The Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca is universally acknowledged as an obligatory religious duty for Muslims -- one of Islam's five pillars or principles. What is not generally known is the religious significance behind the various acts which Hajj is made up of. Any attempt to grasp the true spirit of this important foundation of Islam necessitates turning back the clock to the life of the great patriarch of monotheism, the Father of nations, Allah's Khalil (friend), Ibrahim (alhs). Some of the rites of Hajj are connected with major incidents in His Blessed life. Our examination of the Prophet Ibrahim's life will be confined to those events that interrelate to Hajj and parallel the life and Mission of our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
To begin with, "...Abraham
was a lover of the Lord from his earliest childhood. When he grew up, he began to preach openly
the "Oneness" of God and condemned the association of any partner or
rival with Allah." (The meaning of the
Qur’an S.Abul A’la Maududi Vol.1 pg.187) Most historical accounts
portray Ibrahim's father as the chief idol maker and was among the priestly
class in the cult of idol worship. Thus, this provided an incentive for Ibrahim
to admonish his father first. This is in
addition to the principle among believers that admonishment, mutual support and
help begins at home (i.e., with one's relatives) as embodied in the verse, AND WARN THY NEAREST KIN." (26:214)
Although this verse is said to have been revealed in the third year of the
Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) Mission, it is one of the earliest revelations
commanding preaching openly (Surat-tu-Nabi,
Shibli Numani Vol.1, pg 195)
Not only did Ibrahim’s father reject his advice to worship the One true Lord and Creator of all, he became angry and threatened to punish him. "THE FATHER REPLIED: DOST THOU HATE OUR GODS, O ABRAHAM? IF THOU FORBEAR NOT, I WILL INDEED STONE THEE: NOW GET AWAY FROM ME FOR A GOOD LONG WHILE!" (19:46)
After publicly preaching, Ibrahim's message to return to the doctrine of pure Tawheed was rejected by the populace (6:80,81). Finally, in an attempt to demonstrate the illogical and erroneous nature of idol worship, Ibrahim breaks all the idols in the temple at Ur (Iraq) except the largest one and leaves the instrument used (an axe) (The Koran, translated by George Sale pg.,320 and Tafsir Usmani, Allama Usmani Vol.2, pg.1466) to destroy them on or next to it. "...NAY, YOUR LORD IS THE LORD OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, HE WHO CREATED THEM FROM NOTHING; AND I AM WITNESS TO THIS TRUTH. (21:5) SO HE BROKE THEM TO PIECES, ALL BUT THE BIGGEST OF THEM, THAT THEY MIGHT TURN AND ADDRESS THEMSELVES TO IT. THEY SAID WHO HAS DONE THIS TO OUR GODS HE MUST BE SOME MAN OF IMPIETY! THEY SAID, WE HEARD A YOUTH TALK OF THEM; HE IS CALLED ABRAHAM. THEY SAID, THEN BRING HIM BEFORE THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE, THAT THEY MAY BEAR WITNESS. THEY SAID, 'ART THOU THE ONE WHO DID THIS TO OUR GODS, O ABRAHAM. HE SAID: NAY, THIS WAS DONE BY THIS--THE BIGGEST ONE! ASK THEM IF THEY CAN SPEAK INTELLIGENTLY! SO THEY TURNED TO THEMSELVES AND SAID, SURELY WE ARE THE ONES IN THE WRONG! THEN WERE THEY CONFOUNDED WITH SHAME: THEY SAID THOU KNOWEST FULL WELL THAT THESE IDOLS DO NOT SPEAK! ABRAHAM THEN SAID, DO YOU THEN WORSHIP BESIDES ALLAH THINGS THAT CAN NEITHER BE OF ANY GOOD TO YOU OR DO YOU HARM? FIE UPON YOU AND THE THINGS YOU WORSHIP BESIDES ALLAH! HAVE YOU NO SENSE? THEY SAID, BURN HIM AND PROTECT YOUR GODS. IF YE DO ANYTHING AT ALL!" (21:56-68)
"Allah Ta'ala commanded the fire to become "Bardaw wa Salaaman, cool and peaceful." (20:69) Its’ sky kissing flames turned into a garden of bed and roses. Ibrahim (alhs) walks out of the fire untouched, while the populace is literally stunned. "After witnessing this clear "Mu'jizah (miracle) of Ibrahim (alhs) instead of accepting Imaan, their enmity increased." (History of Qurbani by Mufti Muhammad Shafi, pg.6)
