PHASES OF THE PILGRIMAGE

The performance of pilgrimage at Makkah (called hajj) once in a lifetime is an obligatory duty on those who can undertake the journey. The hajj was instituted by the Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) to serve as the focal meeting place and the ultimate devotion spot for all believers in the world, True and Only God: Allah. All rites performed at Makkah around the Ka'abah, on the plains of Arafat.etc are the revival of the concept of worship of One God -Allah- only in line with the true worship of Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH).

Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) instituted this pilgrimage so that men of coming ages will emulate his ways to the end of time. The Qur'an confirms this thus:

"Say: Allah speaks the truth: follow the religion of Ibrahim, the sane in faith: he was not of the pagans. The first House (of worship) appointed 'for man was that at Bakka: full of blessing and of guidance for all the worlds. In it are signs manifest: the station of Ibrahim - whoever enters it attains security: pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to Allah - those who can afford the journey; but if any deny faith, Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures". (Q3:95-97).

PRAYERS OF IBRAHIM

A look at Prophet Ibrahim's prayers easily reveals the real purpose and significance of Hajj:

"And when Ibrahim prayed, My Lord! Make this land secure, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols. My Lord! They have led astray many people. Hence whoso follows me truly Belongs to me; and whoso disobeys me - surely You are All-forgiving, Mercy-giving. Our Lord! I have settled some of my offspring in a valley where there no arable lands, near Your sanctified House, our Lord, so that they may perform. the Prayer, and You make peoples' hearts to incline towards them, and provide them fruits so that they may be thankful" (Q14.:35-37).

"And when Ibrahim was raising the foundations of the House, and Isma'il, (they prayed): Our Lord! Accept this from us. You alone, are the All-hearing, the All-knowing: Our Lord! And make us surrender ourselves unto You, .and out of our offspring make people surrender themselves unto You; and show us our rites of worship, and turn toward us,' surely You alone turnest, and are the Mercy-giving. Our Lord! Do send to them a Messenger, from among them, who shall convey unto them Your revelations, and teach them the Book and the Wisdom, and purify and develop them. You alone are the All-mighty, the All-wise!" (Q2:127-129).

"And when We made the House a place of visitation for mankind, and a sanctuary: take, then, the place whereon Ibrahim stood 'for place of prayer. And We commanded Ibrahim and Isma'il, 'Purify My House for those who will walk around it, and those who will abide therein in worship, and those who will bow down and prostrate themselves.' And when Ibrahim prayed: My Lord! Make this a  land secure and provide its people fruits, such of them as believe in God and the Last Day .... " (Q2:125-126)

"And when We assigned unto Ibrahim the place of the House, (We said): You shall not take any god beside Me, and purify My House for those who will walk around it and those who will stand, and those who will bow down and prostrate themselves. And proclaim unto mankind the Pilgrimage; and they will come unto you on foot and on every lean mount,' they will come from every deep ravine, so that they may witness things that are of benefit to them, and mention God's name during the days appointed over such heads of cattle He has provided them. Eat, then, thereof, and feed therewith the unfortunate poor" (Q22:26-28).

THE CORRUPTION

"Mischief has appeared on land and sea because of (the meed) that the hands of men have earned that (Allah) may give them a taste of some of their deeds: in order that they may turn back (from Evil)" (Q30:41)

The central reason for the hajj (tawhid - oneness of Allah) was eventually corrupted by men. Within a few centuries of the death of Prophets Ibrahim and Isma'il (PBUT), people had abandoned their true teachings and had gone astray. Hundreds of idols (360 by the time Prophet Muhammed [PBUH] was born) were installed in the sacred Ka'abah - a place built for the correct worship of the one true God. Even idols were made of Ibrahim and Isma'il (PBUT)- though their entire lives had been spent eradicating idol-worship. In this way, the purpose, sites and rites of hajj were utterly corrupted.

Hajj degenerated into an annual carnival of poets and clowns boasting and bragging about bravery, renown and sophistry. Singing, drinking and adultery became part and parcel of 'worship'. The circumambulation (tawaj) of the Ka' abah continued but the men and women walked around Allah's House stark naked saying: 'We go before Allah just as our mothers-gave birth to us'! Allah commanded thus:

''O children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer" (Q7:31);

yet they became perverts and stripped themselves of their raiment, to expose their shame .... (and) when they commit an indecency, they say: 'We found our fathers doing so'." (Q7:278)

The worship of Allah which was characterised with tawaf round the Ka'abah, dhikr (remembrance) in the heart and sujud (prostration) at the Station of Ibrahim (PBUH) was replaced with whistling, clapping and wild gyrations. Sacrifices of the animal were made ostensibly to Allah but the blood of the animals was splattered on the walls of the Ka' abah and their flesh thrown at its door to rot away in the belief that Allah needs that flesh and shod. Even the well known months of hajj were altered to allow for settling of scores and battles.

As for those who inclined to sincerity, some performed hajj without provisions and begged for food with a claim that that was an act of piety. In such countless ways was the whole institution of hajj corrupted for over two thousand years until Allah restored true worship with His last Messenger -Muhammad (PBUH).

THE RESTORATION

"Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Your signs to them and instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, and purified them: for You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise." (Q):129)

Muhammad ibn Abdullah (PBUH),a direct descendant of Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail (PBUT) was the "Messenger of their own" (Q2:129) whom Allah used to wipe away the corruption of hajj and restore its glory. Through him, who is the last of the Messengers (PBUT), Allah called men to the pilgrimage (Q3:97) so "that they may witness the benefit (provided) for them..." (Q22:28). Through him, the pure and accepted hajj rites of Ibrahim (PBUH) were restored All the idols inside the Ka'abah were smashed and the worship of any and-every object other than Allah was completely eliminated (Q2:198).

The hajj was purified of the vanities of carnival, adultery and self-glorification. Allah commands:

"...let there be no obsenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the hajj.." (Q2:197).

The perverse rite of doing tawaf in a nude state was forbidden: "

Say: 'Nay, Allah never commands what is indecent' ... " (Q7:28).

The animal sacrifice now had to be done by pronouncing the "the name of Allah over them, as they. line-up" (Q22:36) and that

"it is not their meat, nor their blood, that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him. .. " (Q22:37).

The time of hajj became permanent (Q9:37), and the needless act of hardship which attended the pilgrimage were discouraged. Through this perfect example for Mankind, Allah permitted lawful work or trade during the hajj ("it is no sin for you that you seek bounty from your Lord" {Q2:1981), the custom of remaining silent, hungry and thirsty were stopped, and any form of ostentation was abolished:

“...eat and drink but-waste not by excess, for Allah loves not the wasters. " (Q7:31)

Fixed stations were appointed from were all pilgrims were brought to the same level by putting on the ihram and shouting the taibiya. Once the pilgrim dons the ihram, killing game is prohibited let alone human beings. Peace and security became the serene feature of the Masjid haram. Lastly, people were prohibited from starting out on hajj without adequate provision, still the best provision for, a journey to salvation remains piety (Q2:192).

Finally, after the restoration of the pilgrimage as true worship, the Prophet (PBUH) assured each pilgrim that "the reward of hajj mabrur (a blessed hajj) is nothing except Paradise. " (Bukhari)