When we think of the Prophet s.a.w. and Hajj, we immediately think of the farewell Hajj - the one and only time in which the Prophet s.a.w. performed Hajj. However, from the speech he gave on the day at Mount 'Arafat, it was the pinnacle of his message - the full stop/exclamation mark to the whole "sentence". Just as much as the Prophet succeeded in bringing back the Hajj in line with its original purpose and tradition as laid by the Prophet Abraham a.s., so too had the Prophet succeeded in bringing the Arabs of his time and the later Muslims (till today) back to the pure religion of Abraham- that of submission to Allah s.b.t.
Therefore, the Hajj can also be seen as the embodiment of the message of Islam. I think just as Hajj is symbolically linked to Abraham, Hagar, and Ismail, so too, the Hajj is linked to the struggles, trials and tribulation, and triumphs of Prophet s.a.w. and his companions. May Allah guide me; while I've not been on Hajj, I think if I were to go on Hajj, it is the lives of the Prophet and his companions that I would relate best to within the experience.
In this post, I will try to draw parallels between some of the elements of Hajj and the elements within the life of the Prophet s.a.w. and the early Muslims.
1. Submission to Allah
Labayk Allahuma Labayk Labayk. La shareeka laka Labayk. Innal hamda wannimata laka wal mulk. La shareeka Lak
(Here I am at your service, oh Lord, here I am - here I am. No partner do you have. Here I am. Truly, the praise and the favor are yours, and the dominion. No partner do you have.)
Those are the words that marked the beginning of a person's Hajj (or Umrah). The first and foremost element in the statement is that of Tauhid - of acknowledging there is None other than Allah, the Only One worthy of praise and to Whom belongs the Dominion. That is the message that the Prophet dedicated twenty-three years (a full third) of his life spreading. The first martyr of Islam was a woman, Summayyah, who was tortured by the Meccans to renounce Islam but died, holding on strongly to her faith. That's why in Islam, we call these martyrs "Shaheed" which basically means "a witness". Their sacrifice of their lives is a testimony to their faith in the message of Tauhid.
The second element is that of service. As the person enters Hajj, he enters into Allah's service. Yet, a Muslim should always be at Allah's service for we are His 'abd. The early Muslims showed par excellence the level of dedicated service that could possibly be rendered to Allah. Abu Bakr r.a., the first Caliph, used to be a rich man before Islam. During the early years of Islam, he used to ransom the Muslim slaves from their Masters and set them free. One famous slave to be saved by Abu Bakr was Bilal r.a. Later on, during the war with the Meccans, when the Prophet asked for contributions to the war effort, Abu Bakr gave all of his earthly possessions.
Till today, Dar Al-Arqam is a well known name - the House of Arqam is always used in relation to studies and learning. It was rooted in history when Islam was still at its infancy. The companion Arqam r.a. opened his house (near the foot of Safa - http://www.islamiclandmarks.com/saudi_daarul_arqam.html ) to the Prophet to teach the early companions in secret. His house was where the companions gathered to learn more about Islam and to memorise the verses of the Quran that were being revealed. His service at this crucial time in the history of Islam should not be forgotten.
Numerous other companions of the Prophet s.a.w. and many more Muslims over the centuries too have been at the service of Allah and as Muslims, we too should remember that like those before us, we should be at the service of Allah and therefore should always stand ready in awareness of Him. As such, the Hajj brings this point home through the utterance of the words above.
2. Brotherhood
One of the unique elements of Hajj is that of the universal brotherhood. As millions flock to Mecca, standing shoulder to shoulder, moving as one body in the tawaf (circumbulation) around the Ka'aba, gathering all together in Arafat, there can be no better picture of the Brotherhood of Islam in this day and age.
