Lulua
09-02-2002, 16:05
THE NATURE OF PILGRIMAGE
By: Dr. Muhammad Kamal Al-Shareef
Taken from: Arab News
Friday, February 8
Last week, in our attempt to define the wisdom behind the duty of Islamic pilgrimage we could not find any clear cut, immediately apparent purpose for specifying a particular time for the pilgrimage or it’s different rituals.
We then mentioned that people obey orders for one of three factors: fear of the consequences of disobedience, pleasure expected from doing what is ordered, or submission to the one who issues the order. We cited the case of Prophet Abraham who obeyed God’s orders to take his wife Hagar and their young son Ishmael to the barren valley of Makkah where he was to abandon them there without support in sight. This was an exemplary sort of obedience.
The same sort of submission to God was shown by Hagar, when she realized that Abraham was about to leave her alone with her child in that barren, uninhabited place. As he turned away to leave, she asked him whether he was acting on God’s order. When he confirmed that, she said: ‘Then God will not abandon us.’ Again, this was a model act demonstrating complete trust in God and reliance on Him.
Years go by and the suckling child is now a young man, in whom the old father finds great happiness. But he receives a new order: to offer his son as sacrifice, knowing that he had not committed anything wrong.
That was an order that ran contrary to all Abraham’s feelings as a kind, loving father. It was also contrary to any logical argument: for, what purpose could be served by the slaughtering of his son with his own hand?
Thus, Abraham neither had the conviction that obedience would satisfy any desire of his or serve any interest, nor was he under compulsion or threat. But Abraham was a model servant of God who submits to Him in all situations. He does not show any boredom or displeasure at any order given to him by God. Nor does he hesitate to carry out what he is told to do.
Hence, he immediately informed his son of the divine order, so that his son would also share in obeying God: ‘He said, ‘My son! I have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice you. Consider, then, what would be your view.’ (37: 102) Abraham had no hesitation.
He was not looking for any indication of encouragement or discouragement from his son. He only wanted to give Ishmael the choice of submission to God’s order, or he would have to fulfil God’s bidding, regardless of Ishmael’s own position. Like both of his parents, Ishmael was also a model servant of God who submits to His will.
Hence, he answered without hesitation: ‘My father! Do as you are bidden. You will find me, if God so wills, patient in adversity.’ (37:102)
As he takes his son away to sacrifice him, Abraham finds Satan in front of him trying to persuade him to disregard God’s order. Abraham hits him with stones at the very points pilgrims do their stoning rituals. Thus, both father and son come through the test of total obedience. God sends a ransom for Ishmael in the form of a great sacrifice. God is certainly too kind to deprive such a model servant of his like Abraham of his beloved son. It was all a test for both Abraham and Ishmael.
In pilgrimage today, we travel long distances, incurring heavy expense to go to that same spot and re-enact the deeds of Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael, demonstrating their absolute obedience to God’s orders, against both heart desire and personal conviction.
Thus, our action involves a similar type of obedience. We are ready to undertake a difficult journey, incurring substantial expense, in order to take part in rituals that our minds cannot justify on account of difficulty, cost, or discomfort. Nevertheless, we fulfil them with eagerness even though we cannot determine a purpose for them.
It is in the fact that we cannot determine a particular purpose for the pilgrimage rituals that our worship becomes purer. It is free of any logical pursuit or personal pleasure.
And there we see a layman, who may be unlettered, scrambling with a university professor, as both of them try to make sure that when they throw their little stones, they hit the target. We also see men and women walking the distance between two little hills, Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, to and fro, seven times.
In these rituals lives the example of a family whose submission to God was pure, total and complete. They provide the role model for all believers. Hence, we travel to their particular spot in order to commemorate some of their actions in a way that may appear rather primitive, but signifies true obedience of God’s orders. Hence, a Muslim who offers the pilgrimage and steers away from sin throughout his journey comes back home more willing to obey God and submit himself to Him. He realizes that in pilgrimage, he practiced full obedience to God alongside millions of other believers.
He declared with them: Labbayk allhumma labbayk. Labbayk la shreeka laka labbayk. Inna al-hamda wal-ni’mata laka wal-mulk. La shareeka lak. This may be translated as follows: ‘I respond to Your call, my Lord. I respond to You who have no partner. All praise, blessings and dominions belong to You alone, without partners.’ As every pilgrim repeats this declaration seemingly endlessly, he actually declares that he is always ready to respond immediately to God’s orders, without hesitation, reluctance or argument.
It is in this that we see the great wisdom behind the pilgrimage rituals which, in themselves, have no particularly convincing purpose or wisdom. It is as God says: ‘Anyone who honors the symbols set up by God (shall know) that they are a manifestation of God-consciousness in the hearts of believers.’ (22:32)
We will continue this discussion next week, God willing.
