Imagine a place full of throngs of different colors and races from around the globe. They are all full of sincere love toward one another. Can you think of such a place in today’s world? If not, then you have to see Makkah and Madinah during the season of Hajj.
At this time of the Hijri year, Millions of Muslims who can afford the journey flow, flee, and fly to Makkah to perform the rites of Hajj and seek Allah’s forgiveness. In a magnificent scene, the rich and the poor, the black and the white, and the famous and the unknown all stand, walk, move, supplicate, and pray at the same time while wearing the same simple attire of Hajj. They perform Hajj; free of arrogance and other heart diseases.
If you take a picture showing an aerial view of the Kabah during the season of Hajj, you will see that Muslims move in the same direction around the centre, which is the Kabah. Tawaf (circumambulation around the Ka`bah) proves that people can unite; they can forget their disputes and work together toward global peace and prosperity.
During the journey of Hajj, many benefits can be reaped. One of these benefits is that pilgrims are introduced to other peoples and cultures. In the Qur’an, Almighty Allah says,
{O humankind, surely We have created you of a male and a female and made you nations and tribes that you may know one another; verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you; surely Allah is Knowing, Aware.} (Al-Hujurat 49:13)
Indeed, this notion can make differences among people vanish. When the late civil rights activist Malcolm X witnessed this unique gathering of Hajj in 1964, he described his feelings by saying,
Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and overwhelming spirit of true brotherhood as is practiced by people of all colors and races here in this ancient holy land, the home of Abraham, Muhammad, and all the other Prophets of the Holy Scriptures.
For the past week, I have been utterly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed all around me by people of all colors. There were tens of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. They were of all colors — from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and nonwhite.
If you ponder for a while over the main reason behind that harmony among pilgrims, your heart will tell you that it is because those people gather to declare their total submission to the Creator of the universe.
The heavenly atmosphere surrounding the gathering of pilgrims gives hope to humanity that all humans can unite despite their differences. They can live together in peace despite their conflicting interests. They can love one another despite their different needs.
Almighty Allah, Who commanded Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) to proclaim Hajj unto humankind, is the One Who can unite all people. In the Qur’an, Almighty Allah says:
{And brought their [i.e. the believers’] hearts together; had you spent all that is in the earth, you could not have brought their hearts together, but Allah united them; surely He is Mighty, Wise.} (Al-Anfal 8:63)
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
By Mostafa Al-Khateeb
