Hajj is a mirror reflecting the reality of the Ummah; each country is represented by Muslims chosen by Allah to perform Hajj each year. Representatives of Muslims from around the world gather, and the world sees the image of the Muslim Ummah in Arafat. Anyone who wants to understand the Ummah of Islam, diagnose its ailments and diseases, and observe its strengths and weaknesses should look at it during Hajj. If the Ummah is compassionate and organized during Hajj, it is likewise outside of Hajj. For years, I have traveled for Hajj and Umrah, observing the reality of the pilgrims and their questions, and conversing with the muftis and guides for the people during Hajj. I will attempt to read the reality of Hajj through the recurring questions of the pilgrims each year, which focus on the visible aspects of Hajj, its traditions, etiquettes, details, and prohibitions of Ihram, rather than the essentials, principles, core, and essence, except for those whom Allah has mercy upon.
They ask about the size of the pebbles for the Jamarat, whether they should be picked up entirely from Muzdalifah or Mina, about the use of soap and toothpaste by the pilgrim in Ihram, and whether a hair falling out due to inadvertent scratching counts as a prohibition or not. They do not ask about the pilgrimage of the heart, the path to righteousness after Hajj, the way to an accepted Hajj, the tear of humility, the fervent supplication, the message that the pilgrims should carry to their communities and the world, or about the objectives and secrets of Hajj, its principles, and pillars, as much as they care about and ask about its traditions and etiquettes.
I am not here to belittle those questions or the importance of completing the rites as performed and commanded by the Prophet, peace be upon him. Rather, I denounce stopping at them and not giving the same level of importance to what is more significant, such as standing on Arafat, despite the fact that missing it invalidates the Hajj and it cannot be compensated or corrected. Meanwhile, the things frequently asked about can be compensated with a sacrifice, expiation, or delegation, without the invalidation of the rites due to errors.
The pilgrims' questions reflect the reality and state of the Ummah, which has drowned in branches and details at the expense of the fundamentals and overall objectives. We see some scholars and preachers becoming agitated and weeping over a famous woman removing her hijab, yet we hear nothing from them in the face of the heaps of corruption and tyranny, the bloodshed that has been and continues to be spilled, and the innocent lives taken unjustly. Thus, the values of Islam and its major principles have been lost, and the Ummah remains in a state of backwardness and civilizational decline, waiting for its end and anticipating a new birth for the Ummah along with the rebirth of the pilgrim.
This situation necessitates that the people of knowledge, thought, and contemplation study and reflect upon it, charting the path to overcome it, and freeing the Ummah from being trapped in it, rather than accommodating the masses in what they want and seek.
The Pilgrims' Questions Have Three Main Indications
Firstly: Focusing on the appearance and the outward form, rather than the intent and the essence.
Secondly: Greater concern for branches and details over fundamentals and overall objectives.
Thirdly: Prioritizing prohibitions and forbidden acts over obligations and recommended acts.
The focus on the appearance and the outward form, rather than the intent and the essence, is evident in most pilgrims' attention to performing the rituals in their outward form without delving into their inner meanings, secrets, wisdom, and the intended significance behind each act of Hajj. Most guides and preachers tend to tell the pilgrims that the acts of Hajj are purely devotional with no wisdom or secrets, and that Allah has prescribed them solely to train us in obedience and submission. This claim is incorrect, as the Quran itself gives reasons and objectives for Hajj, as Allah says: “That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known days” [Al-Hajj: 28]. Hajj is a wellspring of wisdom, secrets, objectives, and benefits, and one of the reasons a pilgrim loses the spirit of Hajj and its meanings, and does not change afterward, is the lack of attention to this purposeful dimension. When Ibn Umar was told, "How numerous are the pilgrims!" he replied, "How few they are!" and explained, "The riders are many, but the true pilgrims are few." This meant that while the number of pilgrims was large, those who grasped the meaning of Hajj and performed it with their hearts before their bodies were few. He said this about the pilgrims of his time, who were close to the era of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his companions, so what might he say about our time?!
The outward reality of the Ummah during Hajj mirrors the reality in various aspects of political, intellectual, and missionary life; we usually settle for the superficial appearance of events and positions without contemplating what lies beneath and what they entail. This has accumulated ailments and diseases within the Ummah, leading to stagnation and superficiality as a general trait among most of its peoples.
