Complete Hajj and Umrah for Allah (2:196)

The Hajj to the House (Kaaba) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah those who can afford the expenses (for one's conveyance, provision and residence), and whoever disbelieves, (i.e. denies the Hajj, then he is a disbeliever in Allah), then Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures. (3:97)

The religious pilgrimage is familiar to people of all traditions, Oriental or Occidental. The Muslim pilgrimage (Hajj), however, is unique among sacred journeys because it is obligatory and not simply an act of special piety or devotion. It is obligatory on every adult Muslim, male or female, who is of sound mind and body to perform the Pilgrimage to Makka once in his or her lifetime provided that one has the means to do so. Hajj cannot be performed on credit. Muslims prepare for it as it they were leaving this world altogether. They have to pay their debts, make sure they have enough resources to pay the debt off; pay zakat due on their wealth; return whatever was given to them in trust; and provide for their families and dependents during their absence. They must have earned enough in an honest way to cover they expenses of the journey and the sacrifice it includes. The duty of Hajj rests on special commands of the Qur'an. The Prophet exhorted his companions to perform it, and taught the specific ways in which the rituals had to be performed. Haii is one of the five pillars of Islam and the Sunnah raised the religious and ethical value of pilgrimage so high that it became the ultimate worldly hope of the Muslim life. For the Muslims, the journey to and presence in Makka is the highest act of worship, It is an opportunity to re-enact the founding of Islam and renew links with Prophet Ibrahim, his wife Hajar, their son Prophet Ishmail, and of course Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s). Hajj is a return to origin, root and beginning of Islam. It is also a self-presentation before Allah. In a sense, it is rehearsal of the Day of judgment when all human beings will return to Allah (SWT).

Before you leave your home for Hajj, it is highly recommended that you pray and make the intention perform Umrah (little pilgrimage) and the Haji. Before entering Miqat (designated areas in Saudi Arabia that you cannot cross without putting on pilgrim's dress lhram), you must declare your intention for Hajj and for that you must be physically clean and pure.

The Ihram consists of two seamless pieces of white cloth for the men and a simple modest gown and head covering for the women, indicating that they are entering a state of consecration and casting off what is ritually impure. Putting on the Ihram is the beginning of a great change: becoming genuinely conscious about Allah (SVM and seeking a new direction for oneself.

The Ihram is also a reminder that before Allah (SWT) there are no rich or poor, kings or beggars, refined or crude. All are equal. Hajj allows the participant to experience the egalitarian nature of Islam. It is also a reminder that on the Day of judgment you can avail yourself of nothing but the record of your deeds on earth.

The Hajj to Makkah and its surrounding area is a ritual lasting up to seven days. You arrive Makkah preferably by the seventh day of Dhul-Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Muslim year, but no later than the noon of the 8th of the month. On arrival at Makka, the first things you do (after bath and ablution) include visiting the Kaaba and circumambulating it seven times. This is a reenactment of what Prophet Ibrahim (AS), Ismail (AS) and Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s) did. A great Muslim scholar writes:

"As you circumambulate and move closer to the Kaaba, you feel like a small stream merging with a big river. Carried by a wave you lose touch with the ground. Suddenly, you are floating, carried on by the flood. As you approach the center, the pressure of the crowd squeezes you so hard that you are given a new life. You are now a part of the People, alive and eternal ... The Kaaba is the world's sun whose face attracts you into its orbit. You have become part of this universal system. Circumambulating around Attal-1, you will soon forget yourself ... You have been transformed into a particle that is gradually melting and disappearing. This is absolute love at its peak."

The circumambulation of the Kaaba is followed by performing the said: running between the two hillocks known as Safa and Marwa to commemorate Hajar is search for water when she and her son Ismail were abandoned in the desert by Prophet Ibrahim, as commanded by Allah. Imagine a lonely woman with her only child cast into the depth of this barren waterless valley! Wandering homeless, deprived of support, isolated from her society, a stranger exiled and rejected by her family, this black maid all alone in this fearful valley of Makka with her child in her arm in desperate search for water for her baby! Rituals of Haii are memories of Hajar. By running, the Haii's try to relive Hajar's experience. She was restless but hopeful and determined in her search for water. It is also a tribute to motherhood - mother's struggle for her child. She submitted to the will of Allah (SWT), an example of submission and obedience and a great champion of faith.

Consequently, we see her buried near the noblest and most ancient sanctuary, Kaaba. Islam honors her with the word Hijra from her name because she was the ultimate refugee. And, of course, her search resulted in the appearance of the sacred well of Zam Zam whose waters are believed to posses special powers.

After Sai, the pilgrims travel several miles from Makkah to Mina, and pass the night there. It is Sunnah to go to Mina before noon on the 8th. When you leave for Mina, your Haii has begun. (What was done prior to this is Umrah). First you left your house and the worldly comfort, then at Miqat you gave up your dress, put on lhram and joined the eternal human migration to Hajj. You come to Kaaba, House of God. But Kaaba is the direction, not the destination. You leave Kaaba to go to Arafat, by way of Mina - to approach Allah, to be closer to Him! (Arafat is about 12 miles Fast of Makkah.)

