Eid-ul-Adha. Another Eid so close after the last one? What’s the reasons behind it?
It’s all about Hajj, the journey of a lifetime.
Quite literally. One of the main pillars of the faith, it is expected that every Muslim who is able-bodied and financially capable, is obliged to go on this pilgrimage journey at least once in their lifetime. This year has been slightly different, now with a controversial, lottery draw booking system, if you don’t get that golden ticket, there is no way you are stepping foot on the holy lands.
But trust in god’s plan is a Muslim’s biggest solace, and it’s this immense trust a Muslim has in God is what makes them stay disciplined and focused everyday of their lives with the hope one day that the dream to top it all off and make the pilgrimage can be a reality.
But what is Hajj? What is the significance of this journey?
The annual pilgrimage takes place during the first 10 days of the last month in the Islamic Lunar calendar, Dhu’l-Hijjah and includes a number of symbolic rites and rituals which were initiated initially by Prophet Abraham and was laid out and voiced to the early Islamic world by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The focal point of Hajj is the Ka’bah, also known as God’s sacred house in Makkah. Built by Prophet Abraham at a time where the city of Makkah itself was merely in a secluded area within the Arabian desert. But as promised by God to Abraham at the time, that this secluded area will one day amass visitors in its millions from around the world and we see today that Abraham’s trust in God’s word is all well and true.
The whole journey is merely a purifying process in which the Muslim gets closer to God through patience, perseverance, submission, and servitude. It’s also a life lesson on human equality, Hajj makes no distinctions between the rich and the poor; all believers regardless of their status are obliged to complete the same acts of worship under the same rules. Everyone is equal and it’s this strong brotherhood and sisterhood which binds the believers. In the world we live in today, with the inequality, racial prejudices, it really does open up the hearts and minds. In a time where racial prejudices were at an all-time high in America, Malcom X, who needs no introduction, set foot on his journey to perform Hajj, with his words on his experience being:
“During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the glass, and slept in the same tent-while praying to the same God-with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. And in the words and in the actions in the deeds of the ‘white’ Muslims, I felt the same sincerity that I felt among the black African Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan and Ghana.”Malcom X
Hajj is also a big opportunity for many Muslims to seek and obtain forgiveness for their lifelong sins and to return back to their homes with a clean slate. The Day of Arafat which is the most important day within the pilgrimage journey, pilgrims will spend their time from noon to sunset locked in spiritual meditation seeking God’s forgiveness and mercy and pleasure, with God’s promise being the reward for an accepted Hajj being, in the words of The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):
“The reward for an accepted Hajj is nothing less than Paradise.”The Prophet Muhammad
To all our colleagues, Eid Mubarak!
Saidul Islam - Engagement & Adoption Analyst, Lloyd's
11 Jul 2022