T h e Fo u r Pill a rs
49
P
ilgrimage
- H
ajj
Hajj in essence is sacrifice. The journey undertaken to perform
the pilgrimage means a sacrifice of time and money, and the
animal offered to God symbolizes the sacrifice of life. The
rites of
Sa‘i
(movement between the two hillocks) and
Tawaf
(circumambulating the Kabah) means that the pilgrim diverts his
attention from all worldly matters in order to devote himself to the
one and only God.
What is that divine mission in the course of which the believer
must offer all these sacrifices? It is, in effect, to proclaim the glory
of God on earth: “And when you have fulfilled your sacred duties,
remember God as you remembered your forefathers or with
deeper reverence” (2:200).
The Prophet said: “The acts of
Rami Jamar
(throwing of stones
at the devil) and thewalking between the hills of Safa andMarwa are
for the proclamation of God’s name” (
Mishkat, KitabAl-Manasik
).
The message of Hajj has been handed down from generation to
generation through the repeated re-enactment of the life history
of the greatest missionary, the Prophet Abraham (c. 1985-2160 BC)
who dedicated his entire life to perform the role of a
da‘i
. The full
extent of Abraham’s dedication was demonstrated by his readiness
to sacrifice even his own son for God. But God was satisfied that
Abraham, by showing his willingness to perform the sacrifice, had
passed the test of loyalty to his Creator. God, therefore “ransomed
his son with a noble sacrifice and bestowed on him the praise of
later generations” (37:107-8). Every rite of Hajj reminds us of the
life of this great
da‘i
.
The pilgrim (Haji) symbolically ‘relives’ certain historic events
in the life of Abraham, whose entire existence was dedicated to
dawah
(the call to religion). He makes a pledge to God that he
will similarly dedicate his life to the propagation of the Truth,
irrespective of the circumstances, and even when it entails passing
through all the stages of Abraham’s ordeals in this mission.
The Prophet was once asked who a Haji was. He replied: “One