The central event of the pilgrimage is the "standing" (Wuquf) on the 9th anywhere in the area surrounding the Jabal al-Rahma (the Mount of Mercy), a small rocky eminence in the valley of Arafat itself. This Mount is significant for Muslims because Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s) gave his farewell address from here.

The rite of standing before Allah (SWT) takes place beginning at high noon. The hours until sunset are dedicated to prayerful repentance during which the mass of pilgrims seek and receive from Allah His merciful forgiveness. This is the central rite of the pilgrimage. Its omission nullifies the validity of Hajj. It is also a sin if one doesn't think, having been in Arafat on the 9th, that he or she was not forgiven.

The plain of Arafat is a city of tents, no houses; people from all over the world, irrespective of color or race or language are clad in the all equalizing lhram beseeching Allah (SVM, shedding tears, sobbing and murmuring for forgiveness for past sins and seeking His blessings. During the time of Wuquf, times seems to stand still. Life with all its allurements, frustrations, hopes, fears and achievements are left behind as the mammoth crowd of several million stands before Allah. It is also the time to reflect on the "Farewell Sermon" given by our Prophet (s.a.w.s) the same day and place centuries ago - this reflection may help us com. prehend the relationship between his farewell sermon and the essence of Hajj. The guidance contained in the words of the Prophet is a legacy that continues to exist for us.

For the pilgrim, what follows this moment is a new life. Our Prophet (s.a.w.s), declared: "A man who performs the Hajj returns to his home as though he were created anew, as on the day when his mother gave birth to him." This means that Hajj gives the pilgrim a new and pure life. The entire journey of Hajj is a complete ibada and one must do everything to keep it up. Hajj is indeed a reformation and transformation of the person in the path of Allah and he or she should strive to make it permanent.

The mass of Pilgrims leaves Arafat when the sun has set to return to Muzdalifa, about half way back to Mina where the night is spent. The prayers of zuhr and asr have been combined at the appointed time and it is now the time for MaghTib (sunset) prayer. This prayer has been performed throughout one's life at the time fixed for it, but today it is offered late at Muzdalifah. There is no virtue in any prayer offered by the force of habit; the merit lies in doing what Allah (SWT) ordains, the prayer is for Him. Hence Maghrib and Isha are prayed together

The next day, the 10th, Pilgrims return to Mina where they stone the devils represented by three heaps of stone (jamra). The devil is said to have appeared to Prophet Ibrahim here to stop him from sacrificing his

son and was driven away by him by throwing stones at him. Every act of Hajj symbolizes an act of Prophet Ibrahim. The sacrifice of his son is symbolized by the animal sacrifice at the conclusion of the Hajj which falls on this day. The l0th of Dhul-Hijjah is a great moment of Haji because it is the day of Eid-ut-Adha (the feast of sacrifice). While Eid-ut-Adha is being celebrated at Mina, Muslin-is throughout the world are conducting similar ceremonies in their homes and towns. The 10th is a busy day for the Hajis. They also return to Makkah to repeat the circumambulation, considered more meritorious than those performed before and is considered the most important one.

The pilgrimage is now over and the male Hajis now shave or trim, wash and change while the females shorten their hair. They must, however, spend three days in Mina although two days are permissible. Each day, while at Mina, normally between midday and sunset, every pilgrim has to throw seven stones at each of the three constructions. Pilgrims finally return to Makkah for final prayers. Before leaving town, it is customary to circumambulate the Kaaba.

The Hajj is the life-experience of a pilgrim. The first important act of the Haji is to answer both individually and collectively, Allah's call:

"Labbayk Allahumma Labbayilc Labbay'ka L-aa Sharika Laka Labbayik. Innal Hamda Wan Ne'mata Laka Wal Mulk Laa Sharika Lak" (Here I am 0 Allah, here I am. There is none who is Your associate. All praise and blessings belong to You. You are the Sovereign. There is none associated with You.)

The second and highly symbolic act of the pilgrim is his or her complete isolation from all worldly concerns as he or she enters into the state of Ihram. The sacrifice of the security and comfort of one's home and family for the sake of Islam is symbolized in the hijrah, the migration of the Prophet and his Makkan companions to Madinah. The Hajj is an ever-recurring hijrah to Allah (SWT) in answer to His call.

Beyond all this symbolism, there is yet another significance of the Hajj. The days of the pilgrimage witness the largest gatherings of human beings from all around the world. No religious rite has done more to unite the Muslims than the pilgrimage. Here, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims meet and are able to exchange ideas and experiences. The days of Hajj represent a way of reaffirming one's commitment and sense of belonging, an opportunity to renew one's faith amidst the largest gathering of Muslims. Participation in the Hajj thus becomes a way of sharing in the founding experiences of the Ummah- It is a supreme act of worship.