The greater concern for branches and details over fundamentals and overall objectives, as seen among pilgrims, is also reflected in the Ummah at large, including many of its preachers and thinkers. Our jurisprudential heritage includes numerous applications and examples that clearly embody this ailment. We find independent classifications by esteemed scholars on detailed controversial issues in the obligatory prayer, such as the manner of descending from standing to prostration and the brief sitting that precedes the transition from prostration to standing. These are minor, detailed, and supplementary matters.
Conversely, we do not find similar classifications on how to achieve humility in prayer. Most jurists do not consider humility a pillar or obligation in prayer, but rather a recommended act at best. We also do not find works on how prayer prevents indecency and wrongdoing, how it truly connects and binds one to the Almighty, and how it represents a source of emotional and psychological comfort for the worshipper. These are aspects that have been felt and creatively written about by new European Muslims in an astonishingly innovative manner.
The same can be said about matters of faith, which have been burdened with complexities, debates, and theological arguments that do not help in correcting people's beliefs. Similarly, in the field of Tajweed (the art of Quranic recitation), the emphasis on precise pronunciation and articulation often overshadows the understanding and contemplation of the Quran. The situation of Muslims in Europe is not much different; they may raise a great uproar over minor, controversial issues that should not even be disputed, such as congratulating non-Muslims on their holidays, celebrating the Prophet's birthday, or observing New Year's Eve with worship. Meanwhile, those who argue over these issues remain silent in the face of threats that endanger the entire Islamic existence and undermine its achievements, compromising the overall objectives of Muslims, such as preserving their religion and identity for themselves and their children. Examples of these threats include the rise of extreme right-wing parties or the alarming spread of racism in society.
As for prioritizing prohibitions over obligations and recommended acts, most pilgrims, as I mentioned, focus on and fear the prohibitions of Ihram, paying less attention to the general obligations and Sunnah practices. This reflects the reality of the Ummah, which tends to prioritize prohibitions over obligations and recommendations. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah paid great attention to this issue because of its practical implications, stating: "The category of performing what is commanded is greater than the category of avoiding what is forbidden, and the category of neglecting what is commanded is greater than the category of committing what is forbidden. The reward for the children of Adam for fulfilling obligations is greater than their reward for avoiding prohibitions, and their punishment for neglecting obligations is greater than their punishment for committing prohibited acts."
Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned more than twenty pieces of evidence for this principle:
One of them is that good deeds, which are the fulfillment of commands, remove the punishment of sins and bad deeds, which are the result of forbidden acts. The one who commits a forbidden act can have his sin removed by repentance, which is a commanded good deed, and by performing righteous deeds that counterbalance it, which are also commanded good deeds.
Another evidence is that performing good deeds necessitates the abandonment of bad deeds, while merely abstaining from bad deeds does not necessitate the performance of good deeds. Abstaining from bad deeds while having the means to commit them can only be achieved by a good deed, and performing good deeds without the presence of the means to commit bad deeds does not rely on abstaining from bad deeds. Thus, the person is rewarded because he abstained from bad deeds while having the means to commit them.
Finally, performing good deeds leads to more good deeds. Faith necessitates righteous deeds, and righteous deeds invite similar deeds and other types of good deeds. As it is said, "The reward for a good deed is another good deed that follows it." On the other hand, the absence of a bad deed does not lead to the absence of another bad deed unless it is due to abstention, which itself is a good deed. This concludes Ibn Taymiyyah's words.
His student, Ibn al-Qayyim, elaborated on these evidences and expanded upon them. He said: "Neglecting a command is greater in the sight of Allah than committing a prohibition because Adam was forbidden from eating from the tree, yet he ate from it and repented, and Allah accepted his repentance. On the other hand, Iblis was commanded to prostrate to Adam, but he did not prostrate and did not repent. The sin of committing a prohibition typically stems from desire and need, while the sin of neglecting a command typically stems from arrogance and pride. No one with even an atom's weight of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise, but anyone who dies upon monotheism will enter it, even if he has committed adultery and theft."
