Bism'Allah
The Hajj Rite as per Noble Quran
Please note that Hajj is a rite and is not a Ritual. No any Ritual in Quran. Aqimu-Salat is not ritual. To read what is Aqimu-Salat of Quran, please visit the link given at the bottom of this page.
Some Quranic verses relevant to rite of Hajj
Quran 22:27, 2:125, 2:158, 2:189, 2:196…2:201, 2:203, 3:96-97, 5:1-2, 5:94….5:96, 9:2, 9:36-37, 22:26…29, 22:33, 22:36, 48:27
The reader of the Quran will note that all the rites of Hajj that are decreed by Allah Jalla Aala are to be found in the Quran. Sadly, many idolatrous rituals have crept into the Hajj that is practiced today. These corrupted rituals, not only have no Quranic basis, but they also clearly violate the concept of Hajj as given in the Quran.
In an attempt to present the true Quranic Hajj to the reader the following points are highlighted:
FIRST : The rites of Hajj that are decreed in the Quran.
SECOND : The idolatrous rituals that violate the Quran.
THIRD : The price of abandoning Allah’s Law.
FIRST
The Purpose of Hajj
Quran stresses in a number of verses that the only purpose of hajj is to commemorate the name of God a kind of super meditation. As a result, every precious hour and day of the Hajj should be spent in commemorating the name of God Almighty alone:
"And proclaim the Hajj to the people …… and to commemorate God’s name during the known days ....." 22:27-28
"You shall commemorate God for a number of days" 2:203
"When you disperse from Arafat you shall commemorate God" 2:198
"Then once you have completed your rites, you shall commemorate God " 2:200
SECOND
The Commencement, Months and Duration of Hajj
1- The sighting of the crescent signals the commencement of Hajj:
"They ask you about the crescents; say ‘They are timing devises for the people as well as for Hajj" 2:189
Since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar the sighting of the first crescent signals the beginning of each month in the Islamic lunar calendar. The first sighting of the crescent in the month of Zhu Al-Hijja signals the beginning of Hajj. Similarly the sighting of the first crescent in the month of Ramadan signals the beginning of fasting.
2- What is the duration of hajj?
"The Hajj is during the known months, so whoever executes the Hajj in them shall refrain from sexual intercourse, wickedness and arguing throughout the Hajj." 2:197
The first question is how many months are decreed for hajj?
In 9:36 we are told that the count of months is 12 and that 4 out of those 12 are called “hurum”. The word “hurum” does not mean sacred as some have translated, for the word used in the Quran for sacred is “Muqqaddas”, and examples are found in 20:12, 79:16 and 5:21.
The word “hurum” is the plural of the adjective “haram” which is also associated with the months of hajj. Both words come from the word “Ihram” which means abstention. Abstention is one of the requirements during hajj, abstention from war, hunting and so on.
As a result we know that the months which God tells us in 2:197 are designed for hajj are four months.
Sadly, Muslims today allow hajj only during the first 10 days of the month of Zhu Al-Hijjah. When asked why they disregard the Quranic law of 2:197 they say because the hadith says otherwise! This is just one of hundreds of examples how Muslims place their hadith above the Quran.
God is The All-Knower and God knew this corruption would take place, and for the benefit of the genuine followers of the Quran God usually places key words in disputed verses which confirm the correct meaning.
In 2:197 we read the Arabic words "farada feehinna". Here we have two Arabic words of great significance:
1- The first word is "farada". This verb is from the word ‘fard’ which means a command or duty set by God on the believers. Thus the Salat is a ‘fard’ so is Zakat and Hajj. Thus the verb "farada" means to actually execute or consummate the command.
2- The second word is "feehinna". This word is in fact two Arabic words joined together. They are ‘fee’ which means (in), and ‘hinna’ which means (them) and is used in the feminine gender. Thus the whole word means (in them). The word (them) here refers to the specified months. Now by placing these words inside the verse we get:
"Whoever executes the Hajj in them (the specified months) shall refrain from ……."
In these two Arabic words execute the Hajj in them God endorses the legality of executing Hajj anytime within the specified months.
Those who have corrupted the law of God and reduced the time of Hajj to the first ten days of the 12th month have justified their claims by corrupting the meaning of some Quranic verses such as:
" .... commemorate God’s name during the known days" 22:28
"You shall commemorate God for a number of days" 2:203
They claim that the words "known days" and "a number of days" indicate that Hajj can only be observed in the ten day period and not anytime during the four months.
