A History of Hajj - Part 3 of 3

As for the deplorable practice of spattering blood of the sacrificed animals on the walls of the Ka'ba and hanging their flesh on alters, then Allaah clearly informed them that:


"It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allaah, but it is Taqwaa (piety) from you that reaches Him." (Surah al-Hajj 22:37)

The Prophet (SAWS) also put a stop to the practice of circling the Ka'ba in a state of nudity and the argument that the pagans put forward to justify this ritual was sharply rebutted in Allaah's question:


"Say: Who has forbidden the adornment [i.e. clothes] given by Allaah which He has produced for His Slaves?" (Surah al-A'raaf 7:32)


Another custom which was prohibited through the Qur'aan was that of setting off for Hajj without taking any provisions for the journey. In the pre-Islamic period, some people who claimed to be mutawakkiloon (those having complete trust in Allaah) would travel to perform Hajj begging food the whole journey. They considered this form of behaviour a sign of piety and an indication of how much faith they had in Allaah. However Allaah told mankind that to have sufficient provisions for the journey was one of the preconditions for making Hajj. He said:


"And take a provision [with you] for the journey, but the best provision is at-Taqwaa (piety)." (Surah al-Baqarah 2:197)


In this way, all the pre-Islamic practices, which were based in ignorance, were abolished and Hajj was once more made a model of piety, fear of Allaah, purity, simplicity and austerity. Now, when the pilgrims reached the Ka'ba, they no longer found the carnivals and the frolic and frivolity that had once occupied the minds of the pilgrims there before. Now, there was the remembrance of Allaah at every step and every action and every sacrifice was devoted to Him alone. It was this kind of Hajj that was worthy of the reward of paradise, as the Prophet (SAWS) said: "The reward for an accepted Hajj is nothing less than paradise." [10]


May Allaah grant us all the ability to visit His House and perform the Hajj in the manner of the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS). Aameen.

Footnotes

1 Surah al-Hajj 22:26
2 Labbaik Allaahumma labbaik... (Here I am present, O' Allaah, I am present...) This is the chant which the pilgrims say when they are going around the Ka'ba.
3 Surah al-Baqarah 2:129
4 Surah al-Baqarah 2:197
5 Surah al-Baqarah 2:200
6 Surah al-Hajj 22:36
7 Surah al-Hajj 22:37
8 Surah al-A'raaf 7:32
9 Surah al-Baqarah 2:197
10 Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (Eng. trans. Vol. 3 p. 1 no 1)
11 This article has been taken from: "The Call To Allaah magazine", (Vol. 1 Issue 4)

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