Worshipping Allah The Almighty alone, making one’s heart Allah-conscious, having tongues oft-remembering of Allah, having the body's organs preoccupied with fulfilling the rituals of Hajj and spending effort and wealth in every aspect drawing the person nearer to Allah are the greatest goals behind the great Hajj.

This is a novel arrangement of worship that affects the individual’s heart, soul, mind, words and deeds as well as affecting the entire Ummah (Muslim nation) during the process of performing these rituals and glorifying these holy sites. This is an immense matter that is deserving of our attention because it is connected to annulling the foul practices of the pre-Islamic era, refuting its falsities, and putting an end to its discrimination and racism.

It is an amazing scene that deserves reflection and contemplation. It is the very process of remolding the Muslim during Hajj - remolding him within the Islamic Shari‘ah and the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad .

Tawheed (monotheism) dates back to the start of creation on the day when Adam obeyed his Lord whereas Satan refused to obey Allah The Almighty. Hence, the believing person was distinguished by his worshipping Allah alone and avoiding the way of Satan in terms of ungratefulness, arrogance and haughtiness, and then in avoiding Satan’s whispers and seductions.

When we look into our deep-rootedness in history that dates back to the father of the Prophets, Ibrahim (Abraham) we will find the first mark and sign of Tawheed. Allah The Almighty Says (what means):

{And [mention, O Muhammad], when We designated for Ibrahim the site of the House, [saying], "Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaf [circumambulation] and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate.} [Quran 22:26] This is so that it would be the foremost landmark of Tawheed since the establishment of the House of Allah. Also:

{And We charged Ibrahim and Isma‘il (Ishmael), [saying], "Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who are staying [there] for worship and those who bow and prostrate [in prayer].} [Quran 2:125] Such purification is meant to eradicate any violation or infringement of Tawheed or of attachment to anything other than Allah The Almighty. In light of this Tawheed, we reflect upon Hajj and the guidance of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, when he came to Makkah for ‘Umrat Al-Qadha’ (the compensatory lesser-Hajj) following the Al-Hudaybiyah treaty. He headed for the House of Allah, glorifying it and without paying any attention to the idols and false gods erected around the Ka‘bah that contradicted monotheism and worshipping Allah alone. However, when he entered Makkah as a conqueror, he struck the three-hundred and sixty idols around the Ka‘bah with his crook and stick, bringing them down to the ground by the hand of Tawheed while reciting the verse (which means): {And say, "Truth has come, and falsehood has departed. Indeed is falsehood, [by nature], ever bound to depart."} [Quran 17:81] The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, dismounted from his riding animal and refused to enter the House. Ibn ‘Abbas and his father, narrated, “When the Prophet entered Makkah, he refused to enter the House with the idols therein. He ordered them to be taken out.

There was an image depicting Ibraaheem and Ismaa‘eel holding divining arrows in their hands like the polytheists. The Prophet said: ‘May Allah kill them (the polytheists)! They know that they (Ibrahim and Isma‘il) never used divining arrows.’ Then, he entered the House declaring Takbir (Allah is the greatest) in its corners and went out without praying.” [Al-Bukhari]

The next year, when the Prophet was in total control of Makkah, he did not leave for Hajj and sent Abu Bakr leading a small group of the Companions. Abu Hurayrah said, “Abu Bakr sent me - in the ninth year when he led people in Hajj - along with other announcers on the day of sacrifice to announce publicly that, 'No polytheist is allowed to perform Hajj after this year and no naked person is allowed to perform the Tawaf around the Ka‘bah...'” [Al-Bukhari] This abolished all the signs and foul customs of Shirk (polytheism). Polytheists claimed that they made Tawaf around the Ka‘bah naked in order not to wear the clothes that they had committed sins and transgressed in. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And their prayer at the House was not except whistling and handclapping. So taste the punishment for what you disbelieved.} [Quran 8:35] The Prophet wanted to nullify all these practices. The Hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah continues, “…Then he (the Messenger of Allah) sent ‘Ali to read out Surat Bara’ah (Chapter At-Tawbah) before people on the day of the greater Hajj.” [Al-Bukhari] This announced that Allah The Almighty and His Messenger, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, are disassociated from the polytheists. It was a declaration of Tawheed indicating disassociation from everything that contradicts it and annulling the practices of Jaahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance). All of this was confirmed in every move made during the Hajj of Abu Bakr and the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

To be continued … 

The Greatest Objective of Hajj - II

The Greatest Objective of Hajj - III

The Greatest Objective of Hajj - IV