Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam made obligatory on adherents to the Islamic faith once in a lifetime. This outstanding act of worship becomes obligatory once a Muslim is of age and possesses the financial and physical capability to embark on the journey to the Holy Land in Makkah. About this the holy Quran declared:
“…Pilgrimage to the House is a duty to God for all who can make the journey. But as for those who refuse—God is Independent of the worlds” (Qur’an: chapter 3, v: 97).
In obedience to this command and many other commandments in the traditions of the holy Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings be upon him) that stipulated the rewards and methods of performing Hajj, Muslims all over the world strive yearly to embark on such spiritual journey, transcending all difficulties to the Holy Land in a manner that wonderfully fits into a quick and a willing response to the call of the Almighty Allah pronounced to Mankind through the tongue of Abraham.
“And announce the pilgrimage to humanity. They will come to you on foot, and on every transport. They will come from every distant point.” (Qur’an: chapter 22, Verse:27)
On the exegesis of the above Qur’anic verse, it is reported that when Abraham and his son Ishmael finished raising the foundation of the Holy House of Allah in Makkah, Abraham was commanded to call out to humanity to visit the House to which he obliged. Upon making the call, all the creation at the time responded to his call by saying the words: LabaikaAllahumaLabaik, LabaikaLaaShareekalakaLabaik, InnalHamda, Wani’matalakawalMulk, LaaShareekalaka (Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner).
These beautiful words that depict complete subordination only to the Almighty, known as “Talbiya” therefore became the common anthem sung by all pilgrims from all over the world who speak different languages; majority of whom being non-Arabic speakers!
Role of Saudi Authorities in Hajj.
One thing that strikes the heart of all pilgrims with awe, leaving them flabbergasted, is the unique and outstanding arrangements put in place by Saudi authorities for smooth and successful pilgrimage.
One can talk about outstanding and spacious infrastructure such as the beautifully crafted Holy Mosques in Makkah and Al-Madinah that have seen major expansions throughout the Saudi State and the good road network connecting various cities to the holy sites.
Being a former student at the Islamic University in Al-Madinah, I am a testimony to the outstanding leadership of the custodian of the two mosques. No dirt is left on the ground mistakenly by a pilgrim whilst walking on the beautiful streets of Makkah and Al-Madinah except that there is a sanitation worker meandering his way to pick it up. This act, indeed is not surprising when considered within the framework of Islam.
The teachings of Islam emphatically declare cleanliness and purity as half of faith. The Saudi authorities indeed deserve annual award from Muslims all over the world, which I think could be done through prayers at least.
Hajj Opens after Covid-19 Restrictions
The last quarter of the year 2019 ushered our globe to a medical discussion on a virus that was believed to have emanated from Wuhan in China. Starting as a rumour, the physically imperceptible virus started transcending borders and entering countries without Visas or permit, and what appeared as a rumour started gaining grounds in media discussion and by the beginning of the year 2020, countries all over the world started paying price for the spread of the virus- a phenomenon that depicts the interconnectedness of our human existence.
In the wake of this, many activities of all spheres of life were grounded, with almost all countries closing their borders to their near and far neighbors to prevent importation of the virus.
As the virus was depicted to easily spread in gatherings, many activities involving mass gatherings were restricted by countries all over the globe. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its wise leadership, who were entrusted with the custodianship of the two Holy Mosques and therefore organizes hajj and visitation (Umra) pilgrimages, restricted Hajj activities for two years to help prevent escalation of the virus locally and globally. This indeed was a bitter decision and yet the wisest and therefore deserve to be applauded.
The decision of the Kingdom when looked through jurisprudential scholarly lenses, falls within the objectives of Islamic Law (Maqasid Al-Shar’iyya), which fundamentally prefers preservation of life over all other objectives. Preservation of life is one of the five objectives of Islamic Law and The Holy Qur’an emphatically likened it to saving all humanity.
….”that whoever kills a person—unless it is for murder or corruption on earth—it is as if he killed the whole of mankind; and whoever saves it, it is as if he saved the whole of mankind…”
This, therefore, informed the decision of restricting Hajj for two years for local pilgrims from different countries and were present in the Kingdom.
The opening of hajj for international pilgrims this year, 2022, brought incitement to Muslims all over the world despite restriction of numbers to 1 million pilgrims. The covid-19 pandemic has also introduced additional requirements to hajj as people above 65 years are exempted from this year’s hajj.
This restriction and others fall within the framework of the keenness of hajj authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to protect lives, as people above sixty are medically believed to be more prone to contract the virus. In all, we are urged to remain calm and harbor good intentions in order to get rewards for actions we are unable to observe due to reasons beyond our control.
The writer is an expert in International Relations, Middle East and Ghana-Saudi Relations.
@The Muslim Network.
By Sheikh YahyaTuntunba
