HAJJ: REMINDER OF THE ABRAHAMIC SPIRIT
Before the advent of the Last Prophet, Prophet Muhammad, Bayt al-Maqdis (the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem) served as the centre of prophetic guidance. After his arrival, al-Bayt al-Haram (the Sacred House in Makkah) became the centre of divine guidance (Quran 2:144). Hajj, in essence, is an annual gathering of Muslims from all over the world. They congregate at the Haram during specific days to renew their connection with God in its sacred atmosphere, reinforce their unity, and symbolically reenact significant events from the prophetic life of the greatest missionary, Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). Through this spiritual journey, they commit to spreading God’s message to all of humanity, regardless of circumstances.
The History of Hajj
God appointed Prophet Ibrahim as a leader of guidance, as mentioned in the Quran:
“I will make you a leader of human kind.” (2:124)
This role entrusted him with the lasting responsibility of ensuring that divine knowledge continued to be conveyed to humanity. For the first 2,000 years, this divine mission was carried out primarily through the lineage of his son Ishaaq (Isaac). From Prophet Ishaaq to Prophet Isa (Jesus), many prophets were sent in this line to deliver God’s message to human beings in Palestine and its surrounding regions.
After Prophet Isa, this sacred responsibility was transferred to the descendants of Ibrahim’s other son, Isma’il (Ishmael). The final prophet, Prophet Muhammad, was born into this lineage. He was uniquely chosen to preserve the divine scripture and establish the religion firmly so that it would never be lost. This mission, referred to in the Quran as the manifestation of the religion — “...so that He may make it prevail [ideologically] over every other religion” (9:33) — highlights a unique aspect of the role of the Final Prophet. Unlike earlier prophets, whose task was solely to convey the message, the Final Prophet was entrusted with both delivering the message and establishing the conditions that would ensure it could be practiced in its pure and unadulterated form by anyone who wished to follow this divine guidance.
To fulfil this monumental task, a supportive community was necessary—one that exemplified exceptional human qualities. This community would stand by the final prophet and help bring the divine mission to fruition. For this purpose, Prophet Ibrahim settled his wife Hajar and his son Isma’il in the barren and uninhabited region of ancient Makkah. In this remote and simple environment, far from the complexities of urban civilization, a nation could emerge that embodied the highest virtues: a people of integrity in thought and action, unwavering in their commitment to truth, and willing to sacrifice everything for divine principles.
Through generations, this community developed in the harsh desert environment, cultivating the qualities described in the Quran as “the best nation” (khayr ummah, Quran 3:110). It was among these people that the final Prophet, whose arrival was prayed by Prophet Ibrahim during the construction of the Ka‘bah (Quran 2:129), was eventually born.
From Prophet Ibrahim’s wife Sarah, God blessed him with a son, Prophet Ishaaq, during his lifetime. However, the fulfilment of Ibrahim’s prayer for a prophet from Ism’ail’s lineage took more than 2,000 years. This delay was due to the differing roles of the two lineages. The Final Prophet needed a vibrant, virtuous, and resilient nation to support his mission, and the natural development of such a community required centuries.
In the meantime, the continuity of divine guidance was maintained through the prophets sent in the Israelite lineage of Prophet Ishaaq. Prophet after prophet reminded humanity of God’s message and His purpose for creation until the arrival of the final Prophet which made further prophetic missions unnecessary.
The Divine Plan of Guidance
In accordance with this divine plan, Prophet Ibrahim migrated from his homeland in Iraq. He settled his wife Sarah in Palestine (Hebron), where Prophet Ishaaq was born, and placed his other wife, Hajar, and their son Isma’il in Arabia (Makkah), where he constructed the Ka‘bah. Thus, the divine mission initiated through Prophet Ibrahim had two centres: Palestine, the focus of the earlier phase, and Hijaz (Arabia), the centre of the final phase.
