Islam As It Is
The Five Pillars of Islam
~ 114 ~
Through the conditions created at the time of the
pilgrimage, people learn how they should live on
this earth with their fellow men. They receive a
practical exercise in tolerating the difficulties
created by others, which makes them realize both
the necessity and possibility of living together in a
spirit of justice and benevolence. Above all, Hajj is a
colossal demonstration of human equality.
It is such a complete act of worship that anyone
who performs it in the proper manner will find that
it has a salutary effect on all of his or her social
interaction, whether in relation to God or to other
human beings.
Although we have been commanded to perform
Hajj only once in a lifetime, it is such a great and all-
encompassing act of worship that, if correctly
performed, both in form and in spirit, its impact
will be permanent. This once in-a-lifetime
pilgrimage will leave its indelible stamp upon the
mind of the pilgrim, thus changing for the better the
whole course of his remaining life.
