Sheikh Isam bin Salih Al-Owaid
Allah, in His Glory, has revealed in His Glorious Book two chapters that describe to mankind how Hajj, the pilgrimage, is to be performed to His Sanctified House. These two chapters are Surat Al-Hajj and Surat Al-Baqarah. As for Surat Al-Baqarah, the second of the two to be revealed, it is a chapter of commands and prohibitions. That is why emphasis is placed in it about statements, actions, and legislative rulings in regards to completing the performance of Hajj, as well as forbidden acts and their expiations. The chapter starts its discussion of Hajj by speaking about the time of Hajj, [through the sighting of] the new moons, and concludes the passages about Hajj with the remembrance of Allah in specific, numbered days. It also brings forth attention to Taqwa (the state of being mindful of Allah) to remind us all of the importance of this great principle.
As for Surat Al-Hajj, it is a chapter related to the heart. Most of the verses in it are speaking about another aspect of Hajj which focuses on the presence of the heart, where the verses speak about the pilgrimage of the heart.
Allah says, speaking of the sacrificial animals,
"Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you."
[Noble Quran 22:37]
"That [has been commanded], and whoever honors the sacred ordinances of Allah - it is best for him in the sight of his Lord."
[Noble Quran 22:30]
He also says,
"That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols of Allah - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts."
[Noble Quran 22:32]
Whoever can combine both of these facets in their Hajj has combined all forms of goodness. And whoever has some type of deficiency in one of them or both, their Hajj will decrease in its quality and rewards in accordance to the degree of deficiency. In fact, if one analyzes the verses and texts in revelation, it clearly demonstrates that the degree of perfection or deficiency of Hajj of the heart is more important and has a greater effect upon whether one's Hajj being accepted or rejected in comparison to the actions of the limbs even though both are important. Nevertheless,
"Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent."
[Noble Quran 65:3]
The perfection of the heart in glorifying Allah's rites is not equivalent to the perfection in the recommended acts of Tawaf, Sa'i, throwing pebbles [at the Jamarat], and so forth. Similarly, the deficiency in the pilgrims' garment of sincerity, dedication and devotion to Allah is not equivalent to the deficiency in their garment of Ihram. Cleansing the hearts from showing off, arrogance, and pride is not equivalent to purifying the tongue from idle talk, the body from filth and the clothing from dirt. Both concepts (the spiritual and physical) are a part of this religion that we worship Allah with. Yet the former -the actions of the heart- is the very foundation while the latter -the actions of the body- is a branch of that foundation. There is a great correlation between these two (the spiritual and physical), except when one makes their external appearance upright whereas their internal condition is corrupted. How excellent are the poet's words when speaking of the path to Allah:
Traveling a distance by hearts to Him is not equivalent to traveling physically.
Profound Chapter
Many scholars of the Qur'an have agreed that Surat Al-Hajj is one of the most profound chapters of the Qur'an.
I have reflected over it for quite some time and have looked at the explanations of the scholars of the past and of latter days, and I have derived a unique description specifically for it: Chapter of Expert Scholars. Indeed, it is a chapter for those who are firm in knowledge because of its deep meanings, difficulty in correlating its different verses with each other and the various conflicting interpretations amongst the scholars.
Unique Characteristics of This Chapter
1- There is no other chapter throughout the Qur'an that combines between the Meccan revelation and the Madinan revelation, revelation during the day and night, revelation during travel and residence, revelation during war and peacetime, revelation of passages that are precise and those that are not specific, revelation in the wintertime and summertime, and revelation that was abrogated and abrogates except in this chapter.
2- The Companions differed as to whether the verses were revealed before or after the emigration of the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, to Medina.
3- No other chapter was named after the five pillars of Islam. It is not known by any other name.
4- No other chapter has two prostrations of recitation. One of the scholars narrated that `Umar said, "Surat Al-Hajj has been made special with two prostrations [of recitation]."
5- No other chapter in the latter half of the Qur'an starts off with the call "O people".
