By Shaykh Mahmood ‘Ali Ahmad
That is Hajj; travel and journey, and movement, Tawaaf and Sa‘y in which one walks fast and then walks slowly, to the extent that the Messenger of Allah took from Tawaaf a means to terrorize the polytheists and show the strength of the Muslims during the compensatory ‘Umrah. The people of Makkah were looking at the Muslims, thinking them to be weak and weary. On that the Messenger of Allah said to his Companions while they were performing Tawaaf: "May Allah bestow mercy upon anyone who shows them his strength today." Then, he rushed to perform Tawaaf and the Muslims followed him. The perfect sport-related wisdom of Hajj is that it comes in all seasons of the year; sometimes in summer, sometimes in winter, and sometimes in between them, due to its dependence on the lunar month system, so that the Muslim would get accustomed to working and striving at any time, careless about the turning of seasons and changes in atmosphere, and to accustom himself to orderliness, where some rituals of Hajj are governed by a particular time, like standing at ‘Arafah, departure to Muzdalifah, throwing the pebbles, and so on.
Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, Allah Loves those who fight in His cause in a row as though they are a [single] structure joined firmly.} [Quran 61:4] Is Hajj, with this wisdom given to it, not worthy of the care of educators, sportsmen, and those who like their nation to be strong, enthusiastic, brave and honored? To Allah belongs honor, and to His Messenger and the believers.
If people are overwhelmed by materialism and they worship it other than Allah, and are engaged in the worldly adornments from beneficial production in life, they should reflect on Hajj, which directs materialism to be in the service of truth, and follows, along with the people, the way of justice. So, let them take from the world a lawful and permissible share, with which they would be happy in the world and the Hereafter; and make their aspiration for the afterlife stimulate them to regard with slightness this life's adornment; and be as keen on the dignity of their Ummah as they are on their pleasures and desires. It is not unlawful to be rich or a ruler with authority; what is unlawful is to transgress with one's wealth and tyrannize with one's authority. To those who think that taking provisions and practicing trade in Hajj contradict the confidence in Allah and reduce the reward of Hajj, Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {…And take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is fear of Allah. And fear Me, O you of understanding. There is no blame upon you for seeking bounty from your Lord [during Hajj]….} [Quran 2:197-198] Does this point not entail the thinking of economists?
Islam is not satisfied with establishing theories or calling to the truth; it always puts the theoretical word into practice. When it called to mutual accord, recognition and cooperation, it, at the same time, made the assembly of prayers a means to recognition, Jumu‘ah and both ‘Eeds binding upon the inhabitants of the same town, and Hajj obligatory to be the conference of all Islamic countries. Why does Makkah not become the headquarters of the pact of Muslim nations, as Geneva is the headquarters of the pact of the Western nations?
Verily, chaos has become public in our houses, communities and conferences so much that we are tired of that. Of course, we are living at a time when there is dire need for an urgent remedy and curative medicine, to put an end to that chaos, and change our state from destructive chaos to a long-life prevailing system, from dividing riot to uniting calmness. This remedy seems evident to us in this great obligatory duty of Hajj. In addition to the religious unity which leads to unity and constancy, when the pilgrims put on the same uniform in their Ihraam, perform Tawaaf at the same time, respond to the Call of their Lord at the same time and with the same supplications, there is also a practical lesson which invites to orderliness, arrangement and punctuality. When our deeds, houses and societies are governed by orderliness and arrangement, they would produce the expected benefit, and we would be in the best state possible, by virtue of reviving the rite of Hajj in ourselves.
Beside facilitating and paving all possible ways for the comfort of pilgrims, security and reassurance about souls and property had the strongest influence on the increasing number of pilgrims year after year. What we hear of stories and tales from the pilgrims, and read in our magazines and journals about the comprehensive security and reassurance in this safe country instills, within us, the belief that it is unique in this element, of which the other Eastern and Western countries are deprived. That state is not strange for a country which has relied on the Islamic religion, taken its fundamental reference from it, and enforced its correct teachings; it is not strange for it to be an enlightening lamp to guide those astray and far from the straight path to follow and imitate it. We supplicate Allah The Almighty to Cover its beloved king with mercy from Himself.