The miracle of the fire itself had a few important meanings: 1) it confirmed the truth of Ibrahim's call to worship the One true God; 2) It showed the powerlessness of the idols; 3) The "worship" of idols was a man-made belief; and 4) The Almighty Creator that Ibrahim (alhs) called them to believe in and worship was indeed Almighty, having power over all. "There is no doubt that this was a miracle and a miracle had to take place to prove the existence and omnipotence of Abraham's God as contrasted with the helplessness of the mute stone gods whom Abraham had smashed and left the main one intact to shame them further...The miracle had to happen to prove the ascendancy of Abraham's Allah, to save Abraham from the raging fire and "make them the losers." (Abraham, His Life and Times, Mussarat Husain Zuberi pg.61)
The incident of Ibrahim breaking the idols and his subsequent punishment was not the first time he had dissented and rebelled against the "authorities" of the day. Although the Qur'an does not give the name of the unbeliever Ibrahim argued with (2:258), most commentators agree that it was the same King Nimrod who ordered that men should take him as Lord. The commentators relate that the dispute arose because Nimrod demanded that Ibrahim (alhs) bow before him. Ibrahim not only refused to bow but stated that he would bow before none but Allah. In an attempt to prove his "god-like" ability of having the power of life and death, Nimrod had two prisoners brought before him. He ordered that the innocent one be killed and the guilty one set free. Ibrahim (alhs) retorted by saying, "Allah makes the sunrise from the east. Can you raise it from the west?" (Tafsir Usmani, Allama Usmani, Vol.1 pg.148)
It is generally accepted that certain events in the lives of all the Prophets and Messengers (pbuta) parallel each other at some point. The similarities between the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the Prophet Ibrahim (alhs) bear striking resemblance to each other. In the case of the Prophet Ibrahim the classic story of an upright and Divinely inspired man of faith standing against the society of his birth because of their practices of Shirk and misguidance is again presented. But this version of the story has a slightly deeper significance. "The Bible (Old Testament) is absolutely silent on this incident (i.e., breaking the idols) which is a turning point in the history of mankind. Noah's monotheistic teaching had been forgotten and the first strident call to a Supreme Being, Creator of the Heavens and Earth and whatever there is between them was proclaimed by Abraham never to be forgotten or side-tracked again in human history." (Abraham, His Life and Times, Mussarat Husain Zuberi, pg.58) Indeed, for one of the most important acts this great Prophet would perform under Divine direction is the building of the Ka'ba and establishing the city of Mecca. The first and most enduring Bait (House of) Allah, would become, as it is today, the centerpiece of the only living monument and center established solely for the commemoration and perpetuation of pure Monotheism (At-Tawheed).
The next similarity between these two great Prophets and the fraternity of Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them all) in general is the campaign of oppression and maltreatment by the unbelievers in response to their preaching against misguidance, idolatry and Shirk. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was informed of this in the conversation between himself and Khadijah's (raah) cousin Waraqa ibn Nuwfal. After acknowledging the Prophet's experience with the Angel Jibreel (i.e, the first revelation) as consistent with the established information known to the savants and sages regarding Wahy or inspiration descending to a Prophet, Waraqa is reported to have said, "Would I be alive when your people would drive you out. Would they drive me out," asked the Prophet (pbuh)? Waraqa replied it has happened to every Prophet who came with a message." (Bukhari) "AND THEY ILL TREATED THEM FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN THEY BELIEVED IN ALLAH, EXALTED IN POWER WORTHY OF ALL PRAISE." (85:8)
When the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) undertook the Mission of preaching Tawheed and the rejection of Shirk, the response of his people was naturally one of outrage; eliciting both anger and resistance from the common folk and the leaders. The reasons for this response should not be hard to understand as idolatry was among the cohesive elements of the socio-economic, religious, and socio-political foundations of his society. In the time of the Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) the reaction of that society to his preaching Tawheed was the same as idol worship was the authorized "religion" of the day.
