Hajj

Analyse the significance of ONE practice for both the individual and the Muslim community drawn from: -Friday prayer -Funeral ceremony -Hajj The Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the five pillars of Islam. Stated in the Quran, “It is the place whereon Abraham once stood; and whoever enters it finds inner peace. Hence, pilgrimage unto the Temple is a duty owed to God by all people who are able to undertake it.” (The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 3, verse 97) The purpose of the Hajj is essentially to expedite the act of submission to Allah. Therefore, it has vast significance to the pilgrim undertaking the hajj, alongside the wider Muslim community (Our Lady of Mercy 2005). Every devout Muslim is required to undertake the Hajj once in a lifetime. Some Muslims are unable to undertake the pilgrimage due to poor health, lack of financial means or unavoidable situations. However, Muslims in these situations believe their intentions are adequate and Allah judges that their efforts are honest. Therefore, if one is genuinely unable to undertake the hajj, they need not feel they are failing in religious duty (Class notes 2011). The significance of the Hajj can be examined through the rituals undertaken during the Hajj and their meaning in terms of the faith of Islam. Some of these rituals include standing before Allah wuquf, the circling of the Ka’bah, the stoning of the pillars at Mina, The sacrificing of an animal Id-ul-Adha and drawing water from the well of ZamZam. These rituals are closely related to Islamic beliefs and have a profound meaning on the faith of Islam. In completing these rituals when undertaking the Hajj, Muslims are able to engage closely with momentous elements of the Islamic tradition while strengthening their submission to Allah, the ultimate goal of Islam (Our Lady of Mercy 2005). The Hajj begins with the preparation stage called ihram which begins outside of Mecca. Being in a state of Ihram means to be in a pure state of mind while enabling the practice of patience, courtesy and respect. Therefore, the preparatory stage implicates placing themselves in an appropriate disposition striving towards a state of purity. Thus, being in a state of Ihram allows the individual to have a concentrated focus on God permitting perfect submission to Allah. This stage also involves the pilgrim replacing their normal clothes with white robes. Therefore, not only does Ihram have a profound significance on the individual, but also on the community as it allows the community to unit as one dressed in universal apparel. Consequently, The Ihraam as a monumental effect on the Hajj as it allows the individual to strive for perfect submission to Allah whilst strengthening community life (Class notes 2011) (Bulmer 2008). The circling of the Ka’bah, occurring at the beginning and the end of Hajj, demonstrates obedience and submission to the will of Allah. The pilgrims arrive in Mecca and circle the Ka’bah seven times. In accordance to Islamic history, Abraham and his son erected the Ka’bah following God’s order. The Ka’bah symbolises the worship of one God, the God of Abraham. The pilgrims circle the Ka’bah indicating their obedience to Allah and completing the Hajj. The black rock that is placed at the South East corner of the Ka’bah is touched by each pilgrim due to the belief it was sent down from the heavens. This is significant due to the pilgrims attempt to feel a sense of spiritual connection with their creator therefore feeling unified to their God (Bulmer 2008) (Class notes) The stand before Allah, also known as the stand or wuquf is the fundamental moment of the Hajj. This is a commemoration of the restoration and forgiveness of Adam and Eve’s sins due to their disobedience. This has a profound effect on the Muslim individual as it offers assurance that sins will be forgiven by Allah. The stand before Allah allows the pilgrim to experience forgiveness of Allah while permitting them to begin life anew free from any previous sin. This sincere repentance allows the Muslim pilgrim to feel totally cleansed while creating a sense of peace and wellbeing. Therefore, it is evident that the wuquf could be the most significant and effective part of the Hajj as it focus’ on the act of forgiveness (Class notes 2011) (Our Lady of Mercy). Another ritual that has insightful significant to the Hajj is the festival of sacrifice, Id-ul-Adha. This festival commemorates Abraham’s obedience and submission to God when he was asked to sacrifice his son Ishmael. However, God