Hajj
Quoted
from the late Professor. Ali Shariati's Book "Hajj":
What has
the experience of Hajj taught me? First one must ask - what does Hajj mean?
In essence, Hajj is man's evolution toward Allah. It is a
symbolic demonstration of the philosophy of Creation of Adam. To further
illustrate this, it may be stated that the performance of Hajj is a
simultaneous show
of many things; it is a "show of creation", a "show of
history", a "show of unity", a "show of the Islamic
ideology" and a show of the Ummah.
The following conditions prevail in this "show". Allah (God) is the
stage manager. The theme portrayed is the actions of the people involved.
Adam,
Ibrahim, Hajar, and Satan are the main characters. The scenes are Masjid-ul
Haram, the Haram area, Masa, Arafat, Mashars and Mina. Important symbols
are the Kaaba, Safa, Marwa, day, night, sunshine, sunset, idols and ritual of
sacrifice. The clothing and make up are Ihram, Halgh and Taqseer. Lastly,
the player of the roles in this "show" is only one; and that is
YOU!
Regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, young or old, black or white,
you are the main feature of the performance. The role of Adam, Ibrahim and
Hajar in the confrontation between "Allah and Satan" is played by
you. As a result, you, individually, are the hero of the "show".
Annually, Muslims from all over the world are encouraged to participate in
this great "show" (Hajj). Everyone is considered equal. No discrimination
on the basis of race, sex, or social status is made. In accordance to the
teachings of Islam, ALL ARE ONE AND ONE IS ALL.
The one who restores somebody's life, has restored the life of all and the
one who kills one, has killed all. Yet the enemies of Islam continue to
deliberately wage a campaign against Islam. They attack it by denying that
Islam recognizes the human being as an individual endowed with special rights
and values. In terms of the concept of Hajj, it is relegated to the status of
a duty which has very little significance. As Imam Ali, the son of Kaaba
says:
As if Islam is a lamb fur-coat' that is put on inside out. What have I
personally learned from Hajj-me being so "little" and Hajj being so
"great" in meaning? How far and what could I see from this
experience? The following pages are the product of my humble efforts to
answer these questions. My purpose is not to inform the reader what must be
done during Hajj. This can be attained by referring to the book of rituals.
Instead, I want to share with you my perceptions of the significance of Hajj.
They should help you to understand why it is incumbent upon Muslims to
perform this duty, or at least motivate you to think about Hajj.
Rejecting an Empty Philosophy Life today (not life as it should be carried
on) is an idle cyclical action a movement with no goal! A meaningless
pendular action starts with the day only to end at night and night starts
only to disappear at dawn. In the mean time, man is busy watching the play of
these black and white "rats" who chew the strings of our life until
we die.
Life (as we live it) is like a theater. Man watches these aimless nights and
days. Indeed, what foolish play is conducted! When you are in need, you hope
and struggle to overcome your needs. Yet once you achieve this, you view your
past efforts humorously. What a senseless philosophy to live by! Living on a
day to day basis, the person lacks direction. His aim is only to live. What
exists is a dead spirit in a living body. However, the Hajj experience alters
this unhealthy condition! Once you decide to perform Hajj and take the
necessary steps, you are on the road to the actualization of Hajj. Before
going to Hajj you reside in your home calm and reposed. Upon entering the
state of mind for Hajj, you arise and move away from your routine
environment.
Hajj is the antithesis of aimlessness. It is the rebellion against a damned
fate guided by evil forces. The fulfillment of Hajj will enable you to escape
from the complex network of puzzles. This revolutionary act will reveal to
you the clear horizon and free way to migration to eternity toward the
Almighty Allah. Depart from your home. and visit "Allah's house",
or the "house of the people"! You, whoever you are, you are a man,
Adam's son, and a representative of Allah on earth! You are a relative of
Allah, Allah's trustee, His master of nature and a student of God. Allah
taught you the names. He made you from His spirit and endowed you with
special qualities. You were praised by Him; His angels even prostrated to
you. This earth and everything in it was made available to man. God became
your "home mate", with you at all times and watching all of your
actions. Are you living up to His expectation?
