Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It is the 5th pillar of Islam that is required once in a lifetime for every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to perform its rituals. Some Muslims make the journey more than once and even sponsor fellow Muslims to travel for pilgrimage.
Being a religious obligation, which takes place within the first 10 days of the last month of the Islamic Lunar calendar, Hajj provides Muslims the opportunity to get engaged with a lifetime spiritual experience and seek forgiveness of these past sins in the holy land.
Year in, year out, Muslims spend big money to embark on pilgrimage to Mecca for Hajj. This year alone, about 1.5 millions of Pilgrims participated in the annual but largest religious gathering worldwide. In Nigeria, the cost of traveling for Hajj is within the range of 8 to 8.5 million naira. Despite this, they still find means to pay for the trip in order to fulfil their religious obligations.
Although going for Hajj is meant for the rich and those who could afford it, going for Hajj is something every Muslim must aim to do at least once in their lifetime. Some save up their hard-earned money to make their dreams come to reality while others pray for sponsorship in order to achieve their age-long goals of performing Hajj.
When Hajj commences there are lots of rituals Pilgrims must observe to have a rewarding act of worship. Pilgrims make the intention to perform Hajj and they enter a state of “ihram.” Being in ihram includes abiding by certain rules and prohibitions. For instance, men are not to wear regular sewn or stitched clothes that encircle the body, such as shirts, during ihram; there are simple ihram cloth garments for men instead. Scholars say the intention is to discard luxuries and vanity, shed worldly status symbols and immerse the pilgrim in humility and devotion to God.
A spiritual highlight of Hajj for many is the standing on the plain of Arafat, where pilgrims praise God, plead for forgiveness and make supplications.
Other rituals include performing “tawaf,” circumambulating, or circling the Kaaba in Mecca counterclockwise seven times. Muslims do not worship the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure that they consider the metaphorical house of God; it’s the focal point toward which devout Muslims face during their daily prayers from anywhere in the world.
Pilgrims also trace the path of Hagar, or Hajar, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim, Abraham to Jews and Christians, who Muslims believe ran between two hills seven times searching for water for her son. Among other rituals, pilgrims throw pebbles in a symbolic stoning of the devil.
Performing Hajj pilgrimage comes with lots of benefits and it is worth any amount spent to get them. Those who perform the Hajj, known as Hajjis, may be treated with renewed respect in their communities. They may also gain self-esteem for having paid this respect to Allah.
Hajj journey will probably involve long and tiring travel. The rituals themselves may be strenuous, particularly during Makkah’s hot summers and amid crowds of other pilgrims. Hajj helps to learn patience and to stay strong even when experiencing temptation or tiredness.
Before, during and after Hajj, Muslims visit places where historical and religiously significant events took place. For example, you can pay your respects at the cemetery of Jannat Al Mu’alla, where some of the Prophet (PBUH)’s ancestors were buried. Museums in Makkah include the Kiswa Factory, where the Kaaba cover is crafted each year, and the Exhibition of 2 Holy Mosques Architecture about the Grand Mosque in Makkah and Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
Visiting Makkah, pilgrims can discover some of Saudi Arabia’s other important cities and destinations. In the port city of Jeddah on the Red Sea, you can explore the old town, Al Balad, and walk along the Corniche next to sandy beaches and the sea. East of Makkah in the Sarawat Mountains, the resort town of Taif is popular for its cooler weather and greenery. After the Hajj or Umrah, pilgrims often travel to Saudi Arabia’s second holiest city, Madinah, to pray in The Prophet’s Mosque.
On visiting Makkah, pilgrims tour some other important cities and destinations in the land. In the port city of Jeddah on the Red Sea, you can explore the old town, Al Balad, and walk along the Corniche next to sandy beaches and the sea. East of Makkah in the Sarawat Mountains, the resort town of Taif is popular for its cooler weather and greenery. After the Hajj or Umrah, pilgrims often travel to Saudi Arabia’s second holiest city, Madinah, to pray in The Prophet’s Mosque.
The benefits of Hajj can also be looked at from the perspective of individual gains and collective gains.
Individual benefits of performing Hajj are numerous and indisputable. These advantages are solely related to one person. The following are some of the individualistic benefits of Hajj:
Forgiveness: The most important day of the Hajj pilgrimage is Arafat Day. Pilgrims ask for atonement and supplicate throughout the afternoon till sundown. Countless of Allah (SWT) followers obtain pardon. On this auspicious day, the Lord of the Heavens endows pardons, and what could be greater for a follower of Allah (SWT) than this?
Closeness to Allah Almighty: Having consistently performed Hajj’s journey with its rites leads people towards Allah. It also deepens the spiritual link each believer has with his Creator, leads him away from his sins-filled painful past, and brings all Muslims into a clean, brilliant and illuminating future. Allah Almighty will recognize your true efforts of getting closer to him and will reward you countlessly. Even in your daily matters, if you are close to Allah (SWT) and believe that He will solve all your difficulties and problems. He (SWT) will definitely listen to you as you put your ultimate faith in Him.
Paradise: Every Muslim strives for Jannah. He struggles his whole life to receive the ultimate recompense. The recompense for performing Hajj is no other than paradise. What to expect more than that? It’s the only thing that believers will get on the Day of Judgement as to their reward.
Reduces Poverty: It is one of the temporal blessings that we get now, in addition to the innumerable rewards in the afterlife. Hajj enhances one’s path to enlightenment and also one’s sources of subsistence. In a Hadith related to the removal of poverty, Abdullah (bin Mas’ud) narrated that:
Acceptance of Dua: The Dua of an individual gets accepted if it is straight from the heart. Allah Almighty accepts the sincere supplications of people and answers them at the right time. The most renowned element of Hajj is supplication, in which the pilgrim aspires and asks Allah Almighty whatever they want.
Women’s Hajj Is Equal to Reward of Jihad: If a woman succeeds in performing her Hajj with sincerity without committing sins, she is regarded to have achieved her best Jihad. Right after Jihad in the Quran, Hajj was addressed.
There are several collective benefits of Hajj that Muslims who perform Hajj can experience. They are also a part of the learning process of Hajj. There are numerous social components of Hajj. It is similar to a global convention of Muslims gathered in one place to express gratitude to their Lord.
Ethical Evolution: The introduction of ethnic change is one of Hajj’s main philosophies for all Muslims. When the faithful start planning for Hajj and Umrah, they are covered with two simple pieces of white fabric called Ihram. The Ihram eliminates all kinds of differences, whether societal or economic differences. All Muslims are steered separate from the ephemeral world’s temptations, separating themselves from all earthly matters and immersing them in enlightenment, spirituality, and holiness. Believers are urged to participate in acts that involve the self-reparation of spirit, soul, and character. People who feel abandoned by a load of deceptive honours and classifications in this temporal world are taught to feel shiny and comfortable.
Cultural Exchange: Hajj facilitates the connection and communication between different parts of the Islamic community, leading to efficient cultural interaction and the transmission of concepts and ideas. It is because Hajj resembles a great meeting in which all sections of the Muslim world are presented.
Symbol of Unity & Integrity: Muslims accomplish one objective via the unity and integrity of the worldwide gathering at the core of Islam. They tell the global community that they are all one and worship their One Creator, regardless of their varied color, race, socioeconomic class, and culture. For masses of Muslims around the world, Hajj is regarded as a sign of unity and brotherhood. That is because Hajj is considered to be an important component in the development of common ground among all Muslims.
Tranquility: In the course of Hajj, Muslims from everywhere in the entire globe gather together and offer love, peace, and devotion to each other without borders or restrictions.
–Jamiu Abubakar
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