The Etiquette of Hajj
By Sameen Ahmed Khan
Engineering Department
Salalah College of Technology (SCOT)
Sultanate of Oman
We are just back from the Hajj (the trip was made from Oman). The Hajj went off very well, without any mishaps and illnesses. By the Grace of Allah, the arrangements made by the authorities were excellent. The Hajj Research Centre has taken utmost care in the minutest details to make the experience pleasant for the pilgrims. My three-year-old daughter, Hajira, could also easily participate in all the Arkan (including the stoning in the Jamrat) smoothly, Alhamdulillah. The crowds (there were about three million pilgrims this year - source the official Hajj Website, http://www.hajinformation.com/) are not as much as they make it out to be; the constant extensions/preparations around the Hajj sites have taken care of this. The tents in Mina (with concrete flooring and air-conditioning for instance) are designed to be questionably comfortable. The attitude and acts of some of the pilgrims was deplorable. Following are my observations and thoughts about the same.
It was distressing to see too many people constantly indulging in videography/photography (from the cameras in their mobile phones and other gadgets) of themselves and their companions at each and every site. They did not spare even the small and congested, and most sought after area of Riyazu-ul-Jannah. The graves of Jannat-ul-Baquee did not give them any Ibrat. The crowds of the Tawaf and pace of Sai did not deter them. The very precious moments of Arafat too were consigned to the indecent act (of videography). The holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah were treated like picnic camps. Makkah Mukarramah and Madinah Munawwarah are NOT tobacco-free! There are smokers in the precincts of the two holy mosques too. The Jamarat had its share of smokers; were they stoning or smoking the satan?
Shopping is a big distraction during the Hajj. We need to exercise utmost restraint in this regard. In my opinion it suffices to gift our near and dear ones with Zamzam, dates and Islamic literature (all available in plenty at the Hajj sites).
There is a hadith which states that "... in later times there will be lot of people but NOT A SINGLE Haji ... ". May be the above details are an indication of this hadith and coming of the later times. May Allah Almighty Guide us all, Ameen. The Hajj (journey of a lifetime) needs elaborate preparation far beyond the Arkan (state of Ehram; Tawaf; Sai; stay in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah; Qurbani and Rami). The Arkan can be understood from a suitable tutor/book (and now the videos, Internet etc) with precision and thoroughness in a short time. With rapid transport and numerous tour operators (in many parts of the world), the decision to perform Hajj is taken by some in haste at too short a notice. This leaves inadequate quality time (thanks to our busy schedules and commitments) to prepare for Hajj. This is further compounded by the numerous parties (which are generally a hindrance rather than a support) that take place prior to Hajj. It is the attitude and the spiritual preparation which requires a greater effort and generally a longer time. The crash courses offered can at best focus on the Arkan.
The journey of Hajj requires substantial funds; we need to ensure that our earnings are righteous and so also what we may have inherited. An extra effort (well in advance) in our work places and review of our business practices would be a starting point to achieve this. Another concern is the quality of our Salah; does it meet the standards? The best places to start preparing for Hajj are the Qur’an itself and a book on Seerat-un-Nabi. Use a subject and word index of the Qur’an and look for Hajj, Kabah, Ibrahim and so on (Internet users can avail of the indexing at http://www.islamicity.com/. This website also offers multilingual meaning of the Qur’an and has an exhaustive coverage of a range of topics, including Hajj).
The significance of the Hajj can also be noted from the fact that it is covered in the Qur’an in numerous places with the Arkan. The sanctity of the Kaba is further highlighted from the fact that Allah Almighty addresses Kabah as “My House” in Ayat 125 of Surah Baqarah. Commentators have emphatically pointed to the grammatical first person “My House”, in the above verse.
Besides the Qur’an and Seerat it is very useful to read the history of Makkah and Madinah that gives us a perspective of the things we see. Each site we visit, may it be Masjid Quiblatain, the hills of Ohud or Jannatul Baquee, the imagery from the history enables us to get deeply involved. The historical information enables us a time-travel of sorts.
May Allah Almighty enable us to make journeys to the sacred cities and guide us to conduct ourselves in a manner which pleases Him, Ameen.
rohelakhan@yahoo.com, http://www.geocities.com/rohelakhan.