Prophet (PBUH): Allah is in the hearts of the believers
Quran XXIX:3
Thus Allah knoweth those who are sincere, and knoweth those who feign
Quran LVII: 25
And that Allah may know him who helpeth Him and His messenger, though unseen.
Quran XVII: 7
LO! We have placed all that is in the earth as an ornament thereof that we
may try them: which of them is best in conduct.
Quran LXVII: 2
Who hath created life and death that He may try you, which of you is best in
conduct; and he is the Mighty, the Forgiving, With the passage of time and
the influence of various forces of the social system which disregard human
rights and duties, your character has been changed. The vicissitudes of life
have affected you to the degree that you became alienated and neglectful.
Originally, with Allah's spirit in your heart, you were supposed to shoulder
the responsibility of being Allah's trustee on earth. You were granted time
as a means for fulfilling this task but you failed because the gift was used
carelessly!
Quran CIII: 2-3
By the declining day, LO! man is in a state of loss, This is what is called
life! But realistically speaking what has been accomplished? What
constructive contributions have you made? What have you gained? So many
precious years have been lost, yet who are you? Oh trustee and vicegerent of
Allah on earth, you have turned to money, sex, greed, aggression, and
dishonesty. You have regressed to the inferior status that you occupied
before almighty Allah blew His spirit into you. Where is the spirit of Allah
now? Oh man, rise out of this decadent situation! Divorce yourself from this
gradual death. Leave your surroundings and go to the pure land. There you may
face Almighty Allah under the inspiring sky of Mashar. The estrangement which
you have experienced will be overcome. At last, you will find yourself!
Reaching towards Allah
Hajj occurs during the highly respected month of Zul-Hijjah'. The land of
Makkah (Mecca) is tranquil and peaceful. Instead of fear, hatred, and war,
the desert is characterized by security and peace. An atmosphere for worship
where people are free to face Almighty God is prevalent.
Do you not hear Ibrahim's command:
Quran XXII: 27
And call upon the people for Hajj. They will come to you on their bare feet
or riding any weak camel and they come to you from every far desert. You, oh
Mud, search for and follow the spirit of Allah! Accept his invitation; leave
your home in order to "see" Him. He is waiting for You! Human
existence is frivolous unless one's aim is to approach the spirit of Allah.
Separate yourself from all those needs and greeds which distract you from
Allah. Therefore, join the eternal human migration to Hajj. "See"
Almighty Allah!
Before departing to perform Hajj, all of your debts should be paid. Your
hates and angers toward relatives or friends must disappear. A will must be
drawn. All of these gestures are an exercise in the preparation for death
(which will overtake everyone some day). These acts guarantee your personal
and financial clearance. The last moments of farewell and the future of man
are symbolized. Now you are free to join eternity. On the day of
resurrection, when "you can do nothing" in Allah's court, where
"your eyes, ears, and heart are the best witnesses of what you have
done,"
Quran XVII: 36
You and every organ of your body are responsible for your deeds. While you
are in this "house of correction" get ready for the "house of
justice". Exercise death before you die-go to Hajj! Hajj represents your
return to Allah, the absolute, who has no limitations and none is like Him.
To return to Him signifies a definite movement toward perfection, goodness,
beauty, power knowledge, value, and facts. On your way toward the eternal,
you will NEVER approach Allah. He is to guide you in the right direction and
not to be your destination! Islam is different from Sufism. A Sufi lives
"in the name of Allah", and dies "for the sake of Allah".
But, a Muslim strives to approach Almighty God To Allah we belong and to Him
is our return.
Quran II:156 & XLII:53
All affairs tend toward Allah. Our goal is not to "perish",
but to "bloom". This is done not "for Allah" but rather
to bring us "toward Him". Allah is not so far away from you;
therefore, try to reach Him! Allah is closer to you than yourself!
Quran L:16
We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. On the other hand, everyone
beside Allah is too far to be reached! Oh man, all the angels prostrated to
you; yet, through the passage of time and societal influence you have changed
greatly. You have not abided by your promise to worship none but Almighty
Allah. Instead, you have become a slave to idols, some of which are man-made.