The reply to that is double folded:
FIRST
Immediately Almighty God has given us a clear distinction in the verses that speak about Hajj. When God addresses Hajj itself, the words "specified months" are used as in 2:197. The reason for that being that the duration of Hajj is the full four months. However when God addresses the believers, the words "a number of days" are used, as in:
"You shall commemorate God for a number of days". The words "You shall" which addresses the believers speak of "a number of days" for the simple fact that any believer who goes to do his Hajj goes for a number of days, he does not stay for the whole four months.
SECOND
Consider the example of the fasting of Ramadan as in the following verses:
"The month of Ramadan, in which the Quran was brought down, guidance for the people and clarification of the guidance and the criterion. Therefore, those of you who witness the month shall fast it" 2:185
Here we read "the month" as being the duration of fasting.
Now consider the following verse:
"A number of days (for fasting); but if one is ill or travelling, then an equal number of other days (may be substituted)" 2:184
Here fasting is spoken of as "a number of days". However, no one came up and said that we should only fast for the first ten days of Ramadan!
The explanation to all that lies in the fact that a month or months can also be spoken of as days, simply because they are made of days. The fact that they are spoken of as days does not change the fact that they are still months. This is similar to someone describing the years of his childhood by saying ‘they were the best days of my life’.
3- Which is the first month for hajj?
The 12th month of the Islamic calendar is called Zu Al-Hijja and that is because it is the first month of hajj. In 2:31 we read that God taught Adam all the names, or in other words everything is given its name by God. It is God who called a tree a tree, and a car a car, and it was also God who named winter as winter and summer as summer and so on. It follows that it was also God who named the month of Zhu Al-Hijjah by its name.
The literal meaning of the name Zhu Al-Hijjah is: the (month) of the hajj.
God gave this month this specific name so that we would know that hajj starts when this arrives.
4- Are the months for hajj consecutive or not?
Indeed the four months for hajj are consecutive. They are the 12th, 1st , 2nd and 3rd months of the Islamic calendar. They are the months of (Zhu Al-Hijjah, Muharram, Safar and Rabi I). The consecutive nature of these four months is confirmed in the following verse:
“Then when the Hurum Months have “insalakha” (passed in succession), you may kill the Mushrikeen wherever you find them. Seize them and besiege them and lie in wait for them at every point.” 9:5
The key word in the above verse and which is relevant to this matter is the word “insalakha”. The word literally means “skinned”. This is the sense of how we skin a snake for example. The movement of skinning a snake means we would remove the skin gradually from one end to the other, or in other words; a gradual and consecutive movement.
God deliberately uses this word in 9:5 in connection to the months of hajj. God could have simply said: when the (hurum) months have passed. So why did God deliberately use this word?
It is because the word “insalakha” indicates a consecutive meaning, or in other words it tells us that the 4 hurum months are consecutive months.
THIRD
The Rite of Hajj in Quran
1- Abstentions (Ehraam) during Hajj
a- Hunting
Hunting is prohibited during Hajj as per the following verses:
"You shall not permit hunting while you are hurum" 5:1
"Once you are no longer in abstention you may hunt" 5:2
"O you who believe, do not kill any game while you are hurum" 5:95
b- War and fighting
All warfare is prohibited in the Hurum Months of Hajj except in self-defense:
"They ask you about the Haram Month and fighting therein: say, ‘Fighting therein is a great offence" 2:217
c- Sexual intercourse, misconduct and arguments
The prohibition against these appears in one verse:
"Whoever executes the Hajj in them (the known months) shall refrain from sexual intercourse, wickedness and arguing throughout Hajj" 2:197
d- The cutting of the hair
Abstaining from cutting one’s hair is a requirement during Hajj, this is to encourage the believers to concentrate on the spirituality of the occasion.
"You shall complete the Hajj and Umrah for God. If you are prevented, then make a convenient offering, and do not shave you heads until the offering has reached its destination" 2:196
It must be noted here that the rite of cutting a piece of one’s hair at the end of Hajj is non Quranic and therefore is not obligatory.
2- The visit to the Kaaba and commemoration of God
The customary visit of the Kaaba is an integral part of Hajj and is mentioned in the following verse that speaks of Hajj:
"Then they shall complete their obligations, fulfill their vows and visit the ancient house" 22:29
3- The Safa and Marwah and commemoration of God
"The Safa and Marwah are among the rites decreed by God. Therefore anyone who observes Hajj at the house or observes Umrah commits no error by passing by them" 2:158
4- Mount Arafat and commemoration of God
The visit at Mount Arafat is one of the Quranic rites for Hajj:
"When you disperse from Arafat you shall commemorate God at the Mishaar Al-Haram" 2:198
The Mishaar Al-Haram is the Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca, this is because it is the only location described in the Quran as "haram" around the area of Hajj.
