Pilgrimage to Mecca, if affordable

Hajj — Islam’s call for universal brotherhood

Islam is built on faith that is confirmed with deeds. There are five articles of faith — namely, belief in Allah, his angels, his holy books, his holy messengers and the Day of Judgment.

There are five actions that justify a Muslim’s faith and, in turn, strengthen it. These are called the pillars of Islam and are likened to the streams that irrigate the garden of faith. These are to bear witness that God is one and that Muhammad is his messenger; to worship Allah five times a day, in congregation, if possible; to observe fasting during the month of Ramadan, if in health and not on a journey; to give alms and charity to take care of the poor and the downtrodden out of what Allah has provided; to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca for Hajj once in a lifetime, if one can afford it and there is security on the way.

Hajj represents the climax of a Muslim’s love for God. The rituals remind the pilgrim of the utmost sacrifices offered by Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael that only a true and devout lover could offer. Arabs had been celebrating Hajj for two millennia before Islam.

The House of God (Kaaba) at Mecca was rebuilt by Abraham and Ishmael on the old foundation that remained in a barren valley in the wilderness of Paran in Arabia. Here, Abraham had left Hagar and the baby Ishmael at the behest of Sarah — his cousin and first wife — and following the command of God. Abraham was a very softhearted and caring person — the Quran describes him as the most tender-hearted and forbearing. But Abraham followed God’s command because of his immense love for the Lord and left them there as though to allow their certain death.

More than 2 million devotees circuit the first House of God — built for humanity to offer peace and security to all — while wrapped in two unassuming unstitched white sheets and chanting, “I am here, O Lord, I am here.” It’s a powerful experience that melts the soul to the core. The sight represents the Day of Judgment, when everyone — black or white, Asian or European, rich or poor, man or woman — is concerned with his own shortcomings and weaknesses, beseeching the grace and mercy of the Lord to cleanse their souls of any blot of sin, so they can enter the paradise of his pleasure. They pray there while remembering the station of Abraham with God, asking his nearness and acceptance.

According to the Arab and Islamic traditions, when Ishmael was dying of thirst after Hagar had exhausted all provisions Abraham had given her, she ran back and forth seven times between the hills of Safa (meaning, purity) and Marwa (meaning, kindness) looking for someone who would give them water. An angel suddenly appeared to her and pointed to the fountain that had miraculously appeared near Ishmael. That wellspring — called Zamzam — became a source of provision for them and still continues to flow to date, reminding the believers of the power of love and the overwhelming grace of God Almighty. The pilgrims follow the footsteps of Hagar, running between the two hills seven times looking for the water that will satiate their souls’ thirst for the love of their Lord. They then drink from the Zamzam fountain, remembering how God provided for Ishmael the life-giving water and saved him from certain death. Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be on him.) is a descendant of Abraham through his firstborn, Ishmael.

The Hajj pilgrimage takes five days. The second day is celebrated as the Day of Arafa — meaning gnosis, the realization of the hidden secrets of the soul. The pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat — a few kilometers from the Holy Kaaba — where they pray all day and all night repeating the same chant, “I am here, O Lord, I am here.” They are overwhelmed by the memory of that solemn day 1,400 years ago when Prophet Muhammad stood among 100,000 of his followers giving his famous “Farewell Sermon,” his last will and testament, which comprised the essence of his teachings to mankind. His words — a beacon of hope for humanity, yesterday, today, and tomorrow — are worth writing in gold as the message being transmitted was universal and forever true.

On the third day of Hajj, the pilgrims circuit the Kaaba and then go to Mina where they sacrifice an animal in memory of the incident in which Abraham was about to sacrifice his only son, Ishmael, to fulfill his vision. But God Almighty intervened and directed Abraham to sacrifice an animal in his stead. God said to him, “O Abraham, you had already fulfilled that vision — by leaving Ishmael to die in the stark desert 12 years before at my command.” Because of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice everything for the love of God, the Lord gave him the glad tiding of another son, Isaac, who would be the father of many prophets of God to the chosen people of Israel.

On the third day, the pilgrims throw small pebbles at three pillars, representing their rejection of the satanic insinuations of the self as well as the trials and tribulations from without that incite a person to evil and a life of sin. The pilgrim at this point gets his head shaven as a symbol of his desire to shed his pride and the love of this world. He could change into regular clothes at this point.

The rituals of the third day are repeated on the fourth and the fifth days of Hajj. This is followed by a final farewell circuit of the Kaaba before departure from Mecca.

It is hoped and prayed that the pilgrims (Hajji) live the rest of their lives in austerity, unblemished by the luster of this world, dedicated to serving God and his creatures with all their abilities.