Origins of Hajj: What Makes Hajj so Important?
Being a human, you belong to a certain community. To be part of that community you follow the practices, rituals and every other thing that makes you a perfect member. For every faith out there, Islam certainly piques the interest of many people.
Unfortunately, people associate Islam with Islamophobia, however, that’s not the case. How can a religion that preaches peace, unity, and harmony be guilty of terror? To make things clear, certain factors play a huge role to improve the image of Islam.
Take a look around yourself, you will find Muslims in every corner of the world. Migration to holy places is perhaps the most common factor among all religions. People travel across the world to visit their Holy Places. Likewise, Muslims perform their Holy rituals of performing Hajj and Umrah every year (or whenever possible for them).
Mecca: where it all begins:-
Saudi Arabia is one of the most prominent countries in the world. With the royal monarch ruling the country and riches of oil found here, it’s hard to not become investors in the country. However, one thing that makes it so important for Muslims is that it was the hometown of the beloved Prophet (P.B.U.H).
The story dates back to 2000 B.C, the time when Prophet (P.B.U.H) along with his companions had to migrate from the Holy City of Mecca towards Medina. That was the beginning of Hijrat (migration and hence the Hijri calendar as well).
But the story of hajj begins when Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) along with his wife were stranded in the desert. The infant son, Ismail (A.S), was on brink of death because of thirst, and to rectify the situation the infant’s mother ran back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwa searching for water until the miracle happened (angel Gabriel came down to earth and touched the soil, that busted a fresh spring of water) now is popularly known as Well of Zam Zam. By the order of Almighty, the idols from the central place were demolished and instead a cube-like structure was built by Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) and his son, Prophet Ismail (A.s) to bring Muslims under one roof.
And so with time people started to come here to pay respects and tribute to the place, because it soon became popular the Well of ZamZam never dried.
Now you can easily travel here with the cheap Hajj package and perform the rituals that the beloved Prophet (P.B.U.H) performed back in the day.
Importance of Hajj:
Though only a fraction of Muslims are capable of performing the pilgrimage, you will always see a massive crowd gathered around Kaaba, during the last month of the lunar calendar. Besides the storyline, what makes hajj so important? Certain factors add limelight such as;
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Purifies your sins:
Forgiveness, the main aim of performing hajj besides its religious zeal, is what every Muslim looks for. Even in other faiths, this point is crucial. Each religion shows its unique way to ask for forgiveness and repentance against their sins.
It said that one who performs hajj will be freed from its sins like a newborn child. We get involved in worldly activities and choose to not see the barrier between right and wrong. Sometimes we realize how far we have gone and the realization hits with a strong wave of guilt. Therefore, hajj is the way to purify yourself from guilt because it offers a chance to improve yourself.
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Paradise is the reward:
Whatever intentions reside in your heart, only God knows them best. Seeking forgiveness, a calling for spiritual healing or offering the pilgrimage on behalf of someone else, whatever your intentions are you are always rewarded for the right reasons.
It is said that the reward for performing hajj is a chance to enter paradise. Consider it like aiming for a goal, when you work hard to earn more salary, study harder for better grades it’s exactly similar to this idea.
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The fifth pillar of Islam:
One of the most vital points, hajj is the last pillar of Islam. The journey that every Muslim must take at least once in their life span to fulfill the religious responsibility is to be taken quite seriously.
The love for one’s religion is so supreme that nothing can diminish the act of pilgrimage. But even so, a person may suffer financial or health crisis and is unable to perform hajj, God has given leniency in this regard as well. You can offer Hajj on behalf of the incapable, and obviously, the person is heavily rewarded by God, as it is considered to be among the most humane things.
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Beware of humility:
Our societies are divided into the hierarchy in the name of caste, creed, color and wealth. Unfortunately, that’s how we live, and don’t even consider the slightest possibility that dividing humans into sects they were born into is highly wrong of us. Islam thrives on the concept of Brotherhood and a simple way of life.
When you wear Ihram, every man in the house of Allah is stripped away from their social status. Whether you are black or white, rich or poor, you all look the same. In truth, hajj teaches us how to be able to proceed with a simple life rather than showing off with wealth.
Conclusion:
Being a Muslim it’s your duty, as a Muslim to perform hajj. Despite the physical challenges that you may face in the trip, you know at heart that your hardships will be rewarded on the day of resurrection.
Indeed, a noble act can dominate a lifetime of sins. Take a chance to wipe clean the slate and shortcomings. It’s never too late to make your way for Hajj, whenever you have the chance, avail the opportunity. Thanks to hajj packages, they offer complete accommodation and ground transfers that have made it easier now for Muslims to travel to Holy Lands and plan a proper journey unlike in the old days.