5- Animal Offerings
The animal offerings are to conserve the resources at the pilgrimage site (note that around two million people converge on Mecca during pilgrimage).
"The animal offerings are among the rites decreed for you by God and in which there are benefits for you" 22:36
The Quran makes the point clear that this is not to be confused with the Pagan concept of animal sacrifice for the gods, by stating that God Almighty is in no need of sacrifice. This is emphasized by the words "benefits for you". This is also asserted in the following verse:
"Neither their meat, nor their blood reaches God. What reaches Him is your reverence" 22:37
The offerings to the Masjid Al-Haram and the traditional markings on them are also mentioned in the following verse:
"God has decreed the Kaaba, the Haram House, to be maintained for the people, and for the Haram Month, and the 'hadye (animal offerings) and the ‘qala’ed’ (garlands marking them)" 5:97
When the believers observe the animal offering they are instructed to eat from the meat and feed the poor, unless for health reasons they cannot eat the meat:
[22:36] The animal offerings are among the rites decreed for you by God. In them there are benefits for you. So mention God's name on them while they are lined up, then once they collapse on their sides you shall eat therefrom and feed the poor and the needy. It is thus that We have ordained them for you, may you then be thankful.
6- Convenient Offering
For those who progress from Umrah to Hajj, they shall make a convenient offering (to the poor and needy). If a person cannot afford to make an offering, then fasting is given as an alternative:
" ...... for those who progress from Umrah to Hajj, they shall make a convenient offering, and for those who are not able to, they shall fast three days during Hajj and seven on their return. This is a total of ten. This is for those whose family is not present at the Masjid Al-Haram. You shall revere God, and know that God’s punishment is severe." 2:196
The Quran does not specify what the offering should be, thus it can be anything donated to the poor, such as money, clothes, food and so on.
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The above are the rites of Hajj that are decreed by God and are mentioned in the Quran.
.FOURTH
Corrupt Rituals/Rites that violate the Quran
1- The ‘Black stone’
All throughout the Quran God commands us to stay away from stone and alters, yet during the visit to the Ka’bah, and at one of its corners, Muslims from all over the world push and shove their way ferociously to get to what is called ‘the black stone’ in order to touch it and kiss it, believing that the stone has the power to heal them, save them or bless them!!! If this is not idolatry I do not know what is!! Not surprisingly, this rite has no sustenance in the Quran whatsoever, but originates instead from a corrupt ‘hadith’ stating that this stone was descended from heaven since the time of Abraham, and that it is thus sacred, and that the prophet used to kiss it! One is left wondering ‘have they not read the Quran?’ The Quran informs us that Abraham destroyed all the stone that his people were worshipping and said:
"Do you then worship beside God what does not benefit you in any way nor harm you?" 21:66
How could anyone in their proper sense of mind accept a dubious saying that is in total violation of the Quran! How could anyone believe that the prophet could have ever kissed, and thus idolized, a stone that has no power to "benefit" or "harm" anybody? But that is not all, some flagrant hadith claim that the black stone will come to life on Judgement day and then develop two eyes and a tongue and will testify in favour of those who touched it in sincerity!
Needless to say, there is no mention whatsoever in the Quran about a blessed stone that has descended from heaven, nor that we should touch a stone in sincerity or that a stone can actually erase people's sins. If these millions of misguided Muslims would only believe the Quran they would know that stones dont have any power to harm us or benefit us (21:66).
It is also a sad sight today at the Kaaba to see hundreds of people adhering their bodies to the walls of the Kaaba, thinking that the walls of the Kaaba will bless them! The scenes at the location of the ‘black stone’ are abhorrent. In front of the ‘black stone’ there is a line drawn on the ground. This line is intended as a marker from which people could keep count of each lap they have completed, however it is indeed a truly sad sight to see the people raising their hands in awe in the direction of the ‘black stone’ every time they passed the line! Some were even praying on the line itself in total awe of the ‘black stone’! Once again, have they not read the Quran?
"Say ‘Do you worship beside God what does not posses any harm, nor benefit for you?" 5:76 also see 10:18 and 25:55.
The following are some of the outrageous hadith which form the basis for such an idolatrous rites or ritual:
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"Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The Black Stone came down from Jannah (Paradise)."
(At-Tirmidhi, Sunan, hadith no. 877, and classified as authentic hadith by Sheikh Al-Albaani in his book Sahih At-Tirmidthi, hadith no. 695 )
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"Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the Black Stone came down from Paradise, it was whiter than milk, but the sins of the sons of Adam made it black."