Quran LIV: 54
In an assembly of truth, in the presence of a sovereign omnipotent. Your
nature is characterized by loyalty to other individuals, self devotion,
cruelty, ignorance, a lack of direction, fearfulness, and greediness! This
life has caused you to acquire animalistic traits. Now you are like a
"wolf", "fox", "rat", or "sheep". Oh
man, return to your origin. Go to Hajj and visit your best friend who created
you as the best creature. He is waiting to see you! Leave the palaces of
power, the treasures of wealth and the misleading temples. Dismember yourself
from the flock of those animals whose shepherd is the wolf. Join the flock at
Miad who is going to see the house of Allah or the house of the people.
Entering Miqat and
becoming One
The show begins at Miqat. At this point, the actor (mankind) must change his
clothes. Why? Because one's attire covers the person as well as his
character. In other words, an individual doesn't wear clothes, but rather,
the clothes cover him! Clothes symbolize, pattern, preference, status, and
distinction. They create
superficial "borders" which cause "separation" between
people. In most cases, "separation" between people, gives birth to
"discrimination". Furthermore the concept of "I" not
"we" emerges! "I" is used in the context of my race, my
class, my clan, my group, my position, my family, my values, and not
"I" as a human being. So many "borders" have been created
in our lives. The descendants of Cain, the executioners and the cruel split
Adam's family and mankind's unity
into many parts and factions. What resulted were the following relationships:
master and servant, oppressor and oppressed, colonialist and
colonialized, exploiter and exploited, strong and weak, rich and poor,
nourished and malnourished, honored and dishonored, happy and unhappy, noble
persons and lay persons, civilized and uncivilized, Eastern and Western, Arab
and Ajam and etc. Humanity is divided into races, nations, classes, subclasses,
groups, and families. Each one has its own distinct status and values, names
and honors. And-for what? All this just to show "ones-self-but under so
much "make-up"!
Now take off your clothes. Leave them at Miqat. Wear the Kafan which consists
of plain white material. You will be dressed like everyone else. See the
uniformity appear! Be a particle and join the mass; as a drop, enter the
ocean. Don't be proud, you are not here to see somebody, but be humble. You
will be seeing Allah. Be the one who realizes his mortality or a mortal who
feels his existence.
At Miqat, regardless of your race or tribe, you must doff all the covers you
wore in your daily life as:
- a wolf (symbolizing fierceness and oppression),
- a rat (symbolizing slyness),
- a fox (symbolizing craftiness),
- or a sheep (symbolizing slavery).
Leave all these in Miqat and assume your original shape as a "man"
- just one "Adam" as you will be at the end, as one
"dead"! Wrap yourself in two pieces of cloth. One covers your
shoulders and the other goes around your waist. No special style or material
is used. It is made of very plain and simple fabric. Everyone is wearing the
same outfit (Ihram). No distinctions in appearance are visible. The caravans
from all over the world which are traveling to Hajj will congregate at Miqat.
They will meet at the same time and at the same place! On his way to Allah,
man is not just "to be" but he is "to become" what he
should be!
Quran XXIV:42
And unto Allah is the journeying. How wonderful! Everything is moving -
evolution, death and life, life and death, contradiction, change, and
direction.
Quran XXVIII:88
Everything will perish save His countenance. And Allah is the
"absolute" - being, perfect, and eternal!
Quran LV:29
Everyday He exerciseth (universal) power. Hajj is also a movement. Man
decides to return toward Allah. All of his egos and selfish tendencies are
buried at Miqat (Zu-halifa). He witnesses his own dead body and visits his
own grave. Man is reminded of the final goal of his life. He experiences
death at Miqat and resurrection after which he must continue his mission in
the desert between Miqat and Miad. The scene is like the day of judgment.
From one horizon to the other, a "flood of whites" appears. All the
people are wearing the Kafan. No one can be recognized. The bodies were left
in Miqat and the souls are motivated here. Names, races, nor social status
make a difference in this great combination. An atmosphere of genuine unity
prevails. It is a human show of Allah's unity.
