Hajj/Pilgrimage-5th Pillar of Islam
"Perform the Greater and Lesser (Hajj and Umrah) Pilgrimage for
Allah.”
[The Holy Quran Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 196]
Dear Muslims!
Allah has made the pilgrimage to His sacred House
obligatory upon us. It is a House which He had destined to be an altar and a place of
veneration and worship for all human beings. People gather around it to satisfy their
longing for visiting it as thirsty animals gather around a watering place to satiate their
thirst, and as pigeons fly towards their nests. People assemble at this House of Allah to
refresh their faith, obtain hope and peace of mind andto find a refuge from sins and
vices. Allah, glory be to Him, has made Hajj an institution to judge the submission of
human mind towards His Might and a sign of their belief and respect to His greatness. He
selected from among His creations those who listen to His commands and obey them, who
testify toHis orders and come to stand at places where His prophets have stood before
them. In going round the Ka'bah they resemble the angels who fly round His Divine Throne.
In this Divine trade they are securing benefits of per- forming His worship and hastening
towards the promised land of forgiveness and blessings. The Glorious and Almighty Allah
has made this House an emblemof Islam, a place where people can find rest, peace and hope.
He had made Hajj obligatory and its pilgrimage incumbent upon us. He says :
"Those who have the means and
ability, pilgrimage is an obligation laid
down by Allah. The disbelievers should know that Allah is independent
of His creatures".
(Surah Aale-Imran, 3 : 97)
What does Hajj mean
Meaning "visit to the revered
place," the pilgrimage to Makkah, is the most significant manifestation of Islamic
faith and unity in the world. For those Muslims are able to make the journey to Makkah,
the Hajj is the peak of their religious life.
Who is it applicable to?
The performance of Hajj is obligatory, at least once in lifetime, upon every Muslim, male
or female, who is mentally, financially and physically fit. In the performance of Hajj it
can easily be observed that it is a course of spiritual enrichment and moral rearmament, a
course of intensified devotion and
disciplinary experience, a course of humanitarian interest and inspiring knowledge-all put
together in one single institution of Islam.
The largest display of Unity & Faith on earth
About two and half million people (1989) go to Makkah each year from every corner of the
globe providing a unique opportunity for those of different nations to meet one another.
Although Makkah is always filled with visitors. Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple
garments which strip away distinctions
of class and culture, so that all stand equal before God. A person who has successfully
performed the Hajj is then called a Haji (for males) and Hajjah (for females). The actual
rites and prayers take place at the sacred Ka'bah in Mecca and at nearby locations.
Muslims associate the origin of the Hajj and the founding of the Ka'bah with the prophet
Abrahim. Peace is the dominant theme. Peace with Allah, with one's soul, with one another,
with all living creatures. To disturb the peace of anyone or any
creature in any shape or form is strictly prohibited. Muslims from all walks of life, from
every corner of the globe assemble in response to the call of Allah. There is no royalty,
but there is loyalty of all to
Allah, the Creator. It is to commemorate the Divine rituals observed by theProphet Ibrahim
and his son Ismaeel, who were the first pilgrims to the house of Allah on earth: the
Ka'bah. It is also to remember the great assembly of the Day of Judgement when people will
stand equal before Allah
He Who Dies Without Performing
Obligatory Hajj
If a person dies before performing
obligatory Hajj or if one vowed to perform Hajj but died before fulfilling one's vow, his
heir must assign someone to perform Hajj on behalf of the deceased. All the ensuing
expenses in this regard must be paid out of the deceased's property, as indeed must be any
debts left by him.
Hajj On Behalf of Others
If someone has the ability to perform Hajj but afterwards he is unable to perform it due to sickness or old age, he must arrange for someone else to perform Hajj on his behalf, for he may never be able to do it himself. In this respect, such a person is very much like the deceased, hence the permission for him to choose his substitute in Hajj.
After completing the Hajj the pilgrims go
back radiant with hope and joy, for they have fulfilled Almighty God's ancient injunction
to humankind to undertake the pilgrimage. Above all, they return with a prayer on their
lips: May it please Almighty God, they pray, to find their Hajj acceptable, and
may what the Prophet said be true of their own individual journey:
"There is no reward for a pious pilgrimage but Paradise."
Bukhari & Muslim.
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Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him)
said, "Make the hajj and the
umrah follow each other closely, for they remove poverty and sins as
a blacksmith's bellows remove impurities from iron, gold and silver;
and hajj which is accepted gets no less a reward than Paradise."
Tirmidhi, Nasa'I, Ahmad & Ibn Majah.
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Aisha asked Allah's Messenger (peace be
upon him) whether jihad was
incumbent on women, and he replied, "Yes, jihad which does not
include fighting is incumbent on them. It is the hajj and the umrah."
Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi.
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AbuHurayrah heard Allah's Messenger (peace
be upon him) say, "Those
who visit Allah are of three classes: the warrior, the one who performs
the hajj, and the one who performs the umrah.”
Nasa'i and Bayhaqi, in Shu'ab al-Iman, Tirmidhi.
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The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"He who intends to perform hajj
should hasten to do so”.
Abu-Dawood.
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The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
"Those who perform the hajj
and those who perform the umrah are people who have come to visit
Allah. If they supplicate Him He will respond to them, and if they ask
Him for forgiveness He will forgive them.”
Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi.
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