The Call of the Haj

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In his book of tafsir, “From the Gardens of Tafsir”, Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi (q.s.) spoke of this ayat:

سُوۡرَةُ آل عِمرَان

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيۡتٍ۬ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِى بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكً۬ا وَهُدً۬ى لِّلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (٩٦) فِيهِ ءَايَـٰتُۢ بَيِّنَـٰتٌ۬ مَّقَامُ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ‌ۖ وَمَن دَخَلَهُ ۥ كَانَ ءَامِنً۬ا‌ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ حِجُّ ٱلۡبَيۡتِ مَنِ ٱسۡتَطَاعَ إِلَيۡهِ سَبِيلاً۬‌ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (٩٧)

The first House (of worship) Appointed for men was that at Bakkah: full of Blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings: In it are signs manifest; (for example), the Station of Abraham; whoever enters it attains security; pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to Allah ― those who can afford the journey; but if any deny faith; Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures. (Surah Ali ‘Imran:96-97)

All prophets and Messengers have performed haj except for four: Hud (a.s.), Swalih (a.s.), Luth (a.s.), and Idris (a.s.).  All other prophets and Messengers have performed haj of this house.  If it was a simple house to which the prophets and swalihin repeatedly came to from the beginning of time until our time, then that would have been sufficient for establishing its barakah; it is even more so established given the fact that it is the House of Allah (s.w.t.).

When Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) finished building it, Allah (s.w.t.) Ordered him to call for the haj to this house.  So he said, “How will I call them while they are non-existent, still in their forefathers loins?”

Allah (s.w.t.) Said, “Your responsibility is to call.  As for Making them hear, then it is My Responsibility.”

He then stood on the mountain of Abu Qubays and said, “O people, your Lord has indeed built a house, and He Calls you to perform haj to it, so do perform haj.”

All the hujjaj then replied from all corners of the world notwithstanding their state of non-existence.  Anyone who replied on that day must absolutely perform haj.  As for the one who did not respond, he will not perform haj even if material means are widely available to him.  The one who replied once will perform haj once; the one who responded twice will perform haj twice; and similar is the case for the one who replied numerous times.

As for us the ummah of Muhammad (s.a.w.), we do not perform any action devoid of meaning and without understanding anything of its significance.  Haj is the equivalent of a king calling someone to be his guest.  The habit of eminent people is that when they are called to meet kings, they clean themselves and wear new garments out of reverence for the king.  You will find that the one who intends for haj remove those habitual garments which make up his usual dress.  He then takes a ritual bath, wears a robe, a waist wrap and sandals only.  When a king calls a guest and the latter arrives, he calls him to his private quarters and shakes hands with him.  So, we come to the Sacred House of Allah (s.w.t.) and the Hajr al-Aswad is the Right Hand of Allah (s.w.t.).

Now, regarding Swafa’ and Marwah, Mina and ‘Arafat, it is the kings’ habit when they invite a personality and entertain him that they will come out with him for a pleasure walk to their places, orchards, and properties.  That is the significance of going out to Mina and ‘Arafat.  As for the return upon completion of the haj, then that is the banquet day which is the day of sacrifice, ‘Iyd al-‘Adhha’.