Amongst the Five Pillars of Islam, there lies an obligation that is usually postponed, admired from afar, or seen as a “one day” experience to be checked off the bucket list. This could stem from the costly nature of the trip, the physical demands of the rituals, or the idea that it is an eraser to a lifetime of sins and ignorance of religion. Or it could be the widespread misinterpretation to the aya in surat Ali 'Imran:
( وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً )
(Pilgrimage to this House is an obligation by Allah upon whoever is able among the people.)
The interpretation of one’s ability here is usually monetary, framing hajj as an “obligation” that is put off until careers, responsibilities, ambitions, and the endless distractions of dunya are fulfilled. What most of us are unaware of is the fact that Hajj was never meant to simply conclude a believer’s journey beautifully, but to teach them how to truly begin- setting our foot on the right path to walk more consciously towards Allah.
The book Toufan Muhammad “The flood of Muhammad” by Ahmed Khairy Al-Omari shook all the notions I had foolishly formed merely by taking on those superficial takes on a pillar of transformation. How did we reduce the pillar that is meant to induce our awakening and correct our compass to an end-of-life mission that will erase our lifelong worth of sins and grant us entry to heaven. After embarking on the Hajj journey through the book, you will come to realize that it is the ultimate road to self discovery.
How many of us are chasing money, power, status or any other materialistic aim, and allowing it to define who we are? You see, when we allow those mundane standards to consume our life, in a way we fall into the trap of making it define our whole existence, and in a way we end up devoting our lives for it. Until the point when hajj comes and reveals to you humanity stripped from all the worldly distractions that have been inflicted on us; to reflect, to ponder, to worship, and to live off of what the body truly needs without being enslaved to desire. And how powerful is it that we get to destroy our internal idols at the same place Ibrahim (AS) demolished his nation’s idols. And maybe that’s why the entire pillar of hajj is a commemoration of his sacrifices, ordeals and unshakable faith.
Intention - Niyyah
Perhaps the concept of purifying our intention prior to any act of worship places a moral obligation on us to always question the core message behind each act and what the heart seeks out of it. The idea of an internal decision and a perception that determines the fate of your actions destroys our current attachment to external validation. Two people may perform the same rituals, walk the same paths, and utter the same prayers, while only one truly arrives spiritually.
Ihram
Now we all unite in our external demeanor and our conduct, the same uniform, prohibitions and destination. We don’t just enter the state of ihram from our own houses, but we step into it together in whatever means of travel we are taking, almost like we are entering another dimension. You are not on this road to transformation alone though, you are stepping in with millions of other muslims from all over the world, no matter what your race, wealth or status are. The clothes of ihram oddly resemble the kafan, the garment that wraps the deceased before burial. Maybe it is not that odd after all, maybe this is our chance to come to terms with the idea of mortality and the dunya being a mere mirage. No pockets because what would you even need to take with you, no brand logo because why would that even matter, and no accessories or cosmetic products because what would you need to mask here? You are here now, in the same status you were born in, and the same status you will leave this dunya eventually, because your external look is just the bearer of your precious soul, which you will get to face on this quest.
Tawaf
Perhaps the idea of rotating around a structure might seem bizarre to some people, but rotation isn’t so foreign to the creation. From the orbiting of celestial bodies to the microscopic movement of atoms, creation appears to move in cycles, rotations, and orbits. In fact during tawaf, you are circling around the kaaba in the same exact direction as those creations, counter-clockwise! While nearly every creation doesn’t have the luxury to choose their direction or halt their movement, we are given the freedom of decision-making. Whether you make your life circle around yourself, your desires or your creator is completely up to you. Here though, you are reminded that there is always an orbit for you that is guaranteed to be the most rewarding.
Sai’i
The story of the ritual of sai’i holds a tremendous amount of lessons for us. When Ibrahim (AS) left Hajjar (AS) with her newborn in the desert all by themselves, she didn’t even question his decision; she knew that if Allah (SWT) put us in a situation, even if we don’t see a way out of it, Allah (SWT) will arrange our salvation in the most rewarding way. How could she see the good in being put in that test if it wasn’t for her utmost faith? But her faith didn’t halt her sai’i or effort, it gave her the drive to put in the work, knowing that Allah (SWT) would reward it eventually. She ran back and forth between Al-Safa and Al-Marwa mountains searching desperately for water to save her child, embodying one of the deepest lessons in Islam: reliance upon Allah does not eliminate effort. Hajar’s story transforms movement into meaning. What could have been seen as panic became worship, and what appeared hopeless became the source of Zamzam itself. In many ways, Sa’i teaches believers how to exist within uncertainty. We are taught to strive even when the outcome is invisible, to continue moving even when answers do not immediately appear before us.
Arafah
"الحجُّ عرفةُ"
“Hajj is Arafah”
This infamous saying by Muhammad (PBUH) is religiously used to emphasize the significance of Arafah, but why so? Arafah in Arabic means to know, while we mostly know how others perceive us, we often remain strangers to ourselves. On the mountain of Arafah, we are forced to confront ourselves, to truly examine who we are beneath our routines, ambitions, identities, and distractions. But how could we worship Allah (SWT) wholeheartedly if we can’t recognize Allah’s greatness, power, wisdom, and mercy. Perhaps this is why the Day of Arafah carries such immense spiritual weight: it is a day of recognition in every sense of the word.
Jamarat
The ritual of stoning Al-jamarat traces back to the moments when Shaytan attempted to discourage Ibrahim (AS) from obeying Allah’s command. Each stone became a rejection of a shortcoming, whether it is doubt, temptation, hesitation, or disobedience. Now that we came back from Arafah presumably more aware, conscious and hypervigilant, it’s time for us to start working on our new elevated self, it’s time for us to stone our own shaytans that are holding us back. For some, it may be arrogance. For others, laziness, addiction to comfort, endless distraction, insecurity, ego, validation, materialism, anger, or desires that slowly begin to control the heart. You don’t just recognize it in your mind, you are required to put in the work and show your efforts to shatter them.
Udh'hiya
The book introduces us to a whole new side of the ritual of sacrifice. The story of Ibrahim (AS) reaches its climax when Allah (SWT) commanded him to sacrifice what was most beloved to him, his son Ismaeel (AS). Yet, when Ibrahim (AS) demonstrated ultimate submission to Allah’s command, Ismail was eventually replaced with a ram, establishing a profound principle within Islam: human life is sacred. It reflects the dignity granted to human beings in Islam, and that we are beyond just blood and flesh. Our value has nothing to do with our bodies, but everything to do with our intellect, our morals, and most importantly our actions. Our bodies are merely means for us to execute Allah’s duties that were bestowed upon us. This in no way justifies us feeling superior to the other creatures, but it reminds us that unlike our fellow inhabitants of Allah’s universe, we will be held accountable for the massive obligation that we pridefully took on.
( إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا الْإِنسَانُ ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولًا)
الأحزاب - آية 72
Indeed we offered the moral responsibility to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it. But man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust (to himself) and ignorant (of its results).
Al-Ahzab - Aya 72
Every movement, every step, every sacrifice, even every silence encountered on the journey of Hajj carries an invitation to detach from the illusions we have built around ourselves and return to Allah more honestly. Pulling us away from our fast-paced, ever-changing lives, leaving behind everything we are foolishly attached to, stripping away all of our luxuries, uniting us with millions of people from all over the world, heading to one destination. Same appearance, same rituals, same location; but only the ones who come with true awareness of its essence and its purpose will walk away with the grand prize. The journey will eventually end, and you will go back to your pre-hajj life sooner than later, but the real test remains if the journey within you will also come to an end.