By: Dr. Muhammad Kamal Al-Shareef
Taken from: Arab News
Friday, February 8
Last week, in our attempt to define the wisdom behind the duty of Islamic pilgrimage we could not find any clear cut, immediately apparent purpose for specifying a particular time for the pilgrimage or it’s different rituals.
We then mentioned that people obey orders for one of three factors: fear of the consequences of disobedience, pleasure expected from doing what is ordered, or submission to the one who issues the order. We cited the case of Prophet Abraham who obeyed God’s orders to take his wife Hagar and their young son Ishmael to the barren valley of Makkah where he was to abandon them there without support in sight. This was an exemplary sort of obedience.
The same sort of submission to God was shown by Hagar, when she realized that Abraham was about to leave her alone with her child in that barren, uninhabited place. As he turned away to leave, she asked him whether he was acting on God’s order. When he confirmed that, she said: ‘Then God will not abandon us.’ Again, this was a model act demonstrating complete trust in God and reliance on Him.
Years go by and the suckling child is now a young man, in whom the old father finds great happiness. But he receives a new order: to offer his son as sacrifice, knowing that he had not committed anything wrong.
That was an order that ran contrary to all Abraham’s feelings as a kind, loving father. It was also contrary to any logical argument: for, what purpose could be served by the slaughtering of his son with his own hand?
Thus, Abraham neither had the conviction that obedience would satisfy any desire of his or serve any interest, nor was he under compulsion or threat. But Abraham was a model servant of God who submits to Him in all situations. He does not show any boredom or displeasure at any order given to him by God. Nor does he hesitate to carry out what he is told to do.
Hence, he immediately informed his son of the divine order, so that his son would also share in obeying God: ‘He said, ‘My son! I have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice you. Consider, then, what would be your view.’ (37: 102) Abraham had no hesitation.
He was not looking for any indication of encouragement or discouragement from his son. He only wanted to give Ishmael the choice of submission to God’s order, or he would have to fulfil God’s bidding, regardless of Ishmael’s own position. Like both of his parents, Ishmael was also a model servant of God who submits to His will.
Hence, he answered without hesitation: ‘My father! Do as you are bidden. You will find me, if God so wills, patient in adversity.’ (37:102)
As he takes his son away to sacrifice him, Abraham finds Satan in front of him trying to persuade him to disregard God’s order. Abraham hits him with stones at the very points pilgrims do their stoning rituals. Thus, both father and son come through the test of total obedience. God sends a ransom for Ishmael in the form of a great sacrifice. God is certainly too kind to deprive such a model servant of his like Abraham of his beloved son. It was all a test for both Abraham and Ishmael.
In pilgrimage today, we travel long distances, incurring heavy expense to go to that same spot and re-enact the deeds of Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael, demonstrating their absolute obedience to God’s orders, against both heart desire and personal conviction.
Thus, our action involves a similar type of obedience. We are ready to undertake a difficult journey, incurring substantial expense, in order to take part in rituals that our minds cannot justify on account of difficulty, cost, or discomfort. Nevertheless, we fulfil them with eagerness even though we cannot determine a purpose for them.
It is in the fact that we cannot determine a particular purpose for the pilgrimage rituals that our worship becomes purer. It is free of any logical pursuit or personal pleasure.
And there we see a layman, who may be unlettered, scrambling with a university professor, as both of them try to make sure that when they throw their little stones, they hit the target. We also see men and women walking the distance between two little hills, Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, to and fro, seven times.
In these rituals lives the example of a family whose submission to God was pure, total and complete. They provide the role model for all believers. Hence, we travel to their particular spot in order to commemorate some of their actions in a way that may appear rather primitive, but signifies true obedience of God’s orders. Hence, a Muslim who offers the pilgrimage and steers away from sin throughout his journey comes back home more willing to obey God and submit himself to Him. He realizes that in pilgrimage, he practiced full obedience to God alongside millions of other believers.
He declared with them: Labbayk allhumma labbayk. Labbayk la shreeka laka labbayk. Inna al-hamda wal-ni’mata laka wal-mulk. La shareeka lak. This may be translated as follows: ‘I respond to Your call, my Lord. I respond to You who have no partner. All praise, blessings and dominions belong to You alone, without partners.’ As every pilgrim repeats this declaration seemingly endlessly, he actually declares that he is always ready to respond immediately to God’s orders, without hesitation, reluctance or argument.
It is in this that we see the great wisdom behind the pilgrimage rituals which, in themselves, have no particularly convincing purpose or wisdom. It is as God says: ‘Anyone who honors the symbols set up by God (shall know) that they are a manifestation of God-consciousness in the hearts of believers.’ (22:32)
We will continue this discussion next week, God willing.