Reflections
on Hajj
By Dr Muzammil H. Siddiqi
Dated
February 18, 2005
Muzammil H. Siddiqi So when you have
accomplished your holy rites (of Hajj), celebrate
the praises of Allah, as you used to celebrate the
praises of your fathers, yea, with far more heart
and soul. There are people who say: "Our Lord! Give
us (Your bounties) in this world!" But they will
have no portion in the Hereafter. And there are
those who say: "Our Lord! Give us good in this world
and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the
torment of the Fire!" To these will be allotted
what they have earned; and Allah is quick in account.
(Al-Baqarah 2:200-202)
Alhamdulillah, the Hujjaj are now
returning from Hajj. There were more than two and
half million people who performed Hajj this year.
From our own community in Orange County there were
many people, especially the young people, who went
for Hajj. Allah also honored me and some members
of my family to perform Hajj this year. I pray to
Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala to accept our Hajj and
bless us and the whole Ummah with His mercy and
love. May He also increase in our hearts the respect
and love of His Sanctuaries. Hajj is a unique institution.
There is nothing like it anywhere in the world in
any religion or culture.
The universal gathering, its size,
universality, diversity, intensity, emotions and
spirituality, everything is unique and awe-inspiring.
It fills the hearts of the believers with joy, happiness
and pride. It moves many to tears and makes them
very humble when they see the millions circling
around the House of God (the Ka’bah) crying to Allah,
running between the Safa and Marwah with raised
hands in prayers and filling the Grand Mosque and
its surrounding areas with worship and devotions
twenty-four hours a day, without any interruption.
It is amazing that so many people,
young and old, healthy and sick, rich and poor come
there and are able to do everything that they are
supposed to do. People spend thousands or their
life’s savings, they go through some difficulties
and inconveniences, yet they find satisfaction that
what they did was worth doing and want to do it
again and again. This is the power of faith and
the blessing of the House of Allah. Similar is the
feeling when we go to the tent cities of Mina and
‘Arafat. Throughout the year they are empty like
ghost towns, but suddenly at the time of Hajj they
become alive bustling with people. Human beings
are everywhere, and cries of Allah Akbar come from
every direction.The night of Muzdalifah is an equalizer;
the rich and poor all become homeless, lying on
the streets, an awful reminder of the Day of Judgment.
Hajj is a great experience. It is
an experience of humbleness before Allah, repentance
and forgiveness. It is an experience of love, brotherhood,
unity, harmony and peace. On the Day of Arafah,
I had the honor to speak to our group and I reminded
myself and them the ten principles that Prophet
Muhammad gave during his Last Sermon at the time
of Hajj. He told his followers:
1. Honor the life, dignity
and property of others.
2. Do not do injustice and oppression.
3. Be honest in your business and financial dealings.
4. All human beings are equal.
5. Muslims are brothers to each other.
6. Do not kill each other.
7. Avoid quarrels and disputes among yourselves.
8. Recognize the rights of women.
9. Fulfill your trusts and promises.
10. Convey the message of Islam to others.
I told the group that these principles
made the Muslim community pride of the world at
that time. Today, we have to follow the same rules
if we want to be true to our faith and to contribute
any thing to the world. Hajj brings happiness to
every believer’s heart. It is a joy to be so close
to the House of Allah, in close proximity to the
most sacred sites of our faith. It is a special
honor to be in the city of the Prophet Muhammad,
praying in his Masjid and paying my respect and
salam at his grave.
What honor could be greater than this
honor and what joy in this world could be better
than this joy? This year the Hajj was very safe.
The weather also was very good. The authorities
there have done a lot to make Hajj easy for all
people. However, there are still some areas that
need improvements. Most of the Hujjaj come with
a great feeling of reverence and respect, but people
get scared when they see big crowds, may be first
time in their life. They lose control over themselves;
they become impatient, run and push. There is a
need for thousands of guides and trained police
and volunteers to manage the crowds and to direct
them in a courteous and kind way.
The number of police and guides there
is very small and those who stand there do not seem
very trained and knowledgeable. I was very pleased
to see the cleanliness standard in the city of Madina.
Not only the Masjid, but its surrounding areas and
streets were constantly cleaned. However, I was
sad to see that the streets of Makkah were not kept
as clean as the streets of Madinah. There was a
lot of litter all over. The same was the situation
in Mina and Muzdalifah. Many Hujjaj become sick
because of the hygienic conditions there. There
are also not enough toilet facilities in Mina and
Muzadalifah. People had to stand in long lines for
a long time to get their turn. Some people just
cannot control themselves. Within hours some areas
became very filthy and this made many people very
sick.
Authorities have done a good job in
providing enough water and food for the people;
they should also pay attention to sanitation. Traffic
in Makkah, Mina and Muzdalifah is also out of control.
It is a miracle that too many accidents do not occur.
Too many buses and cars and too much pollution.
Some people were suggesting that there should be
trains or mono rails between Makkah, Mina, Arafat
and Muzdalifah. This probably would be a good way
to reduce traffic jams and pollution of the air
from auto emissions. Alhamdulillah, there were not
any stampedes or deaths this year at the Jamarat.
Instead of pillars now there is a large wall and
this made it easy for people to throw their pebbles
at a larger area.
However, one-way traffic rule was
not enforced. Many merchants brought their goods
and displayed them on the road. This also made the
walking areas narrow. There was not enough police
in the area and those who were there did not care
to direct the traffic and to move the merchants
away from the middle of the road to the sidewalks.
I hope those who are responsible will continue to
improve the conditions. I hope and pray that Hajj
will continue to inspire humanity and bring its
benefits in this world and in the hereafter. Ameen.
(Khutbah at ISOC – Dhul Hijjah 25, 1425/February
4, 2005)