6- In the Qur'an there are more than sixty parables, none of which Allah says before presenting it,
"...so listen to it."
[Noble Quran 22:73]
, except in this chapter.7- In this chapter, four types of hearts are mentioned: the blind heart, the sick heart, the rough heart, and the heart that is living, tranquil, and seeking Allah. These four types of hearts were only mentioned together in this chapter.
It has a verse that includes all forms of good where Allah says,
"O you who have believed, bow and prostrate and worship your Lord and do good - that you may succeed."
[Noble Quran 22:77]
Thus, these eight unique characteristics distinguish this chapter from other chapters of the Qur'an.
Objective of This Chapter
The prominent scholar ibn Taymiyyah commented on the chapter's objective by saying, "It includes the different stages in the path towards Allah all together." This scholar's statement verifies why this chapter was named Al- Hajj. Linguistically, Al-Hajj means "to seek something that is venerated" and verily, there is nothing that deserves more veneration than Allah, glorified be He. Everybody is walking in their path towards The Great One in His Magnificence, His Beauty, His Mercy, and His Punishment, may He be exalted.
Thus, this chapter is full of guideposts and milestones for the one who is traversing this path in order to shed light upon questions such as: which path should one take? How should they walk? What is their provision? What should they be aware of?
The first of these signs is the proper etiquette in addressing others, even if they are disbelievers. The address of "O people" is intended for polytheists/idolaters as mentioned by ibn `Abbas. This interpretation is very clear when we look at all the different types of addresses in the Qur'an. The calls of "O you who have associated partners with Allah" or "O idol worshippers/idolaters" are never used. There is, though, a verse that says "Say: O you who disbelieve" and another one that says, "You who disbelieve, make no excuses today: you are only being repaid for what you used to do." However, the address that is consistent throughout the Qur'an is "O you who believe" and that is mentioned 89 times. Additionally, the calls of "O People of the Book" and "O Children of Israel" are mentioned many times as well. The Qur'an is addressed to those who associate partners with Allah as well as others, yet the only call addressed towards them is "O people". Certainly, this supports the statement of ibn `Abbas.
I have counted ten rules of thumb from merely the first page of this chapter for those who seek to walk towards their Lord: to be kind when addressing others... to be strong while doing so... to be more concerned about the heart first... to use and utilize fear from what is expected in the Hereafter... to explain that in detail... to warn against those perceived to be intelligent and clever with words when they argue, especially when they give beauty to falsehood through their intelligence and their eloquence because they are the followers of
"...every rebellious devil."
[Noble Quran 22:3]
... to have utmost conviction that removes any doubt about resurrection... to use the proof of physical sight for insight... to mention the proofs of the strength of the Compeller in His Creation... and to mention the weakness of man in his physical makeup.. If one were to continue to reflect, they would find many other remarkable sources of guidance in this chapter.The Pilgrim's Relationship With This Chapter
The one who is performing the Hajj is seeking the Ka`bah. In their journey, they need signs that will guide them until they reach their final destination. There are signs and evidences in the Qur'an for the pilgrim throughout this chapter. So, I'm informing every pilgrim: how strange is the situation of the pilgrim who is seeking to perform Hajj yet has not reflected over this chapter!
This chapter combines between the journey of the pilgrim to the Ka`bah with their feet as well as their hearts. It combines between the Talbiyah of the heart as well as the Talbiyah of the tongue. It combines between the throwing of pebbles with one's hand as well as the internalization of that very rite. Similarly, it combines between the sacrificing of the animal with one's hand and the internalization of the rite of sacrifice.
So, if one were to ask: how can we perform Hajj physically with the presence of our hearts?
The answer -while all knowledge is with Allah- is that this whole chapter and its different verses revolve around the concept of reverence. Therefore, whoever wishes to achieve that must revere in their heart what Allah has ordered to be revered. This can be obtained through studying the verses and pondering over the matters which this chapter orders for us to respect and revere. One has to struggle greatly to achieve this goal through patience and perseverance. Furthermore, days and nights must be spent in deep reflection and weeping in solitude until the doors of guidance are opened for them. These are affairs of the heart that are unattainable except through constant spiritual struggle.
