Allah The Almighty created man and Jinn and commanded them to worship Him, and made the validity of any act of worship contingent upon devotion and monotheism. Islam and all its rites and obligations are closely connected to Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism).
Hajj is one of those rites. It is one of the greatest Islamic rites that strengthens and enlivens the concept of the Oneness of Allah The Almighty in one’s heart, as it comprises many deeds that make one acknowledge and contemplate the Oneness of his Lord, and turn to Him, The Almighty in repentance from any negligence or slip.
All rites of Islam are centered on Tawheed:
Allah The Almighty sent Muhammad, , before the Hour with the truth. He sent Muhammad, , as a bearer of glad tidings, a caller to Allah The Almighty by His permission, and an enlightening luminary.
What is the foundation of faith and the greatest cornerstone of Islam, upon which one’s happiness in this world and in the Hereafter depends? What is the “word” for which Allah The Almighty revealed the Books and sent the Messengers, may Allah exalt their mention, as constant bearers of good tidings and constant warners?
What is the reason this world, the Hereafter, Paradise and Hell were created?
What is the rule for which the Balance was set up and the records of deeds were kept?
It is the great rule that determines one’s happiness and success or misery and failure. Whoever observes the duties and obligations of this rule properly, Allah The Almighty will make him happy in this world and in the Hereafter…
On the other hand, whoever neglects this rule will be {…as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into a remote place.}[Quran 22: 31]
It is Islamic monotheism, faith, certainty and Ihsaan (excellence), which is the source of all that is good.
Whoever corrects his faith and perfects the creed of Islamic monotheism and the devotion in his heart for the sake of Allah The Almighty, He will open the doors of mercy for him and bestow many blessings and bounties upon him.
When the hearts believe in Allah The Exalted, they become assured and peaceful.
It is Tawheed, which is the core of the missions of all the prophets, may Allah exalt their mention. Allah The Almighty says (what means): {And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allah and avoid Taghoot."}[Quran 16:36]
It the first testimony of Faith, “There is none worthy of worship except Allah The Almighty” that is the source of success, righteousness and prosperity in this world and the Hereafter.
Allah The Almighty made this word of Tawheed at the heart of all rites of Islam, because it implants belief in Allah The Almighty and reliance on Allah The Knower of the Unseen in one’s own heart.
Everything in the universe proves the truthfulness of this word and its meaning.
Every day and every night prove that there is none worthy of worship but Allah The Almighty.
The advent of the night after the light of the day reminds one of the Might of Allah The Exalted.
Then, the night falls and it may be so dark that one would be unable even to see his own hands.
A few hours later, the light breaks again with the permission of Allah The Almighty, who says (what means): {It is not allowable for the sun to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each, in an orbit, is swimming.}[Quran 36:40]
These are time and spatial evidences and all the plants, stones, mountains, valleys and hills remind one that there is none worthy of worship except Allah The Exalted.
Thus, all the rites of Islam are centered on implanting Tawheed (Islamic monotheism).
Prayer, which is the greatest pillar of Islam, establishes the concept of “There is none truly worthy of worship but Allah”.
The call to prayer includes the Two Testimonies of Faith, “I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
When one enters the mosque and starts praying, he starts with saying Allahu Akbar , i.e. Allah The Almighty is greater than everything. Hence, one starts with stressing Tawheed and finishes his prayer with Tawheed as well. When he ends his prayer, he ends it with stressing Tawheed as well by saying, Assalaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaah, (May peace and mercy of Allah The Almighty be upon you).
Thus, prayer starts with Tawheed and ends with Tawheed too. Tawheed is stressed by all the pillars of prayer; such as reciting the Quran, Tasbeeh (glorification of Allah) in the Rukoo‘ and Sujood in addition to many other supplications and deeds that stress the meaning of “None is truly worthy of worship except Allah.”
Similarly, a slave of Allah The Exalted will never pay Zakah (obligatory charity) unless he believes in the meaning of Tawheed.
A Zakah payer knows that the money is the money of Allah The Almighty, Who saved him from poverty, humiliation and starvation by making him rich, honorable, satisfied and wealthy.
