Next the pilgrims re-enact the running between the 2 hills Al-Safa and Al-Marwah. Before starting the pilgrims drink from taps fed from the Zam-Zam well. AL-Safa is on one side of the great mosque, approximately 200 yards from it whereas Al-Marwah is on the opposite side approximately 150 yards from it. They run between the two hills seven times starting at Al-Safa. The pilgrims run down one side of a corridor and run back on the other side, there is a row up the middle for people who cannot move as fast or for people in wheelchairs. They then travel to Mina, about 3 miles away from Makkah where they spend the night in prayer. The next day (9 Dhul-Hijjah) the Muslims perform fajr prayer then hurry 12km east to the plain of Arafat. This is the most important day of the Hajj, Muhammad (pbuh) is supposed to have said ‘The best of prayers is the prayer at Arafat’ and ‘The Hajj is Arafat’. Pilgrims stand on the plain of Arafat in front of Mount Mercy. This stand is called Wuquf and from noon to sunset pilgrims stand and meditate, they think of all their sins and ask for Allah’s forgiveness. This is a very emotional time for pilgrims and if the stand isn’t made then the hajj isn’t valid!
At sunset the pilgrims go to Muzdalifah, they collect 49 pebbles which they will need the next day. That night the pilgrims stay outside, some praying, some sleeping. The next day the pilgrims return to Mina. In Mina there are three pillars (Jamrahs,), which Muslims believe represent the devil. The pilgrims throw the 49 pebbles at the Jamrahs, because of the number of pilgrims there are now two levels which pilgrims can stand on to stone the pillars. After stoning the pillars is the festival of Id-Ul-Adah. Pilgrims sacrifice a sheep, goat or camel and part of the meat is given to the poor. Muslims celebrate this festival all over the world. The Hajj is now over so the pilgrims come out of ihram to show that this is being done men will shave their hair and women will just cut it and they will trim their nails. This shows that the person is out of their state of consecration and out of Ihram. All of the events that happen on the return to Mina are called the unfurling. Hajj officially ends on 13th Dhul-Hijjah, some of the pilgrims will return home and some will go to visit Madinah. Madinah is the Muslim town that Muhammad (pbuh) founded and made.
Section B – Explain the meaning of the events of Hajj and explain its significance in the life of a Muslim. (21 Marks)
Many Muslims could argue that Hajj is the most important of the five pillars of Islam because it is the pillar that requires the most determination, effort, physical and mental strength from anyone who participates. It takes preparation and hard work; many Muslims chose to take lessons before they go on the Hajj so that they are well prepared for what will face them when they arrive in Makkah! The command in The Qur’an is ‘Complete the Hajj’ or Umrah in the service of Allah’ (Surah 2: 196.) Muslims must set out with he right purpose- 1.‘for the glory of Allah not for the glory of the person making the journey.’
The first part of Hajj is Ihram. Muslims say ‘O Lord, I intend to take the Hajj and I am taking Ihram for it. Make it easy for me and accept it from me’ this shows the importance of Allah in their lives because they are asking for his acceptance and even though they are asking Allah to make it easy for them they know what hardships the Hajj will bring! The simplicity of the clothes worn in Ihram protects the pilgrims from worrying about vanity and emphasises that everyone is equal in Allah’s eyes and no-one should be able to tell the difference between and beggar and a king.
Tawaf is a part of Hajj where Muslims circle the Ka’aba 7 times. This shows that Allah is the centre of their lives. Ibrahim and Isma’il built the Ka’aba and it became an extremely holy place unlike the other ‘grandiose ziggurats’ (temples) at the time. To build the top layers of the Ka’aba Ibrahim stood on a large rock – Maqam Ibrahim where the pilgrims worship. For 4000 years the Ka’aba has been rebuilt on the same foundations, showing the importance of the structure in Muslims worship. They circle the Ka’aba anticlockwise which is the same way as the earth turns and the sun moves symbolising that pilgrims can’t exist without Allah just as the earth couldn’t exist without the sun. The main focal point of the Ka’aba is the black stone; this is believed to be so important because it is believed to have come from Allah as a white rock that then turned black through the sins of people.
Sai symbolises the souls desperate search for Allah just as Hajar was in her desperate search for water. The reasoning behind sai comes from the story of Ibrahim, Hajar and Isma’il. Ibrahims second wife Hajar gave birth to his son
Ibrahim was told he should separate from Hajar and Isma’il and leave them to Gods care. Hajar was stranded in the desert with her son and it seemed god had deserted them, and they were dying of thirst. Hajar ran between the 2 hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah frantically searching for water for her son. Just as they thought god had deserted them Isma’il kicked a stone by his feet and the spring of Zam-Zam appeared. This shows Muslims that Allah will always provide for them and they must have faith in him.
