The Concept And Discipline Of Hajj In Islam

The month of Dhi Al-Hajj is the last month of our Islamic year. Allah Almighty has given us two great acts of worship, Hajj, and Qurbani in this month.

Muslims from all over the world gather in the two holy shrines and perform Hajj from the 7th to the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah. In addition, they attend the fast of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) before or after Hajj.

They offer prayers in Masjid Nabavi and return to their homes after receiving blessings and happiness. It’s estimated that about 2.5 million Muslims will perform the Hajj this year.  By the grace of Allah that Muslims from all over the world gather there for the rituals of Hajj. It is also a symbol of the unity of Muslims. It is both a symbol of the centrality of the Kaaba and a sign that the spirit of Islam is still alive among Muslims today, despite all obstacles and weaknesses.

And even in this age of tribulations, there is a relationship of love and affection with Allah, with religion, with the House of Allah, with the Prophet’s Mosque, and with the Holy Prophet. This is expressed in the holy shrines of Ramadan. Every year with full enthusiasm and then it happens especially on the days of Hajj.

9 Hijri, The Year Of Reforms And Changes

The conquest of Makkah took place in the year 8 AH. The first Hajj after the conquest of Mecca came in 9 AH. The Holy Prophet did not perform Hajj in 9 AH but stayed in Madinah. He sent his Companions to perform Hajj in the Emirate of Hazrat Siddiq Akbar. The Holy Prophet used the year 9 AH for reforms and changes. He made many announcements on the occasion of Hajj of 9 AH through Hazrat Siddiq Akbar.

These announcements were related to the purification of the Hajj system, treaties with other nations, a ban on ignorant rituals, and other religious and administrative matters. It was also announced that the Holy Prophet would come for Hajj next year. Therefore, in the year 9 AH, he spent the next year cleaning the environment for Hajj

It is as if the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) purified the entire system of Hajj and made the Hajj pure for Allaah and the Muslims before he went on Hajj. Then the Holy Prophet performed Hajj of 10 AH which is called Hajj Farewell.

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The End Of Idols

The first change was that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said that on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah, Baitullah, Haram Pak, and Makkah Mukarramah were cleansed of idols. Before the conquest of Makkah, these places were the abodes of idols, and hundreds of idols were installed there. Even in the Masjid Haram, even inside the Baitullah, and also in the environment of the Haram. People used to circumambulate the House of Allah,

They used to perform Safa and Marwa and also used to pay homage to idols. During the days of Hajj, these acts of worship and polytheism were performed simultaneously. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that the first change or reform in the system of Hajj was that after the conquest of Makkah. Baitullah, the Masjid al-Haram, the boundaries of the Haram, and even the entire Arabian Peninsula were cleansed of idols.

It was a great chance that the atmosphere of Baitullah and Haram was cleansed of idols. With the worship of Allah and the presence of the house of Allah, the participation of idols was ended. In this way, Hajj was performed for the sake of pure Allah Almighty.

Hajj For Muslims Only

Thirdly, the change made by the Holy Prophet in the system of Hajj was that Hajj was reserved for Muslims only. Before that, there was no restriction of any religion or nationality and anyone could come for Hajj. Monotheists, polytheists, and idolaters, belonging to any religion, used to come and perform Hajj in their own way.

But the Holy Prophet, quoting from the Holy Qur’an, declared: (Surat at-Tawbah: 1) O you who believe! The polytheists are unclean, so do not come near the Sacred Mosque after this year. Before the conquest of Makkah, everyone used to come for Hajj. The Holy Prophet announced that from now on, no non-Muslim would come for Hajj.

Hajj is one of the religious duties of Muslims, it is the worship of Muslims, therefore it is reserved for Muslims only. This was the third major reform that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) made in the system of Hajj.

The Need To Try Safa And Marwa

The fifth reform that took place in the system of Hajj was expressed by the Holy Quran while the Holy Prophet (PBUH) implemented it again. In the age of ignorance, the order of Hajj was such that everyone used to perform Tawaf of Hajj. But not everyone tried Safa and Marwa. Only the Quraysh tribe and their allies, a few tribes, tried Safa and Marvi. There were many tribes who did not strive for Safa and Marwah.

It is also mentioned in the hadith what was the reason for this. In fact, the effort of Safa and Marwah is in the memory of Hazrat Hajra, the wife of Hazrat Ibrahim. She remembers the incident when she ran between Safa and Marwah in search of water for her innocent child Ishmael. So some people said that Hazrat Hajra was the mother of Quraysh, so she should run between Safa and Marwah in her memory. What is the need for the rest to run? While some also said that it is a matter of ignorance.

Anas ibn Malik was also one of those who considered it a matter of ignorance. The two major tribes of Ansar Madinah were Aws and Khazraj of Safa and Marwah Sa’i was considered a matter of ignorance

What happened is that mother once ran, so just keep running between these two hills till the Day of Resurrection. So this was the reason why the Quraysh and except for their allied tribes, the people did not seek Safa and Marwah.

Non-Quraysh who did not seek Safa and Marwah used to visit their idols after Tawaf of Baitullah. But when the Holy Prophet (saw) cleared all the idols after the conquest of Makkah, the non-Quraysh got confused.

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Where will they go after Tawaf of Baitullah?

Anas ibn Malik says that after the Tawaf of Bait-ul-Allah, we used to visit our idol Manat at Qadeed and we used to make the same effort. We were confused as to what we should do now. The Quraysh will try Safa and Marwah but we are among those who do not. So the Ansar of Madinah presented this difficulty to the Holy Prophet.

Therefore, Allah, the Exalted, explained in the Qur’an that:

(Surat al-Baqarah: 2) Of course, Safa and Marwah are among the signs of Allah. Whoever performs Hajj or Umrah to the House of Allah, there is no harm in going between them (Safa and Marwah hills) Apply it. First, he explained that the incident of Hazrat Hajra has its place. But Safa and Marwah are among the rites of Allah Himself. Just as Baitullah is one of the rites of Allah, so Safa and Marwah are among the rites of Allah. So those who considered it harmful to strive for Safa and Marwah, the Qur’an first cleared their minds,

He further said that Safa and Marwah is not a problem for one who performs Hajj and Umrah but it is one of the essential rituals of Hajj and Umrah. As the circumambulation of Baitullah is a reverence for the rites of Allah. Such an effort of Safa and Marwah is also a reverence for the rites of Allah. Thus, this effort of Safa and Marwah became a regular part of Hajj rituals Which, of course, made the video an overnight sensation. This is a great change in the system of Hajj with the reforms of the Holy Prophet.