Holy Hajj
Hajj (Pilgrimage) is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is incumbent upon every Muslim, who is financially and physically able, to take pains to visit the Holy Kaaba and the Arafat Maidan in Saudi Arabia once in life. Anyone, who willfully ignores it, he transgresses the Decree of Allah.
There are several verses on Hajj in three Surahs of the Holy Quran, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (SM). The Surahs are Al-Baqarah, Al-Imran and Hajj.
Hajj dates back to the time of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) as per Verse No. 27 of Surah Hajj while the Qurbani began during the time of Hazrat Adam (AS), the first man and first prophet on earth (Ref: Surah Ma Idah, V-26).
Even before the advent of Islam in Mecca, the Arab people used to make a circuit of the Holy Kaaba and organized fair but not in the way Allah decreed in the books revealed to the former prophets.
So, the Prophet Muhammad (SM) did not introduce Hajj. He just preached to people what Allah revealed to him and he explained all those elaborately.
What is Islam? To know it, I shall request every one to read Verse No. 5 of Surah An-Nisa and Hadith No. 246 of Hadith-e-Qudsi. The said verse and the Hadith clarify that Islam is not the some total of few worships, but no way to build a decent and happy life every one needs.
Allah says in Verse No.36 of Surah Bani-Israel, “Follow (speak) not that of which you have no knowledge. Lo! The hearing and the sight and the heart-each of these will be asked.”
Abdullah Akber
Dhaka