Initially, after Prophet Ibrahim, Palestine became the hub of divine guidance. It was in this region that all subsequent prophets of that era, including Prophets Ishaaq (Isaac), Yaqub (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph), Dawud (David), Sulayman (Solomon), Musa (Moses), Yahya (John), and Isa (Jesus), were born. Prophet Ibrahim’s grandson, Yaqub (Jacob), also known as Israel, became the namesake of the Israelites (Bani Israel).
However, when the Israelites declined spiritually and morally, despite repeated warnings from the prophets, they were divested of their role as the bearers of divine guidance. This sacred responsibility was then transferred to the descendants of Isma’il. By this time, a 2,000-year process had prepared them to serve as the custodians of God’s message.
As a symbolic marker of this transformation, the direction of worship (Qiblah) was changed. Until then, all prophets after Prophet Ibrahim had prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis. Now, the old Qiblah was replaced, and the Ka‘bah was established as the new Qiblah for worship.
Reenacting Abrahamic History
Hajj is a symbolic reenactment of Abrahamic history. It embodies the global mission initiated by Prophet Ibrahim to spread the message of truth. Pilgrims symbolically replicate various stages of his mission, renewing their covenant with God to dedicate themselves to the same divine purpose. They pledge to continue the prophetic mission in the post-final-prophethood era, just as the chosen prophets carried it forward.
The purpose of Prophet Ibrahim’s mission was to make humanity aware of God’s plan of creation. To fulfil this purpose, he left his homeland. Similarly, a pilgrim leaves their home, signalling their readiness to abandon personal comfort and dedicate themselves to informing humanity about God’s divine plan. Prophet Ibrahim adopted a simple and modest lifestyle, and pilgrims, by donning the Ihram, commit to limiting themselves to only the bare essentials, directing their focus entirely toward their ultimate spiritual objective.
Prophet Ibrahim circumambulated the Ka‘bah to reaffirm his loyalty to God. Likewise, pilgrims perform Tawaf around the Ka‘bah, declaring their allegiance to God. In their devotion to the divine mission, Prophet Ibrahim’s family endured hardships—Hajar ran between Safa and Marwa searching for water. Similarly, by performing Sa’i (the walk between these hills), pilgrims demonstrate their willingness to endure challenges for God’s sake, even if it involves their families facing circumstances as difficult as those experienced by Hajar and Isma’il.
When Satan tried to divert Prophet Ibrahim from God’s path, he threw pebbles at him to repel the temptation. Similarly, pilgrims perform Rami, symbolically throwing pebbles at Satan, to affirm their resolve to reject all satanic influences. Prophet Ibrahim was even willing to sacrifice his son in obedience to God’s command. In the same spirit, pilgrims offer a sacrificial animal, declaring their readiness to make the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of faith.
One of Prophet Ibrahim’s key mission was to remind people of the Hereafter. Pilgrims reflect this by gathering in the plain of Arafat, evoking the imagery of the Day of Judgment. This gathering aims to remind the reality of the Hereafter into their consciousness and renews their commitment to spreading awareness of this ultimate truth. Whenever God called Prophet Ibrahim, he responded without hesitation. In the same spirit, pilgrims repeatedly chant during their Hajj rituals:
“Here I am, O Allah, here I am. There is no partner for You. Here I am. Indeed, all praise, blessings, and sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1549; Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 1184).
This proclamation signifies the pilgrim’s readiness to answer God’s call at all times.
Hajj as a Global Centre for Divine Awareness
The Ka‘bah serves as a global centre for enlightening humanity about God and His plan of creation. Hajj is a worldwide gathering of individuals committed to spreading this divine message. Every act performed during Hajj recalls the struggles and experiences of Prophet Ibrahim and his family as they worked tirelessly to deliver God’s message to humanity. The rituals of Hajj are symbolic reenactments of the challenges Prophet Ibrahim faced during his mission. Through these symbolic acts, pilgrims resolve to continue the mission of spreading awareness about God’s purpose of creation, just as Prophet Ibrahim did. Some rituals directly reflect his struggles, while others represent symbolic aspects of his mission.
