Hundreds of Minnesota Muslims are currently in Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj as part of the several thousand strong contingent from the United States. Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and is a religious obligation that must be performed at least once in a person's lifetime if one is financially and physically capable.
My wife and I went to the Hajj in 2012. I clearly remember the excitement I felt about undertaking the journey of a lifetime, about which so many Muslims dream. One of the realizations I had after deciding to do the Hajj was that I was in fact preparing to walk into the footsteps of not only Prophet Muhammad but also into the footsteps of Prophet Abraham. I simply cannot describe my feelings when this realization dawned upon me.
Abraham is considered a monotheist par excellence and the Qur'an accords him the title of Khaleelullah – a friend of God. The Qur'an, time and again, mentions Abraham as a way to highlight the monotheism that he practiced and to encourage Jews, Christians, and Muslims to follow his way.
"And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to God while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth? And God took Abraham as an intimate friend." (Qur'an 4:125)
As we reached the city of Mecca, I could only think of how this once-barren stretch of land with its harsh climate is now teeming with millions of people coming to commemorate Abraham and his family's struggles and their perfect dedication and devotion to God.
Abraham is said to have left his wife Hagar and his first-born son Ishmael in Mecca at God's command. In order to find water for Ishmael, Hagar ran between the two hills called Safa and Marwa seven times. As she sat exhausted after a futile search, Angel Gabriel caused a spring to burst forth near her and this is called the Zam Zam spring. Abraham returned to the valley to visit his wife and son and, according to historical accounts, Abraham and Ishmael built the sacred Kaba, a cubical structure, as a house of worship of One God.
Before starting the rituals of Hajj, I was dressed in simple two-piece, white garment called Ihram. And so were millions of others around me. My wife and I entered the Haram Al Shareef (the sacred sanctuary) and with great anticipation and trepidation, we set our eyes for the first time in our lives on the Kaba. It was a sight to behold! We simply could not take our eyes off the Kaba, the symbol of pure monotheism. We said our prayers following the tradition of Abraham and Muhammad and set out to do the Tawaf (walking around the Kaba) along with millions of others, all the while reciting praises of God. After the Tawaf, we drank water from the spring of Zam Zam and set out to walk into the footsteps of Hagar by walking between the two hills of Safa and Marwa.
As part of the rituals of Hajj, we encamped in the tent city of Mina for five days. It was like an extreme camping trip. Unmindful of food or comfort, millions of people were focused on their spiritual growth. The trip to the plains of Arafat, which Muslims believe will be the place where the Day of Judgment will be established, was just surreal. The whole area was covered with pilgrims praying to God in the most amazing expression of submission and sincerity.