This Chapter Emphasizes Having Reverence For Three Matters
Firstly: to have reverence of Allah as a Lord and as the only deity worthy of worship; to be sincerely dedicated to Him and to trust in Him completely without any deficiency in this trust. We must reflect over certain verses that were mentioned in the chapter such as:
"O mankind, fear your Lord. Indeed, the convulsion of the [final] Hour is a terrible thing."
[Noble Quran 22:1]
"That is because Allah is the Truth and because He gives life to the dead and because He is over all things competent"
[Noble Quran 22:6]
"Do you not see that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures and many of the people? But upon many the punishment has been justified. And he whom Allah humiliates - for him there is no bestower of honor. Indeed, Allah does what He wills."
[Noble Quran 22:18]
"Inclining [only] to Allah, not associating [anything] with Him. And he who associates with Allah - it is as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into a remote place."
[Noble Quran 22:31]
"That is because Allah is the Truth, and that which they call upon other than Him is falsehood, and because Allah is the Most High, the Grand."
[Noble Quran 22:62]
"Do you not know that Allah knows what is in the heaven and earth? Indeed, that is in a Record. Indeed that, for Allah, is easy. And they worship besides Allah that for which He has not sent down authority and that of which they have no knowledge. And there will not be for the wrongdoers any helper."
[Noble Quran 22:70-71]
And in the conclusion of this chapter is a remarkable analogy where Allah says,
"O people, an example is presented, so listen to it. Indeed, those you invoke besides Allah will never create [as much as] a fly, even if they gathered together for that purpose. And if the fly should steal away from them a [tiny] thing, they could not recover it from him. Weak are the pursuer and pursued. They have not appraised Allah with true appraisal. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might."
[Noble Quran 22:73-74]
The aforementioned petitioners include those who call upon other than Allah as well as those who ask a fly to return what it took from them. As for those they petition, it includes those being called upon other than Allah as well as the fly itself. Thus, even if the petitioner or those they petition were an angel, a messenger, or a king, or anyone else, verily they are all weak in comparison to the Mighty and the Dominant, glorified be He.
I remember that in a past pilgrimage season, there was a lady pilgrim who was stuck at the Black Stone so she was afraid for herself, and she shouted and screamed loudly. While there were only a few inches between her and the House of Allah, she was shouting, "O Badawi, save me! O Badawi, save me! O Badawi, save me!" Has this woman not read in the chapter of Hajj where Allah says,
"He invokes instead of Allah that which neither harms him nor benefits him. That is what is the extreme error."
[Noble Quran 22:12]
Some people call upon Allah right in front of the Ka`bah, in between As-Safa and Al-Marwah, in `Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Mina. These individuals are, in reality, testing their Lord as they do not trust Him and they have no certainty in Allah responding to anyone calling Him. This chapter addresses these people by saying:
"And of the people is he who worships Allah on an edge. If he is touched by good, he is reassured by it; but if he is struck by trial, he turns on his face [to the other direction]. He has lost [this] world and the Hereafter. That is what is the manifest loss."
[Noble Quran 22:11]
Secondly: to have reverence of the Hereafter. The verses of this chapter cause the heart to tremble severely. In the beginning of it Allah says,
"O mankind, fear your Lord. Indeed, the convulsion of the [final] Hour is a terrible thing. On the Day you see it every nursing mother will be distracted from that [child] she was nursing, and every pregnant woman will abort her pregnancy, and you will see the people [appearing] intoxicated while they are not intoxicated; but the punishment of Allah is severe."
[Noble Quran 22:1-2]
The nursing mother here is currently nursing her child, but she will throw him as he is suckling. Glorified is He, a tree that is not going to be judged, a mosquito that is not going to be questioned, an ant that will not be weighed, a cat that will not be given the option of Paradise or Hell - why would all these things miscarry what they were pregnant of?