The rituals of Hajj symbolize pivotal moments in Prophet Ibrahim’s prophetic journey, reflecting his unwavering struggles and profound dedication to fulfilling the mission of conveying God’s message. However, for many Muslims today, Hajj and the pilgrimage to the Ka‘bah have become little more than an annual religious ritual. If Muslims were to revive their awareness of the mission to enlighten humanity about God’s plan of creation—reawakening the spirit of propagation of the divine message—they would naturally infuse the Hajj gathering with the same spiritual vitality that characterized Prophet Ibrahim’s life.
Unfortunately, when this missionary spirit diminishes among Muslims, Hajj risks becoming a hollow ritual. Pilgrims throw pebbles at a symbolic Satan but make no effort to resist the living Satan. They engage in symbolic acts but lack the passion and commitment to perform real actions.
Hajj: A Means of Unity
In today’s world, one of the most glaring issues among Muslims is their division and disunity. Despite the unique institution of Hajj—a remarkable and unparalleled collective gathering—Muslims fail to achieve mutual unity. Hajj, with its annual global assembly, should serve as a powerful source of unity for Muslims worldwide, dissolving all differences. Yet, in practice, it has been reduced to a mere traditional crowd rather than a vibrant gathering of individuals united by a shared great purpose.
For unity to thrive, there must be a common and higher purpose that directs people’s focus towards an elevated goal. Without such an overarching objective, individuals become preoccupied with minor issues, and even the largest assemblies fail to create genuine unity. The great mission of the Muslim Ummah is to make humanity aware of God’s plan of creation. If Muslims rekindle this sense of purpose within themselves, the entire community will naturally align toward this greater goal. Consequently, the Hajj gathering will evolve into a powerful means of global unity among Muslims and serve as the global centre of the Abrahamic spirit—a spirit dedicated to enlightening humanity about God’s plan of creation.
Hajj as a Living Act
In the 10th year of the Hijrah, the Prophet Muhammad performed his final Hajj. During this occasion, in the plain of Arafat, he delivered a profound sermon before a gathering of over 100,000 Muslims, famously known as the Farewell Sermon (Khutbat al-Wada). This Hajj is also referred to as Hajjat al-Balagh (the Hajj of Conveyance) because the Prophet conveyed the basic teachings of Islam to the Ummah and took their pledge to uphold them. Toward the end of the sermon, he said:
“Let those who are present convey it to those who are absent, for it may be that a recipient of knowledge will retain it better than the one who heard it directly. And you will be asked about me, so what will you say?”
The people replied, “We bear witness that you have conveyed the message, fulfilled the trust, and given sincere advice.” The Prophet then raised his index finger towards the sky and pointed it toward the people, saying:
“O God, bear witness. O God, bear witness.”
(Sahih Ibn Hibban, Hadith No. 1457; Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 1218)
Two months later, the Prophet Muhammad passed away. By this time, Islam had spread across the Arabian Peninsula. After his demise, his Companions embarked on a mission beyond Arabia, dedicating themselves to spreading God’s message and making humanity aware of His plan of creation. They devoted their lives, wealth, and efforts to this mission. As a result, within fifty years of the Prophet’s passing, Islam had reached and influenced a significant portion of the known world.
Today, Hajj is still performed regularly, and the Imam of Hajj addresses a congregation much larger than that of Hajjat al-Wada, delivering sermons that echo the teachings of the Prophet. Yet, these sermons often fail to produce meaningful results. Why is there such a stark difference? The answer lies in the fact that Hajj, which was once a vibrant and transformative act, has now become a mere ritualistic tradition.
During the time of the Prophet, those who attended Hajj did so with a clear intention and firm resolve to act upon the guidance they received. In contrast, today’s pilgrims travel to Makkah and Madinah mainly to perform the rituals of Hajj and return to their lives unchanged, resuming their previous state without any transformative impact.
