HAJJ AND ITS SPIRITUAL RELEVANCE FOR MUSLIM UMMAH

BY:GAFAR ALABI

  

Hajj is pilgrimage to Islamic holy sites in and around Mecca,a city in Saudi Arabia.it is one of the fundamental and the fifth pillars in Islam. It is an obligation and annual spiritual experience  undertaken by Muslims at least once in their lifetime to express their Faith and show servitude towards Allah.it is believed that Muslims who are fit and financially buoyant usually undertake the journey.

The pilgrimage occurs annually in the Islamic month of Dhul-hija.In the Qur'an, suratul Imran, chapter 3 vs 97 says, Pilgrimage to the House is a duty to God for all who can make the journey. But as for those who refuse,God is independent of the world. Prophet Muhammad also attested to this in hadith which narrated by Abu Hurayrah said, " Whoever performs Hajj for Allah's  pleasure and does not do evil or sins then he will  return as if he were born a new".

There are activities  lined up for pilgrims  across the world in Saudi Arabia both in Mecca and Medinah for those who are opportuned to be there. It is a must to know Hajj rites in detail which follow the actions of prophet Muhammad(S.A.W) incorporated 1,377 years ago.There are statutory rites as outlined by Hajjis and scholars and they are  listed to include activities in kaaba such as; Circulating the kaaba seven times,Praying all day on mount Arafat, staying overnight in muzdalifah, stoning of the devil,running 7 times between Al-safa and Al- marwa,performing stoning of the devil up to three days in Muna as well as   the farewell Tawaf in counter clock wise direction.

After completing this ritual,pilgrims return to Mecca and perform the final Tawaaf of kaaba as a 'farewell Tawaf' in masjid al-Haram, which marks the end of Hajj.Many pilgrims also visit Medinah before returning to their home-town. However, it's  not obligatory for every pilgrims to do so.Any Muslim who observed the other pillar of Islam must participate in the last pillar which is visiting the holy land of Mecca and Medinah.

According to a researcher, Mecca and Medinah have some differences and why both cities are so important to Muslims,Mecca is blessed with  Hajj and Umrah, the kaaba, black stone  and prayers at the Haram mosque having the rewards of 100,000, while the Medinah on the other hand (425km away) has three important mosques such as; Al-Nabawi, (rewards of 500 prayers ),Al-Quba (1st mosque in islam) and Al-Qiblatayn (two qiblas) and where pilgrims get close to graves of prophet Muhammad(S.A.W.),his family and companions, the sahaba.

Every year, up to 15 million Muslim Pilgrims have the great honour of performing Hajj or Umrah and visiting the two cities where prophet Muhammad(S.A.W)himself was born(570 C.E), raised, where he received the quranic revelations established Islam and finally passed away (632 CE)1,400 years ago. In addition to the wonderful facilities both cities offer to assist in the fulfillment of Islamic rites and duties, they also contain an array of religious and historical  sites that help Muslim Pilgrims increase and strengthen their religious faith (iman). Any Muslim performing  hajj, must visit Medinah as well, according to a scholar, a visit to Mecca is like visiting Al- jannat(paradise),and if anybody should die  there he or she  automatically become a child of Al-jannat.Pilgrims must put on the white clothes and shave their hair immediately when they leave mount arafah.

The kaaba is believed by Muslims to have been rebuilt several times throughout history, most famously by Ibrahim and his son, Ismail, when he returned to the valley of Mecca several years after leaving his wife Hajarah and Ismail there upon Allah's command . The cube shaped structure is roughly 50 feet(15 metres) high, and it is about 35 by 40 feet(10 by 14 metres) at its base .Constructed of gray stone and marble,it is oriented so that its corner roughly correspond to the points of the compass.The interior contains nothing but the three pillars supporting the roof and a number of suspended silver and gold lamps.

During most of the year, the kaaba is covered with enormous cloth of black brocade called  the kismah.

And at the  eastern corner of the kaaba is the black stone of Mecca, whose  broken pieces are surrounded by a ring of stone and hold together by a heavy silver band.

Every Muslim who makes it to the holy land must  walk around the kaaba seven times,during which he or she kisses and touches the black stone.When the month of pilgrimages( Dhul-Hijja)is over, a ceremonial washing of the kaaba takes place;religious officials as well as pilgrimage take part. There is no actual date to spend in Mecca although, Qur'an indicated it that the rites is just 5 day.

However, when we are talking of Arafah, it is an historic site in islam, situated on a plain  land around 20km south east of the holy city of Mecca. The mount itself is a granite hill, 230ft tall and also known as the 'mount of mercy'or jabal al- Rahman.It is where the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.)gave his farewell  sermon to the fellow Muslims who had accompanied him on the Hajj pilgrimage.

During the second day of hajj rituals, all pilgrims will gather at the mount Arafat. On the plain of Arafah, from dawn until sunset, they will stand in sincere devotion,praying and seeking the face of Allah for mercy.This supplication must be completely sincere to invoke  Allah's forgiveness.

Many pilgrims usually  shed tears as they recite prayers and offer up heartfelt duas. Pilgrims are in a state of ihram (purity)and their identical white clothing puts them on  equal footing before Allah. As a matter of fact,Arafah is the day that Islam was perfected as a religion,it's a day that Allah swore that he will look  down on the millions of Hajj pilgrims on mount Arafah and offer them divine forgiveness. Climbing mount Arafah is also the time when millions of Muslims from all over the world will fast so as to be cleansed from all their sins of the both previous and coming years.Fasting on the day of Arafah is so powerful as it expiates the sins from the past and even the coming year,"

Some of the measures the present administration, under Governor Dapo Abiodun in Ogun State had put in place at ensuring the well-being state pilgrims, include the 

cordial relationship the state had with Saudi embassy in Nigeria which is aimed  at promoting the safety and security of pilgrims during the exercise in holy land. It also engaged the best airline to ensure comfort and memorable journey to holy land ,while Government's sensitization programme has helped in educating them on the evil of absconding and the ocassion has served as a good avenue  to urge them to comport themselves in orderly manner as good ambassador of the nation . Moreso, with the state support, the State Muslim  Pilgrims Board had been  noted as one of the best in Nigeria due to it great welfare package being enjoyed by the State pilgrims. This great feat had attracted intending pilgrims from other states such as ; Lagos, Oyo, Osun, ondo among others as state pilgrimage programme of the State is being  reloaded to attract more pilgrims to benefiting from  hajj exercise.