atthecorner

Hajj is the pinnacle of a Muslim’s servitude to Allah. A Muslim has vowed Laa ilaaha illa Allahu. The only Way of Life is Allah. In other words, Muslims give up their life solely as servants of God, surrendering to Allah without any conditions. Since the beginning of the vow, Muslims have gradually been guided to fulfill their promises, starting with prayer (sholah), fasting, and zakat. The worship that is basically very personal (prayer and fasting) then developed into practices for the benefit of the ummah (zakat). In the end, there is Hajj.

There is no test that can prove the sincerity of our devotion to Allah than the test of sacrifice. We learned from Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upon them) in QS. As-Saffat: 102

“And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, ‘O my son, I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think.’ He said, ‘O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, insyaa Allah, of the steadfast.”

 When we perform Hajj, we leave everything behind: family, possessions, social rank, all things we love. We come alone to Allah’s calling, without any property, only a mountain of devotion. That is the meaning of performing Hajj.

Every Muslim is determined to travel to Mecca and perform the Hajj. The will is very strong, even though they know well that Hajj is obligatory only for those who can afford to go, physically and financially. Due to the long queues and the high cost of the hajj, many pilgrims enter old age by the time they depart. There are also many reports of pilgrims having to take on debt to perform Hajj. Have you ever thought about how many Muslims go on Hajj and keep their journey as a memento? How many Muslims sacrifice everything to perform Hajj and return poor and helpless? There is a custom in the society of entrusting the pilgrimage to read our prayers in front of the Ka’bah. Would it be better to spend our nights alone in worship of Allah and beg for His blessings? As Allah says in the Koran, “Call upon Me, I will respond to you.” [QS. Ghafir: 60]. Through such stories, performing Hajj sounds complicated.

There was a story written by Leo Tolstoy about the journey to the holy land: The Pilgrimage. The story depicts two companions, Efim and Elisha, who promise to worship together in the holy city of Jerusalem. They have prepared all the necessary provisions, both physical and mental, before finally saying goodbye to their families. On that long journey, with many stopovers, they parted when Elisha found a small house and stopped for a drink, while Efim kept on walking. Elisha promised to catch up with Efim, but he never did. Without precedent, he found himself in a situation where this poor, sick family needed help at the very least. Elisha spent days helping them until the family got their strength. It was not until he decided to leave the house that he realized he did not have enough money to continue his journey. Elisha then went back home. When his family and neighbors asked why, he simply answered that he lost his money on the way. Nobody ever questioned him further, and life in the village continued as usual. In Jerusalem, Efim finished his prayer and returned home. On his way home, he encountered the family whom Elisha had helped before. The family now served every pilgrim who came by their house. They did that to honor the kindness of a stranger who helped them when they were ill and in poverty. Without hesitation, Efim knew that it was his friend, Elisha, they were talking to. But when confronted by Efim, Elisha did not want to talk about what happened after they were separated. By this, he never had a chance to hear Efim’s story about his time in Jerusalem. While praying in Jerusalem, Efim was very sure he saw his best friend in the distance, worshiping like him. However, he was never able to get close to his friend because of the crowd of pilgrims. Therefore, he was very surprised when he learned that Elisha had never made it to the holy land. Efim now understood that the best way to keep one’s vow to God and to do His will is to show love and do good to others.

I do not mean to underestimate the value of Hajj as the ultimate Muslim’s servitude. But I think the story is relevant to the modern era Hajj. In this era, we may wonder whether Hajj has become a worship full of calculations and ceremony, rather than simply the soul’s journey of a Muslim. I wish that when the time comes for me, nothing is left but a piece of pure heart. I am sure Allah never calculates His Blessings and Mercy. He knows what is best for us. No reasonable doubt.