“Here we come in answer to your call O Lord”
When the pilgrim enters the holy city of Mecca they will probably go directly to the Ka’aba, in the Great Mosque, however they may wish to pray at the Sacred Mosque beforehand. It is said that praying at the Sacred Mosque is ten thousand times more beneficial than praying alone. The Ka’aba is a large stone building in the centre of the Great Mosque. All that is present in the Ka’aba is the Holy Stone. This is a small black stone sitting in a bowl on one of the outer walls of the Ka’aba. When at the great Mosque, pilgrims will perform Tawaf, (circumambulation of the Ka’aba seven times, anticlockwise).The elderly and infirm will be carried around the Ka’aba at shoulder height on special chairs. They will slowly make their way closer to the Ka’aba itself with each revolution they make around it. As they make their way slowly to the centre of the Islamic universe, they will chant the words:
“O God, You are Peace and peace comes from You so give us peace and admit us to the Garden, the Abode of Peace”
Pilgrims can recite a different prayer at the beginning of each Tawaf, or simply say:
“In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful. Allah alone do we praise. Glory be to Allah. There is no power, there is no strength except that of Allah”.
The pilgrims closest to the Black Stone will try to kiss pr touch it, however as there are so many pilgrims wanting to do so, it is harder for others to get close to it, so instead, they will raise their hand toward the Stone. If the pilgrim is lucky enough to get near the stone, they would touch it with their forehead and then kiss it. By raising their hand toward the Stone, it shows that they could not get close enough to the Holy Stone, however it was their intention, niyyah, to do so.
After the pilgrims have performed the Tawaf, it is their duty to visit the passageway between the two hills: Mount Safa and Mount Marwa. These hills stand 385 metres apart, and there is a long corridor which connects the two hills. The pilgrims run seven times in this long corridor stretching 385 metres between the two hills. This is called Sa’y. The word literally means ‘running’ and this is exactly what the pilgrims do. However, as there are many thousands of other pilgrims in this corridor, then the ‘running’ is somewhat slowed down so the pilgrims are actually walking. Anyhow, they run between the two hills seven times. The hills are now enclosed under domes and joined by covered walkways paved in rich marble. There are two smaller, extra lanes made for wheelchairs and stretchers down the centre of the corridor, going both ways. After the Sa’y, they go to where the water was said to have sprung up from - the Zamzam well. This well is enclosed in its own chamber beneath the courtyard of the Great Mosque. Water can be drunk from the well however it tastes bitter. Pilgrims can buy a sample of the water to take home with them if they wish. Muslims believe that the water has healing properties so they drink as much as they can.
At the end of the first day of Hajj, 8th Dhu’l Hijjah, the pilgrims make their ways to Mina after leaving Mecca. Mina is a large plain seven kilometres from Mecca and it is the scene where thousands of pilgrims set up camp for the night. They spend much of the time here in prayer and meditation. In Mina, there are thousands of tents set up, all in which are arranged in groups according to the area in the world from which the pilgrims have come. Cooking is forbidden, as there have been problems with fires in the past. There is a Mosque in Mina, called the al-Khalif Mosque and is the centre of prayers for al the visitors at the time. As there are so many pilgrims, many (being the majority) have to pray in their tents or outside the Mosque.
On the morning of the 9th Dhu’l Hijjah, after prayers, (Fajr), the pilgrims set off again to the plain of Arafat. Arafat literally means knowledge and science. They can either go by bus of by foot. Originally, many went by camel, and some still do! This is regarded as the most important day of Hajj to Muslims. It is where every pilgrim comes together in performing wuquf (the stand before God) before the Mount of Mercy. This takes place from noon until sunset. The plain of Arafat is believed to be the place of reunification between Adam and Eve (Hawwa’) but the will of Allah, after they had been separated by him. The wuquf consists of standing, praying and meditating with their minds focussed of nothing but Allah. Muslims should keep reciting Talbeyah, glorifying Allah the Greatest and repeating supplication:
“Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik; La Shareeka-laka Labbaik; Innalhamda wan-na’mata-laka wal-mulka Lashreeka-laka"
Translation:
“Here I am, O Allah! Here I am in Thy August presence; there is no associate with Thee, here am I; surely all praise is Thine and all favours are Thine and the kingdom is Thine, there is no associate with Thee.”