"...every pregnant woman will abort her pregnancy"
[Noble Quran 22:2]
is inclusive of every female in the creation.In the middle of this chapter Allah says,
"These are two adversaries who have disputed over their Lord. But those who disbelieved will have cut out for them garments of fire. Poured upon their heads will be scalding water, By which is melted that within their bellies and [their] skins. And for [striking] them are maces of iron."
[Noble Quran 22:19-21]
One should ponder as to why Allah put forth the punishment of the bellies before the skin. The righteous predecessors, may Allah be pleased with them, explained this. It was narrated by ibn Abi Hatim, on the authority of As-Suddi that he said, "The angel will come to him carrying with him a container of a fiery drink. When he brings it close to his face, the individual will show hatred towards it. (The angel) would then take out an iron hook and strike his head causing his brain to explode. Then, the angel would empty the container into his brain and it would enter into his stomach straight from his brain."
Thus, the fiery drink will reach the stomach before it reaches the skin. We seek Allah's refuge from such a fate.
As for the Believers, they have a great promise awaiting them as Allah says,
"Indeed, Allah will admit those who believe and do righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearl, and their garments therein will be silk."
[Noble Quran 22:23]
There are so many of these types of verses throughout the chapter.
Thirdly: to give reverence to that which Allah expects us to revere, which are His rites as well as the pillars of action of the religion such as the prayer, the obligatory charity, Hajj, the struggle in spreading/defending Islam, etc.
This has been repeated in this chapter to remind us of the reverence that we must have in regards to the rites of Hajj itself. Allah says:
"That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols of Allah - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts."
[Noble Quran 22:32]
"That [has been commanded], and whoever honors the sacred ordinances of Allah - it is best for him in the sight of his Lord."
[Noble Quran 22:30]
To clarify that this type of reverence should be felt in the heart, Allah says:
"Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good."
[Noble Quran 22:37]
"And for all religion We have appointed a rite [of sacrifice] that they may mention the name of Allah over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. For your god is one God, so to Him submit. And, [O Muhammad], give good tidings to the humble [before their Lord]"
[Noble Quran 22:34]
One of the greatest factors that will sever the human being's journey towards the Most Merciful as well as the journey of those who are answering call to the sanctified House, is the lack of reverence of the rites of Allah. Therefore, in this great chapter, Allah repeats and makes it very clear how important it is to have reverence of the Grand Mosque, and to the House within it -the Ka`bah- as well as the Black Stone, the Yemeni Corner, the Standing Station of Abraham, As-Safa and Al-Marwah, in `Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Mina, and to the location where the stones are to be thrown, in addition to the sacrificial animals of whose blood is spilled solely for the Sake of Allah. What is meant by having reverence of these matters is not to seek blessings from them, or to think that they will bring benefit or harm independent of Allah. Instead, people must realize that this House of Allah has been attributed to Him out of reverence and honor.
Allah has made for this House a mosque and He made this mosque a sanctuary. He made it protected where humans, animals, and even plants feel that type of protection and security. In the authentic collection of Al-Bukhari and Muslim, it is reported that, "Allah has made Mecca a sanctuary since the day He created the Heavens and the Earth. So, it is a sanctuary by Allah's Decree till the Day of Resurrection. Fighting in it was not legal for anyone before me, and it was made legal for me only for an hour by daytime. Its thorny bushes should not be cut, and its game should not be chased, its fallen property should not be picked up except by one who will announce it publicly; and its grass should not be uprooted."
[Al-Bukhari #3189, Muslim #3139]
Allah made for this sanctuary different stations wherein a person who intends to visit this holy place should not pass through except that they take off their regular clothing, uncover their head, and answer the call in a loud voice proclaiming their sincere and complete submission to their Lord. All of this is for the purpose of venerating and having reverence for the House of Allah as narrated in the collection of Ahmad and others that, "This community -the Muslim community- will remain to be in a good state as long as they continue to give reverence to this sanctuary the way it deserves. Once they lose that reverence, they will be destroyed."
The Companions knew this statement very well, the statement of Allah where He says,
"That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols of Allah - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts."
