Hajj: Difference between revisions

The ''Hajj'' was based on a pilgrimage that was ancient even in the time of Muhammad(SAW) in the 7th Century. According to [[Hadith]], elements of the Hajj trace back to the time of [[Abraham]], around 2000 BC, and it is believed that Prophet Abraham was ordered by God (Allah) to leave his son Ismael and [[Hagar]], his wife in the desert. While Hagar ran back and forth seven times searching for water for her son, baby [[Ishmael]] started to cry and hit the ground with his foot and water from the well of Zamzam started coming up from under his feet. (The well is honored in Saudi Arabia to this day.) Each year tribes from all around the Arabian peninsula would converge on Mecca, as part of the pilgrimage. The exact faith of the tribes was not important at that time, and Christian Arabs were as likely to make the pilgrimage as the pagans.<ref>Armstrong, ''Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths'', p. 221. "Each year the tribes would assemble from all over the peninsula to take part in the arduous and intricate rites of the ''hajj'' pilgrimage, Christian Arabs alongside the pagans. By Muhammad's(SAW) time, the Ka'bah was dedicated to the [[Nabatean]] deity [[Hubal]] and surrounded by effigies of the Arabian pantheon, but it may well originally have been the shrine of Allah, the high god."</ref> Muslim historians refer to the time before Muhammad(SAW) as ''[[al-Jahiliyah]]'', the "Days of Ignorance", during which the Ka'aba contained hundreds of idols representing totems of each of the tribes of the Arabian peninsula. The idols represented multiple faiths, from pagan gods to symbols of [[Jesus]], [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Mary]], [[Hubal]] and [[Allah]] .<ref name=freeman>Freeman-Grenville, ''Islam: An Illustrated History'', p. 28</ref>

Muhammad(SAW) was known to regularly perform the Umrah, even before he began receiving revelations.<ref name=armstrong>{{cite book|pages=10-12|title=Islam: A Short History|author=Karen Armstrong|isbn=0-8129-6618-x|date=2000,2002}}</ref> Historically, Muslims would gather at various meeting points in other great cities, and then proceed en masse towards Mecca, in groups that could comprise tens of thousands of pilgrims. Two of the most famous meeting points were in [[Cairo]] and [[Damascus]]. In Cairo, the Sultan would stand atop a platform of the famous gate [[Bab Zuwayla]], to officially watch the beginning of the annual pilgrimage.<ref>{{cite book|title=Eyewitness Travel: Egypt|date=2001, 2007|isbn=978-0-75662-875-8|publisher=Dorlin Kindersley Limited, London|pages=103}}</ref>

In 632 AD, when Muhammad(SAW) led his followers from Medina to Mecca, it was the first Hajj to be performed by Muslims alone, and the only Hajj ever performed by Muhammad(SAW). It was at this point that the Hajj became one of the [[Five Pillars of Islam]]. The Kaaba had been cleansed of the previous idols, and Muhammad(SAW) ordained it as the house of God.<ref>''In the Lands of the Prophet'', Time-Life, p. 31</ref>

The next morning, on the ninth of Dhu al-Hijjah, the pilgrims leave Mina for [[Mount Arafat]]. This is considered the highlight of the Hajj, as they stand in contemplative vigil, near a hill from which Muhammad(SAW) gave his last sermon. Pilgrims must spend the afternoon within a defined area on the plain of Arafat until after sunset. No specific rituals or prayers are required during the stay at Arafat, although many pilgrims spend time praying, talking to God, and thinking about the course of their lives. If a pilgrim does not spend the afternoon on Arafat then their pilgrimage is considered invalid.<ref name=ngeo/>

Though it is not required as part of the Hajj, many pilgrims also travel to visit the city of [[Medina]] and the [[Masjid al-Nabawi|Mosque of the Prophet]]. [[Muhammad]]'s(SAW) tomb is enclosed by the mosque. Pilgrims may also visit the tomb of Muhammad's(SAW) daughter, [[Fatimah]].