salaam) who showed us how to properly perform the Hajj and he stated, "Take your rites of Hajj from me." All of the abominations of the past were forbidden as well as unnecessary rituals such as no talking or no trading. Hajj was made a model of piety, fear of Allah, purity, simplicity and austerity. Pilgrims were ordered to go out from their homes in a pure state, staying away from worldly pollution, abstaining from filthy language, indecency and sexual relations with their spouses. All distinctions of race, wealth and nationality are stripped away and all appear humbly in the court of Allah as equal worshippers. It is forbidden to kill an animal while in ihraam or even speak of killing a human being. Peace is the objective along with remembrance of Allah with full awareness sincerity and devotion. It is the pilgrims proclamation, "Here I am Oh Allah for you I am here, You have no partner, I am here. Verily all praise and blessing are due to You and to You belongs the entire sovereignty. You have no partner." And it is the pilgrims desire to fulfill the words of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam), "Whosoever performs Hajj solely for Allah and abstains from sensual and sinful acts, he will return as pure as a new-born child" meaning with all his sins forgiven. History Of The Ka'ba & Masjid Al-Haram Makkah The Prophet Ibraheem ('alaihi salaam) was commanded by Allah to leave his wife Hajar and their young son Ismaeel in the barren valley of Bakkah. After Prophet Ibraheem ('alaihi salaam) left them for a time they ran out of supplies and Hajar went in search of water. She left the baby Ismaeel in the valley and she ran between the hills of Safa and Marwa in search of water. A well sprang forth at the feet of the child that is now known as the Well of Zamzam. Years later during one of his visits Ibraheem ('alaihi salaam) was commanded to rebuild the foundations of the first house solely dedicated to the worship of Allah, which indeed was the Ka'bah. This is mentioned in the Qur'aan in the verse: And remember when we prepared for Ibraahim the place for the House saying: Make nothing as My partner and purify My House for those who walk around it and whose who stand, bow and make prostration before it. (22:26) And, Lo! The first house founded for mankind was that at Bakkah, a blessing and guidance for all people. Prophet Ibraheem ('alaihi salaam) placed a special stone in its eastern corner as a starting point for circling the Ka'bah about which the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) stated was originally shining white when it was brought down from Paradise (Al-Jannah) but due to the sins of man it changed to its present color of dull black. This is why it is known as the Black Stone (Al-Hajar Al-Aswad). A large stone block which he used to complete the upper part of its walls was left outside the Ka’bah's eastern wall and it is known to this day as Maqaam Ibraheem. The Ka'abah was originally without a roof and it was in a rectangular shape with a semi-circular wall. The boundary of this wall is still marked by a semi-circular wall called Al-Hijr Ismaeel. The Ka'bah was established by Ibraheem as a place of Hajj or Pilgrimage and over the ages was possessed by several tribes. Being at the bottom of a valley it was exposed to floods and was once completely destroyed and rebuilt with a roof. Idolatry made its way into the Arabian Peninsula and idols were placed within the Ka'bah as were paintings of prophets. Over 360 idols were placed around the Ka'bah along with altars. Poetry contests were held and the seven most outstanding were hung inside called al-Mu’allaqaat. The building was laid partially to waste by fire and floods again weakened its structure. The tribe of Quraish undertook the task of rebuilding it in the year 600 AD. Wood that had washed ashore from a Byzantine ship was used along with stone. A quarrel as to who would have the honor of laying the Black Stone in its place was settled by Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi was sallam) before he was given the prophetic message. Due to a lack of funds the length of the Ka’bah was shortened, leaving it in its present cubic form. When Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi was sallam) conquered Makkah later on he left the Ka'bah unaltered except that he destroyed all of the idols in and around it and the paintings inside. The Ka’bah was actually rebuilt to its original size during the time of Abdullah Ibn Zubair after it had been smashed in a seige and the Black Stone was split into three pieces. It was not long after demolished and returned to the Qurayshee form. It has survived in its this form up to the present with renovations being made to it on occasion, the latest being the year 1419 A.H./1998 A.D. Any considerable innovations to the Ka’bah have however been resisted by the piety of the populace and major alterations have not been made since 693 A.D. In a particularly dark period of history Makkah was invaded by a deviant sect (Al-Qaraaamitah) that tore away the door of the Ka’bah and carried off the Black Stone for twenty or so years. Seasonal flooding presented a continual danger to the structure and a huge copper band was placed around its wall to prevent its collapse in 1611 A.H. In 1630 a major flood did cause a collapse of the north wall and the Ka’bah was demolished and rebuilt using the original stones and maintaining the Qurayshee design. In 1957 a new roof was put in place long with several minor renovations. The Ka'aba had been covered by a kiswah since ancient times. The first to place a cover upon it being the King As'ad Tubba' of Yemen. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) let it remain on the day he conquered Makkah in the eighth year of Al-Hijrah and during the centuries the caliphs, kings, and princes have cared for this covering of the Ka'ba which is changed annually. At one time a new kiswah was draped over the old one year after year until the 8th century A.D. This cover has been made in a special factory in Makkah since the year 1357 A.H. The Kiswah is made of pure silk and it is embroidered with Quranic verses by expert craftsmen using pure gold and silver threads. The Well of Zam-Zam is located within the walls of the Haram and it flows providing blessed waters to the throngs of pilgrims free of charge. It is easily available throughout the masjid and outside it. This water is that which the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) has mentioned is a source of healing and cure for ills and each and every Muslim values it. Al-Haram Makkah Since the dawn of Islam, there have been a number of expansion efforts made to the Haram, the last of which was made during the Caliphate of Al-Muqtadir Billah in the Abbasid Period in the year 306 A.H. Other than beautification and renovation nothing was done in the way of expansion for a thousand years. At the time of founding of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Abdul-Aziz Ibn Saud intended to enlarge the two Harams which resulted in two floors of the hills of As-Safa and Al-Marwa being included in the building structure of the mosque. This enabled an expansion that could accommodate half a million worshippers. However, the increasing number of pilgrims to the House of Allah necessitated drastic solutions. When the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd Ibn Abdul-Aziz, came to power, he ordered a new expansion of Masjid al-Haraam to the maximum capacity. In the year 1409 he placed the cornerstone for this great enlargement which increased the area of the mosque to 360,000 square meters including the roof and outside courtyards that could accommodate more than one million worshippers at peak times. Along with the expansion, other projects were launched for beautification, renovation and preparation of the Haram. The newest modern methods were used such as marble flooring which retains coolness in intense heat, along with escalators and central air conditioning systems and internal public address systems as well as radio and television studios. The door of the Ka'aba was made during the time of King Khalid Ibn Abdul-Aziz from solid gold made by Saudi craftsmen replacing the old door made during the time of his father. The Holy Haram or Grand Mosque of Makkah which the Muslims visit today is the fruit of extraordinary efforts which have been made and are being made in the service of the House of Allah. We ask Allah to accept your intention to make Hajj to make it a successful one that is accepted and wins for you the reward of Al-Jannah. |