On the mount of Mercy is where Muhammad preached his ‘Farewell Sermon’ before his followers back three months prior to his death. Muhammad’s Farewell Sermon is preached on the Mount of Mercy by the leading Imam in Mecca before all of the pilgrims. Part of the sermon includes:
“Today, I have perfected my Religion for you…”
As soon as the sun has set a cannon is fired which signifies the end of Wuquf. Soon after sunset on the Day of Arafat, the pilgrim leaves for Muzdalifah. This is eight kilometres west of Arafat. Here, the pilgrims collect seven stones, usually in groups of seven , giving them 49 stones that will be used to throw against the 3 pillars in Mina the next day. These stones are usually only the size of pebbles like a small bean. The reason why seven stones are needed is because seven is the number of perfection for Muslims and this is why seven lots of seven pebbles are collected. Before this collecting of stones, the usual prayers would have been said.
After Midnight on the 9th Dhu’l Hijjah. Pilgrims would make their way back to Mina, where they stay for three days and three nights. At Mina they would perform the stoning of the Three Pillars (Jamrah). As they cast the stones at these pillars (which represent Satan) they will chant:
“In the name of God! Allah is almighty!”
This stoning of the Jamrah (which represent the devil) is done with energetic enthusiasm. On the first day at Mina, seven stones are thrown at the largest pillar only. All three pillars are stoned in the afternoon of the following days. Stoning is only allowed to happen from noon onwards. The pillar furthest from Mecca is stoned first, then the middle then finally the Jamrah al-Aqabah.
After the Jamrah have been stoned, the pilgrims will begin the Festival of Sacrifice, Id-ul-Adha. This entails the ritual slaughter of animals as a gift to God. Part of the meat is given to the poor, as to not forget them, and Muhammad preached that all Muslims are equal and all owe duty to the poor.
Following the Festival of Sacrifice, pilgrims are to make their way back to Mecca in order to complete their pilgrimage. While in Mecca, they must perform a ‘Farewell Tawaf’. This basically includes circumambulation of the Ka’aba seven times just like any normal Tawaf. After this, pilgrims are allowed to wash. Men may choose to have their heads shaved, as a symbol of a new beginning and the women may have their hair trimmed by at least 2.5 centimetres. These symbols of acting against the rules of Ihram actually means that Ihram is over and they are free from all restrictions that Ihram would usually include.
On the 13th Dhu’l Hijjah Muslims are free to go home. However they may choose to go back to the Zamzam well and take some water back home with them. Some pilgrims also dip their white garments in the well, which will be kept as treasured possessions and used later as shrouds when the pilgrims die and are buried. They may also choose to go to the City of Medina to visit the tomb of Muhammad, and also to pray at the Prophets Mosque. It is said that praying there is one thousand times more beneficial than solitary prayer.
On completion of Hajj, male Muslims take the title of Hajji and the females, Hajja. They would add this to their names. Some males who have completed Hajj may dye their beard red as an indication of completing the Hajj. It shows others that they have completed their journey to the place of Allah and have fulfilled their promise to God and completing one of the Five Pillars of Faith.
b) Explain the significance of the various stages of Hajj and ways in which the whole experience may affect their lives. (21 Marks)
Hajj is an important part of a Muslims spiritual life, and for some, a once in a lifetime opportunity, so pilgrims are bound to be affected by the pilgrimage itself, and the various parts of Hajj that make it such an incredible journey. Some of the very minute details of Hajj can symbolise a whole lot more to a pilgrim.
