The 10th day of Dhu'l Hijjah in the Muslim calendar is the day of Hajj - Eid al-Ad'ha or Yawm al-Nahr -- when the pilgrims in Makkah sacrifice halal animals following one of the oldest traditions of mankind, dating back to the time of Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام.

The rituals of the hajj are tied up with the events in Ibrahim's عليه السلام life. He was childless with his first wife Sarah. Then he took Hagar (Hajera) as his second wife. Through her, he became the father of Isma'il عليه السلام at a very advanced age. Soon after the child was born, Allah commanded him to settle the infant with his mother, Hajera in the valley of Makkah. After some years, as the Qur'an says, "And when his son was old enough to walk with him, (Abraham) said: O my dear son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you. So look, what thinkest thou?" (37:102)

To this question, Isma'il عليه السلام then only a young boy, replied, "O my father! Do that which you are commanded. Allah willing, you shall find me of the steadfast." (37:102)

What a remarkable reply from the son of Ibrahim عليه السلام Like the Rock of Gibraltar, Isma'il عليه السلام said he was ready to be sacrificed. This characteristic probably earned him the title 'the forbearing son' (Ghulamin Halim) in the Qur'an. The Qur'an continues the story, "Then when they had both surrendered (to Allah), and he had flung him down upon his face, We called unto him: O Abraham: You have already fulfilled the vision. Lo! Thus do We reward the good. Lo! That verily was a clear test. Then We ransomed him with a tremendous victim." (37:103-107)

Ibrahim عليه السلام didn't have to sacrifice his son. Instead, he was asked to sacrifice a ram, which had been sent to him, as ransom for Isma'il عليه السلام. Unlike the false-gods of polytheism, Allah, the One True God, is not bloodthirsty. He just wanted to check where Ibrahim عليه السلام stood in relation to his uncompromising devotion to and love for Allah; was he capable of overcoming his personal feelings of love and compassion for his son to please Allah. A lesson was taught by Allah - from now on there would be no human sacrifice in the altar of God. Sacrifice of a halal (e.g., camel, cow, lamb, and goat) animal for eating and distributing among the poor is a sufficient substitute.

Hajj (Pilgrimage) is one of the pillars of Islam. According to Imam al-Ghazali (R) hajj is the act of worship of a lifetime, the seal of all that is commanded, the perfection of Islam and the completion of religion. Concerning it the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, "Whoever dies without, having performed the Pilgrimage let him die, if he wish, either a Jew or a Christian." It is quite obvious that hajj has an exalted status without which religion is lacking in perfection.

There are numerous merits of hajj, Allah said [to Ibrahim], "And proclaim unto mankind the Pilgrimage. They will come to thee on foot, and on every lean camel, coming by every distant tract" (Qur'an 22:27). Qatada, one of the pious Muslims of the first century of Islam, said, "When Allah the Most High commanded Ibrahim عليه السلام to proclaim unto mankind the Pilgrimage, he proclaimed, 'O People, God the Most High has built a House; go to it on Pilgrimage.' God the Most High said, 'That they may witness [its] benefits for them' [Qur'an 22:28]." It was [once] said, "The business is during the season [of Pilgrimage], and the reward is in the hereafter."

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever performs Pilgrimage to the House without foul talk or iniquity is free from sin as [he was] on the day his mother bore him." Jami at-Tirmidhi 866 And the Prophet ﷺ also said, "Satan has never been seen as to be more mean, or humiliated, or miserable or vexed than on the day of 'Arafat." That is solely because of what he sees of the revelation of the mercy and forbearance of God toward grave sins. Thus it is said, "There are some sins which are expiated, only by the standing on Mount 'Arafat." Imam Jafar al-Sadiq Ibn Muhammad (R) has attributed this saying to Muhammad ﷺ.