This demonstrates that in order to restore Hajj in its true spirit, the first step is to awaken the consciousness of the pilgrims. Unless pilgrims—and Muslims in general—are spiritually and intellectually awakened, the rituals of Hajj will remain hollow, much like a broken gun that fails to fire despite the trigger being pulled.
Reviving the Purpose of Hajj
To revive the true spirit of Hajj, Muslims must approach it with the same sense of mission and resolve as the Companions of the Prophet. Only then will Hajj regain its power to inspire, unite, and guide the Muslim Ummah towards fulfilling its divine purpose, making it a living and transformative act rather than a mere ceremonial tradition.
Reviving Hajj in its true spirit means transforming it into a global institution dedicated to enlightening humanity about God and His plan of creation. Hajj should become a global centre for this divine mission. During this international gathering, representatives from each country could present the conditions and challenges of their nations, allowing participants to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and learn from one another. Sermons during Hajj should emphasize the importance of spreading awareness about God’s plan of creation and explore modern opportunities for doing so. Under the guidance of the Hajj institution, effective literature should be developed in multiple languages and disseminated on a global scale.
However, it must be understood that this reorientation of Hajj cannot occur without a broader reorientation of Muslim life. The primary responsibility of Muslims is to serve as witnesses of God’s message for humanity (shahadah ‘ala al-nas). Their relationship with other nations should be akin to the relationship between a compassionate doctor and their patient. Unfortunately, Muslims today have largely forgotten this principle. Instead, they have positioned non-Muslim nations as material rivals and adversaries. For Hajj to regain its significance as a transformative institution, Muslims must first undergo a shift in mindset. They need to abandon activities and attitudes that hinder their mission to spread awareness of God’s plan of creation. Without fostering mutual respect and a conducive environment between Muslims and other nations, how can Muslims hope to convey this divine message? And who would be willing to listen?
Achieving this goal requires the establishment of world-class universities with curricula and systems oriented toward God and His plan of creation. Institutions should be developed to train individuals in this vision. Comprehensive literature should be created to cultivate an Abrahamic mindset. Moreover, foundational Islamic literature needs to be revisited and redeveloped. Much of the Quranic exegesis and writings on the Prophet Muhammad’s life produced in recent times were reactionary, primarily addressing external critiques rather than positive, proactive explanations of Islamic teachings.
Looking back 1,400 years to the early Makkan period, we find the Prophet Muhammad performing Tawaf around the Ka‘bah alone. At that time, Islam was a stranger in the world. Today, however, the Ka‘bah is circled daily by countless individuals, and during Hajj, millions converge on Makkah, overwhelming even the continuously expanding facilities of the Sacred Mosque. This remarkable transformation was achieved through sincere and compassionate efforts to inform humanity about God and His plan of creation.
Hajj is, at its core, an annual demonstration of the Abrahamic mission of Islam. It illustrates that the key to all progress for Muslims lies in spreading awareness of God and His plan of creation. This mission holds the secret to their worldly success and eternal salvation. History shows that the strength of Islam has always stemmed from its ideological power to connect humanity with their Creator.
In its early days, Islam struggled to gain acceptance among the general populace of Makkah. However, it succeeded in attracting individuals who later became the pillars of Islamic history. This success was solely due to Islam’s ideological strength, as no other form of power was available at the time. Even distinguished leaders like Amr ibn al-As and Khalid ibn al-Walid were profoundly moved by Islam’s intellectual depth and spiritual excellence, ultimately becoming devoted Companions of the Prophet.
In the second phase, Islam’s establishment in Madinah was also a direct result of its ideological strength. No military campaigns were waged against Madinah. Instead, a few individuals carried the teachings of Islam to the city and began sharing them in a straightforward, sincere manner. Over time, Madinah transformed into the intellectual and practical centre of Islam.