Right from the beginning of Hajj, when the pilgrims ‘Put on Ihram’, it shows that the pilgrims leave all of their worldly possessions behind in search of the true meanings of Hajj. The Qur’an states that:
“Naked you came into the world and Naked you shall leave it”
It teaches Muslims not to cling onto their possessions, or worse, let them become their master. It is well linked to another pillar of faith, Zakah. Zakah teaches Muslims not to be greedy and not to be materialistic, as possessions are only things lent to Muslims by Allah. Zakah literally means ‘to purify’ or ‘cleanse’ - this is exactly the point of Ihram. They believe that giving something up for the sake of Allah, they will receive its true value. This is not its earthly value, but is increased beyond measure.
Ihram indicates that al who wear it are equal. It was preached by Muhammad that all are equal in the eyes of God and that even the rich owe duty to the poor. It is also noticed that if you looked at two people who wear in their white garments, you would not be able to tell who is the richer and who is the poorer.
However, even before a Muslim sets out on Hajj, they need to clear themselves of debt. This is because Allah does not want pilgrims to go out, facing a possible risk of death (it has been known that pilgrims can die on Hajj) and going to Paradise (ultimately, all pilgrims who die on Hajj go to Paradise because it is seen as martyrdom) in debt. Allah wants pilgrims to go to Mecca facing death, but without any debts on their hands.
The Haram is regarded as the holy area surrounding the city of Mecca. It was established my Muhammad and Abraham that this was to be a place of peace and that no unlawful material were to pass this point. The Haram acts a barrier from all evil that surrounds the holy city. It signifies the purity of the Inner city and that it is to be protected from evils such as weapons and violence. This links back to the laws of Ihram, that no weapons are to be carried or any violent confrontation on Hajj.
When the Muslim enters the great Mosque, they feel ever closer to the house of God which is the Ka’aba. To worship at the great Mosque is ten thousand times more beneficial than solitary prayer, so it is bound to have an impact on the way in which prayer affects them. This is just like the prophets Mosque in Medina is one thousand times more beneficial to a Muslim who prays there too.
The Ka’aba is regarded as the centre of the Muslim Universe, just like the Sun being the centre of our solar system and the planets orbiting around it. The ritual of Tawaf actually dates pre-Muhammad. Worshippers in Mecca had performed Tawaf years before Muhammad made it part of the Hajj. The pilgrims could be compared to the planets orbiting the Centre of the Universe getting closer to it. The Ka’aba was originally built by Ibrahim (khalil Allah - friend of God) and his son, Ishmail. The Ka’aba is empty now, however at the time of Muhammad it used to be filled with many Idols which the people of Arabia used to worship. However, Muhammad opposed this and when he removed all of the Idols when he and his army entered Mecca, it has been empty ever since. Originally, Muhammad’s followers faced toward Jerusalem when they prayed. However the Jews rejected him as their leader and so they prayed towards The Ka’aba in Mecca. It has been like this ever since. The Black stone is said to be a meteorite from Heaven, a gift, sent by Allah. One legend says that it originally used to be white, however it turned black by the sins of people.
After the Tawaf, it is a possible option that pilgrims can perform Sa’y (Sa’y can be performed at any time of the pilgrimage, yet most perform it after Tawaf). When Ibrahim was commanded by Allah to leave Hagar, his slave woman, and his son, Ishmail, Hagar went in search for water. The desert was a dry and desolate place, with no water for miles. It was between the hills of Mount Safa and Mount Marwa that Hagar searched for water. When she returned to Ishmail she found that he had dug his heels into the sand and water had sprung up! Pilgrims re-enact this by running between al-Safa and al-Marwa in the long corridor that stretches 385 metres long. This is where the ritual originated. Note: Sa’y can be performed at any time of the pilgrimage. The reason why pilgrims run up and down the corridor seven times is because seven is the Muslim number of perfection. This explains why pilgrims circumambulate the Ka’aba seven times; it explains why seven lots of seven stones are collected at Muzdalifah, before the stoning of the three Jamrah and the expulsion of Iblis from their souls. The fact that water was given to Hagar and Ishmail showed that Allah was there for them in time of need and he would be there for all Muslims in their time of need. It is said in the Hadith that once, Muhammad was close to desperation and cried out to Allah for guidance and Allah answered his call.
