Hajj (Pilgrimage)

“And (due) to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way.” ²³
(The Holy Qur’an)

According to Islam, the first house of worship established for humanity is the Kab’ah in Makkah, which is a means of mercy and guide for all people. Hajj means standing (waqfah) at Arafat on the eve of eid al-adha, which is the ninth day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, after entering into ihram, and then circumambulating the Ka’bah. It is turning towards Allah before the Ka’bah. Hajj is performed once a year during certain days on the Haram District where the Ka’bah is located.

The divine journey to Makkah enables believers to closely see and feel the house of Allah to which they face from a far while performing prayers five times a day. Indeed, reaching the Ka’bah is not the main goal of hajj. The main goal is to get the consent of Allah, the real owner of the Ka’bah, and show Him devotion, obedience, submission, and endless gratitude.

Hajj has a certain importance as it is performed both by body and financial means. It strengthens the spiritual aspects of Muslims, raises their awareness of unity and solidarity, increases their dignity and responsibilities, and gives them the capability to act together as an ummah. In the blessed atmosphere of hajj, Muslims from different ethnicities, languages, colors, and traditions but of the same religion, get the chance to know one another and share love, knowledge, good manners, experience, and culture. A meeting full of divine blessings takes place in the most precious place and time. Therefore, hajj does not only have individualistic but also great social contributions.

Hajj is an act of worship moving around symbols. Every act performed during hajj has a symbolic meaning. Various events experienced within the family of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), and events that his son Ishmael and his wife Hagar went through are symbolically remembered and repeated. Practices such as circumambulating the Kab’ah (tawaf), sa’i between the hills of Safa and Marwa, ihram, talbiyah, shaving, Arafat waqfah, stoning the devil and sacrificing a qurbani are a part of performing hajj, and the legacy of the prophets from the Prophet Ibrahim to the Prophet Muhammad (saw).

The Prophet Muhammad heralded that those who complete hajj by abandoning the desires of nafs and lust, and avoiding sins and evil will be as much clean as the day they were born. He stated that “The reward of hajj accepted by Allah (swt) is nothing but heaven.” ²⁴