Inner Dimensions of Hajj-e-Baitullah

During the period of two to three months, from the time of deciding and preparing for Hajj to the time of returning home, what great effects are produced in the heart and mind of man surely you can well imagine them all. The process entails sacrifice of time, sacrifice of money, sacrifice of comfort, sacrifice of several worldly relations and sacrifice of many cor-poreal desires and pleasures. And all this simply for the sake of Allah, with no selfish end. Then, together with piety and virtuous-ness, the incessant remembrance of God and the longing and love of Him pervading the mind of the pilgrim, all leave a firm impression on his mind which lasts for years to come.
[On] reaching this sacred land he witnesses at every step the relics of those who sacrificed everything [of] theirs in servitude and obedience to Allah. They fought against the pagan Arabs, suffered tor-tures, became migrants, suffered unbearable hard-ships, but ultimately did raise aloft the Word of God and did not rest content till they subdued every such false power which wanted man to become subservi-ent to other entities than Allah. A lesson in courage and determination, which a devotee of God can draw from these clear signs and sacred relics, can hardly be available from any other source. If the attachment developed with his focal point of Deen (religion) through the circum-ambulation of [the] Ka'bah [and] the rehearsal of a Mujahid's life [through] the rites (Manasik) of Hajj (such as running about, and repeated departures and halts) are combined with Salah, fasting and Zakah, and they are all seen conjointly, you will realize that these processes constitute a training or some big task which Islam wants Muslims to execute. For this reason, Hajj has been made compulsory for those who are solvent enough and are capable to undertake the journey [to and from the] Ka'bah so that, as far as possible, Muslims in the largest possible number remain equipped in every period after having fully gone through this training.
[You] will be unable to appreciate fully the benefits of Hajj unless you keep in view the fact that each and every Muslim does not perform Hajj individually but that only one single period has been fixed for Hajj for the Muslims of the whole world, and, therefore, [hundreds of thou-sands] of Muslims jointly perform it. What I have stated before has only brought home to you the effect produced by this ‘Ibadah on every Hajji indi-vidually. Now I shall explain to you[...] how these benefits have been enhanced 100,000-fold by ap-pointing one single period of Hajj for the entire world. The excellence of Islam lies in this very fact that by one stroke it achieves not only two but 1,000 purposes. The advantages of offering Salah singly are by no means small but by making it conditional with congregation, enforcing the system of Imamat in Salah and by enlarging the congregations of the Friday and Eidain [the two Eid] prayers, its benefits have been increased to a limitless extent.
The observance of fasting separately by each person is also a very big source of reformation and training but by appointing only one month of Ramadan for all Muslims, these benefits have been increased so much that they cannot be counted. Zakah too has many advantages even if dispensed individually. But with the establishment of Bait-ul-mal (Public Exchequer of the Islamic State) its useful-ness has been increased to such a great extent that you cannot estimate it till such time as an Islamic government is formed and you witness with your eyes how much goodness and plentifulness result from collecting the Zakah of all Muslims at one place and distributing it among the deserving persons in organized form. Similar is the case of Hajj. If every [person] were to perform Hajj singly, even then it will bring about a big revolution in his life but by formulating the rules for all the Muslims of the world to perform it together at one time, its benefits have been increased to a limitless degree.

Student Focus | 5th Edition

By Muhammad Sheraz Alam

D.P.T, College of Physiotherapy

K.E.M.U .Lahore

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