Places of Pilgrimage in Islam- Historical background.
To understand the full significance of the Hajj and the customs essential to the journey, one needs to appreciate the significance of the scared places which the pilgrims visit. The places of pilgrimage are associated with stories about 3 prophets besides Muhammad (pbuh). These are: Adam, Ibrahim and Ismail (pbuthem).
When a Muslim goes to Mecca the first thing he/she will see is the Ka’bah which is set in the courtyard of the scared mosque. It is said to be the first house of prayer on earth. Legend has it that Adam was one of the first humans created by Allah on earth and Adam is said to be the first builder of a shrine on the sacred site where the Ka’bah stands today. He later built the house of prayer. He also completed the Hajj with the guidance of angel Jibril.
Ibrahim is also said to have rebuilt the Ka’bah, with the help of his son Ismail. The station of Ibrahim now stands in the courtyard of the scared mosque, marking the spots from where he built it.
Finally, the last prophet, Muhammad (pbuh) restored the Ka’bah to what he believed had been its original purpose: the centre for the worship on One God, Allah.
Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail are also mentioned in the section below.
Rites and ceremonies
The first rite of the pilgrimage is when a Muslim expresses the niyah, intention of going to Hajj and then wears the ihram (consecration to holy things). This is done before reaching the sacred city because pilgrims must purify their bodies with a bath/wudu. The ihram is basically a white seamless garment which consists of 2 sheets for men and the women wear a white dress ‘Putting on the Ihram means to enter a state of purity. Ihram is an important symbol for Muslims and symbolises /has different meaning:
- They’re in state of holiness which is a reminder that they are performing special, sacred rituals.
- Dressed so simply; it is a sign of humility before Allah
- White is symbol of purity. It is a reminder that they must try not to commit sins.
- Muslims are dressed the same because they are equal in the sight of Allah etc.
Once a Muslim is in a state of Ihram he must observe the following rules in order it to be successful:
- No Perfume of any kind
- No animals or even insects should be killed or harmed.
- No plants should be uprooted or damaged.
- Nothing dishonest or unkind should be done.
- No weapon should be carried.
- The head must be covered
- No sexual Intercourse.
By carrying out the Ihram, the pilgrims learn discipline and self-control and become netter people.
The major rites of Hajj which are performed by Muslims today were well-known in the days of the Prophet Ibrahim, who built the Ka’bah and made Makkah a place of pilgrimage. These rites include Tawaf, the sevenfold circling of the Ka’bah, originating from Allah's command that Ibrahim took his wife Haggar and their son Ismail into the desert to hand over them to the protection of Allah. In a desperate search for water, Haggar ran seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah before demanding the help of Allah, whereupon the well of Zam Zam burst forth at her feet. Hajj pilgrims have ever since evoked this story in their sevenfold running between Safa and Marwah.This is known as the rite of Saiy ('striving'). The abandoning of Haggar and Ismail was only one of Allah's many ways of testing Ibrahim's faith. Others are remembered by the three rocky pillars at Mina, about 3.7 miles/6km east of Makkah. Each pilgrim collects seven stones on the slopes of Muzdalifah hill, and uses them in a ritual stoning of the three pillars, which are known as 'satans'. The ritual is known as Jamarat and follows the sacrifice of a sheep by every pilgrim who can afford it. The sacrifice takes place in memory of that offered by Ibrahim at Allah's command.
On the first day of the Hajj, the 8th day of {the 12th month}, the pilgrims perform their first Tawaf, which involves all of the pilgrims entering The Sacred Mosque and walking seven times in a counter-clockwise direction around the Kaaba, kissing the (Hajr Al Aswad) on each circuit. After the completion of Tawaf, all the pilgrims have to offer two Rakaat prayers at the Place of Abraham a site near the Ka’abah. However, again due to large crowds during the days of Hajj, they can instead pray anywhere in the whole mosque.
After Tawaf on the same day, the pilgrims perform sa`i, running or walking seven times back and forth between the hills of . This is a re-enactment of Ibriham's wife, Hajar, frantic search for water for her son, before the was revealed to her by her son ismael who started to cry for water and hit the ground with his feet and the water of the Zamzam started coming up from under his feet . The circuit used to be in the open air, but is now entirely enclosed by the mosque, and can be accessed via air-conditioned tunnels.
