Author: M. Asim Ismail Zahi
The Wisdom and Philosophy of Hajj and Its Hidden Secrets (Part 8)
Hajj: The Manifestation of the Human and Islamic Ummah
Hajj represents the triumph of Islamic nationhood and unity over national, racial, and linguistic divisions—divisions to which some Islamic nations, under the pressure of various factors, have unfortunately succumbed. Hajj proclaims the banner of this Islamic brotherhood and leads the Muslim peoples to shed all regional clothing and appearances—those very distinctions that differentiate them and fuel ethnic biases. They all assume a single form, known in religious and legal language as ihram. In this state, everyone—leader and follower, great and small, rich and poor—raises their voice, bareheaded and in unison, declaring: «لبیک اللهم لبیک، لبیک لا شریک لک لبیک، إن الحمد والنعمة لك والملک، لا شریک لک» Translation: “Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, there is no partner for You, here I am. Surely all praise and blessings are Yours, and the kingdom (as well), there is no partner for You.”
In this way, Islamic nationhood becomes visibly manifest in both clothing and proclamation—two of the most prominent elements through which a nation’s identity is expressed.
This sense of unity is also evident in the rites and objectives of Hajj, which are performed by all individuals and peoples, regardless of race or language. Arabs and non-Arabs alike strive toward these rituals. People from far and near gather together, circling one single House, running between two shared symbols—Safa and Marwah—then journeying to Mina and proceeding to Arafat, where they all pause at a single station and sleep in the same encampment.
«فَإِذَا أَفَضْتُمْ مِنْ عَرَفَاتٍ فَاذْكُرُوا اللهَ عِنْدَ الْمَشْعَرِ الْحَرَامِ وَاذْكُرُوهُ كَمَا هَدَاكُمْ وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الضَّالِّينَ Translation: “And when you have departed from Arafat, then remember Allah at al-Mash‘ar al-Haram. And remember Him as He has guided you, for indeed you were before that among those astray.”
Then they return together: «ثُمَّ أَفِيضُوا مِنْ حَيْثُ أَفَاضَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ» Translation: “Then depart from where the people depart and ask forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”
They spend a few days in Mina, all engaged in the same activities: sacrificing, shaving their heads, and stoning the pillars (jamarāt). As long as Hajj continues to exist—and Hajj is a perpetual obligation, an eternal institution like the enduring nature of this Ummah until the Day of Judgment—the Muslims will not be swallowed up by other nationalities as many other communities have been. They will not become the sacrifices of such engulfing forces, nor will their lands—toward which they are naturally inclined with love and loyalty—be turned into new qiblahs they face in worship, nor will other “Ka‘bahs” be made that they circle around.
Instead, the Qiblah remains one, to which both Easterners and Westerners, Arabs and non-Arabs turn. The Ka‘bah is one—toward it go Indians, Afghans, Europeans, Americans, and others for Hajj.
«وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى» Translation: “And [remember] when We made the House (the Ka‘bah) a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take the standing place of Abraham as a place of prayer.”
Even the Muslim in the farthest corner of the world longs for the Ka‘bah and for Hajj. They make vows for this journey, rush to it with love and devotion, and consider it the ultimate fulfillment of dreams and needs, the highest of blessings—so they may partake in its benefits.
Hajj has been legislated for the sake of all these benefits—some of which we know and many of which we do not. Indeed, those benefits we do not know and yet from which we still benefit may be even greater than those we are aware of and that Muslim scholars and thinkers have highlighted in their writings.
Allah the Exalted says: «لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ» Translation: “So that they may witness benefits for themselves.”
In this verse, Allah mentions the “benefits” in an absolute, indefinite, and ambiguous form—an expression that conveys the vastness, diversity, and ever-renewing nature of these benefits in every era, such that they cannot be counted or fully grasped.
Hajj is undoubtedly a season during which Muslims from the corners of the earth and the far reaches of the Islamic world come together—to participate in mutual benefits, to exchange sound ideas and reflections, to become familiar with one another, and to unite on shared wisdom and collective interests.
But this is not the only wisdom and philosophy behind Hajj, as many contemporary writers tend to emphasize. Nor is Hajj simply a political conference, as many authors, politicians, and sociologists in the modern age portray it.
If this were the sole purpose of Hajj and the only reason for its institution, it would have been established in a setting of stability and calm—a peaceful environment conducive to such goals. However, Hajj involves movement, disruption, and transition from place to place, and from one form of worship to another.
In such a case, Hajj would have been restricted to scholars, leaders, intellectuals, elites, and the distinguished members of the Muslim community. Undoubtedly, these are among the fruits and benefits of Hajj—but they cannot be the only purpose for which this great obligation has been legislated and made compulsory upon Muslims. Allah the Exalted says: «وَ ِللهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ» Translation: “And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House—for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves—then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.”
And the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: «مَنْ مَلَكَ راحلة، وزادا يُبَلِّغُهُ إلى بيت اللَّه الحرام، ولم يَحُجَّ، فلا عليه أن يموت يَهُوديا أو نصرانيا» Translation: “Whoever possesses provisions and a mount that can take him to the House of Allah and does not perform Hajj, it does not matter whether he dies a Jew or a Christian.”
If Hajj had been legislated solely for those other purposes, it would have been structured in an entirely different way and placed in a location other than this barren, distant land.
Continues…
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