The Story of Hajj

The Story of Hajj starts with an overture concerning Prophet Ibrahim or Abraham (PBUH)

ABRAHAM

Abraham is a shape pleased by Muslims, Jews, and Christians alike as a good person who lived over four thousand years ago. His account can be found in the Bible as well as the Qur'an (the Muslim holy book). Abraham is careful to be the patriach of monotheism, or "belief in the One God," who wanted a individual bond with his inventor. He left his national city of Ur in Mesopotamia after voicing resistance to his people's polytheistic practices, and finally settled in Egypt with his family. Later, he escorted one of his wives, Hajara, and their infant son Ismail, to a desolate valley in Arabia and left them there, trusting in God's undertake to be concerned for them.

Hajara, concerned about feeding her young baby, began searching the surroundings for food and water. According the Qur'an, in response to Hajara's prayers, a spring amazingly gushed forth at Isma'il's feet to satisfy their thirst. Hajara climbed nearby hills searching for food and looking for caravans on the horizon. Eventually, some temporary traders stopped in the valley, and asked Hajara's authorization to water their camels. In time, the traders decided to settle in the little valley, and eventually the settlement grew into the city of Makkah. Abraham returned from time to time to visit, and when Isma'il was about thirteen years old, he and Isma'il constructed the Katbah, an empty cube-shaped structure, as a place committed for the worship of the One God. Ultimately, Makkah became an important trading post by the time of Prophet Muhammad, twenty- five hundred years later.

THE HAJJ

In memorial of the trials of Abraham and his family in Makkah, which integrated Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son in response to God's command, Muslims make a pilgrimage to the holy city at least one time in their life. The Hajj is one of the important pillar from the "five pillars" of Islam, and thus an essential part of Muslims' faith and practice.

Muslims from all over the world, including the United States, take a trip to Makkah (in current- day Saudi Arabia). Before incoming in the holy city, Muslims enter a state of consecration (dedication) known as Ihram, by removing their knowing dothes and donning the retiring attire of pilgrims two flawless white sheets for men, and trouble-free white dresses and scarves for women. The white garments are symbolic of human equality and harmony before God, since all the pilgrims are wearing clothes similarly. Money and position no longer are a factor for the pilgrims - the correspondence of each person in the eyes of God becomes supreme.

Upon arriving in Makkah, pilgrims perform the initial tawaf, which is a circular, counter- clockwise procession around the Ka'bah. All the while, they affirm "Labbayka Allahumma Labbayk," which means "Here I am at your tune, O God, Here I am!" The tawaf is meant to wake up each Muslim's awareness that God is the middle of their truth and the basis of all                 sense in life, and that each person's senior self-identity derives from being part of the group of people of Muslim believers, recognized as the ummah. Pilgrims also perform the sa'i, which is quickening seven times between the small hills named Safa and Marwah, reenacting the Biblical and Qurtanic story of Hajar's desperate search for lifegiving water and food.

Next, on the first authorized day of Hajj (8th of Dhul-Hijjah), the two million pilgrims travel a few miles to the plain of Mina and camp there. From Mina, pilgrims travel the following morning to the plain of Arafat where they expend the entire day in serious prayer and commitment. That evening, the pilgrims move and camp at Muzdalifa, which is a place between Mina and Arafat. Muslims stay all night and offer various prayers there.

Then the pilgrims return to Mina on the 10th, and throw seven pebbles at a stone pillar that represents the devil. This symbolizes Abraham's throwing stones at Satan when he tried to discourage Abraham from sacrificing his son. Then the pilgrims sacrifice a sheep, reenacting the story of Abraham,who, in place of his son, sacrificed a sheep that God had provided as a alternate. The meat from the slaughtered sheep is spread for utilization to family, friends, and poor and needy people in the community. After the sacrifice, the pilgrims return to Makkah to finish the proper rites of Hajj by performing a last tawaf and sa'i.

Muslims believe the rites of the Hajj were planned by God and taught through prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Muslims suppose that since the time of Adam, there have been thousands of prophets, including such well-known information as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and David, and that Muhammad (PBUH) was the last prophet of God.

The Hajj is designed to develop God consciousness and a sense of spiritual upliftment. It is also believed to be an opportunity to look for pardon of sins accumulated thoughout life. Prophet Muhammad had said that a person who performs Hajj properly "will return as a recently born baby [free of all sins]." The pilgrimage also enables Muslims from all around the earth of different colors, languages, races, and ethnicities, to come together in a spirit of universal brotherhood and sisterhood to worship the One God together. Get 5 star hajjpackages now.