Preamble
This is the season of Hajj. It comes up in the month of Dhul Hijjah every year. Hajj means aspiration towards a higher pedestal in spirituality. It is, divinely, a pillar of Islam made obligatory by Allah for Muslims who can afford it once in a lifetime. Hajj is an ordained pilgrimage based on piety and not a manmade tourism. Thus, the visa issued to Muslims who perform Hajj annually is that of pilgrimage and not one of tourism. Whilst pilgrimage is a spiritual exercise, tourism is a mere pleasurable journey. A whole chapter in the Qur’an is is divinely named after Hajj. And that is where the Muslims derive their spiritual authority to perform Hajj drom.
Similitude of Hajj
The similitude of Hajj in the life of a Muslim is like that of pregnancy in the womb of an expectant mother. The experience may vary from woman to woman as the foetus in the womb undergoes various stages of development before it reaches the stage of delivery. By the time the child is finally delivered, the mother feels a relief of her life while the child assumes a tabula rasa (clean slate) that makes him absolutely innocent.
Spiritually, a pilgrim is like a newly born baby if he strictly performs Hajj as prescribed by Allah. But if he returns into the world of iniquities after Hajj, he automatically becomes like a person in snow-white attire who finds himself in a palm oil market. Unless he spiritually guides his loins, he may immediately become a tainted person both in body and in soul.
Rigours of Hajj
Muslim pilgrims who are going on Hajj must be prepared to go through series of rigour both spiritually and physically. The rigour of getting the money with which to perform Hajj; the rigour of getting the travelling documents including visa; the rigour of taking care of the home front before embarking on the Holy journey; the rigour of boarding the plane with a sense of high risk; the rigour of going through the security checks at the embarkation point from home and disembarkation point in Saudi Arabia; the rigour of performing the Tawaf and Sa’y; the rigour of moving from Makkah to Muna on the 8th day of Dhul-Hijjah, then to Arafah on the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah, and back to Mina via Muzdalifah on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah; the rigour of locating the tents at Arafah; the rigour of throwing the pebbles at the Jamrat in Mina on the three or four days known as Ayamu-t-Tashrik; The rigour of performing Tawaful Ifadah at the Haram in Makkah after the first day of throwing the pebbles; the rigour of shaving the head (by men) and slaughtering the rams by all; the rigour of performing the farewell circumambulation otherwise known as Tawaful Wada’i, all in the midst of millions of people can be too much to forget easily after Hajj.
Whoever is not bothered by the money spent on Hajj should at least be bothered by the various stages of the rigour involved including that of visiting Madinah. To lose all these efforts to the forces of Satan after Hajj is like losing one’s travelling passport after obtaining visa. The prayer of every genuine pilgrim is to retain the validity of Hajj and its spiritual value forever.
Prerequisites for Hajj Performance
Performance of pilgrimage must be based on certain fundamental conditions. These include genuine intention and high spiritual standard. Attainment of puberty. The sincere practice of the first four pillars of Islam: (Salat, Zakah, and Sawm) all of which are fervently based on faith (Iman). Hajj without these pre-requisites is like a tree without roots. Money is a major pre-requisite for Hajj but it is not absolute.
Hajj, the last pillar of Islam shows, very vividly, the similitude of what mankind will experience on the Day of Judgment. Looking at the unique way in which pilgrims dress for Hajj and how they assemble at Arafat leaving their luggage behind in Makkah, one will realize how ephemeral this world is. Some of them never return to their luggage.
Purpose of Hajj
The various stages of preparation through which pilgrims pass before arriving at Arafat are symbolic of our peregrinations in life as human beings. Like the Day of Judgment, Arafat is the climax of Hajj performance. Anybody who misses Arafat misses Hajj. But Arafat is not by physical appearance alone. It takes a combination of factors to participate effectively in that great assembly at Arafah which serves as the climax of Hajj.
Steps to take
For Hajj to serve its spiritual purpose in the life of a pilgrim, certain steps must be taken before leaving home. They are as follows:
Fine-tuning the first four pillars of Islam very sincerely; Packaging one’s intention to perform Hajj; Ascertaining the security of the way; Providing adequately for the family and dependants
at home; Paying all outstanding debts including promises; Ascertaining the condition of health; Perfecting immigration procedures; Undergoing all necessary medical services including inoculation; Assuming a mood of humility like that of a servant approaching his Master; readiness to endure hardship and to tolerate fellow pilgrims’ attitudes. All these are the necessary steps to take by any genuine pilgrim.
Admonition
While admonishing Muslims on spiritual journey including Hajj, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) once said: “Actions shall be judged according to intentions. Whoever embarks on a spiritual journey for the sake of Allah will be adjudged on that basis. And whoever intends pilgrimage or Hajj for the purpose of marriage or material gains should not expect any reward beyond that for which he intends”.
Step by Step of Hajj
The spiritual steps to follow in the performance of Hajj are as follows:
The Miqat
Miqat is the specified place for the wearing of Ihram dress. There are five of such places in all. But the one earmarked for pilgrims from Nigeria cannot be reached by those travelling by air. It is over-flown while crossing the Red Sea. What most Nigerians do therefore is to wear their Ihram dress in Jeddah which has now been adjudged right through a Fatwah issued by highest scholarly authority in Saudi Arabian. Thus, Nigerian pilgrims can now wear their Ihram dress on arrival at the pilgrims’ airport in Jeddah if they fly directly to Jeddah. However, pilgrims whose first destination in Saudi Arabia is Madinah have no problem with Miqat. Such pilgrims should just wear their Ihram dresses at the Miqat in Madinat.
