“Here am I, God! Here am I
Here am I, God! Here am I
And associate none with Thee, here am I, God!
Here am I”.
After sunset there is a rush (nafrah) to Muzdalifah. In Muzdalifah they perform combined night (isha) and delayed sunset (maghrib) prayers at al-Mash’ar al Haram. The worshippers then spend the night as Muzdalifah. The third day named ‘Day of Sacrifice’ (Yawm an Nuhr) starts with another trip to the al-Mash’ar al Haram to perform dawn (Sawm) prayers. Then the pilgrims gather forty-nine pebbles for stoning the Jamara. Now they return to Mina via Wadi Muhassar. Once in Mina the followers throw seven stones at the stone pillar the Jamrat al aqabah. Then the ritual sacrifice takes place. As the day draws to a close the worshippers begin to return to normality. Firstly they cut their hair: most men shave their heads whilst some women usually cut a lock of hair off. The pilgrims can then remove their Ihram clothes but they must still observe the practices of being in a state of Ihram. Now everyone returns to Makka to walk around the Ka’bah seven times. The last two days are collectively known as ‘Days of Drying Meat’. During this time the worshippers stay at Mina. The meat is distributed amongst the poor of Makka. Each day they throw seven stones at each of the three Jamara (stone pillars) in the valley of Mina. They stone them in order of the smallest (which is near Arafat) to the largest.
A new covering (kiswah) is placed on the Ka’bah, the old one is cut up and given to pilgrims as mementos. The pilgrims can choose to end their Hajj as it started by walking around the Ka’bah seven times, which is known as the ‘circulation of farewell’ (Tawaf al-Wada).
Question Two: Explain the meaning and significance of the events of Hajj for a Muslim. What difficulties might there be for a Muslim performing Hajj?
Every thing a pilgrim does on Hajj furthers their knowledge of their religion’s history. There is a story behind every action a pilgrim performs, a story of peoples’ dedication to their faith. Hajj itself is performed to remember the hardships Abraham and his family endured for God.
The very first thing a Muslim must do is declare ‘niyyah’ (intent) to go on Hajj. This is done so they are exempt from Allah’s wrath if they can’t complete Hajj for some reason The next thing a Muslim does when going on Hajj is enter a state of Ihram. By focusing ones thoughts and actions on God Muslims show their complete devotion to Allah. As they are only thinking of him/her they are showing that nothing else is as important as Allah. By entering into their simple ihram clothes pilgrims are symbolically giving up their individuality to submit to Allah’s will, showing that they meet the most basic requirement of Islam. By all wearing the same clothes Muslims symbolically show that Allah created us all equal. These clothes show Muslims that faith is worth more than material items can ever be.
Pilgrims start Hajj by walking around the Ka’bah seven times (Tawaf). The Ka’bah is the first building built to worship God. Muslims believe that it was built by Adam and then rebuilt by Ishmael and his father Abraham. The Ka’bah contains a black stone (Hajr-e-Aswad). The stone is believed to be a meteorite and so it is viewed as a sign from the heavens. The stone is also thought to absorb the evil from the world, getting blacker as it does so, when the stone becomes completely black it will be judgement day. Pilgrims circle the Ka’bah to worship God. The next thing they do is perform s’ay. This is done to remember Hagar’s struggle to find water. Whilst Hagar was looking for water Ishmael in his frustration kicked the ground. Where he kicked the ground a spring sprung up, saving Hagar and Ishmael’s lives. This spring is now known as the Zamzam. The pilgrims drink from the Zamzam well; some people choose to wash their ihram clothes there as well, as the water is believed to have healing properties. The story of the Zamzam reminds Muslims that no matter how bad things seem God is always there to help us. The pilgrims spend the night at Mina, where Abraham sacrificed a ram in place of his son Ishmael.
It is on the second day that the most important event takes place. “Latecomers rush to be in time, for if the stand is missed, the Hajj is not valid.” During the stand (wuquf) on Arafat Muslims completely open themselves to Allah. By reciting the talibyah, the pilgrim declares their presence to God. The reason the stand is so important is that during the stand pilgrims are cleansed of all their sins, giving them the chance to start again living the right way. ‘Wuquf’ was traditionally first undertaken by Adam and Eve. Where they prayed for God’s forgiveness after being cast from paradise.
Once the pilgrims have reached Mina, on the third day, they go and throw seven stones at the Jamrat al-aqabah. The Jamrat-al aqabah is a largest of the stone pillars that represent Satan’s (Iblis) temptations. This is symbolic of their wish to reject Satan and all he stands for. They are also remembering Abraham’s victory against Satan. Abraham resisted Iblis’ temptations and was prepared to sacrifice Ishmael, as God had commanded. Ishmael drove away the Devil by throwing stones at him. After this the Feast of Sacrifice takes place during this every pilgrim must sacrifice an animal. This feast is also known as Id-ul-Adha- the biggest holiday of the Muslim year. For the pilgrims their sacrificing of an animal symbolizes their total submission to the will of Allah. The celebration remembers Abraham’s complete submission to the will of Allah. Then everyone cuts off some hair. This symbolically shows that the pilgrims’ are now as pure as a newborn baby. The pilgrim then returns to their normal dress. The pilgrims do not leave the mental state of Ihram as the whole Hajj is devoted to the worship of Allah.