When he offers charity sincerely for the Sake of Allah The Almighty, he practically applies the concept of “None is worthy of worship Except Allah”.
By doing so, one obeys the Commands of Allah The Almighty and pays the Zakah willingly to those who deserve it seeking the reward from Allah The Almighty, and aiming to please Allah The Almighty and working to apply the requirements of the testimony of Tawheed.
This also applies to fasting; belief in Allah The Almighty is the only reason that makes one put up with hunger and thirst during observing fast. Belief in Allah The Almighty is the only reason that makes one give precedence to the reward of Allah The Exalted over his own desires. Belief in Allah The Almighty is what makes a believer willing to give up the satisfaction of his stomach and the pleasure of sexual relations.
The statement of Tawheed is the focus of all rites of Islam.
Manifestations of Tawheed in Hajj:
The rite of Hajj that Allah The Almighty ordained is an occasion for renewing and stressing the rules of Tawheed from the beginning to the end. During all the rituals of Hajj, the slaves of Allah The Almighty revolve around the concept of the statement of Tawheed: “None is truly worthy of worship except Allah The Almighty.”
Manifestations of Tawheed in leaving one’s wife and children:
Firstly: A pilgrim of Hajj is motivated to leave his home only because he knows that Allah The Almighty hears him and sees him.
A Hajj pilgrim leaves his wife, children and loved ones, because his love for Allah The Almighty is stronger than any other love. He will leave in obedience to Allah The Almighty, The Creator of the Heavens and Earth. So, he leaves his family, the apple of his eye and leaves his home, which may be in the East or the West, only in obedience to Allah The Almighty.
He demonstrates his belief in 'Allah is the Greatest' when he gives precedence to the reward of Allah The Almighty over his own desires and the desires of others. 'Allah is The Greatest' is what a pilgrim of Hajj believes as he leaves home giving precedence to what is with Allah The Almighty and the reward from Him over the whole world. Many of the pilgrims are extremely rich and they may have never left their home countries or towns. However, Allah The Almighty is the cause that makes them leave. Faith and Tawheed in one’s heart as well as a slave’s obedience to Allah The Almighty make him willing to leave home, in spite of the fact that he may have never left it for any other reason. A pilgrim of Hajj leaves home only because he believes in Allah The Exalted and the Last Day.
The manifestations of Tawheed in performing Ghusl and assuming the State of Ihraam:
A slave of Allah The Almighty leaves his house heading to the Holy Lands to perform Hajj due to his staunch belief in Allah The Almighty.
Once he intends to start perform the rituals of Hajj, a pilgrim bathes and takes off his clothes and this reminds him of the Hereafter. Some scholars say:
A believer who is performing Hajj remembers the Hereafter while performing the majority of the acts of Hajj. He starts with taking off his clothes to perform Ghusl (ritual bath). This situation reminds him of the time when his clothes will be taken off while he is helpless because he is dead. It reminds him of death, when he will be washed and shrouded…today he washes his body and wears the clothes of Hajj, but a time will inevitably come when he dies and meets Allah The Almighty. It is known that the rituals of Hajj bring to the pilgrim’s mind belief in the Hereafter, resurrection, reckoning, rewarding and punishment.
When one leaves his house with the intention of performing Hajj or 'Umrah, he enters into the state of Ihraam (sacral state), which means that he is forbidden to do many normally allowable things; such as wearing perfume or having sex with one’s spouse. The one in the state of Ihraam refrains from many pleasures of life only to obey Allah The Almighty and please him.
Exalted is He who made such pleasures lawful for the pilgrim before entering into the acts of Hajj and 'Umrah, and then made them unlawful for him after embarking into the acts of Hajj or 'Umrah.
Allah The Almighty decides; there is no one who alters His decision.
Hajj is an act of worship that must be performed as it was ordained by Allah The Almighty and no one can change anything in it. All a slave of Allah The Almighty is required to do is to believe in Allah and to surrender to Allah The Almighty perfectly in worship.
Manifestations of Islamic Monotheism in Hajj - II