[Noble Quran 22:32]
One of the profound commentaries of this verse is the statement of ibn `Abbas when he said, "If the people do not perform Hajj and do not visit His House, then Allah will bring the heavens upon the earth." He derived this from the verse where Allah says,
"Allah has made the Ka'bah, the Sacred House, standing for the people"
[Noble Quran 5:97]
The Ka`bah is the center of the pilgrimage, bringing in people from all over the world, where Muslims are allowed to trade - the Sacred Months ensured their safety. The offerings provide a means of livelihood to the poor and needy, and the custom of garlanding an animal gives it special protection. In addition to all these material benefits, there are the spiritual benefits of worshipping Allah. This is an example of bringing people together in peace.
So, ibn `Abbas speaks about this verse in the sense that this is what protects people in their spiritual and material well-being.
Furthermore, even the animals realize this fact. In the authentic collection of Al-Bukhari, Al-Miswar bin Makhramah said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and raise his rank, set out at the time of Al-Hudaybiyah, he went on advancing till he reached the Thaniya i.e. the mountain pass by which one descends (to Mecca), his riding-beast knelt down, and the people said twice: 'Go on, go on, Al-Qaswa' (i.e. the she-camel's name) has become jaded'. The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'She has not become jaded and that is not a characteristic of hers, but He Who restrained the elephant has restrained her'. Then he said, 'By the Name of the One in Whose Hands my soul is, if they (i.e. the disbelievers of Quraish) ask me anything with which they will respect the ordinances of Allah, I will grant it to them.' The Prophet then urged the she-camel and she got up."
[Al-Bukhari #2731]
So, it is ironic that some people do not recognize the importance of these rites while an animal, a she-camel, recognized it.
Allah has warned in this chapter sternly when He says,
"Indeed, those who have disbelieved and avert [people] from the way of Allah and [from] al-Masjid al-Haram, which We made for the people - equal are the resident therein and one from outside; and [also] whoever intends [a deed] therein of deviation [in religion] or wrongdoing - We will make him taste of a painful punishment."
[Noble Quran 22:25]
Therefore, whoever tries to violate it -by merely having the intention and resolve to do so- would deserve punishment even if they are not able to physically carry out their wrongdoing.
If a pilgrim was to reflect over this chapter and tread this path of Hajj with his heart and physical body, we would see a great spiritual journey full of tranquility, respect, love, concern, and mercy. The beautiful aroma emanating from the statements glorifying Allah, exalting His mention, and seeking Him alone would be all around. Hearts would find reverence of Allah and eyes would find tears. We would thus not witness the deficiencies, major and small, that we are accustomed to.
How many nullifiers and deficiencies of worshipping Allah alone do we see during Hajj? How many people do we see neglecting the obligatory prayer? How much oppression, theft, cheating, lying, cursing, swearing, backbiting, slandering, mockery of others, etc. do we see around the House of Allah, and around the rites of the pilgrimage? How many people do we see not dressing properly and exposing their bodies to others? How much smoking and throwing of filth and disturbance of other pilgrims do we see?
All of this takes place because of our weakness and deficiency in showing the proper respect and reverence of Allah, the Great and the Mighty, and to His great rites.
I remind you, my dear pilgrim, that Allah honored the father of all prophets, Abraham, by making him a caretaker of the Ka`bah. He was responsible for cleaning the House from the filth of associating partners with Allah as well as material filth. Allah says,
"...and purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate."
[Noble Quran 22:26]
Should we not tread the same path and walk in the footsteps of our father, a close friend of Allah, where we can cleanse the House of Allah, and all the different rites, whether it's `Arafah, Mina, etc. from every type of association of partners with Allah in worship, and every type of filth?
These are just some of the highlights of this great and profound chapter. Carry them with you throughout your Hajj and throughout your life. I ask Allah to make me and you from those who fulfill these teachings and make them an argument for us and not against us. In conclusion, we beseech Allah to bless the Messenger Muhammad and raise his rank because, in fact, he was the best of all who had reverence and respect to these great rites.
