Hajj Gives Us Opportunity To Enjoy A Well - Balanced Life.

As the holy month of Ramadan is a season of piety throughout the Islamic world, in the same way the season of Hajj is the period of liveliness and awakening of Islam in the entire world.

Hajj has been the part of our heritage for thousands of years. This magnificent way is more effective and powerful than any other ever conceived to propagate our movement throughout the world and keep it alive for all eternity. This universal movement is more powerful than any other to draw out human beings in the name of God and make them into a brotherhood transcending race, color and nationality.

Year after year for centuries, hundreds of thousands of the adherents of a powerful movement, Islam, gather at one place, travel along various routs, pass through villages, towns and cities and demonstrate their faith through their words and deeds.

It was in Makka that prophet Ibrahim and his son prophet Ismail built the Holy Ka’ba, the center of the Islamic movement, on a site chosen by Allah Himself. This building was not intended for worship only, as mosques are; its purpose was to act as the center for spreading the universal movement of Islam, a world-wide gathering point for believers in the One God to assemble to worship Allah in congregation and go back to their respective countries carrying with them the message of Islam. This was the assembly, which was named Hajj.

Hajj the final pillar of Islam is obligatory, at least once in a lifetime, upon all sane Muslims, who reach the age of puberty, and are physically and financially able to make the journey. Allah the Almighty tells in His Holy Book Quran.

When we perform the Hajj rites properly we attain tremendous rewards. One of which is Allah’s forgiveness of all our past sins. This means our eternal happiness and success in Paradise. In the following authentic hadith Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) says,

“He who came to this House (the Ka’bah) (with the intention in performing Hajj) without speaking or committing indecencies, would return (free from sin) as on the day his mother bore him.” (Muslim, 2/3129)

Islam teaches us to promote brotherhood and righteousness among ourselves. Performing of Hajj increases our Faith. It makes us realize Allah's justice and equal treatment of all people who believe in Him. Muslims from different parts of the world, irrespective of race and socio-economic status in life wear the same prescribed simple clothing, utter the same supplications and perform the same religious rituals during Hajj for the same purpose of pleasing the Creator.

Muslims who go to Hajj experience the largest congregation of different nations in the world gives them opportunity to travel and meet fellow Muslims from various countries to know and help one another. This shows the universal brotherhood of all Muslims and hence the universality of Islam.

Renowned scholar Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi in his book Let us be Muslims mentions interesting couplet from a poet, If the ass of Jesus goes to Makka, It remains an ass when it returns.

That is to say, an ass, even one living in the company of a Prophet like Jesus, cannot benefit from a visit to Makka; it would still be as unenlightened as before. Today we have at our disposal gifts like the Prayer, Fasting and Pilgrimage. But these devotional acts are meant to train human beings, not to tame animals.

Although the people carry out the external trappings of these precious gifts, their minds have no concept of their inner significance. They have no concern for their outcome. They imitate the actions of their forebears, but it is a stereotyped imitation, devoid of comprehension or spiritual content. How can good results be expected out of such exercises ?

It is very unfortunate to see that every year thousands of pilgrims go to the center of Islam and come back after having had the privilege of performing Hajj without that experience having had the slightest effect on them. Nor do they make any impact on those they meet upon their return or live with. Worse, many of them continue to exhibit their bad habits and bad manners; thus the very name of Islam is tarnished by their behavior. Not only in the eyes of strangers but also among Muslims.

Muslims should understand that the journey to Hajj is quite different in nature. This is not meant for any personal end. It is undertaken solely for Allah, and the fulfillment of the duty prescribed by Allah. Nobody can be prepared to undertake this journey until and unless he has love of Allah in his heart as well as fear of him, and is convinced that Allah wants him to do what he is doing.

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