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever sets out on the Greater or Lesser Pilgrimage and dies [before completing the Pilgrimage], will until the Day of Resurrection be awarded with the award of a pilgrim. And whoever dies in one of the two shrines will not be exposed [to Judgment] or made to give an account. To him it will be said, "Enter into Paradise," And the Prophet ﷺ said, "One Pilgrimage which is accepted [in the sight of God] is better than the whole world and what is in it; a Pilgrimage which is accepted [in God's sight] has no reward but Paradise."

And Muhammad ﷺ also said, "Those who go on the Greater or lesser Pilgrimage are a delegation of God Almighty and His visitors. If they ask [something] of Him, He grants [it] to them; if they beg His forgiveness, He forgives them; if they voice their supplication, it is granted to them; and if they intercede [on behalf of anyone], their intercession is granted." A saying of the Prophet ﷺ transmitted by members of his household declares: "The most sinful man is the one who, though standing on 'Arafat, thought that God has not forgiven him."

Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Everyday one hundred and twenty mercies descend on this House [the Ka'ba]; of these, sixty are for those who circumambulate [it], forty for those who [merely] pray [before it], and twenty for those who [merely] gaze [at it]." In another Prophetic tradition, it says: "Circumambulate the House often for it is among the most important things that you will find on your record on the Day of Resurrection, and [it is, moreover,] the most delightful deed you will find."

One of the early pious Muslims said, "If the day of 'Arafat coincides with Friday, all the people [who have stood] at 'Arafat are pardoned [of their sins]. Such [a day] is the most excellent of days in this [earthly] life; it was on such [a day] that the Prophet ﷺ performed his farewell pilgrimage, and he was standing [at 'Arafat] when the, [following] words of God Almighty were revealed [to Him]: "This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as religion." [Qur'an 5:4] The people of the Book said, "Had this verse been revealed to us, we would have made it a feast day." 'Umar عليه السلام said, "I testify that it was revealed to the Apostle of God, Muhammad ﷺ, on a day of two feasts: the Day of 'Arafat and the Day of Gathering [i.e. Friday], when he was standing at 'Arafat." The Prophet ﷺ said, "O God, forgive the pilgrim and the man for whom the pilgrim asks forgiveness."

Ali Ibn Muwaffaq (R) is reported to have said, "I performed the Pilgrimage one year, and when it was the night of Arafat I slept in the Mosque of al-Khaif at Mina. I saw in dream as though two angels clothed in green came down from the sky. Then one of them called to the other, 'O slave of God', and he [the other Angel] replied, 'Here I am [Labbayka], O slave of God'. The former continued, 'Do you know how many performed pilgrimage to the house of our Lord the Most High this year?' 'I do not know', he [the second Angel] answered. 'Six hundred thousand have performed the pilgrimage to the House of our Lord', the other said, 'but do you know how many of them were accepted?' He said, 'No.' 'Six persons', the other replied. Then they ascended into the air and disappeared from me, and I woke up in fright. I was very much distressed and my condition greatly disturbed. Then I said [to myself], 'If the pilgrimage of [only] six persons has been accepted where am I among the six?' Then, after I had left 'Arafat I stayed for a while at Mash'ar al-Haram, and I began to meditate upon the multitude of people [who attended that year's pilgrimage as compared to] the small number whom were accepted. I fell asleep, and all of a sudden there were [before me] the two figures having descended [again] in their [same] form. And one of them called the other repeating the same words [as before]. Then he said, 'Do you know what decision has our Lord made this night?' 'No', the other said. He said, 'He has given everyone of the six a hundred thousand.' Then, I woke up with such rejoicing as cannot be described."

May Allah allow us to perform Hajj, the largest annual gathering of people on earth, and chant: Labayk Allahuma Labayk. Labayk. La shareeka laka Labayk. Innal hamda wan-nimata laka wal mulk. La shareeka Lak (meaning: Here I am at your service, Oh Lord, here I am - here I am. No partner do You have. Here I am. Truly, the praise and the favor are Yours, and the dominion. No partner do You have.)

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Dr Habib Siddiqui has authored 10 books. His book - Devotional Stories - is available from A.S. Noordeen, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.