(At-Tirmidhi, Sunan)
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"Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “By Allah, Allah will bring it forth on the Day of Judgment, and it will have two eyes with which it will see and a tongue with which it will speak, and it will testify in favor of those who touched it in sincerity."
(At-Tirmidhi, Sunan)
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"Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) quoted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as saying: “Touching them both [the Black Stone and Ar-Rukn Al-Yamani] is an expiation for one’s sins."
(At-Tirmidhi, Sunan, hadith no. 959. This hadith is classified as hasan by At-Tirmidhi and as Sahih by Al-Hakim (1/664), and Adh-Dhahabi agreed with him.)
5- "Narrated 'Abis bin Rabia: 'Umar came near the Black Stone and kissed it and said "No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not seen Allah's Apostle kissing you I would not have kissed you."
Sahih Bukhari 2:26:667, also Sahih Bukhari 2:26:657 and Sahih Muslim 7:2912-2915
2- The water of ‘Zamzam’
The idolatry does not stop there, the devil has indeed instilled in the human being the worship of objects that cannot benefit him nor harm him. A further idolatrous superstition is connected to the water of ‘Zamzam’ which can be obtained in the Kaaba and which Muslims believe it to be sacred and to cure one’s ailments!
This superstition takes its origin from the Biblical story of ‘Hager’, Abraham’s slave wife who was sent away to the wilderness of the desert with her child Ishmael. In desperation and fear of dying of thirst, it is said that she ran back and forth between two hill tops in search of water, at which point God mercifully produced for her a gushing well from which she and Ishmael drank (The Bible, Genesis 21:14-21). The Quran has no account of such a sequence of events relating to Ismail or his mother.
Moreover, when we read the Biblical story of this event we find that it took place in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba. The town of Beer-Sheba which is south of Jerusalem, between Gaza and the Dead Sea, is nowhere near Mecca where the water of Zamzam is extracted! This, wide disparity of locations, together with the fact that there is no Quranic evidence whatsoever to substantiate or invalidate this story, adds a great deal of uncertainty about the truth of the water of Zamzam!
One thing is for certain; there is nothing in the Quran that says that we should idolize and hold sacred any object, whether it is the water of ‘Zamzam’ or the ‘black stone’, thinking that either could benefit us in any way. On the contrary, doing so is in direct violation of 5:76, 21:66 and other verses as referred to before.
Editor"s note: One of my aunts did around 14 Umrah’s along the years and at the end of every journey she used to return home from Mecca with a good supply of water from ‘Zamzam’ in the belief that it will cure her from various illness’. She used to fill little bottles with the water and distribute them among each member of the family! Till she died, all the water she brought back never cured neither her nor anyone in the family of any illness!
3- The Stoning of Satan
Another issue that is considered by Muslims to be an integral rite of the Hajj is the stoning of Satan. Not only is this rite not mentioned in the Quran, but in actual fact there is ample evidence in the Quran to suggest that the stoning is an act done by the idol worshippers (11:91, 18:20, 19:46, 36:18). All the correct rites of Hajj are mentioned in the Quran, yet the stoning is not a Quranic rite of Hajj.
The rite of stoning (according to the historian Al-Arazi) has its roots in the alleged journey of Abraham to observe Hajj. The narration goes that when Abraham left Mina Satan appeared to him. Then Gabriel appeared to Abraham and said to him: "Pelt him!" so Abraham threw seven stones at Satan which made Satan disappear. Then Satan re-appeared at the Middle Stone-Heap. Gabriel once again said to him: "Pelt him!" so he pelted him with seven stones and Satan disappeared again. This rite repeated at the Little Stone-Heap after which Satan totally withdrew.
All three jamarat are meant to represent the devil: the first and largest represents his temptation of Abraham against sacrificing his son Ishmael, the second represents the temptation of Abraham's wife Hagar to induce her to stop him, and the third represents his temptation of Ishmael to avoid being sacrificed. He was rebuked each time, and the throwing of the stones symbolizes those rebukes.
In essence, not only are those who observe this rite following a non Quranic rite, but they are also celebrating the memory of a Quranic event which has been totally misinterpreted (see: Abraham’s dream).
Because the hadith advocates cannot find any Quranic authorization for the rite of stoning they try in vain try to establish a link with the Quranic word 'rajeem'. This word is indeed associated with Satan in the Quran:
"He (God) said, ‘Therefore, get out of it, you (Satan) are ‘rajeem’ (outcast)" 38:77. These words also appear in 15:34.
The word ‘rajeem’ which means outcast, has been corrupted to mean stoned, hence it is claimed that the stoning rite during ‘Hajj’ is a Quranic command!