During later periods, challenges such as the Mongol invasions posed severe threats to the Muslim world. Barbaric tribes armed with bows and swords launched devastating attacks, dismantling the power centres of Muslim civilizations. At first glance, it appeared that Islamic history would meet the same fate as other civilizations that had risen and fallen before it. Yet, at this critical juncture, Islam’s ideological strength emerged as a powerful force. This ideological strength effectively resolved the crisis in challenging times.
Hajj and the Ka‘bah (Baitullah) are profound symbols of a grand strategy for making people aware of God and His creation plan. When Prophet Ibrahim’s message was not heeded in the civilized regions of Iraq, Syria, and Egypt, he, in obedience to God’s command, settled his family in Makkah. There, he constructed the Ka‘bah to serve as a permanent centre for divine guidance:
“The first House to be built for mankind was the one at Makkah. It is a blessed place; a source of guidance for the whole world.” (Quran 3:96).
This verse emphasizes that the first House designated for humanity was located in Makkah—a place of blessings and a source of guidance for all nations.
Amr ibn Awf narrates that the Prophet said: “Indeed, the religion will retreat to the Hijaz just as a snake retreats to its hole. The religion will cling to the Hijaz just as a mountain goat clings to the peak of a mountain. Verily, the religion began as something strange, and it will return to being strange. So, glad tidings to the strangers—these are the individuals who will reform those who have strayed from the true path of Islam. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2630)
This hadith indicates that, just as the Hijaz became the epicentre of Islam’s message during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it will once again serve as the focal point for reviving God’s religion when it becomes neglected or forgotten. Thus, Hajj is not merely a venue for worship but also a hub for renewing and disseminating the divine message. It is vital today to restore the significance of Hajj as a global platform for this noble purpose.
In the present era, the scientific revolution has opened up numerous new opportunities for Islam. These advancements make it more feasible than ever to utilize the global gathering of Hajj for planning and organizing the dissemination of Islam’s peaceful message on a worldwide scale. In this way, the divine way of thinking can once again become the dominant worldview, just as it was in the past. This objective, referred to in the Quran as establishing the faith (izhar-ud-deen) and exalting God’s word (i’la-u-kalimatullah), is deeply embedded in the essence of Hajj. Undoubtedly, the key to achieving this lies in reviving the spirit of Prophet Ibrahim through the institution of Hajj.
A Necessary Condition
To transform the institution of Hajj into a global platform for the dissemination of the peaceful message of Islam, one essential condition must be met: Hajj must remain entirely free from political influence.
I performed Hajj in September 1982. One day, while I was inside al-Masjid al-Haram, a group of individuals from a particular country began chanting slogans in praise of their national leader. Their chants attracted a crowd of pilgrims, sparking heated debates and arguments that continued for a long time. The spiritual environment of the Ka‘bah, meant for worship and remembrance of God, was sadly turned into a scene of political discord due to this thoughtless act.
A similar incident occurred in Madinah. While staying at a hotel, a group of young men came to my room carrying pamphlets printed in English and Arabic. These pamphlets contained negative propaganda against the ruler of a specific Muslim country. When they handed them to me, I remarked, “You are wasting your valuable time and misusing these sacred days of Hajj.” Despite my advice, they argued with me, eventually leaving in frustration.
In recent times, such tendencies have become increasingly common. Certain organizations and governments view Hajj primarily as an opportunity to exploit the presence of Muslims from around the world for their narrow political agendas. This approach is entirely wrong and runs counter to the fundamental objectives of Hajj. Pilgrims gathering for Hajj should be seen solely as individuals fulfilling a divine obligation. The correct way to utilize this global assembly is to instil in pilgrims the spirit of Prophet Ibrahim, fostering an awareness of God’s creation plan. This way, they can return to their respective regions as ambassadors of God’s religion, rather than as participants in divisive propaganda against one another.
Hajj is an extraordinary force that can be harnessed effectively to spread the teachings of Islam on a global scale. However, this requires one critical condition: Hajj must not be turned into a platform for internal disputes or political agendas.