Tawaful-Qudum
Tawaf means circumambulation of the Ka’bah. The very first Tawaf to be performed by any pilgrim on entering Makkah is called Tawaful Qudum (meaning welcoming circumambulation). It is performed before the pilgrims settle down in their residences. Tawaful Qudum is an obligatory Sunnah from which only pilgrims from Makkah are exempted.
Residence in Makkah or Madinah
Most Nigerian pilgrims often seek their accommodations in Makkah or Madinah close to the Haram. This is to enable them to walk to and from the Haram conveniently at the times of any Salat. To minimize pilgrims’ regular occurrence of missing their ways, they are provided with hand bands bearing the addresses of their residences. And this enables official Hajj guides to show them the way. Pilgrims are therefore advized to wear such bands at all times. It is also important for pilgrims to always be with their identity cards provided by Nigeria’s National Hajj Commission (NAHCON).This is to enable them to be identified in case of sickness, accident or even death.
Movement to Muna
Pilgrims’ statutory movement to Muna is on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah. Such pilgrims must spend the night of the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah in Muna where they must observe Salatus-Subhi of the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah, which is Arafah Day, before proceeding to the Plain of Arafah.. Such movement must commence from Makkah after Tawaful Qudum. There is no movement to Muna from Madinah since there is no Tawaf in Madinah.
The Day of Arafah
All pilgrims proceeding to the Plain of Arafat are advised to stay under their tents and concentrate on the spiritual activities that take them to the place. They must reach Arafat before the mid day when Salatu-d-Dhuhr and ‘Asr should be observed combined and in congregation. Any pilhrim who is not at Arafat by mid day is considered not to have taken part in the assembly and therefore missed Hajj.
Immediately after observing the combined Salatu-d-Dhuhr and ‘Asr the Imam who led the two Salat is expected to give a sermon. Listening to such sermon is as compulsory as giving it by the Imam. The great assembly of Arafat terminates shortly before the sunset (Magrib) while the pilgrims return to Muna via Muzdalifah.
Muzdalifah
At Muzdalifah, pilgrims are expected to halt their journey to observe Magrib and ‘Ishai combined. They are also expected to pass the night there and observe the Salat-s-Subh of the following day before proceeding to Muna. Muzdalifah is adjacent to Muna and it is a walking distance to the Jamrat (the stonning place).
Jamrat
Stoning of the devils (Rajmu Jimar) begins a day after Arafat and continues for the next three or four days that the pilgrims are supposed to spend at Muna. This exercise is obligatory and without it Hajj is considered incomplete except when and where a pilgrim is hindered by certain inevitable conditions. There are three points at which stones are to be thrown. Seven pebbles are to be thrown at each point on every one of the three or four days to be spent in Muna. Only seven stones are to be thrown on the first day at Jamratul Kubrah.
Picking such pebbles at the point of throwing them is forbidden. All pebbles must have been picked before leaving the tent for the ‘Jamrat’ or on the way to the ‘Jamrat’. For pilgrims who deside to spend three days in Muna, the total number of pebbles to be thrown is 49 (7 for the first day, 21 for the second day and 21 for the third day). For pilgrims who choose to spend four days, the total number of pebbles to be thrown is 70.
Majzarah (Abattoir)
Slaughtering of all sacrificial animals is done at the abattoir in Muna. Pilgrims do not need to bother themselves by going to the abattoir for the purpose of carrying out this compulsory obligation. They can simply buy the guaranteed ticket sold by designated Saudi agents. The receipt is the evidence that one has performed that duty. The slaughtering is done on behalves of the pilgrims by some authorized artisans who are paid by the Saudi Hajj authorities from the money paid for those animals. The animals to be slaughtered at Jamrat range from rams to camels. A pilgrim should slaughter one ram or more while seven pilgrims may combine to slaughter one camel or five of them may jointly slaughter on cow.
Tawaful Ifadah
Tawaful Ifadah is compulsory fpr all pilgrims. Without it, ahajj is invalid.
Any pilgrim who chooses to go for Tawaful Ifadah on the fist day of Ayamut-Tashrik must return to Muna before the sundet. Such a pilrim must not break the camping rule at Muna by going to Makkah without performing Tawaf-ul- Ifadah. With the completion of the camping days in Muna which is climaxed by Tawaful-Ifadah and the arrival of all the pilgrims in Makkah, Hajj has come to an end except for Tawaf Wada’i otherwise called farewell Tawaf. That Tawaf is also obligatory.
Conclusion
Throughout the Hajj exercise, what should be uppermost in the mind of a pilgrim is the spiritual benefit. Hajj is made compulsory only once in a life time for those who have the wherewithal to undergo it and can satisfy the conditions attached to its performance.
On arriving home finally, pilgrims are not expected to start organizing parties in celebration of a successful Hajj performance as ignorantly done by some Nigerians. Maintaining Hajj is a necessity for those who know the value of doing that. Whoever is privileged to perform Hajj once should forever be grateful to Allah as no one is sure of getting another chance.