In support of such claim, the reference is made to some of the most ridiculous fabricated ‘hadith’, one of which claims that every time a stone is thrown at any of the three Satanic stations, that Satan in fact feels pain and groans in agony!! Believe that and you will believe anything! In actual fact the devil, and who is obviously not sitting at those silly alters waiting to be aimed at, is probably laughing his head off and rejoicing for succeeding in deviating the millions of idol worshippers from the sole aim of Hajj, which is to ‘Praise and commemorate God’. In reality Satan has taken up two or three days of their valuable Hajj days to utter his name!! The fact that they are stoning him and cursing his name and not singing his praises is totally insignificant, simply because of the following:
1- The devil is made of fire and thus cannot be touched by physical matter (stones).
2- The devil is not sitting in these silly holes waiting to be stoned!
3- No human has the power or ability to see the devil or to be able to inflict him with any harm.
"O children of Adam, do not let the devil entice you just like he caused your parents to be evicted from Paradise, stripping them of their garments to expose their private parts to them. He and his tribe see you from where you cannot see them." 7:27
4- Every precious hour and day of the Hajj should be spent in commemorating the name of God Almighty alone, and not to utter the name of Satan. The Quran emphasizes that the only duty of believers in the Hajj is to commemorate the name of God. The various verses that speak of Hajj in the Quran constantly emphasizes this sole purpose of Hajj:
"And proclaim Hajj to the people …………… for them to commemorate God’s name during the known days for providing them with the livestock" 22:27-28
"You shall commemorate God for a number of days" 2:203
"When you disperse from ‘Arafat’ you shall commemorate God………." 2:198
"Once you have completed your rites, you shall commemorate God……" 2:200
Furthermore, the command in 6:162 is to dedicate all our efforts to Divine System and devotion to the name of God alone. To dedicate two or three days for the name of Satan is in violation of this command.
5- God Almighty has prescribed to us in the Quran the only way to deal with the devil and that is to seek refuge in God and not to throw silly stones!
"Say, ‘My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the whispers of the devils, and I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they turn up" 23:97-98
It is no surprise after this obvious act of idolatry, to find that most of the people who die every year during Hajj in fact die at the location of the stoning, could this be a hint from God to warn the masses of their act of idolatry?
4- The Hajj garments
It has been a tradition that in Hajj men should wear two seamless white wrappings, one worn around the waist and the other thrown loosely over the shoulder. Also nothing made of metal may be worn to the extent that even a safety pin may not be used to tie the wrappings together!
When we look closely at this deep rooted tradition we find that not only does it contradict the wisdom of the Quran, but it also violates a clear Quranic verse. When we contemplate the wisdom of the Quran, we clearly realize that on no occasion is a dress code a requirement of any rite or meditation. Instead God Almighty stresses the fact that He will judge people by what is in the heart and not by what they wear:
"Except those who came to God with a pure heart (will be saved)" 26:89
The tradition goes that the Hajj garments are a part of the state of ‘Ehraam’. The word ‘Ehraam’ in Arabic means abstention, thus these garments are worn so as to abstain oneself from anything ostentatious. However all the requirements of ‘Ehraam’ are also included in the Quran, and they do not speak of any dress code. The only abstentions mentioned in the Quran during Hajj are abstentions from war, hunting, sex, cutting one’s hair, misconduct and arguments.
More important, the Hajj garments, which have become an integral part of the Hajj violates the following Quranic verse:
"O children of Adam, take along ‘Zinatakom’ to every masjid" 7:31
The word ‘Zinatakom’ means (your Zina). The word ‘Zina’ literally means adornments or anything worn to make oneself beautiful. Since the verse said "every masjid" and no exception in the Quran has been made to this totality, then it must be understood that this includes the ‘Masjid Al-Haraam’ as well. God does not forget or make mistakes, if He wished to exclude the ‘Masjid Al-Haraam’ from this command He would have surely done so. What this really means is that God wants us to dress in nice clothes and adorn ourselves with beautiful things, as long as we are not too flashy, so as to treat the visit to the masjid as a happy and festive occasion.
One cannot help but wonder, what could be more genuine than celebrating the trip to answer God"s call in a happy and peaceful manner?
I have often contemplated the happy mood and nice appearance of Christians when they go to Christmas Mass. In a way I have always seen good things in that. Commemorating and glorifying the Lord God should always be a happy occasion, not a terrifying experience! I suppose our behaviour stems from our nature (Arabs in particular) of dramatizing everything, and in indulging in morbid states of self denial, thinking that the exaggerated gloom adds an air of sincerity to our actions!!! Again this is far from the truth. The credibility of any action or its sincerity lies only in the heart.