The solution the Qurayish chose in dealing with this threat to their "security" was similar to the verdict of Nimrod and his cohorts, with one difference: the punishment of Ibrahim (alhs) was to be carried out in public, probably to quench the people's thirst for revenge and blood-lust for the "sacrilege" committed by him. A public execution would also help to reinforce the "omnipotent" power of the state. The Qurayish, however chose the cover of darkness and stealth (i.e, covert action) in their plan to assassinate the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
To ensure that there would be no vendettas or blood feuds resulting from their evil plan, its architects made sure that each one of the young men chosen to carry out the Prophet's assassination would be from the most powerful and well-connected families and clans of the Qurayish. This would make the desire to avenge the Prophet's death by his clan members (Banu-Hisham) impractical as they would have to wage war against the entire tribe. Their only alternative would be to accept blood-wit (i.e., money) for Muhammad's murder; thus averting a tribal blood feud and silencing Allah's Messenger (pbuh) once and for all with one murderous act.
Allah (shwta) informed his Messenger (pbuh) of the Qurayish's plan in these Holy words, AND WHEN THOSE WHO DISBELIEVE PLOT AGAINST THEE (O, MUHAMMAD) TO WOUND THEE FATALLY, OR KILL THEE, OR TO DRIVE THEE FORTH; THEY PLOT, BUT ALLAH PLOTTETH; AND ALLAH IS THE BEST OF PLOTTERS" (8:30). The Prophet (pbuh) was also given permission to Migrate to Yathrib (Medina), and informing Ali (rah) of the intent of the Qurayish asked him to stay in his bed until the next day and return the possessions that were deposited in the Prophet's house to their owners. Ali naturally complied. When the Prophet (pbuh) felt the presence of the would-be assassins assembling outside his door, He began to recite Sura Ya-sin, (36:1-10) and when he reached the ninth ayat "AND WE HAVE PUT A BAR IN FRONT OF THEM AND A BAR BEHIND THEM, AND FURTHER WE HAVE COVERED THEM UP SO THAT THEY CANNOT SEE," he began to leave. Miraculously, the assassins were temporarily blinded and Allah's Messenger (pbuh) passed them undetected. Some of the Sira scholars say that as the Prophet (pbuh) and Abu Bakr (rah) were leaving for Medina, the Prophet cast a glance at the Ka'ba and said, O, Mecca thou art dearer to me than the entire world, but thy sons will not allow me to live here." (Surat-tu-Nabi, Shibli Numani Vol.1, pg 248)
To
make Hijra or leave one's home or place of birth because of persecution or the
denial of freedom to worship Allah is another practice that was common to many
of the Prophets (pbuta). Hijra, when properly understood, turns our attention
to another characteristic of the Prophet Ibrahim (alhs), for Allah describes
him as Haneef. The more familiar meaning of this word is one inclined to
a correct state, (i.e., Islam), but it has a few other important
connotations: One who is orthodox or
follows an established way; one who turns away, revolts or rebels. In reference
to Ibrahim (alhs), it is he who rebelled against Shirk, and the worship of
idols and false deities. In spite of the negative connotation used by the
mushriks for the early monotheists, this term was considered a badge of honor
for the unitarians even in the time prior to the Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh)
Mission.
Awj-as wa jal
Alhs-alay-he-salaam
Shwta-Glorified is He the most high
Rah-radi-allah hum an-hum
