The First Call to Hajj

Almighty Allah (swt) asked Prophet Ibrahim to keep His house clean for those who perform Tawaf (circumambulation) around the Ka’bah, those who pray and make ruku' and sajdah and ordered as follows: “And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass. That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known days over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor. Then let them end their untidiness and fulfill their vows and perform Tawaf around the ancient House.” (Hajj 22/27-29)

Prophet Ibrahim fulfilled the order of Allah (swt) and he invited people from the top of the Abu Qubays Hill to perform hajj. After this day, mu'min hearts who have faith in the fact that hajj is a holy invitation, and it is a matter of ordaining. Performing tawaf around the Baitullah and worshiping at the Masjid al-Haram  are among the most sincere wishes and invocations of a believer.

Prophet Ibrahim was the first person to people to perform hajj and taught them how is hajj performed. In the course of time idolatry became prevalent in the area and hajj lost its essence. People kept performing hajj during the Era of Jahiliyyah (ignorance), however polytheistic elements mixed into it. Idols were situated in many places, particularly in the Ka’bah and then on the hills of Safa, Marwa, and Mina. These ele­ments of idolatry, such as circumambulating the Ka’bah while being naked, unfortunately, took place until the ninth year of the hegira (Muhammad's (saw) migration from Mecca to Madina when hajj became a fardh (compulsory).