Significance of Hajj ( The Holy Pilgrimage of Muslims): Pilgrimage to a holy site is a core principle of almost all faiths. The Kaaba, meaning cube in Arabic, is a square building, elegantly draped in a silk and cotton veil. Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, it is the holiest shrine in Islam. In Islam, Muslims pray five times a day and after 624 C.E., these prayers were directed towards Mecca and the Kaaba; this direction (or qibla in Arabic), is marked in all mosques and enables the faithful to know in what direction they should pray. The Qur‘an established the direction of prayer. All Muslims aspire to undertake the hajj, or the annual pilgrimage, to the Kaaba once in their life if they are able. Prayer five times a day and the hajj are two of the five pillars of Islam, the most fundamental principles of the faith. Hajj, attended by millions of pilgrims each year, is the fifth and final pillar of Islam. It takes place in the month of Dhul Hijjah which is the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The pilgrimage is obligatory for all Muslims at least once in their lifetime if they are able: “The first is that you must be physically able and the second is that you must be financially able.” Muslims believe that Prophet Ibrahim or Abraham, and his son, Ismail, constructed the Kaaba. The Black Stone kept in the corner of Kaaba is believed to be given to Ibrahim by the angel Gabriel. During the religious event, those Muslims who make the journey are required to spend five days in the desert surrounding the city of Makkah in modern-day Saudi Arabia. They travel between specified points to perform rites laid down in Islam’s holy book, the Quran. These rites commemorate the life of Prophet Ibrahim, or Abraham, who built Islam’s most revered structure, the Ka’aba, with his son Ismail. The story of the great sacrifice is mentioned in the Holy Quran that prophet Ibrahim was ordered by God to sacrifice his son. As the prophet was about to do so, God stopped him and sent an animal to be slaughtered instead. Prophet Ibrahim was dedicated in his relationship with Almighty Allah as was his son Ismail and they were willing to make the greatest sacrifice necessary. Of special significance is the story commemorated by the celebration of Eid-al-Ahda, which marks the end of Hajj. Thats why Muslims sacrifice an animal during Hajj referred to the obligatory slaughter of an animal ( cow, goat, sheep, camel which is halal for its usefulness for mankind) on the 10th of Dhul Hijja.The meat must be distributed among the needy; this sense of humanity and solidarity with all sections of society is a crucial lesson of the pilgrimage. On the other hand, “today we’ve become very comfortable and unwilling to even slightly inconvenience ourselves for the sake of our relationship with [God] and in the struggle for spirituality,” that is why performing Hajj is so important. Hajj, if performed properly with a good intention, is like a shower, it washes the dirt off.Hajj recharges one to repent for sin and be purified. That is why it is significant, it teaches a person patience. It also gives a person the change to be absolved of his sins, to restart life said in the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad. In Hajj all the men are dressed in two pieces of white cloth and the idea is that one should not be able to tell a prince from a pauper.It provides with a universalist view of mankind. Prophet Muhammad said on his last Hajj before his death: As God has made you one community, so be not divided.An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab.Nor is a white man to be preferred to a black man, nor a black man to a white man. youtube/watch?v=vVc7o9fZbFg
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 06:12:35 +0000
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