I performed three Hajj pilgrimages in my life. Unfortunately, I was too young for any of them to count as the fulfillment of my obligation. In this piece, I wanted to share the beauty and profoundness of this unique ritual.
On the surface, the journey of Hajj seems quite awkward. First, you must travel from whatever oasis you live in to one of the driest places on earth, nothing but sand and mountains and an unforgiving scorching sun. In the process, you must get rid of all of your luxuries and adornments by draping yourself with two pieces of white cloth, something that would only happen to you if you were kidnapped. Then, you must go to a large black cube made of rock in the middle of the desert and walk around it a few times. Once you’re done, you will identify two other small piles of rock and walk between them back and forth until your feet hurt. After that, you will sleep beneath the open sky amongst millions of strangers for a few nights, stand on a larger mountain of rock for the better part of a day, and then gather small rocks (pebbles) and throw them at larger rocks (jamrat) a few times over the course of the event. Finally, you will shave your head, slaughter a sheep or goat, and go back home.
At this point you are probably wondering if this magazine got hacked and some anti-islam blogger replaced my piece? No, not at all, it’s still me. The whole point of my previous description was to invite you to appreciate Hajj by looking under the surface of what it seems to be at first glance. In order for us to understand the essence and symbolism of this majestic pilgrimage, we have to lift the hood and take a look at the history behind it. When or if we do that, it becomes a life changing experience.
The first time I performed Hajj with my family, I didn’t realize the profoundness of the rituals so it made very little sense to my juvenile mind. Thankfully, at that age, just sleeping outside our house was enough to make me excited. By the time we performed our last Hajj as a family, my father had introduced me to a sheikh who took the time to explain to me what was really going on. Through those conversations, I began to see that there are three levels, or storylines if you will, of Hajj through which the pilgrimage can be taken and understood. You may enjoy all three if you are attentive and focused during your journey.
The first is the storyline of Adam and Eve (peace be upon them). Everything about Hajj takes us back to the beginning of mankind. We walk in the footsteps of our parents—living their fear, curiosity, regret, love, and hope. Arafah is where they knew what they needed to do after the initial sin, Muzdlaifah is where they bonded again, and Mina is where they rejected Satan and decided to work towards a better future together. They would build the first house of Allah, the Kaabah, and raise their family in the valley of Makkah.
The second storyline is that of Ibrahim and his family (peace be upon them). In Arafah, Ibrahim and Ismael (peace be upon them) knew what they had to do. They walked with Hajar as a family in Muzdalifah, rejected Satan in Mina, and performed the ultimate sacrifice right outside the boundaries of the sacred city. Ibrahim and Ismael (peace be upon them) would rebuild the Kaabah and revive tawheed in the region. Hajar had demonstrated true striving decades earlier between the two small mountains in an attempt to save the life of the young boy whom they would later set out to sacrifice.
The third storyline is that of our beloved prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and his nation (ummah). Every step in Hajj stands as a testament to the days of his early struggles in Makkah, and to his final pilgrimage at the end of his life, when he achieved the objective that he was sent for by Allah. Every square meter of the Hajj journey tells a tale—of how he and his companions carried the message and persevered until it reached its fruition. From the time he climbed upon Mount of Safa alone, to warn his people, to the time he returned to that same mountain 20 years later, followed by one hundred thousand of his nation. The Journey of Hajj is the journey of the Prophet’s life and story (peace be upon him).
Each storyline has its own unique flavour, and the more you realize who took this journey historically and the unity of their messages across the stretches of time– the more deeply you will experience the authenticity and connection of this pilgrimage. This is why I advise people to take the time to learn all about Hajj: to understand the stories it revives and the tales it tells. Its rituals are rich with symbolism, reflecting layers of spiritual elevation for those who pause to contemplate and understand.
Once you appreciate in whose footsteps you are walking, something beautiful will happen. At the Meeqat, where you leave your old life behind and enter into a different reality, governed by different rules, you will begin to create your own storyline: one that reflects the milestones, hardships, and temptations of your own personal journey in life. You will appreciate all of the experiences you have had and see them in the stories of those who came before you. You will acknowledge the oneness of the human race and the roots that tie us all together. Going back to where it all began allows us to reconnect with our Creator and give ourselves a chance to start over again. This is why it is obligatory only once in a lifetime.
May Allah – exalted He is– grant us the opportunity to perform Hajj and may He grant those who are performing the pilgrimage this year complete forgiveness and acceptance. Ameen.