The classic excuse given by the Muslims for wearing the Hajj garments is their claim that it equates the rich with the poor. They add that the poor will not feel uncomfortable or embarrassed by their dress since all look alike. The answer to that is very simple. The Friday congregational prayer has no dress code, everyone wears what they like, yet no one feels uncomfortable or embarrassed by what they wear. It is not a problem simply because the general mood of the people in the masjid is one of worship, no one is interested in what others are wearing! If the mood in the Hajj is even much more of adoration to God Almighty, it does not make sense to think that it would be a problem to anyone.
Furthermore, the poor person would be better off going to Hajj in whatever clothes he’s got. This will save him the expense of going out and buying the Hajj costume (towels, special sandals and leather belt).
If 7:31 provides us with the Quranic evidence that the Hajj dress code is not Quranic, there is also a rational and logical confirmation to reject the dress code. To explain this logic it must first be stressed that God will never command the believers to perform a certain practice and then make it impossible for them to exercise it. God decreed for us to perform Hajj anytime during the four specified months. Now, if the present dress code was a genuine requirement for Hajj, and due to the corruption of today’s Muslim in restricting the Hajj to a ten day period, it would be impossible for a genuine believer to go to such places as Arafat to perform the rites of Hajj dressed in the Hajj garments anytime outside the ten day period. The corrupt authorities would not permit him to do so, further still he would probably be stoned by the idol worshipers! However, and if he is dressed in normal clothes, he would be allowed in and given access to do a ‘Umrah’ and also be permitted to visit Arafat in plain clothes. In actual fact he would be doing his Hajj. God the Most Merciful by allowing the believers to wear normal clothes during Hajj has in effect made it possible for them to follow His law anytime during the four months in spite of the idol worshipers.
5- Hajj by Deputisation!
God asserts the fact that no soul will be accountable to the sins of another, and also that no soul will be credited from the deeds of another. In other words, each soul will be held accountable only to what it has done.
"The human being will not be credited for anything other than his own work" 53:39
".............no person benefits except from his own work....." 6:164
In spite of these clear assurances in the Quran, we find Muslims today doing Hajj and Umrah for their dead relatives. They do that in accordance with various hadith that say that the prophet supposedly said that you can do Hajj, fast Ramadan, and also give Zakat on behalf of your dead relatives!
The sad matter here is that they have believed unconfirmed hadith and ignored clear Quranic verses! Had they believed the Quran they would have known that these hadith are lies and that the prophet of God is innocent of such lies. Needless to say, the prophet would never preach what contradicts the Quran.
6- Ihram (abstentions) during Umrah!
The word "Ihram" is used in the Quran in close relation to the "Shahr Al-Haram" (the sacred months). These are clearly defined as being four months, during which Hajj may be observed. However, when Muslims observe their Umrah anytime during the year, they still get into a state of Ihram and the men wear the Hajj garments!
Needless to say this is contrary to the law of the Quran, which dictates that "Ihram" (abstention) should only be observed during the four sacred months of Hajj. As per the Quran, the believers may visit the Sacred Masjid and observe their Umrah without having to be confined to the abstentions outlined by God for Hajj.
7- Women not allowed to perform Hajj without a Mihrim!
Corrupt Islamic regulations forbid any woman to observe hajj or umrah without being in the company of a "mihrim". By definition, a Mihrim is any male who in God"s law is not entitled to marry the woman in question. Thus for any woman, her father, brother, son, grandfather ..... etc are all Mihrim. Not only does this corrupt restriction have no Quranic basis, but it is also an insult to all women.
God never set such restrictions in the Quran on women. Needless to say, it is one of a string of countless cultural male enforced rules by which the Muslim men subject their women to subordination. The origin of this corrupt condition, not surprisingly comes from yet another hadith that says that no man shall be in the company of a woman alone and in seclusion. Besides the fact that this rule is non-Quranic, a crowd of around two million visitors to Mecca during Hajj can hardly be described as a "seclusion" Moreover, and to prove that this rule is nothing but a sign of male dominated cultures, we may rightly inquire, that if it is prohibited for a male to be in the company of a woman alone, then why is the man not also required to take a Mihrim (his mother, sister ... etc) with him in hajj and umrah?
8- Women (during menstruation) deprived of their Rites, (and thus not completing Hajj rites)!
A good believing woman once said to me:
"God commanded married couples to abstain from sexual intercourse during the woman’s menstruation (2:222). Yet our Merciful God, who gave us the gift of worshiping Him to nourish our souls, has never deprived man nor woman of worshiping Him at all times (except for those who are intoxicated, or drunk)."
