Hajj is considered to be one of the most significant deeds for all the Muslims around the world. Every Muslim has a dream to visit this holy place and to offer prayers and to ask for forgiveness and live a better life ahead.
Hajj is the divine and the most pious ritual that every Muslim has to offer once in a lifetime. Hajj means that people need to make a visit to the holy place in the Saudi Arabia which is commonly known as the city of Mecca. It is considered as the most sacred and one of the pillars in Islam. It is said if the Almighty has provided you with enough amount of wealth you should first visit this place and enrich yourself.
History of Hajj
The Hajj as we know is one of the most important activities performed by the Muslims. This ritual started by Prophet Abraham (Ibraheem). He was bestowed by Allah as a messenger to the people for teaching people the path of virtue and righteousness. It was once that the Almighty had ordained Prophet Abraham (Ibraheem) to build the Kaabah along with his son Ishmael at Makkah. The Prophet with no excuses and with hardcore efficiency started building the Kaabah.
It so happened once that the Prophet had to leave his wife Hagar and his son Ishmael by the command of Allah and visit the deserts for some time. Due to scorching heat of the city, Prophet's baby felt thirsty and started crying. His mother, Hagar could not see him crying and so she started searching for water so that she can pacify her son.
The first thing she did was she climbed the hill nearest to her known Al- Safa, but unfortunately she found nothing. She then went to another hill called Al-Marwah where she could see Ishmael as she had kept the child all alone. As the hills were connected by a valley she used to run in through the valleys and walk to the side of the hills to see whether her son is safe or not. Likewise she ran through these valleys seven times in the burning heat before returning back to Ishmael. Suddenly in the midst of this she saw a fountain splashing with clear water near his son's foot and came rushing. The water that was coming out was named as ZamZam. This was a reward given to Hagar from Allah.
The Kaabah
The Kaabah is one of the most important structures built by the Prophet Abraham (Ibraheem) in the history of Islam. The structure of Kaabah is like a cube. It is situated in the city of Saudi Arabia. The Kaabah is covered with a black cloth all over it and is slightly twisted from downwards so that the pilgrims can touch the original wall. Also it is an obligation to all Muslims who visits the Kaaba to move in the region of the Kaabah and pray during the time of Hajj. This act is called as a Tawaaf in the Arabic language. If a person rotates seven times around the Kaabah it is counted as one Tawaaf. It is mandatory to rotate seven times in order to complete one Tawaaf. It is said that if a person does nothing but sits quietly and looks at the holy Kaabah will definitely earn rewards
The ZamZam Water
The water of well ZamZam was one of the offerings towards Ishmael, the son of the Prophet when he was thirsty and quenched his thirst with this water. Every person who visits the place of Mecca gets to drink this water and also is allowed to carry this holy water along with them. All the Hajis normally drink this water to quench their thirst after completing their Tawaafs.
The Black Stone - Hajar-E-Aswad
In the Kaabah there is a black stone which is placed at the corner which is called Hajar-e-Aswad. When Prophet Abraham (Ibraheem) was constructing the Kaabah he placed this black stone at the corner. This stone has a very significant value and therefore people all over who come to visit the Kaabah also kiss this stone as this stone is a part of Allah' s mark.
Some of the Good Deeds Performed During Hajj
- If you are in the premises of the Kaabah recite the Holy Quran. Also read the holy Quran with its translation.
- When you are offering Sajdah (to bend yourself and bow towards the Kaabah) pray and ask for the fulfillment of your wishes.
- To greet some one is an indeed a good thing and so you should always say Salaam to strangers.
- People come from far off places and so it is necessary that a person should call up relatives and friends from Mecca.
- You should avoid people fighting or getting into arguments.
- It is indeed a good act to help people in the slaughter house and help them out if they are unaware of certain things.
- Giving charity to the poor or the one who sell things like sandals or any small things is a kind of gesture to be performed.
- Help the people who are near to you
- Do not keep anything wrong in your heart if someone does bad to you. Infact, forgive them and be kind to them.
- If you have completed your prayers, stand at the gate and offer water or tea to the people who are tired.
- The Kaabah is a place where people recite holy things and chant the name of Allah, so talking irrelevant or earthly things should be avoided.
The ritual of Hajj is very important in every Muslim's life and it has to be performed once in a life time. So every Muslim should attempt to once go to this holy place and ask for forgiveness to the Almighty.
How is Hajj performed? What should a person do during his visit to Mecca? What is Kaabah? To share your views and thoughts, click here.
