Analyse how one personal devotion expresses the beliefs of Islam. he Hajj is an Islamic religious ritual which incorporates and expresses the beliefs of Islam through the various stages of the pilgrimage.
Analyse how one personal devotion expresses the beliefs of Islam
The Hajj is an Islamic religious ritual which incorporates and expresses the beliefs of Islam through the various stages of the pilgrimage. The Hajj is a significant practice of Islam as Muslims express their submission to Allah, walk in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad and fulfil the fifth pillar of the Islamic faith. Muslims go on the journey to commune with God through being in his presence and worshipping him, washing away of their sins, and to understand their faith better as well as sharing the experience with millions of Muslims all there for the same reason. The Hajj also develops spiritual awareness and understanding of what it is means to live as a Muslim and to follow the faith. “And pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah” – Surah 3:96.
Throughout the pilgrimage of the Hajj, every Muslim performs the same actions which are symbolic and reinforce the religious beliefs and the Five Pillars of Islam. During the pilgrimage of the Hajj, it is the expected that all male Muslims wear white clothing and female Muslims wear simple clothing as it unites all Muslims together regardless of colour, race, and language with faith being the superior bond.
The belief in the one and only Lord, the creator of all things who sustains and maintains creation is the first of the six pillars of faith. Through believing in this Muslims must single out Allah as the object of all worship and can demonstrate this through either physical or spiritual aspects. Allah is greater than human understanding and his qualities are the most magnificent. Shahadah the belief in Allah is shown by the participation in the Hajj with Muslims fulfilling one of the other pillars of Islam. By completing the Hajj the Islamic beliefs are put into action through the various rituals throughout the stages. During the preparation stage Muslims surrender to Allah to gain closeness, asking for forgiveness of ones sins and getting the blessing of Allah through worshipping one god. The Ka’ba symbolises the worship of one God and Muslims circulate this seven times to reaffirm the individual’s belief in Allah and his prophets. While circulating the Ka’ba the pilgrims chant “Here I am, O God, at thy command”. The circulation of the Ka’ba is a significant ritual in the Hajj. The black stone which is placed in the Ka’ba is believed to be sent down from Allah and Muslims try to touch this while circulating the Ka’ba to gain a spiritual connection with their creator. Salat is another pillar of faith which Muslims fulfil throughout the pilgrimage of the Hajj. Muslims pray in the direction of the Ka’ba as it is a sacred place for Muslims- Allah’s house on earth. Through praying here Muslims feel they are praying directly to God. “Day of Arafat”, is where pilgrims spend the entire day standing near the Mount of Mercy asking Allah for Forgiveness through offering prayers to Allah.