She added:
"What authority does man give himself to deprive the woman from observing her Salat, Fasting or indeed coming anywhere nears a Masjid during menstruation? What authority does the man have to call us dirty during these days, when in fact, it is God"s system that allows the female body through menstruation to cleanse itself so that our bodies can start afresh?
Ironically, by the power of God, the very first growth of every man inside his mother"s womb stems from that very same blood that supposedly makes us dirty and undeserving of God"s love and intimacy when we are shedding it. Please show me ANY justice or intelligence in this idolatry."
In actual fact, I could not give her an answer! The only answer I had was that I am a man who is indeed totally ashamed of other ignorant men who call themselves Muslim yet twist, distort and corrupt God"s words to dominate and keep their women under subjection.
Their claim that these restrictions come from the teachings of the prophet is yet another great insult to the integrity of the prophet of God. The prophet of God was commanded by God to follow the Quran and nothing else (5:48), and thus the prophet would never teach what is in contradiction to the Quran.
These corrupted restrictions rob women from their rightful duty to worship God for seven days in every month. In the unlucky event of the woman menstruating during the Hajj days, and by depriving her of her duty to observe her Prayers, they prevent the woman from completing her Hajj rites.
Just as the ignorant ones have found some justification in upholding some fabricated hadith that claims that there are certain hours during the day when it is not advisable to worship God (hadith says that it is not advisable to pray during the hour before the sunset "Maghrib" prayer!), they have also upheld fabricated hadith that deprives women of worshipping God for seven days every month!
Those with any degree of intelligence would surely know that God would never deprive any human being of the benefit of Prayer due to a fault that is not their own!
If we get drunk it is our fault. God warned us from intoxicants, thus it is understandable that we would be deprived of the gift of Prayer then, for we would not know what we are saying. But what fault has a woman during menstruation to be deprived of the gift of worshiping God Almighty?
9- Corrupt Misconceptions
Many corrupt misconceptions have crept into the ideology of Hajj. These misconceptions have no Quranic basis whatsoever. The following are some examples:
1- Although we are told in the Quran that God commanded Abraham to proclaim Hajj as a fundamental rite of obedience, still the corrupt Muslim scholars claim that Hajj did not become compulsory till the 9th year after Hijrah!
"We appointed for Abraham the location of the House, "Do not set up any partners with Me and purify My House for the passersby and those who are standing, as well as those who bow and prostrate.
"And proclaim the Hajj to the people. They will come to you on foot and on every lean animal, they will come from every deep ravine." 22:26-27
The words "And proclaim the Hajj to the people" are self evident. To say after that that Hajj was not made compulsory till after the 9th year of Hijra is a flagrant lie against the Quran.
2- Another misconception that has no origin in the Quran is the claim that Hajj wipes out all previous sins. There are numerous hadith that say that whoever observes the Hajj returns without sins! Not only does this false concept has no origin in the Quran, but it is also a grave intrusion on God"s Will. We are told in the Quran that God being the Most Merciful may wipe out some of our sins or He may wipe out all of them for whom He pleases. However, to claim any knowledge of the application of God"s Mercy is undoubtedly a grave sin. Had we been told in the Quran that there is one single deed (as Hajj) that would wipe all our sins in a package deal, then we would have had reason to believe in such a concept. Needless to say, there is no such thing in the Quran.
Had the corrupt scholars read the Quran carefully and believed it, they would have been assured that no one is entitled to claim any knowledge of God"s Mercy. In the following verse God commands the prophet to say that even he does not know what will happen to him:
"Say (O Muhammad), "I am not any different from other messengers. I have no idea what will happen to me or to you. I only follow what is revealed to me. I am no more than a clear warner." 46:9
We know that the prophet performed his Hajj just before his death yet, contrary to that false concept, he is still to say that he does not know what will happen to him.
10- Visiting the Prophet's tomb in Medina and declaring it a second "sacred masjid"
Unfortunately, most of today's Muslims make it a custom to visit the Prophet Muhammad's tomb in the masjid that carries his name in Medina. By doing that they are committing the most flagrant acts of idolatry and thus nullify their Hajj.
According to the command in 6:162 we are told that we should dedicate all our rite and meditation to the name of God alone. Hajj is older than the prophet Muhammad himself. Abraham and his descendants performed Hajj, they did not have Muhammad's tomb to visit. And for all the followers of hadith who keep parroting that they follow the religion in the same way that the prophet did, well, the prophet Muhammad observed his hajj after returning to Mecca, but he did not visit his grave during his hajj, did he?