The next morning, on the ninth of Dhu al-Hijjah, the pilgrims leave Mina for . This is considered the highlight/important part of the Hajj, as they stand in thoughtful devotion, near a hill from which Muhammad gave his last sermon. Pilgrims must spend the afternoon within a defined area on the plain of Arafat until after sunset. Many pilgrims spend time praying, talking to God, and thinking about the course of their lives. If a pilgrim does not spend the afternoon on Arafat then their pilgrimage is considered invalid. As sun sets, the pilgrims leave Arafat for , an area between Arafat and Mina, where 49 pebbles are gathered for the next day's ritual of the . Many pilgrims spend the night sleeping on the ground at Muzdalifah, before returning to Mina. It is now the 10th of the month, the day of .
At Mina, the pilgrims perform the stoning of the devil, to signify their defiance of the Devil. This symbolizes the trials experienced by Abraham, as he wrestled with whether or not to sacrifice his son per God's demand. The Devil challenged him three times, and three times Abraham refused. Each pillar marks the location of one of these refusals. Each pilgrim must hit each pillar at least seven times. After the Stoning of the Devil, an animal is sacrificed. This symbolizes God having mercy on Abraham, and replacing his son with a ram, which Abraham then sacrificed and the rejection of evil. Pilgrims sacrifice an animal (usually a sheep or goat). This commemorates the incident related in the Old Testament when the Prophet Abraham was about to sacrifice his son and God accepted a sheep instead. Nowadays many pilgrims pay someone to slaughter the animal on their behalf. Pilgrims then shave their heads or cut some hair from it and return to the Great Mosque at Mecca for a further Tawaf, walking around the Ka’abah. They then return to Mina, where they spend the night.
On this day Muslims around the world share the happiness the pilgrims feel and join them by performing identical, individual sacrifices in a worldwide celebration of 'Id al-Adha, "the Festival of Sacrifice and the bigger Eid.
Finally, before leaving Mecca, pilgrims perform a farewell tawaf called the
The Long and Short Term effects of pilgrimage on the pilgrim.
The pilgrimage of Hajj affects Muslims in different ways, physically and spiritually. The experience of pilgrimage helps believers in any faith to learn more about their religion and to understand more about their beliefs. For Muslims hajj is one of the Pillars of Islam therefore it is a duty for them of going to hajj and performing the act of ‘ibadah. The discipline of being obedient is one effect Hajj has on Muslims but there are many other benefits. The most obvious benefit for Muslims in going on Hajj is that they will have a glimpse of what life must have been like in the times of the Prophet(such as: wearing ihram). Muhammad (pbuh) used to live a hard life and was a trader in which he used to do long journeys in the hot weather. Pilgrims on Hajj learn about the conditions of such travelling, but they may gain insight into the language of the Qur’an. Another effect of Hajj has is that the physical hardship of the journey during Hajj develops courage and perseverance and the preparations teach various aspects of self control. This builds more faith and trust in Allah. This can be long term for some people who are wishing to apply this to their life whereas for some people it could be short term. The spiritual dimension of the journey is expressed in the prayers used on the Hajj. All Muslims are definitely likely to be affected by the experience of this prestigious pilgrimage. The effects may come in different forms: may be negative; they may be positive, they may be small or they may influence different aspects of life. For some, the experience felt in Hajj is an enormous life-enhancing change just as if they were starting a new life.
Pilgrimage means to set out with a definite purpose and is meant to play an important part in the spiritual development of Muslims on the return home. Their personal religious commitment and effort may be deeper and their behaviour towards other people may be more considerate because they will have to build up tolerance for individuals with whom they have travelled. This could be described as a long term effect.
The Hajj pilgrimage also builds generosity and develops in the individual, a willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Allah. Hajj encourages spending of material wealth for the sake of Allah, which is the chief characteristic of Zakaat. By spending from his wealth to perform the Hajj, the pilgrim cleanses from his heart the greed deposited by love of this world. Furthermore, the experience of seeing the Ummah, the equality, brotherhood of its members and the unity of purpose, also has a profound effect on Muslims.
Finally the Hajj develops, in man, the spiritual and moral goals of the various forms of worship in Islam. A deep spiritual transformation takes place within the individual, resulting in the reformation of his or her life according to Islamic ideals.
