A common question asked by
non-Muslims is: what is the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca? There are specific
rituals a Muslim is required to perform, but to explain them all would take
more space than I have. On its most fundamental level, the Hajj is an
individual Muslim’s demonstration of complete humility and submission before
God -- in a gathering of 3-million other Muslims doing the same thing! It is
also the greatest annual public event held in remembrance of one man who was
tested by God and proven true in his love and obedience and who has been
remembered throughout history. That man was Abraham (peace be upon him), a
messenger of God.
Islamic history tells us
that 4,000 years ago, Abraham and his son Ishmael rebuilt the Ka’aba on its
original foundation from the time of Adam. Muslims believe the Ka’aba is the
first house of worship built for the one, true God. After rebuilding the
Ka’aba, Abraham prayed to God (Quran, 2:129-130) that his future generations be
given a prophet to teach them their ways of worship and keep them righteous and
submitted to God. Muslims believe that, in the 7th century AD (600
years after Christ), God fulfilled this prayer of Abraham by raising Muhammad
(pbuh) in Arabia as the final Law-bearing prophet from the progeny of Abraham
for all mankind.
When the Prophet and his
followers became triumphant after 23 years of brutal persecution by the
idol-worshiping Meccans, the first thing Muhammad (pbuh) did was enter the
Ka’aba to cleanse it of all its idols. From that time on, the Ka’aba has
remained the House of worship for only one God -- the God of Abraham, Ishmael,
Isaac, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them all).
The Quran clearly defines
Islam as “the religion of Abraham” in five separate verses (2:131,136 &
4:126 & 6:162 & 22:79). This is because Islam is not a new religion,
but a fulfillment and completion of all earlier beliefs and of Judaism and
Christianity in particular. This is why Muslims are required to believe in and
respect previous messengers from God such as Jesus, Moses, Noah and Abraham.
Muslims are also required to respect and protect against destruction the holy
sites and houses of worship of other faiths. (Google “Charter of religious
freedom for Christians” online for an example of this requirement to protect
the worshipers and houses of worship of other faiths.)
Some outside observers
question the slaughtering of animals as part of the Hajj ritual, calling it
barbaric, cruel and unnecessary -- yet these same people will enjoy a steak
they bought at the market without ever questioning the pain and cruelty
involved in bringing it to their dinner plate.
At the Hajj (and elsewhere
in the world where Muslims slaughter an animal as part of the ritual), the
Halal method of slaughter is virtually painless, and Islam decrees that
one-third of the meat be given to the poor, one-third to neighbors, and
one-third kept for one’s family, friends and relatives. And during the Hajj,
almost all the meat slaughtered there gets frozen and shipped all over the
world to help feed the poor and needy.
Aside from the humanitarian
act of providing food for hundreds of thousands of people, the sacrifice of
animals also symbolizes a Muslim’s determination to kill his worldly and low
desires and become more spiritual and devoted to God and to the service of His
creation. The focus on sacrifice should also remind a Muslim of the service and
sacrifices of the members of our armed forces, hospitals, police and fire
departments. Their dedication and willingness to make sacrifices for others is
something we should all be thankful for and strive to emulate and embody in our
lives.
The lesson that Abraham
teaches us is universal -- anyone can say they believe in God, but are they
prepared to sacrifice what is most dear to them to prove it? It is never a real
test of one’s faith if all that is required is a mere verbal profession of
belief in God or one’s readiness to sacrifice everything for the sake of God.
Until a person is actually put to the test, even that person cannot know for
sure if God comes first. And, ultimately, that is the reason for such a test
from God – to prove to the person being tested whether or not they are truly
and completely submitted to God.
In the Islamic version of
the famous Bible story, Abraham has a recurring dream where he is slaughtering
his first-born son, Ishmael, as a sacrifice to God. When Ishmael attains the
age of reason (12 or 13), his father tells him about the dream and asks him
what he thinks. Ishmael does not hesitate but tells his father he is ready to
submit to whatsoever his father believes he must do to please God. And because
Abraham believed that it was his heavenly Father who was instructing him to
sacrifice his earthly son, Abraham proceeded to ritually slaughter Ishmael.
Then, just as Abraham is
about to sacrifice his son, God stops him and tells him to replace his son with
an animal as a sacrifice instead. God does not desire human sacrifice – never
has – but requires man to sacrifice his ego and carnal passions. The required
slaughter of an animal in substitution (in both the Jewish and Islamic rituals)
supports this belief. It also reflects God’s Mercy to mankind by forbidding
human sacrifice and using the sacrifice of animals as the reminder of that
Mercy.
Islam proclaims itself to be
the religion of Abraham, and it is by living the lessons of Abraham that we can
create the common ground where the seed of mutual respect and understanding can
take root and blossom into the flower of peace. The children of Abraham are still
one family. May we all learn from Abraham how to sacrifice our egos and worldly
fears and concerns and submit ourselves completely to God. In that way, we can
all live together in peace.
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[ Ghosted with Imam Shamshad A. Nasir; ran in slightly edited version in The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin's From the Pulpit (religion section) as: "Pilgrimage honors Abraham" on Sat., Oct. 19th, 2013 and online at AhmadiyyaTimes.com at this link: http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.com/2013/10/from-pulpit-islamic-pilgrimage-honors.html ] 
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