This leads on well to why the pilgrims stone the three Jamrah representing the devil. They perform this act because of the time when Iblis (Satan) tempted Ibrahim into not sacrificing his only son, Ishmail by the will of Allah. Ibrahim rejected Iblis and continued with the sacrifice. However, at the last moment, God called out to Ibrahim not to sacrifice Ishmail. Instead, God told Ibrahim and Ishmail to sacrifice the sheep caught in a bush nearby. The throwing of stones symbolises the rejection of the devil in their souls and so they are free from sin. This is where the Id-ul-Adha, Festival of Sacrifice, originates.
Id-ul-Adha is linked with Hajj, one of the five Pillars of Faith. It is meant to be a festival of joy and celebration however there is a serious aspect to it as well. It is also a time to think about sacrifice for themselves. This is why the Festival of Sacrifice is not just about sacrificing animals. It is about personal sacrifice. It reminds Muslims that Allah may ask even the most great of sacrifices of them. IT reminds them that Ibrahim was made to sacrifice his only son for Allah, but Ibrahim had enough faith in Allah , so God told him not to do it. It shows the sheer commitment Ibrahim made and Muslims are taught to be just as committed, as their lives do revolve around Allah (pray five times a day etc). Id-ul-Adha is also to remember the poor, since 1/3 of the meat is to go to the poorer Muslims. This goes back to the idea of all Muslims being equal in the eyes of God and all owing duty to the poor.
When all of the pilgrims join together in Wuquf they stand before the Mount of Mercy. This is nearing the climax of the Hajj. After the farewell Sermon the pilgrims sins are forgiven by Allah. By having their sins forgiven, then that Muslim has the best possible chance of going to paradise when he/she dies. However by completing Hajj, they must turn over a new leaf. With every single daily ritual (even prayer) they must be 100% committed to the job in hand. There must be no trimming of edges, because Allah will know. This turning over of a new leaf would change their lives forever (until they die). This new commitment to Allah is obviously going to affect their lives for the better, and if they want to go to paradise, they would have to ‘submit to Allah’ in the highest. The Wuquf, standing before God for many hours, is used as a reminder to all those attending of what Hell would be like - very hot, no water, like the desert etc. The Farewell Sermon is repeated to the pilgrims to outline the Five Pillars of Faith and to state that Islam, as a religion, has been perfected for them.
Hajj is regarded as the climax of a Muslim’s religious life. It is important to them - it is a Pillar of Faith. Muslims will want to know they were going to Paradise in the knowledge that they had completed Hajj. the object of Hajj is also to make Muslims more obedient, submissive, and the fulfilment of the five Pillars of Faith.
It is mentioned in the Qur’an that Hajj is compulsory, that it is a duty owed to Allah.
“Exhort all men to make the pilgrimage” (Surah 22:27)
Muhammad has prepared the journey for the pilgrims to make. It is all about following through the will of Allah and Muslims will feel they have made a great step into purity and self discipline. They must be disciplined as 100% of the time, Muslims must focus their mind on Allah - nothing else. Laws of Ihram state that minds must not wonder onto other things that may distract the pilgrim from achieving their goal. This would include not thinking about other members of the opposite sex or having impure thoughts or feelings of anger, greed or hatred.
Muslims note that the journey of Hajj would stay in their minds of the rest of their lives. It would teach them to be better Muslims, become better at what they do already, be more tolerant of others, less hatred in their soul, among other things.
Coming back from Hajj, a Muslim should feel reborn in a sense - all of their sins are forgiven, it is like starting over with a clean slate again. They now have Hajji/Hajja against their name - it is bound to affect them in some ways. In many ordinary duties that Muslims would perform every day, hopefully they would be reminded of Hajj in some way. They would want to stay in a state of inner purity that they came back from Hajj from. They would want to stay enlightened for the rest of their days, until they go to Paradise. And of course the only way they would do this is by being a better Muslim.
Another word that could be used for this big effort is Jihad - striving in the cause of Allah. This could be expressed by praying with utmost serenity and attending the Mosque as often as possible. Allah will understand if non-attendance at the Mosque is applicable. They would strive to become the perfect Muslim, however Muhammad is the perfect Muslim, and it is only possible to copy him.
