Firoz Bakht Ahmed.
The institution of haj in islam is quite extraordinary. haj is the fifth among the five pillars of islam. the other four are kalimah, namaz, zakat and roza. the word haj means ‘resolve’ and in religious terms it refers to the resolve to visit a holy place. believers from all over congregate at the holy city of mecca and perform the rituals prescribed by islam. in modern times, the haj pilgrim embarks on his journey with only two white sheets on his body, leaving behind family, friends and material possessions. this act in itself exemplifies the spirit of sacrifice for the love of god. in a unique show of unity and brotherhood, despite human-made barriers and distinctions, there is a huge coming together of devotees at mecca. it is a touching spectacle of faith and devotion, unity and brotherhood. the islamic hijri calendar starts with the month of islam and concludes with the month of haj. islam has always promoted the concepts of social harmony and peace. the basic emphasis is on the individual’s ability to ignore the malevolence of others. the haj provides an absorbing occasion for the exercise of such discipline. it has been ordained that for the duration of the haj when there are bound to be incidents that provoke grief, anger, intolerance and dishonesty, devotees will make a conscious effort to overcome these negative traits. it is believed that haj must be performed while a person is still young, for, the rites performed require a tremendous physical as well as mental fitness. when a pilgrim leaves his house for mecca, he is given a hero’s send-off. when the pilgrim reaches a certain point in the course of the journey, he must put on ihram, the mendicant-like clothes consisting of unstitched sheets of cloth and a pair of wooden sandals. besides representing the clothes that were worn during the time of prophet ibrahim, it also symbolises the fact that before god, one is like a beggar no matter what portfolio one boasts of on earth. sexual abstinence is expected to be practised during this period. a certain degree of restraint is expected in the consumption of food. decency, integrity, solemnity and dignity are to be maintained at all times. the ascetic dress of ihram symbolises the fact that it is the only piece of worldly belonging a muslim takes with him to the grave. haj is a grand and graceful demonstration of the equality of humankind as it provides the opportunity to demonstrate the spirit of brotherhood, unity, amity and goodwill. overwhelmed with the love of god, the pilgrim reaches mecca and immediately proceeds towards the sacred precincts, towards realising his life-long ambition. here he begins the tawaf, the act of circumambulating the holy shrine. after every round the pilgrim kisses the ‘door step’, symbolising a renewal of his pledge of allegiance and loyalty to the lord. he also recites the talbiah or slogan: ‘‘here i am, my lord, here i am’’ (labbaik allahumma, labbaik). the haj is also observed to demonstrate one’s sincere and heartfelt submission to god after the tradition began from prophet ibrahim’s sacrifice. expressing gratitude to god for all his abundant bounties continues to be an important ritual in islam. it is only be realising our indebtedness to god can we cultivate the quality of humility — a quality that is vital to help us recognise our place in this universe. sa’ee, entailing a fast-paced walk between the hills of safa and marwa, is a symbol of the pilgrim’s ceaseless efforts to meet with his master. the ritual of wuquf (stay) that follows sa’ee, is roughing it out in camps at mina, arafat and muzdalifah. rami jimmar is the act of stoning the devil, which in today’s context would mean shunning vice. it is believed that after the haj, a man becomes as pure as a newborn. such a transformation is made possible by the journey itself, which entails strict discipline, and great importance is given to cultivating a tolerant attitude towards fellow human beings.
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