Background To Hajj

Adam and Eve

The symbolism of Hajj goes way back to the beginnings of the human story, to Adam, the first man, and after him to Ibrahim, the friend of God. The story begins with a small mountain in the Plain of Arafat which is known as Jabal ar-Rahmah or the Mount of Mercy. It was here, according to tradition that Adam and Eve were forgiven by God for their sins, and were brought back to His love and protection.

After they had given in to the devil's temptation the y were banished from their lovely paradise and lost each other. They wandered the earth in confusion and terrible unhappiness.

God watched over them, waiting for them to turn back to Him and exchange their defiance for a de sire for forgiveness.

When at last they understood what separation from God was, they prayed to be restored to grace, and the Lord of Compassion was able to forgive them. Their dramatic reunion took place at the little mountain of Arafat. In gratitude, they built a simple shrine nearby, the first building on earth constructed for the worship of God.

For Muslims, to be on that mountain on 9 Dhu'l Hijjah is the main part of the Hajj ritual. As for Adam and Eve, this 'meeting' between themselves and God, if done with spiritual awareness brings total forgiveness of all past sins and gains the promise of paradise.

Ibrahim

The second important moment celebrated by Hajj is the occasion when the loyalty of Ibrahim was put to the test.

Ibrahim had vowed to sacrifice everything in his life to God. He was a most humble and devout man, even though he was the wealthy owner of vast herds of sheep and goats. He lived peacefully with his childless Wife Sarah, and a second wife - an Egyptian woman called Hagar (Hajara) - who had given birth to his son Isma'il.

One day God decided to test Ibrahim's faith and loyalty. Ibrahim had a vivid dream in which he was asked to sacrifice that which he loved most, his only son Isma'il. When he awoke, in fearful agony of mind, he told his son the dream.

The test

Isma'il was terrified, but replied bravely - 'O my father, do what you are commanded to do, and do not worry about me.' Such was their obedience, that even though they did not know why God had ordered this, they accepted that if it was His will, it had to be done.

They set out for Mina, the place of sacrifice. On the way the devil appeared in human form using various arguments to make Ibrahim change his mind and doubt whether the dream was genuine. Each argument was so reasonable that it made the sacrifice much harder to bear:

• Only the devil would ask Ibrahim to do such a wicked thing, not God. Ibrahim was being tricked by the evil power.

• Didn't Hagar love her son? Didn't Ibrahim love her, and wouldn't he do anything she asked? How could she allow him to take the foolish dream so seriously, and kill their only boy?

• Didn't Isma'il realize his father was mad? He was being cruel and unloving. Where were his feelings? Isma'il should run away and not get himself killed like a fool!

All three of them resisted these temptations. According to tradition, they picked up stones and flung them at this stranger to drive him away.

The sacrifice

They reached the appointed place. 'Put me face downwards, ' begged lsma'il, not out of fear, but so that his father would not hesitate when he saw his face.

Ibrahim laid him on the altar, and such was the boy's acceptance and courage that he did not need to be tied. Both had consented to the sacrifice.

But at the last moment God stopped Ibrahim, and the reward for his obedience was that his barren wife Sarah gave birth at last to a son of her own Isaac.

Isma'il was the founder of the Arab tribes, and Isaac the founder of the Jews. (see  surah As-Saffaat, 37: 100-113).

Hagar's thirst

Because of Sarah's jealousy on behalf of her son, Ibrahim was told by God that he should separate from Hagar and Isma'il, and leave them to God's care beside the remains of the ancient shrine associated with Adam. In this barren, waterless desert Hagar and Isma'il were tested again, for God seemed to have abandoned them, and they were dying of thirst. Hagar ran frantically between the tops of two hills, Safa and Marwa, to see if she could spot a passing camel train that would be carrying water - but there was none to be seen.

At last, when all hope had gone save her hope in God, the angel [Gibra'il] appeared and showed her a spring at the feet of her suffering child. This is the spring now known as the Zamzam well.

Makkah

Later the family was reunited, and Ibrahim and Isma'il built, out of rough stone laid dry, a square walled sanctuary with no roof, the walls a little higher than a man. To lay the top layers, Ibrahim stood on a large rock, the Maqam Ibrahim.

The building became known as the Ka'ba, or Cube, a very holy place quite unlike the grandiose ziggurats (temples) and pyramids of the surrounding nations.

For around 4000 years the Ka'ba has been reconstructed on that same foundation, and the faithful have gone there on pilgrimage.

'O our Lord, receive this from us . . . make us submissive to You, and of our seed a nation submissive to You . . . and our Lord, send among them a messenger, one who will tell them Your signs and teach them the Book and the Wisdom, and purify the.' (surah Al-Baqarah,2:127-9, see also surah Ibrahim,14:35-8)

A village of tent s swiftly grew up around the water-supply in the desert, and eventually the town of Makkah grew up.

TALKING POINTS

• Should believers always have the right to know the reasons why God wants them to do certain things, or should they act out of; trust? Why do they feel they can trust God?

• Is it possible for a believer to live a life of submission to God without facing the tests and temptations of the devil?