Of course Hajj is one of the Five Pillars on which Islam rests. It could be seen as 20% of the Muslim’s spiritual life is complete and they are on their way to paradise, however Muslims should not think like this and ‘take it easy’ from then on - they must be focused on Allah if they want to go to paradise.
c) ‘A true pilgrimage is really a journey within’. Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Islam in your answer.
I do not agree with this statement. The mere fact that Muslims actually go to Mecca on Hajj is a physical journey. Hajj is a Pillar of Faith, and so therefore will need both physical and spiritual experiences. For example Saum, fasting, is a physical experience which tests a Muslims tolerance, willingness, and spiritual strength, in the name of Allah. As too would be Zakah; this tests a Muslims willingness and servitude towards Allah and teaches them to be more generous in future. So in any pillar of faith it teaches Muslims that there must be both a physical and spiritual effort in the cause of serving Allah
Hajj is a duty owed to Allah - he commanded it:
“Exhort all men to make the pilgrimage” (Surah 22:27)
“Pilgrimage to the house is a duty to Allah for all who can make the journey” (Surah 3:97)
Muslims perform the Hajj as it is Inshallah that they do it, and they want to be the perfect Muslim, by emulating Muhammad in his actions.
Hajj cannot possibly be just a journey within - there are various examples of Hajj which include physical parts, such as Wuquf. Wuquf is possibly the most important part of Hajj - it is standing before the Mount of Mercy for many hours and taking in Muhammad’s farewell Sermon, his last revelation from God.
Many parts of Hajj are all about re-enacting what many important religious figures had done in the past. For example, Sa’y, running, is all about re-enacting the running between the hills of al-Safa and al-Marwa seven times (seven being the Muslim number of perfection) by Hagar in her desperate search for water when Ibrahim had left on God’s orders. This ‘running’ (which is more a like a walk due to the number of people participating) is very much a physical experience, with spiritual benefits following the event, leaving the pilgrim thinking of what it must have been like for Hagar in such a baron land searching for all important water. However, as it was, Ishmail had dug his heels into the ground and water sprung up from there.
Another example of physical experiences of Hajj would be the Tawaf, circumambulation of the Ka’aba seven times. Indeed, this is very much a physical duty, however, the benefits are very much spiritual. Muslims would feel almost enlightened at the fact that they had just been to the centre of the Muslim universe, visited the House of God, and (possibly) kissed the gift from God, the Black Stone.
The stoning of the three pillars, Jamrah, is a physical experience - casting the seven lots of seven stones at the pillars which represent Iblis, the Devil. This is effectively re-enacting the stoning of Iblis that Ibrahim and Ishmail performed after Iblis failed to tempt Ibrahim not to sacrifice his son. This is indeed a physical experience, however what becomes of it? A feeling that the Devil has been cast from their souls - highly spiritual.
Most of the processes in Hajj are Physical, however, what comes from them, are spiritual benefits. The Pilgrims sins are forgiven at the mount of Mercy, a highly beneficial commodity for a Muslim seeking Paradise when they pass on. The Pilgrims are able to go where the Prophets have gone, walk where they have walked, touch what they have touched, and ultimately, Visit Gods City and fulfil what he wanted them to do.
This leads well onto the point:
Can a pilgrim do the physical part of Hajj without doing the other? Or
Can a pilgrim do the spiritual part of Hajj without doing the other?
The easy answer to this is no. Why would a Muslim go to Mecca, perform all of the rites, and not obtain the spiritual wealth from it? It seems ludicrous!
However there is a possibility that if a Muslim is not able to attend the Hajj, then they can fund one member of a group to the do the Hajj. This is always seen as second best to actually doing the Hajj, and can be seen as a journey within. However, as it isn’t as beneficial as going to Mecca on the Hajj, nor performing the rituals (Sa’y, Wuquf, Tawaf etc) then it is not a ‘true’ pilgrimage. This reinforces my original thoughts as the statement is not correct.