The stand on the plain of Arafat is the most important part of Hajj and has a very strong significance. Muslims believe that on Judgement day they will stand on the plain of Arafat and be judged by Allah on who should go to heaven and who should go to hell. After the stand Muslims believe that all their sins have been forgiven ready for judgement day. The reasoning foe the stand on Arafat goes right back to Adam and Eve. After Adam and Eve had sinned they stood on Mount of Mercy (Jabal-ar-Rahman) and God forgave them just as
- Islam by Janet Green p. 47
pilgrims believe they have been forgiven. This is very important to Hajj and Muslims believe this affects the rest of their lives because they believe they are able to start again and if any mistakes have been made in the past they now feel they have made amends with Allah.
The reasons pilgrims stone the pillars at Mina and celebrate Eid–ul-Adar comes from the same story. God asked Ibrahim to sacrifice Isma’il and even though he didn’t understand why Ibrahim agreed that it was Gods will so he should do it. The family set out for Mina – the place of sacrifice, on the way the devil appeared and tried to stop Ibrahim. The devil put forward three arguments why Ibrahim should not listen to God that it made the sacrifice even harder, Ibrahim picked up stones and flung them at the devil to drive him away. This is the reason pilgrims throw stones at three pillars in Mina, it symbolises resisting temptation from the devil and driving it away. The pilgrims pick 49 stones because in Islam 7 is the number of perfection and 7 times 7 is 49 so they throw 49 stones. The sacrifice represents Muslims trust in Allah and Ibrahims wiliness to sacrifice his son.
Even though there are all these stories behind Hajj one of the reasons so many Muslims takes Hajj is that its a Sunnah of the prophet and they are following in Muhammad’s (pbuh) footsteps and that is a great honour for any Muslim.
Section C – ‘Hajj is truly and inner journey’ Do you agree? (15 marks)
Hajj could be seen as the most important part of the Islamic faith as it is not only an outward, physical journey it is and inward and spiritual journey for anyone who participates. Hajj is seen as a ‘5 day quest for salvation’ in which Muslims from every race, country and every background come together to worship for their one religion to their one god! The hajj reminds all Muslims that they are part of the ‘Ummah’ or ‘The brotherhood or Islam’ as all Muslims set off on their inner search for ‘absolution’ and ‘redemption’
The hajj is definitely an outward journey as there is great physical strain and even suffering as the pilgrims go through the movements in intense heat, surrounded by 2 million others! To the outside world it seems purely an outward journey but to Muslims this physical part of the journey is only a fraction of the significance of Hajj. One-way Hajj can be seen, as a physical journey that changes you is the fact that it changes a pilgrim’s name. When the pilgrims return from Hajj they will have gained the name ‘Hajji’ for a man and ‘Hajja’ for a woman. This title goes in front of their name for example if I had been on Hajj I would be called ‘Hajja Charlotte Jenkins’ This gives pilgrims great creditability among other Muslims as they have shown their commitment to Allah by the completing the final pillar of Islam. Of course this outward journey shows stamina and determination and pilgrims willingness to please their god however the undeniable purpose and fulfilment of Hajj’ has a far greater self-searching inner meaning. Muslims return as different people after the Hajj and any pilgrim will say that participating in Hajj has affected them in some way.
There are many reasons Hajj is an inner journey, firstly pilgrims are actually visiting the place they have faced five times a day in prayer for years and years and they are walking in Muhammad’s (pbuh) footsteps. The experience of being in Makkah and looking at the Ka’aba is very powerful for Muslims as this is the birthplace of Islam and something millions of Muslims before them have seen. Pilgrims who have bee on the Hajj describe it as ‘spiritual wave of rebirth’ and ‘a quest for redemption’ these statements show how strongly Muslims feel that they have been changed and they have been truly accepted and forgiven by Allah. The stand at Arafat is the most emotional time for Muslims as they feel that their ‘ souls are on centre stage’ as Allah can seen them for who they are and what is inside them. Pilgrims say they feel truly alone at this part of the Hajj because only Allah knows what is inside your heart. Hajj would bring release and inner peace to a Muslim because Allah would have forgiven all of their sins and they are now prepared for the judgement day, which in itself would constitute a huge feeling of relief.
Even Muslims who are not on the Hajj feel its spiritual benefits as they think about the people on the Hajj and pray with them. Pilgrims have faced Allah and cast away obsession and temptation in a ‘show of humility’ and this shows the greater spiritual benefit of the Hajj for Muslims everywhere. ‘Hajj is truly and inner journey’ and this evident from the way pilgrims feel and I think this is what Allah and his final prophet Muhammad (pbuh) meant it to be. Obviously Muslims feel it has changed them forever and the one quote which shows this is the fact that Muslims believe they have been given ‘a clean slate and chalk to write their lives anew’
All quotes from the ‘Inside Makkah’ video
Bibliography:
- ISLAM – GCSE Religious Studies by Janet Green
- ISLAM – An Approach for GCSE by Jan Thompson
Charlotte Jenkins 10P Page