When the scholar of Maqasid, Dr. Ahmed al-Raysouni, encountered this profound proposition of Ibn Taymiyyah and his student Ibn al-Qayyim, along with those who concurred with them among the scholars of jurisprudence, he turned to critique the famous juridical principle: "Preventing harm takes precedence over bringing benefits." He concluded that, according to this foundation, its correctness should be reflected as follows: "Bringing benefits takes precedence over preventing harm." He responded to the evidence presented by those who advocate for it in its original form. Building on prioritizing duties and recommended acts over prohibitions and discouragements, a plethora of prevailing ideas and beliefs entrenched in the thought and practice of the Muslim community emerged, including, for example:
Defining Islam, Calling to it, and Prioritizing Religious Education for New Muslims
When most people in Europe define Islam, they tend to emphasize the aspect of prohibitions and obligations, presenting Islam as a list of shocking prohibitions for non-Muslims, which they cannot imagine integrating into their lives if they were to embrace Islam. For instance, one may have grown up loving wine, enjoying pork, freely socializing with the opposite gender, loving their spouse and family, and even European women may find it unimaginable to wear the Islamic hijab. Then comes someone inviting them to abandon all of this in one fell swoop if they decide to embrace Islam, which contradicts the prioritization of duties and obligations as mentioned earlier. Instead, we should inform them about the required actions, starting with faith in Allah first, followed by prayer, the pillars, and the comprehensive elements of Islam. Once faith enters their hearts, they will naturally move towards abandoning prohibitions without effort or imposition. I have seen this repeatedly in hundreds of cases; how a new Muslim woman decides to wear the hijab and face her family and society, perhaps even facing harassment in her work and livelihood, and she does so with contentment and love because faith has touched the depths of her heart, so she submits and surrenders. In contrast, another woman in a Muslim Arab country may decide to remove her hijab despite being raised with it and adhering to it for half of her life because she faces moments of weak faith and shortcomings in fulfilling her duties and obligations, which weaken her and lead her into prohibitions due to the slightest doubt.
Criteria for Measuring Religiosity and Priorities of Religious Reform in Societies
When we seek to measure religiosity in a community, especially among Muslim communities, we often turn to the circle of prohibitions and restrictions in Islam rather than the circle of duties and obligations. We measure religiosity by the prevalence of usury, which is prohibited, rather than the regularity of people's prayers, which is obligatory. Similarly, we measure religiosity by the prevalence of immodesty, which is prohibited, rather than the prevalence of modesty, virtue, justice, and good morals, which are required. In fact, the primary criterion for measuring a woman's religiosity by the general public is her hijab, not her prayers. Few inquire about her prayers, and if we were given a choice between a veiled woman who does not pray and an unveiled woman who prays, we would choose the veiled woman who does not pray! This does not mean that I endorse either of these scenarios, but within the framework of balance and prioritization, we must focus on obligations first because adherence to them will undoubtedly lead to regularity and commitment in avoiding prohibitions, not the other way around.
Similarly, in our acceptance or rejection of people committing sins, if this assumption is correct, we place a very high importance on avoiding and rejecting the sinner by committing the prohibited act more than the sin of neglecting obligations. I have often said to Muslims in Europe when discussing the issue of homosexuality: If you were faced with someone neglecting obligatory prayers and someone practicing homosexuality, which one do you find more abhorrent and more deserving of condemnation and reform? The answer is without hesitation: homosexuality, of course!
Consider when I entered the political arena and encountered what is called political Islam after the Arab Spring. What were the questions posed to Islamists, and how were some of their proposed laws presented in parliament: banning pornographic films instead of laws supporting youth marriage and promoting virtue positively rather than prohibition and censorship, and the media posed questions all within the circle of prohibition: such as banning alcohol in hotels, banning female tourists at resorts, etc. The circle of duties and obligations was absent or marginalized.
Women in Islam
This is one of the most distorted issues concerning the status and place of women in Islam. Traditions have attributed to Islam most of the misconceptions and erroneous judgments about women, to the extent that they became a solid barrier, preventing women from their rights granted to them by Islam as an honor and preference. These barriers have become widely applied in women's issues and judgments. Women were prohibited from driving, from education in some countries, and from participating in work and aspects of life with men even if the Sharia guidelines were met. They were also prohibited from reading the Quran and entering the mosque while menstruating, although the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, did not prevent menstruating women from entering the Grand Mosque, so how about other mosques?
The issue of plucking women's eyebrows, which falls within the circle of prohibitions, received the greatest attention from both men and women. Some even made it a measure of a woman's religiosity. However, we did not find similar attention to women attending congregational prayers, as was the case in the Prophet's era, or focus on their political and social participation, which was established in the authentic Sunnah and during periods of Islamic civilization flourishing.
I must conclude by emphasizing that I do not underestimate the circle of prohibitions and restrictions in Islam, nor do I advocate disregarding them. Would a wise person say that a pilgrim needs to commit the prohibitions of Ihram based on what we have mentioned? The aim is to place everything in its proper place and worthy position, not to advance what deserves delay or delay what deserves precedence, in order to achieve the purpose of Allah, the Most High. And Allah knows, while you do not know.
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- Chairman of the Fatwa Committee in Germany. The article is published on Al Jazeera blogs on the Islam Online website.
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