Hajj and Development of Mankind (3)

The Qur’anic ayahs refer to the political dimension of Hajj pilgrimage. For instance, in ayah 97 of surah Ma’ida we read: “Allah has made the Ka’ba, the Sacred House, a sustentation for mankind.” The practice of the Prophet of Islam, too, indicated his attention to both spiritual and political dimensions of hajj.

One of the most effective ways to increase the impact of the views of individuals is to express it collectively. Thus, every now and then we see rallies and demonstrations in which people express their views on various subjects. Hajj is one of the largest human gatherings in the world. It is held every year in a specific period in order to convey the sublime messages of Islam to the world. God taught Muslims more than 14 centuries ago to propagate His religion in this way, strengthen their unity and show their power to the entire world. Then, can we say that hajj pilgrimage is a merely personal and spiritual worship and does not have a political and social aspect?

A brief look at the rituals of hajj clearly shows that the purpose of its proclamation is the journey towards God among masses of Muslims. In other words, hajj is a personal, social, spiritual and political ritual. If the purpose of hajj pilgrimage was simply a personal worship, there would be no reason to observe it during specific days and a specific land. But, by determining the month of Zil-Hijja and the land of revelation (Mecca) for hajj rituals, God has turned this great obligatory worship into a magnificent gathering of Muslims. The hajjis put on the special garb (Ihram) at a certain time and go to the Tawaf (circumambulation) of holy Ka’ba (Symbolic House of God) with no privilege over each other. As the magnanimous event of hajj nears its climax, millions of hajis converge at the plain of Arafat, Mash’ar, and finally Mina. They stone the symbol of Satan three times and observe Bira’at minal-Mushrikeen (disavowal of polytheists). In hajj, personal worship is linked with the collective act of others to reflect the supreme messages of Islam and the power of the Muslims.

In the first year that the holy Prophet conquered Mecca without any bloodshed, he ordered Imam Ali (AS) to break all the idols that had been installed inside Ka’ba by Quraish, as they were symbols of polytheism. The following year, Imam Ali (AS), on the orders of the Prophet read the first ayahs of surah al-Tawba during the hajj event. These ayahs evidently say that the Lord and His Messenger hate polytheists and will not tolerate their hostile measures against Muslims. Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), after his final Hajj (Hajjat al-Wida’) declared Ali (AS) as his successor. In fact, the Prophet accomplished his important political duty and acted as a role model for monotheists and true Muslims to perform hajj in its real sense.

According to these manifest verses of the Qur'an and the practice of the Prophet, Imam Khomeini (God’s mercy upon him) considered hajj as a politico-religious obligation. He said, “Since its birth, the political dimension of hajj has not been less important than its religious dimension and the political dimension is an act of worship itself." In other words, the political aspect of hajj, unlike the common politics in the world, is immoral and deceptive. It is rather a means to propagate the religion of God. Unfortunately, the tribal regime of al-Saud, which has occupied the land of revelation for several decades and has served its masters in Washington, London and Tel Aviv, does not recognize the political aspect of hajj based on the Wahhabi beliefs; and has exerted its utmost effort to prevent its occurrence.

Showing the power and unity of Muslims is one of the most important political functions of the massive gathering of the faithful during the hajj season. In this ceremony, Muslims from the Islamic and non-Islamic countries show their unity and dignity in the face of the enemies. In other words, the politico-religious aspect of hajj is an example of the last ayah of surah Fat’h, which states: “Mohammad, the Apostle of Allah, and those who are with him are hard against the faithless and merciful amongst themselves.” In the huge gathering of hajj, Muslims from every country are kind, cooperative and sympathetic towards each other while they are as firm and hard as pieces of steel against the enemies. This can be understood from the calm and fraternal air encompassing the entire tents and residences of pilgrims settling in various regions of Mecca and doing their rituals. Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, said about the role of unity and solidarity in the hajj: "Hajj can revive the spirit of monotheism in hearts, interconnect the pieces of the great Islamic Ummah, restore the greatness of the Muslims and liberate them from the humiliation which has been imposed on them. »

In order to achieve unity, Muslims need to get to know each other and eliminate misconceptions and this can be provided in hajj. The enemies of Islam are making great efforts to forge division among Muslims, and hajj is the opportunity for Muslims of various denominations to overcome misconceptions and bring their views closer together. In this regard, the scholars of various sects can play an effective and constructive role in Islamic unity. Unfortunately, this tremendous potential of hajj has not been taken seriously due to the hostility and obstructionism of the Saudis and no effective step is taken for dialogue and understanding between Islamic schools. However, the magnificent hajj gathering and the presence of Muslims from different countries and various schools of thought will provide the ground for empathy, consensus, and Islamic unity.

The proclamation of disavowal of the enemies of Islam can be considered another function of hajj. As mentioned earlier, the last ayah of surah Fat’h says that the Prophet of Islam and his followers are merciful among themselves but hard against the faithless. But the ayah that explicitly expresses disavowal of polytheists is the third ayah of Surah Tawba which says:

“[This is] an announcement from Allah and His Apostle to all the people on the day of the greater ḥajj: that Allah and His Apostle repudiate the polytheists”. Inspired by this dignifying ayah, Imam Khomeini says the cry of disavowal of unbelievers in hajj season is a politico-religious duty that has been ordered by the holy Prophet of Islam. The avowed enemies of Islam are the regimes that today conspire against this heavenly religion and its followers. The Great Satan (US) and the child-killer regime of Israel are at the ringleaders of this sinister trend. Regarding the necessity of disavowal of polytheists in the hajj, Ayatollah Khamenei says: "Hajj in its essence has two main elements: to approach God in thought and action, and to shun the devil with the body and soul.” Therefore, the pilgrims in their massive gathering in the land of revelation have the best opportunity to express their disavowal of the enemies of Islam.

In the past years, Iranian pilgrims along with the pilgrims of other countries have held magnificent ceremonies in disavowal of polytheists and their present embodiment; namely the US and the Zionist regime. But the Saudi regime, which fears this revitalizing event, suppressed the rallies of disavowal of polytheists in1987 and brutally martyred and injured hundreds of hajis in Mina at the behest of his masters in Washington and Tel Aviv. This violent crackdown led to a more restricted ceremony in the following years. It is clear, however, that the fury of the Islamic Ummah towards enemies cannot never be alleviated and quenched by such violent encounters.

The gathering of millions of people in hajj makes Muslims aware of each other’s conditions and problems. Imam Khomeini had stressed: "Hajj is for examining the annual problems of Muslims and trying to solve them.” Today the so-called mainstream media mainly propagate the policies of big powers and give no proper information on what is going on in the Islamic countries. Nevertheless, the presence of pilgrims from different countries gives them the opportunity to talk to each other and exchange real information so that they think for tackling the problems of the Islamic world. The US occupation of and carnage in the Islamic countries, the occupation of Palestine by Zionists and the crimes of Takfiri terrorists in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Nigeria and elsewhere; as well as Islamophobia in western countries, are some of the hot issues and big problems of Muslims. Although these problems are raised among hajis during the hajj pilgrimage, the Saudi rulers do not tolerate even these exchanging of views. Thus, they try to prevent Muslims talking to each other on the common problems gripping the Islamic communities.  Let us appeal to God and pray for the deliverance of the holy land of revelation from the yoke of the western-fabricated Saudi regime. Amen.
FK/RM/MG