Fear and pleasure, excitement and charm, perplexity and rapture all appear as
minute particles in a magnetic field. Allah is in its center (qibla')! Only
man shows himself. He is situated in one direction which is toward Allah. In
this desert all the nations and groups merge into one tribe. They face one
Kaaba. Once you remove your clothes and all the signs which distinguish
"you" as An individual, you may enter into the heart of the crowd.
In the state of Ihram', try to forget the things that remind you of your life.
Everyone "melts" himself and assumes a new form as a
"mankind". The egos and individual traits are buried. The group
becomes a "people" or an "Umma". All the l's have died in
Miqat; what has evolved is "We". By the time you leave Mina you
should have integrated into the Umma. This is what Ibrahim did. You are also
supposed to act like Ibrahim.
Quran XVI: 120
Lo Abraham was a nation obedient to Allah, by nature upright, and he was not
of the idolaters. At last, one is all and all is one! Everyone is equal. The
society of
polytheism is converted into one of monotheism or Tawhid. This is the Umma or
the society which is onto the right path. It should be a society which is
perfect, active and led by Islamic leadership (Imamat). Everyone performing
Hajj has turned away from himself to face Allah. He has been endowed with the
spirit of Allah. You have gone from an exile to the hereafter. You have been
exposed to the absolute facts. You have overcome ignorance and oppression and
have been enlightened by consciousness and justice. You have rejected
polytheism and adopted monotheism.
Previous to the performance of Hajj, the people neglected their human
quality. They were alienated by power, wealth, family, land, and race. Their
life was only in the context of mere "existence". Finally, the
experience of Hajj allowed them to achieve self-discovery. Now they perceived
each other collectively as "one", and individually as a
"man" NOTHING ELSE!
Declaring your
Intention
NIYAT
Before entering Miqat, which is the beginning of a great change and
revolution, you must declare your intention. What does this encompass? It is
the intention of a "transferral" from your house to the house of
people, from life to love, from the self to Allah, from slavery to freedom, from
racial discrimination to equality, sincerity and truth, from being clothed to
being naked, from a daily life to an eternal life and from selfishness and
aimlessness to devotion and responsibility. In summary, it is a transferral
into the state of "Ihram" . Therefore, your intention must be
strongly asserted. You will grow out of your "shell" as do the
seeds of dates. Being extremely conscious, you must have faith in your heart.
Enlighten your heart with the flame of love; "shine" and
"shine". Forget all about yourself! In the past, your life was
characterized by "negligence" and "ignorance" You were
helpless in all aspects of existence. Even in the realm of your job, you
became a slave, working either as a habit or by force! Now, shed this pattern
of life! Become genuinely "conscious" of Almighty Allah, the people
and yourself!
Choose a new job, a new direction and a new "self"!
Praying in Miqat
When at Miqat and ready to start the Hajj, you are aware of what must be done
and why. In the Ihram attire you will perform the prayer of Ihram, presenting
yourself to the Almighty Allah. Say - Oh Allah, I No More worship the idols,
and No More am I the slave of Nimrod'. Oh Allah, I am standing in front of
you with the gesture of Ibrahim not as an oppressor (wolf), not as a cheater
(fox), not as a hoarder (rat). Nay, I face you as a "man" wearing
the same clothes that I will wear when I see you in the hereafter. This means
that you willingly and consciously want to obey Allah and become His slave.
You will rebel against anyone and anything beside Allah. Your readiness to
exercise necessary duties is expressed. Such a position is not different from
the regular prayer, but at this time it is like a more intimate talk to
Allah. It is as if Allah's presence can be felt.
Say: Oh the most gracious and the most merciful, whose glory and mercy go
beyond the limits of friends and enemies, the righteous and the sinful, the
believers and non-believers ... Oh Allah, I worship you since you are the
only one who deserves to be worshipped. I choose no master, but you, the
master and owner of the day of judgment". Quran I:2-4., Quran I:5
Thee (alone) we worship; thee (alone) we ask for help. Oh our only love, Oh
our only help! See how we are lost by our ignorance! See how we are misled by
the oppressors! See how we are limited by our weakness!
Quran I:6
Show us the Straight Path - the path of truth, consciousness, fact, beauty,
perfection, love, and goodness.
Quran I:7
To
be continued...