Pilgrims scale Mount Arafat for Haj prayers on the Day of Arafah.
Hyderabad: There is more to Hajj than meets the eye. It’s not just going through the paces – the tawaf (circumambulation), sa’ee (running between Safe-Marwa hillocks), and drinking from the fountain of Zam Zam. It’s not even ‘Rami Jamara’ (stoning of the symbolic devil) or the standing at Arafat. It’s much more. Of course these are the core acts without which Hajj remains incomplete. No pilgrim will be considered a Haji without performing them.
But is this all expected of a Haji? What about the spirit behind this supreme act of worship? How many imbibe it and carry it through life? A Hajj performed with an awakened heart and with due adherence to sunnat (prophetic traditions) ought to bring in revolutionary changes – prove a turning point in life. But such transformation is seldom seen in the lives of Hajis. There is no noticeable, not even subtle change. Most of the pilgrims are the same as they were before the Haj.
A properly performed Juma (Friday prayer), it is said, guarantees a purposeful week. A rightly spent Ramzan ensures a useful year. And a perfectly offered Hajj changes life for good.
Hajj is not a journey of going. It is rather returning to the source, returning to Allah – the source of everything. When one heads to Makkah, one is actually coming back home. The elation experienced is akin to what a long lost wayfarer feels returning to his roots.
“What will it be like to go before Allah (on the Day of Judgment)”, an Islamic scholar was asked:
“For some it will be like a reunion with a long lost loved one. For others it will be like a runaway slave being dragged back to his master,” he replied.
Hajj is the largest annual congregation of Muslims, centered around the Ka’aba. The sheer scale and diversity of the gathering is humbling. All social hierarchies dissolve. Differences of race, status, and wealth disappear. Everyone stands equal before Allah.
Ek hi saf mein khade ho gaye Mahmood-o-Ayaz,
Na koi banda raha aur na koi banda nawaz
(Mahmood and Ayaz stood in the same row
No one remained a master and none a slave)
Every rite of Haj has deep symbolic meaning and traces back to Prophet Ibrahim (AS), his wife Hajira, and their son Ismail (AS). Pilgrims retrace their acts of unwavering submission to Allah’s will. Whether it’s the circumambulation, the running between the hillocks of Safa and Marwa, the stoning, or the sacrifice, each action is a powerful reminder of obedience, trust, and faith in God.
What may seem strange to an outsider is in fact a tribute to the monumental legacy of submission set by this righteous family.
Despite technological advancements and improved infrastructure, Hajj remains a rigorous test of patience and discipline. With nearly two million pilgrims, logistical challenges are inevitable. Yet the spiritual atmosphere helps keep chaos at bay.
In Mina, for instance, pilgrims often feel squeezed into limited space, yet serious conflicts are rare. The five days of Haj, also called Yamul Tarwiyah, offer unique training in humility, tolerance, and self-restraint.
The wuqoof (standing) at the plains of Arafat on the 9th of Zill Hijja is the high point of Hajj. Without this, the pilgrimage is invalid. This sacred gathering is not only the spiritual climax but also a reminder of Hajjatul Wida, the occasion when Prophet Muhammad delivered his farewell sermon in 632 C.E. in the 10th Hijri.
The last khutba of the Prophet constitutes the best charter of human rights and women’s privileges as it sets out in clear-cut terms the do’s and don’ts for emancipation and Allah’s pleasure. The world is yet to produce such a declaration which addresses issues like freedom, sanctity of life and property, equality of all races, women’s rights and obligations, exploitation, and monopoly.
Pilgrims should remember they are at Arafat not because of their wealth or planning, but solely because Allah willed it. It is a gifted opportunity to respond to Prophet Ibrahim’s ancient call. This day is for repentance, pleading, and seeking Allah’s mercy. It is a time for deep introspection, istighfar (asking for forgiveness), and tauba (repentance).
The greatest challenge begins after Haj. While it is relatively easy to observe religious duties in the spiritual environment of Makkah and Madinah, maintaining that discipline back home is far more difficult.
A true Haji must strive to uphold the values acquired during the pilgrimage – praying on time, reading the Quran, avoiding sins, and preserving modesty. Slipping is natural, but what’s important is the willingness to repent and reform.
As Prophet Muhammad said: “All the children of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who repent.”
For a Haji it should be a lifelong mission to correct one’s attitude, to ensure that the dedication is complete, submission total, and repentance sincere.
This post was last modified on June 9, 2025 1:49 pm