Over the following days the meat from the sacrificed animals is given to the poor. This is an example of ‘sadaqah’ (giving without return) and so the pilgrims are fulfilling another of the five pillars, Zakah. The pilgrims repeat many of the same activities before leaving. Although Hajj is an amazing experience for Muslims it is not without its difficulties.
The first problem people have is trying to get to Makka. The trip from England costs a few thousands of pounds. Some people save their entire life to go on Hajj, whilst others save up as a community in order to send a representative on Hajj.
As Makka is in Saudi Arabia the heat can be phenomenal. This would be especially overwhelming during the stand at Arafat, and on the various bus journeys through the desert.
The huge numbers of people doing the same things can be dangerous. This can be particularly true during s’ay and the Tawaf, as not only is everyone tying to do the same thing, but people are trying to do it quickly as well. This could lead to slower people being crushed and injured. During the stoning of the Jamara people become extremely emotional and violent and although the anger (and stones) is directed at the stone pillar it is easy for people to get caught in the crossfire. However pilgrims believe that it all worth it as it is such an amazing experience. People say that Hajj is a metaphor for life as ‘although it is difficult it can produce some truly wonderful moments.
Question Three: How might participating in Hajj affect the life of a believer? “A true pilgrimage is really a journey within”.
Every aspect of Hajj can affect the life of a Muslim. The first thing that would change is the Muslim’s role in the Muslim community. Being with two million people sharing your beliefs must strengthen your conviction that Islam is the true path. With this knowledge I think people would try to make their religion a bigger part of their lives. Talking to people from other countries would make many realized how privileged they are and perhaps prompt them to give more money to charity (sadaqah). Being with the huge numbers of Muslims from all around the world would help strengthen your sense of unity, of ‘ummah’ with your Muslim ‘brothers’. This increased sensed of ‘ummah’ can help people try and make a difference in their community. As Hajjis they may receive a certain amount of interest from the community, as people may be interested in their experience.
Pilgrims may reject the trend to “westernise” that has obsessed the world. During the state of ihram pilgrims will have achieved the most wonderful emotions and they would have felt fulfilled. This shows pilgrims that material things are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. At the stand at Arafat people are forgiven and made pure. Upon returning home they would realize the significance of resisting the evils of greed, intoxication, etc. to remain pure. If Hajjis/Hajjahs are finding themselves weakening to temptation they will remember their experience at the Jamara in Mina. They will recall how fiercely they stoned the ‘devils temptations’ and how if they could conquer temptation then they could do it again.
Pilgrims could have renewed interest in life, as Hajj will have reminded them valuable it is. Even if it seems life is so dire that death is the only escape, they can recall their Hajj and that it is a metaphor for life. So no matter how bad things seem, wonderful things can be just around the corner. They will remember what happened to Ishmael at the Zamzam, and that however bleak things are God is there watching over you. Hajj would drive a Muslim to increase involvement in their community, follow their Islamic beliefs more strictly and take a renewed interest in life.
I believe that a true pilgrimage is really a journey within. A pilgrimage is traditionally thought as a journey to a place of great importance. Then surely to fulfil Hajj you must have to go to Makka. However we know that this is not true, if someone who has ‘niyyah’ (intent) then they have fulfilled Hajj. If it is possible to fulfil Hajj without even seeing a picture of Makka, we must ask ourselves what pilgrimage is about. As we know the point of Hajj is to become pure. This traditionally takes place at Arafat. However, unlike the Ganges for Hindus, it is not the actual plain of Arafat that cleanses your soul, it is Allah’s will. It is possible for you to look inside your soul and realize what is going wrong in your life wherever you are. So surely it is possible if you have ‘niyyah’ and you make the effort to try and make amends with Allah anywhere.
“Joe I think your wrong. Why would you go to Makka if a true Hajj were a journey into your soul?” Going to Makka makes the journey into your soul easier. Whilst you are on Hajj everyone is there to make amends with God, so the atmosphere is perfectly suited to your task. Like if you were writing an English essay: it would be easier if you were in a library with other students trying to do the same thing, than if you were a night club full of ‘partiers’.
“Joe I think your wrong, in the Quran it says Muslims should go to Makka it does not mention a journey into your soul.” Even if you complete the itinerary of Hajj you will not achieve the goal of becoming pure without looking inside your soul and submitting your will to Allah. The physical aspect of Hajj is only one third of the total experience, without the other two-thirds: mind and soul your Hajj is incomplete. If Hajj were purely physical then it would not be so sacred that only Muslims could participate. Muslims are only allowed to participate because only they can complete Hajj by submitting to the will of Allah by looking inside their soul and realizing their faults.
This is a very complex issue and so it is hard to have one right answer. I believe that true Hajj is a journey inside your soul. The goal of Hajj is to achieve purity, not to go on a sightseeing trip. Going to Makka helps people make this journey as they are in the best atmosphere, amongst the best people to help you achieve this Goal.
Bibliography
Islam Coursework-Hajj by Joe Taylor
A quote from ‘World-Religions-Islam’ (see bibliography).
Note it is not necessary to physically stand.
Quote taken from ‘Examining Religions-Islam’ (see Bibliography).