“And proclaim among people the pilgrimage; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, coming from every remote path.” (Quran 22:27)

The holy house of God, the Ka'ba in Mecca, is one of the main sites that pilgrims visit on the Hajj.

Literally, Hajj means the intention to visit a place. Islam transfers this meaning from its lexical meaning to a more specific meaning that refers to the annual pilgrimage to the holy Ka’ba. Hajj is a collection of specified rites, rituals and ceremonies offered by Muslims during a specific time, set and ordered by Allah (swt).

Hajj is both a physical and spiritual journey towards Allah (swt). One has not performed the real Hajj except once he has set off for this journey not only with his body but also with his soul.

This journey is a migration towards infinity, love, beauty, truth, absoluteness; it is moving from ‘I’ to ‘Him’, death to life; it is the return of a servant to his master with love and fear similar to that of a child returning to his mother after having committed wrong.

Hajj is a universal message of unity as manifested in the unity of creation; oneness is manifested in its totality, one God, one message, which is universal for all and all times.

“When you intend for Hajj, purify your heart from what keeps you away from Allah.” (1)

When setting off for Hajj, one leaves all his belongings, wealth, relatives, comforts and even himself behind and answers the call of The Beloved:

Labbaika Allahumma labbaik (Here I am, my Lord. Here I am).

These are not mere words coming out of ones mouth, but rather ones whole existence is answering the call of Allah (swt) saying I have cut from everything and everyone and want to move towards You, want to submit to You and want to only be in love with You, a love which burns everything other than You, so that I may see Your beauty, signs, power, mercy and justice everywhere.

I have come to You to break all the veils that I have created between myself and You; I want to move towards seeing You with my heart and only worship You. Therefore it is required from the traveller before leaving his house that he bids farewell to everything.

“Say farewell to the world, comfort, and people.” (2)

The traveller goes not to come back the same person, he goes to disappear and bury himself, he goes to evolve and to go through an internal revolution. From the rituals performed during the time of Hajj each has an essence which symbolises a stage of purification in ones journey towards Allah (swt).

Tawaf – The same way Allah (swt) is the focal point and the highest level of existence which is central, the Ka’ba is also the focul point the pilgrims circumambulate, there being no difference between the poor and the rich nor master and slave. One is not allowed to turn during Tawaf emphasising that man’s journey needs to be only towards Him (swt), facing only Him and no one or nothing else.

Sacrifice – In reality one should sacrifice anything that exists within man which is calling to anything other than Allah (swt). Here the servant slaughters the roots of evil and false desires and purifies himself because he is moving towards the most pure. Ibrahim slaughtered his son Ismail;“Your Ismail can be a person, an object, a rank, a position or even a “weakness”! But for Ibrahim it was his son!” 3

When you are back – “In this world, no one is safe from falling. Like a child who has just learned to walk, you must be careful not to fall!” (4)

“Return to your origin. Go to Hajj and visit your best Friend who created you as the best creature. He is waiting to see you! Leave the palaces of power, the treasures of wealth and the misleading temples.” (5)

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References:

1,2 - Misbah ul-Shariah; chapter 21

3,4,5 - Hajj, Dr. Ali Sahriati