Hajj is among the best deeds of worship, a way of forgiving sins, and the entry to Jannah, as it cultivates in its performer a deep faith in Allah (SWT). Faith in Allah means knowing Him and submitting completely to His will. This is evident in several aspects: the acts of worship the pilgrim performs, the ethics they adhere to, and the habits they adopt during the Hajj.
How do these acts of worship, ethics, and habits contribute to establishing faith in Allah (SWT)?
Firstly: The Role of the Pilgrim's Acts of Worship in Building Faith:
As for the acts of worship performed by the pilgrim, they diligently adhere to performing all the required rituals without neglecting any. They strive to perform them completely and perfectly, even if they are challenging. They pray in al-Masjid al-Haram, circulate the Kaaba seven times, perform the Sa'i between As-Safa and al-Marwah, stand on the Mount of Arafah, and stone the Jamarat. Each ritual is performed at its designated time and place, and this complete adherence is a precise form of training to achieve the perfect faith.
Moreover, the pilgrim constantly does dhikr (remembrance of Allah) in all their circumstances, continually repeating: “Labbayk-Allāhumma labbayk, labbayka lā sharīka laka labbayk, inna ‘l-ḥamda, wanni`mata, laka wa ‘l-mulk, lā sharīka lak.” (I am here at Your service, O Allah, I am here at Your service. I am here at Your service, You have no partner, I am here at Your service. Surely the praise, and blessings are Yours, and the dominion. You have no partner.)
The pilgrim is commanded to remember Allah constantly during the Hajj. Allah says, “But when you depart from 'Arafat, remember Allah at al- Mash'ar al-Haram. And remember Him, as He has guided you, for indeed, you were before that among those astray. Then depart from the place from where [all] the people depart and ask forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. And when you have completed your rites, remember Allah like your [previous] remembrance of your fathers or with [much] greater remembrance.” (Al-Baqarah: 198-200)
And Allah says, “And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass - That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known days.” (Al-Hajj: 27-28)
Adherence to the remembrance of Allah is a training in faith. Constant remembrance is a sign of a peaceful heart, and the heart is only at peace through faith. Allah says, “Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.” (Ar-Ra'd: 28)
Secondly: The Role of Ethics that the Pilgrim Adheres to in Building Faith:
While the acts of worship performed by the pilgrims guide them towards faith, they are also commanded to adhere to manners that instill faith in their hearts. Among these manners are:
- Abandoning Vile Behaviors: Refraining from obscene speech and wicked deeds, as Allah has commanded during Hajj, “Hajj is [during] well-known months, so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein [by entering the state of ihram], there is [to be for him] no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during Hajj.” (Al-Baqarah: 197)
In Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “If anyone performs the pilgrimage for God’s sake without talking immodestly or acting wickedly, he will return [free from sin] as on the day his mother bore him.”
- Adhering to Good Morals: When Allah commanded the abandonment of vile behaviors in Hajj, He concluded the ayah by commanding the adornment of good morals, saying, “And whatever good you do - Allah knows it. And take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is fear of Allah. And fear Me, O you of understanding.” (Al-Baqarah: 197) Among these good morals that build faith is sincerity to Allah. Allah says, “And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth.” (Al-Bayyina: 5)
The pilgrim intends only to please Allah with their Hajj not boasting about it to people. Ibn Majah narrated that Anas bin Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) performed Hajj only once and said, “O Allah, a Hajj in which there is no showing off nor reputation sought.”
Other morals in Hajj include patience, as the pilgrim endures the hardships of performing the rituals and the huge crowds, especially with everyone desiring to perform the rituals in the best manner. Hajj also promotes equality among people, without distinctions or boasting. All wear the same unstitched garment, circulate the Kaaba, chant the same Talbiyah, stand on Arafah, throw the Jamarat, and make Sa’i between As-Safa and al-Marwa seven times, with no one being distinguished over another, embodying the beautiful image of equality among believers.
The pilgrim also adopts noble ethics in general, especially the virtue of righteousness, which involves feeding others and speaking kindly. Imam Ahmad narrated that Jabir bin Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “The righteous Hajj pilgrimage has no reward but Paradise.” Jabir said, “What is its righteousness?” The Prophet said, “To feed the poor and speak kind words.”
The pilgrim maintains these ethics to get closer to Allah the Almighty and to achieve complete faith.
Thirdly: The Role of Customs Adopted by the Pilgrim in Building Faith:
Islam, in the obligation of Hajj, did not leave any behavior of a Muslim unchecked, even those actions performed in their daily lives. It has prescribed a comprehensive system to regulate daily customs. For instance, it was customary for a man to be intimate with his wife whenever he desired, to hunt birds whenever possible and eat them, to cut tree branches whenever needed, and to kill insects if they appeared in front of him, etc.
However, Islam wanted to regulate the Muslim even in their customs, preventing them from taking these actions so that they would become accustomed to adhering to what had been legislated, even in ordinary matters. If a Muslim does so, faith will grow in their heart and flourish, maintaining consistency in all aspects of their life. The prohibition of intimacy while in the state of ihram is evidenced by Allah's words: “Hajj is (during) well-known months, so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein (by entering the state of ihram), there is (to be for him) no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during Hajj.” (Al-Baqarah: 197) Scholars agree that “rafath” here means sexual relations.
As for the prohibition of hunting land animals, such as birds and others, it is evidenced by Allah's words: “O you who have believed, do not kill game while you are in the state of ihram.” (Al-Ma'idah: 95), and: “Lawful to you is game from the sea and its food as provision for you and the travelers, but forbidden to you is game from the land as long as you are in the state of ihram. And fear Allah to whom you will be gathered.” (Al-Ma'idah: 96)
As for cutting down the trees, it is mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim that Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said about the Sacred Land: “God made this town sacred on the day He created the heavens and the earth, so it is sacred by the sacredness conferred on it by God till the day of resurrection. Fighting in it has not been lawful to anyone before me and it has been made lawful for me only during one hour on one day, so it is sacred by the sacredness conferred on it by God till the day of resurrection. Its thorns are not to be cut, its game is not to be molested, things dropped are to be picked up only by one who publicly announces it, and its fresh herbage is not to be cut.” This means that we should not cut any trees, whether small or large, disturb the game, or pick up anything we find except to identify it.
This is an invitation to complete discipline in its highest form, so that the Muslims adhere to the divine methodology in all aspects of their lives. They do not speak except with what pleases Allah, nor act except with what pleases Him, thereby becoming submissive and surrendering to Allah (SWT). This is the level of faith that a Muslim seeks to achieve through performing the Hajj.
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