Monday, August 28, 2017
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Hajj – The Spiritual Journey
“Pilgrimage to the Sacred House is a duty to Allah for
humankind, for him who is able to make the journey.”
(Al Qur’an: Ali ‘Imran 3: 97)
A Muslim who has come of age, of sound mental faculties,
free and able, is obligated to undertake the pilgrimage to perform the Hajj. An
able pilgrim is of good health, has the means of transport, affords the
expenses and the journey is fairly safe. Women have to be accompanied by
trustworthy companions.
The pilgrim is normally prepared in terms of knowledge of
the pilgrimage, deeds and religious practice, spiritually ready,
psychologically and emotionally. The pilgrim needs to have sufficient funds, be
physically fit and be ready for the journey.
The pilgrim who intends to depart for the holy land is
accorded warmth and respect by his kin, friends, neighbours and community. Well
wishers throng to say a prayer, offer words of encouragement and support.
Although hajj is a yearly and seasonal affair, its significance and meaning
never diminishes with time. The hajj is celebrated by those who are undertaking
the pilgrimage, those who have been there and those who are still intending to
make the journey.
The pilgrim leaves the family, the children and his property
or business to seek a sojourn in a spiritual journey. He makes the necessary
arrangements and provisions for those that he is leaving but he departs
basically leaving everything in trust and total reliance in Allah the Almighty.
In the older days, the journey takes a long time in the form
of voyage by sea vessels which was tough and demanding. Nowadays it is only an
international flight with comfortable transits and systematic departure and
travel procedures.
Still, the magnitude in terms of the millions of pilgrims
converging in a fixed and designated time and place is amazing and at the same
time is a trial of patience and forbearance.
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