But as we actually struggle to actualise the unity of the Ummah outside of the Hajj, what better example can there be than in example of the Prophet s.a.w. and his companions. The bond of brotherhood/Islamic community was fostered above and beyond tribal allegiance in the establishment of the first Muslim community in Madinah. In Madinah, the Prophet in his wisdom, paired the emigrants from Mecca who had broken their own tribal relations with the pagan Meccans with the people of Madinah. These pairings were not mere lip service. The emigrants were for the most part without material possessions and in need of help adjusting to a new environment and culture. The pairings helped aided their transition into the new Muslim community, to the point the people of Madinah became known as the Ansars, i.e. the helpers. The feeling of brotherhood was such to an extend where some of the Ansars offered part of their wealth with the emigrants. This was the case of `Abd al Rahman ibn `Awf (emigrant) and Sa'd ibn al Rabi`(Ansar). That didn't mean that the emigrants took advantage of such feelings and leech off the Ansars. In fact, many of them found their feet again and grew prosperous as traders and farmers.
Amongst the Ansar themselves, one of the reasons for their welcoming the Prophet and the other emigrants were that the rivalry between the two major clans of Madinah, the Aws and the Khasraj, had escalated to an extend that there had been civil war. Embracing Islam and welcoming the Prophet into their community had the benefit of uniting the two rival clans into a single community. In fact, it was during the pilgrimage seasons that the first and second Bai'at (pledge of allegiance) of 'Aqabah (near Mina) were concluded. The first Bai'at of 'Aqabah occured as follows:
When six men from the Khasraj who came for one of the pilgrimage seasons embraced Islam, they delivered its message to their people. And so the next pilgrimage, twelve men, both from Khasraj and Aws, made their pledge to the Prophet at 'Aqabah known as the First 'Aqabah.
In the words of one of them: "We pledged our allegiance to the Messenger of God on the night of the First 'Aqabah, that we would associate nothing with God, that we would neither steal, not commit fornication, nor slay our offspring' nor utter slanders; and that we would not disobey him in that which was right. And he said to us: 'If ye fulfil this pledge, then Paradise is yours; and if ye commit one of these sins and then receive punishment for it in this world, that shall serve as expiation. And if ye conceal it until the Day of the Resurrection, then it is for God to punish or forgive, even as He will.' " (from Martin Lings, Muhammad: His life based on earliest sources)
A year later, Islam had spread to much of the people of Aws and Khasraj, thanks to the effort of the Prophet's emmisary, Mus'ab. The Second 'Aqabah then saw seventy-three men and two women making a pledge to protect the Prophet as they protect their own families. The binding ties of Islam not only stopped the civil war but transformed them to the status of "Ansars." such that the Prophet's love for them was made manifest later on after the siege of Ta'if. In this instance,
Then the Prophet went to them, and, having given praise and thanks to God, he addressed them: "Men of the Helpers, word hath come to me that ye are deeply moved against me in your souls. Did I not find you erring, and God guided you, poor and God enriched you, enemies each of the other and God reconciled your hearts?" "Yea indeed," they answered. "God and His Messenger are most bountiful and most gracious." "Will ye not retort against me?" he said. "How should we retort?" they asked, in some perplexity. "If ye wished," he answered, "ye might say unto me, and say truthfully, and be believed: 'Thou didst come unto us discredited, and we credited thee, forlorn and we helped thee, an outcast and we took thee in, destitute and we comforted thee.' 0 Helpers, are ye stirred in your souls about the things of this world whereby I have reconciled men's hearts that they may submit unto God, when you yourselves I have entrusted unto your Islam? Are ye not well content, 0 Helpers, that the people take with them their sheep and their camels, and that ye take with you the Messenger of God unto your homes? If all men but the Helpers went one way, and the Helpers another, I would go the way of the Helpers. God have Mercy upon the Helpers. and on their sons and on their sons' sons." They wept until their beards were wet with their tears. and with one voice they said: "We are well content with the Messenger of God as our portion and our lot." (Martin Lings, Muhammad: His life based on earliest sources)
Taking the example of the Aws and Khasraj, we need to put aside
our differences and rivalry to truly unite as helpers of Islam. Shoulder
to shoulder in tawaf, in prayer and in working together in the service of
Allah.
