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Hajj: The Universal Demonstration of Solidarity and Harmony

By: Hussain Ahmad Qasmi

Hajj (pilgrimage) is an Arabic word which literally means “to set out”
with the intention of devotion or reward to a sacred place. However,
Islamically, it means visiting the House of Allah Ka'bah in Mecca,
and also performing all those ceremonies which have been ordered
to perform there that are based on the actions and words reported
in tradition of the holy Prophet's Hajj, such as tawaf (Turning seven
times around the Ka'bah)), Sa`i (pacing back and forth seven times
by a pilgrim between the hill of Safa and Marwah), standing at the
mountain of Arafat, and throwing pebbles at the Jamarat in Mina.

This pilgrimage occurs every year during Dhul Hijjah, the twelfth
month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Those who make the
pilgrimage follow in the footsteps of Abraham (peace be upon him),
the father of the prophets. Four thousand years ago, Abraham
(peace be upon him) along with his wife Hagar and his son Ishmael
set out on a vast journey wandering through Babylon, Syria and
Arabia crossing vast hills, rivers, and deserts until arriving in the
holy land of Mecca where Abraham (peace be upon him) received
revelation from Allah:

"Do not associate anything with Me as My partner, and purify My

House for those who make Tawaf (circumambulation around it), and
those who perform Qiyam (standing up in worship) and those who
perform Ruku (bowing down) and Sujud (prostration), and announce
among people about (the obligation of) Hajj, so that they should
come to you on foot, and on every camel turned lean, travelling
through every distant hilly pathway, so that they witness benefits
for them, and recite Allah's name in specified days, over the
provision He gave them from the cattle. "So eat, thereof and feed
the distressed, the poor." [Quran: 22:26-28]

First, Abraham and Ishmael (peace be upon them) had to raise the
cubic structure, the Ka'bah, on the foundations of the "first house
made for mankind" - built originally at the dawn of creation by
Adam (peace be upon him). Then Abraham (peace be upon him)
had to proclaim the pilgrimage to mankind. Unconcerned as to who
would hear his voice in this desert land, he climbed atop of a nearby
mountain and proclaimed to humanity the divine message of the
hajj. This call has passed through the distances of space and time
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and still reverberates to the millions of people around the globe who
answer his call and come to make the pilgrimage.

In short, Hajj is the supreme symbol of universal brotherhood and

the greatest annual congregation and the largest annual pilgrimage
in this world.

It is a demonstration of the cohesion and harmony of the Muslim,

and their submission to Almighty Allah. Every year, in Mecca,
millions of people from diverse origins stand shoulder-to-shoulder.
All artificial or human-imposed distinctions between human beings
are lifted, and people have the chance to know each other solely as
brothers and sisters in humanity for the span of a few days. This
sense of equality should translate back into everyday life; the
person who has gone on the hajj should return home freed from
erroneous notions of racism, classism, and so forth. For the Muslims
as a whole, the hajj serves as an enormous convention or
conference in which news is passed on and problems are solved.
Since the beginning of Islam, the hajj has been one of the major
cultural unifying factors of the Muslim peoples, since every year
delegates from every civilization meet in one place.

It is the fifth pillar of Islam, an obligation that must be carried out at

least once in the life time of each and every Muslim who can afford
to do it. It lays out the goal of each Muslim performing a pilgrimage
to Mecca to worship at the Ka'bah and to rededicate themselves to
Allah at sites important in his life. The Hajj is immediately followed
by the festival of Eid al-Adha. The holy Quran makes it mention:

And pilgrimage to the House is duty unto Allah for mankind, for him
who can find a way thither. (Quran: 22: 97)

Truly, Hajj and its rites first were ordained by Allah in the time of the
Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) and he was one who was entrusted by
Almighty Allah to build the Holy Kaba – the House of Allah – along
with his beloved son Ismail (PBUH) at Mecca. The holy Quran says:

After building the Kaba, Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) would come to

Mecca to perform Hajj every year, and after his death, this practice
was continued by his son.
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The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the
12th month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is
a lunar calendar, eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar
used in the Western world, the Gregorian date of the Hajj is eleven
days earlier from year to year. The Hajj is associated with the life of
the holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) but the ritual of pilgrimage to
Mecca is considered to stretch back to the time of Prophet Ibrahim
(PBUH) and his beloved son Prophet Ismail (PBUH), the prominent
figures in both Islam and Judaism.

One who intends to perform Hajj should first make Tawba

(repentance to Allah), settle his debts, prepare sufficient provision
for his journey and for his family until his return, give back trust to
their rightful owners, and meet his expenses by lawful means. He is
recommended to accompany righteous men to help each other in
their journey. If there is a group of people going out for Hajj, they
should choose one of them to be their leader during their journey so
as to set their affairs in order.

Mecca is the center of true and pure monotheism, and the place
where Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH), The Friend of God, left as a
monument for all the true believers of the world throughout history
a symbol of monotheism which is the subjugation of one's carnal
desires and complete submission before the divine command by
bringing his beloved to the altar. Here is the place where the
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) raised the flag of monotheism against
the wishes of the arrogant and bullying elements and the wealthy of
his time.

Hajj maintains the spirit of unity among Muslims, individuals and

communities and educates Muslims, and even non-Muslims, about
the true meaning of equality, which is manifested in the pilgrims'
unified dress code and their observance of the rituals irrespective of
their race, language, gender, or social positions. Hajj is full of
lessons for Muslims whereby we can affect real changes in the way
we practice Islam as well as in the way we behave. Hajj teaches us
to break the barriers that separate people from one another:
barriers of race, nationality, ethnicity, color, and language. Hajj
instills in us the great values of faith, surrender, trust, and sacrifice
for the sake of Allah the Almighty and for the truth.

Islam lays emphasis on the very principle of equality between all

people. It makes it clear that people are as equal as the comb teeth.
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The holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)

declares:

“O people! Your Lord is One, your father is one. You are all sons of
Adam and Adam is created from dust.”

In prayer, a person may wear his own traditional costumes and thus
may be distinguished. In Hajj, it is totally different as all people put
on two pieces of white cloth that resemble a shroud. This is the
highest form of equality. In Hajj, man enters into a state of total
sanctity that prevents him from violating the life or the safety of any
human being. Hajj is the sign of the universality of this Divine
message. All people come from all parts of the globe celebrating the
praises of the One true God, no colors, races, regional borders. All
barriers are removed and all pilgrims are molten in one brotherhood
that gathers their hearts and strengthens their bonds and sense of
belonging to one religion. Hajj is, above all, a revolution against all
usual matters.

Hajj experience promotes peaceful coexistence, equality, and

harmony. Hajj increases belief in equality and harmony among
ethnic groups and Islamic sects, and the Hajis - those who have
performed the Hajj - show increased belief in peace, and in equality
and harmony among adherents of different religions.

Hajj is the opportunity to review and revisit these great lessons.

Each and every corner of Hajj is the embodiment of unity and
solidarity among the believers where natural and contractual
differences fade away and the significance of the true and
monotheistic unity and brotherhood is upheld. Hajj is one of the
best means of Islam for the elimination of negligence. As if the
universality of this ritual imparts the message that the Muslim
Ummah in their collective identity, besides the individual duty of
every Muslim, is duty-bound to remove negligence from them. On
the other hand, the glory and grandeur of this unique congregation
acquaints us with the reality of the great Islamic Ummah, which
transcends the nations, races, colors and languages. This
intertwined and harmonic congregation, these tongues all chanting
a single word, these bodies and hearts all marching towards a single
Qibla and these human beings representing tens of countries and
nations all belong to a great unit and collection, that is, the Islamic
Ummah.