HAJJ, THE FIFTH PILLAR OF ISLAM
Hajj is the 5th pillar of Islam and also it is obligatory for a person who is financially and physically able to perform it at least once in his or her life. Because of its importance as a sacred ritual and the emphasis put by ALLAH Almighty and
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on its performing, its every Muslim dreams to be able to perform Hajj and Umrah.
The significance of Hajj is evident from Holy Quran teaching, ALLAH Almighty has time and again emphasized on its significance. Besides being a spiritual and religious ritual, it carries some universal messages and lessons as well. Below give the main religious acts re-enacted while performing Hajj along with the universal messages it conveys to humankind.
Acts those are Re-Enacted During Hajj:
There are three chief and major religious acts of Holy personalities re-enacted while performing the Hajj:
Hazrat Adam (AS) and Bibi Hawwa
The primary experience relived by pilgrims is the experience of banish of Hazrat Adam (AS) and Bibi Hawwa from Heaven. From jannat (Heaven) when they were exiled to earth, they strolled separately and when they met, they both asked for the forgiveness and pardon of ALLAH Almighty in the valley of Makkah.
Bibi Hajra
The second experience relived by pilgrims is of Hazrat ibraheem’s (AS) wife Bibi Hajra. She ran between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marva in search of water for his thirsty son Hazrat Ismaeel (AS). As per Muslim viewpoint, her running was answered by ALLAH Almighty by providing water with the well of ZamZam.
Hazrat Ibraheem (AS)
The third act relived by pilgrims is in memorial of Hazrat Ibraheem’s willingness to sacrifice his son Hazrat Ismaeel (AS) on the order of ALLAH Almighty, which was then substituted by ram by Hazrat Jibraeel (AS).
These are the three basic acts, which pilgrims re-enact while performing Hajj. However, beyond the religious importance, there are different general messages which the ritual of Hajj conveys to all of humankind.
The first general message that Hajj conveys to humankind is the equality of gender and the position which Islam gives to women. During Hajj, women are the similar with men, they perform all the rituals, they struggle the way men do, they pray as the way men do, so it would be wrong to think that Islam someway undermines women, rather Islam conveys the message of giving dignity and respect to women on equal levels as men have. In Holy Quran, ALLAH Almighty clearly says in verse 3:195;
And their Lord responded to them, “Never will I allow to be lost the work of [any] worker among you, whether male or female; you are of one another. So those who emigrated or were evicted from their homes or were harmed in My cause or fought or were killed – I will surely remove from them their misdeeds, and I will surely admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow as reward from ALLAH , and ALLAH has with Him the best reward.”
For Details Hajj Packages 2016