The Spirit of Hajj
The root meaning of “Haj” is to set out or make a pilgrimage. However, canonically it has come to refer to the act of worship performed annually in the month of Dhul Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar.
At least once in their lifetime, every adult Muslim who is physically and financially able must sacrifice time, money, and comforts, becoming a pilgrim totally at God’s service.
The pilgrims wear simple garments, two seamless white clothes for men and a dress that covers the body, except the face and hands, for women. These coverings symbolise purity and the unity and equality of all believers.
Some essential rituals to be performed during the Hajj are as follows:
• Tawaf (circumambulation), i.e. going around the Kabah seven times.
• Saee: the pilgrims walk briskly between Safa and Marwah, two hillocks near the Kabah.
• Standing on Arafat: the pilgrims gather at Arafat and pray to God throughout the day, reciting the Talbiyah. This standing on the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah is very important. According to tradition, standing at Arafat is the culmination of the Pilgrimage.
At Arafat, the Prophet delivered his farewell sermon to his people from the Mount of Mercy, a hill in the middle of the plane.
Among all Muslim acts of worship, Hajj holds a pre-eminent position. In one Hadith, the Prophet called it “the supreme act of worship”, But it is not just the rites of Pilgrimage that constitute this importance; it is the spirit in which Hajj is performed. Hajj has been prescribed to inspire us with a new religious fervour. To return from Hajj with one’s faith in God strengthened and rekindled—is the hallmark of a true pilgrim. Hence, Hajj reigns supreme among all acts of devotion.