allowed to Abraham to sacrifice a ram instead. Therefore, Id-ul-adha has a direct connection to Abraham’s obedience as each pilgrim is asked to sacrifice a sheep.. The Qur’an describes Abraham as ‘Surely Abraham was an example, obedient to God, by nature upright, and he was not of the polytheists. He was grateful for o bounties. We chose him and guided him unto a right path. We gave him good in this world, and in the next he will most surely be among the righteous” (Qu’ran 16:120-121). Therefore, Abraham became a model for the Muslim individual and community, due his perfect submission to Allah. This allows Muslim people to follow in his example aiming for perfect submission to Allah. Id-ul-adha also signifies the preparedness of Muslims to sacrifice all personal needs, wants and aspirations in service of Allah. Therefore, it is difficult to overstate the significance of Id-ul-Adha, due to its expression of absolute and perfect submission to Allah which all devout Muslims aspire to (Class notes 2011) (Bulmer 2008). Another essential element of the ritual is the stoning of the pillars at Mina. This ritual is connected to the story of Abraham and Ishmael due to pillars at Mina marking the spot where Abraham denied the devil on his way to sacrifice Ishmael. Abraham remained obedient regardless of the devil’s temptation, where he threw rocks to drive the devil away. Therefore, the throwing of stones at the pillar of Mina symbolises throwing rocks at the devil. This ritual is significant to Muslims as it puts strong emphasis on the rejection of the devil and the reality of temptation in their own lives. The stoning ritual is a demonstration of the struggle against temptation whilst striving for the ultimate goal of submission to Allah. As stated previously, this is the fundamental goal of Islam, underpinning the ritual of the stoning and ultimately highlighting its profound significance (Our lady of Mercy 2005). During the Hajj, the pilgrims move quickly between two hills named Marwah and Safa. Islamic history states Abraham left his wife Hager and son Ishmael in the desert as an order of God. Hagar searched desperately searched frantically for water, where she when back and forth seven times between the two hills. The angel Gabriel appeared and revealed a spring named ZamZam. Thus, this ritual holds significance within the Muslim community as teaches Muslims to seek the important things in life while adding the assurance the Allah will always provide what is essential (Class notes) (Bulmer 2008). Through these rituals, the pilgrim is able to seek redemption and feel a sense of rejuvenation. However, in addition to these rituals, there are other aspects of Hajj that create significant impact on the Muslim individual and community. The Hajj also holds the ability to deliver a significant experience to the community. Over two million Muslims take part in the Hajj each year where they come from around the world, representing countless nationalities. Therefore, the Hajj represents the diversity within Islam, while also acting as a form of unity as to millions of people gathering together aiming for one goal, complete submission to Allah (Our Lady of Mercy 2005). The belief in one God has the ability to unite different Muslims from around the world, enabling a unifying stance towards Allah. Through the gathering of Muslims all over the world, the Hajj fortifies the spirit of equality and unity within the Islamic community. The Hajj also reinforces that ethnicity and gender are insignificant within the Islamic community, emphasising that everyone who is at the Hajj worships one God. Therefore, the Hajj plays an unifying role within the Muslim community reaffirming the idea that everyone is ‘brother and sister’ ( Bulmer 2008). Thus, it is clear that the Hajj has profound significance on both the individual and the community within Islam. The rituals celebrate fundamental beliefs of Islam allowing the pilgrim to engage with these core beliefs. Furthermore, the Hajj and the rituals involved have an enormous impact on the Muslim individual and community, ultimately leading to its profound significance. Reference List- • Bulmer, P et al. (2008) Studies of Religion 1 and 11, Pascal Press, Sydney • Lovat, T. (2006) Studies of Religion, Thomson Social Science Press, Melbourne, Australia. • Morrissey, J.et al (2006), Living Religion- Third edition, Pearson Longman, Melbourne • Our Lady of Mercy (2005), Fraynework Multimedia, Parramatta, viewed 9th February, 2010 http://www.studiesofreligion.org.au * Class notes 2011