The Quran consistently mentions one 'Sacred Masjid' while today's Muslims talk about 'Two Sacred Masjids' In a glaring act of idolatry, these Muslims have set up Muhammad’s tomb as a second 'Sacred Masjid' This is a clear violation of the Quran where believers are told that the places of worship belong to God alone:
"The masajid (places of worship) belong to God; do not call on anyone else beside God." 72:18
And if the hadith followers care little about the Quranic commands in favour of their hadith, then it remains a mystery how they also violate their own hadith which again prohibits them from conducting any prayers at the grave of their messengers:
Muslim, Book 4, Number 1083:
"Jundub reported: I heard from the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) five days before his death and he said: …….. Beware of those who preceded you and used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous men as places of worship, but you must not take graves as mosques; I forbid you to do that."
FIFTH
The Price of deserting God’s Law
As a result of the Muslim's rejection of God's Law in the Quran for Hajj, the following evils have resulted:
FIRST
The average number of Muslims who converge on Mecca annually to observe the Hajj is about two million. However, a conservative estimate of at least ten times this number (20 million) or more world-wide are refused visas due to the limited capacity of the land and facilities. The majority of these applicants may never get another chance to fulfil what is an integral part of their religion. The Quran says that it is the duty of every Muslim to observe Hajj, provided he can afford it, not if he is lucky to get a visa! (see 3:97)
The question here is how can it be possible that God may decree a rite for the believers and then make it very difficult for the majority of them to observe? In reality this question is not applicable unless God has in fact decreed only ten days for the Hajj, but because God has granted the believers four months every year to observe the Hajj, it becomes obvious that it is those who have changed God’s law who are really responsible for putting all the obstacles before those wishing to observe Hajj, and for making Hajj an overcrowded, hazardous and tense experience that can only be accomplished by the minority of people.
If Hajj was spread over the four months appointed by God all those extra millions of Muslims would be able to observe Hajj. The tense atmosphere would also be eliminated.
SECOND
Due to the extreme overcrowding, many accidents, fires and deaths occur every year. The majority of the fatalities occur at the sight of the stoning, which is not really a coincidence but a sign from God to the those who perform the idolatrous act of stoning.
For more information regarding the grave tragedies that have occured through the years, please go to: Stoning Tragedies
THIRD
As a result of the limited number of applications allocated for every country for Hajj, an evil situation has arisen where a number of travel agents who organise the Hajj trips have reduced Hajj to becoming an extremely profitable commodity! Some of these parasitic traders only work during the few weeks preceding Hajj extorting huge sums of money from travellers and living off those gains for the rest of the year! What they are doing is making extorted profits from selling what is in fact a religious duty! They advertise by saying ‘If you would like to do the Hajj, it will cost you such amount!’ The sin of making extorted profits from Hajj is not any different from someone saying ‘If you would like to do your Prayers it will cost you so much!’
FOURTH
Due to the huge number of people (two million) who visit Mecca in a period of a few days, the number of livestock being slaughtered far exceeds the necessary amount required to feed everyone present. The result of which is that a great amount of meat is wasted, thrown away or rots under the hot sun. Once again, if God’s law was enforced and the Hajj spread over four months, there would be better control on the distribution of the surplus meat.
FIFTH
Due to the extremely large crowds that are present at one time in a limited space, instead of having ample time for meditation and spirituality, the main concerns of the visitors are reduced to avoiding being robbed by petty thieves, avoiding being detached from their accompanying groups, avoiding being trampled on and avoiding being struck by flying stones at the stoning site! This is not to mention the problems related to washing facilities, cleanliness and hygiene.
All these negative factors turn the journey of Hajj into a very hectic and strenuous experience instead of being a relaxing spiritual one.
Needless to say, if the Law of God was enforced, and Hajj was restored to the four sacred months, all these problems would largely be eliminated.
SIXTH
Due to the corrupt restriction on women, which dictates that they are not allowed to observe their Hajj unless they are accompanied by a Mihrim, the result is that thousands of women are deprived of their rightful right to observe the Hajj. Often the case is that on the particular year when a woman is ready to do her Hajj it is not always possible to find a "mihrim" who is willing to travel and who is also financially able to afford the high cost of the Hajj journey.
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From my personal experienc
e at the ‘Masjid Al-Haraam’ I have felt that in visiting the Kaaba, God has indeed set a great test for the believers; are they going to go to the Kaaba to worship God alone, or are they going to worship the walls, the stone and the water? In my heart I am saddened by the fact that millions upon millions are failing the test of the Kaaba,