WHAT GREAT ASSET HAS BEEN GIVEN TO MUSLIMS!
Man’s attraction to the House of God and forum of monotheism, on the one hand, and the great assembly of the ummah in a single place for performing a series of common religious acts, extremely inspiring in creating understanding and unity of thoughts, on the other, is a great heavenly asset bestowed on Muslims by God. Moral virtues, the power to fight atheism, and a spiritual way of living both in the world and the Hereafter, are some of the advantages of Hajj.
THE KAABA, A SECURITY FOR THE SURVIVAL OF HUMAN SOCIETY
جَعَلَ اللهُ الكَعْبَةَ البيْتَ الحَرامَ قِياماً لِلنَّاسِ وَالشَّهْرَ الحَرامَ والهَدْيَ والقَلائِدَ، ذلِكَ لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا في السَّمَاوَاتِ والأَرْضِ وَأَنَّ اللهَ بكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَليمٌ.
“Allah has made the Kaaba, the Sacred House, a maintenance for the people, and the sacred month and the offsprings and the sacrificial animals with garlands; this is that you may know that Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever in the earth and that Allah is the Knower of all things. (The Holy Quran; 5:97)”
In this Quranic Verse, the Kaaba, which has been described as the sacred house and maintenance for the people, and the month during which Muslims assemble in Mecca as the sacred month, and also the sacrificial animals with garlands indicate respect for the house. They all serve as security for human survival from annihilation and corruption.
The house, highly respected, is the Kiblah towards which Muslims all over the world perform their prayer, slaughter cows, sheep, and camels, and bury their dead. All deeds are accepted only when they are performed in the direction of the Kaaba. Muslims deem such respect for the Kaaba in the remotest and most hidden places. They are careful not to ease nature with their face or back towards it. The House is so sacred that sacrificial animals and precious assets are offered to it.
Beyond doubt, when the Sacred House is a common goal, it will guarantee the survival of the Ummah. It is a shelter for the oppressed and a source of tranquility for those who are in a state of panic. All these important effects come from the sanctity, which God has made about this house. God knows that the human society is in need for a single forum respected by all—a sanctuary where all people can join hands and hearts to solve problems and walk on the path to a happy life with the power of unity. Hence, he has made the Kaaba in such a strange place with sanctity. The same question is sufficient to make us understand that the philosophy behind whatever God has made and that He is the Knower of all things.
THE KAABA, A SANCTUARY AND A PLACE OF SECURITY
وَإِذْ جَعَلْنا البَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَأَمْناً.
“(And when) We made the House a pilgrimage for men and a (place of) security. (The Holy Quran; 2:125)”
The human society, when differences arise and violations arise, is in need for an internationally-recognized forum before which all people feel responsible so that if a wronged individual or nation appeals to it, all nations will rise up in support and take right from the oppressor. Human society is in need for an international forum of security to the grievances of human beings and nations in fear. The same need has encouraged the modern man to form the United Nations Organization. The success or failure of this organization is not to be discussed here. For this reason, in the world of Islam, this need has been taken into consideration and God has made the Kaaba a place of security in the world in addition to making it sacred so that the Ummah who esteem this house will not allow anyone to be wronged or oppressed. In this way, not only will oppression or intimidation cease to exist among people but also Muslims will be known as reformers and guarantors of security at an international level. It is true then that the Kaaba is the guarantor of the world peace and security; therefore, man can live a happy life and enjoy blessing if the Kaaba is considered as maintenance for people and the Hajj rites will be performed with its perfect conditions.
IGNORING HAJJ MEANS DISPERSION IN HUMAN SOCIETY
If, God forbid, one day the Hajj rites are abandoned or become devoid of content, human society will collapse, blessings will depart man’s life, and oppression and insecurity will prevail.
The PROPHESY OF the ABANDONMENT OF THE KAABA AND ITS SINISTER EFFECTS IN TRADITIONS
One of the sinister events happening at the end of the world causing spread of oppression in the human societies is the closing of Hajj and the abandonment of the Kaaba. Speaking of the events happening before the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (may Allah expedite his reappearance), Imam Sadiq (a.s) has said:
ورَأَيتَ بيتَ اللهِ قَد عُطِّلَ ويُؤمَرُ بتَرْكِهِ... فكُنْ على حَذَرٍ واطْلبْ إلى اللهِ النّجاةَ واعْلَم أنّ الناسَ في سَخَطِ اللهِ عزّ وجلّ...
“(When) you see that Allah’s House is closed down and the Hajj rites are abandoned, beware you; supplicate to Allah to be safe from His punishment, for people are at this time subject to Allah’s wrath.”[16]
HAJJ, GOD’S RIGHT TO MAN AND MAN’S GRATEFULNESS TO HIM
وَللهِ عَلى النّاسِ حِجُّ البَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطاعَ إِليهِ سَبيلاً؛ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللهَ غَنيٌّ عَنِ العَالَمِينَ.
“… and pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah, (upon) every one who is able to undertake the journey to it; and whoever disbelieves, then surely Allah is Self-Sufficient, above any need of the worlds (The Holy Quran; 3:97)”
This Quranic Verse reveals God’s right to men. In the same way that every benefactor has a right, and the person who has been favored tries to make up for his benefactor’s beneficence and pay a visit to his house to express his thanks, it is the duty of people to make pilgrimage to God’s House to offer their thanks to Him.
THE TRUE BENEFACTOR IS GOD AND OFFERING THANKS IS OBLIGATORY
God Who is the true Benefactor is the One Who has favored human being infinitely. In this relation, the Holy Quran says:
وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللهِ لا تحُصُوهَا.
“… and if you count Allah’s favors, you will not be able to number them. (14:34)”
Showing God’s favor to man, the Holy Quran also says:
أَلم تَرَوا أَنَّ اللهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَا في السَّماوَاتِ وَمَا في الأَرْضِ وَأَسْبَغَ عَلَيكُمْ نِعَمَهُ ظَاهِرَةً وبَاطِنَةً.
“Do you not see that Allah has made what is in the heavens and what is in the earth subservient to you, and made complete to you His favors outwardly and inwardly? (13:20)”
Does such a Benefactor not have right upon you to go to His House and offer Him gifts as much as you can for expressing thanks to Him?
GOD ACCEPT GENEROUSLY EVERY LITTLE DEED
For all benefactions, God only expects His servants to visit His House and to offer a sacrifice, that too, to the extent of each one’s financial capability.
THANKFULNESS BENEFITS MAN, NOT GOD
Visitation of the Sacred House does not benefit God, for He is above what we think of Him. Rather it is a grace from the Almighty God. By call to Hajj, God has made man distinct from animals.
THANKFULNESS TO GOD MAKES MAN DISTINCT FROM ANIMALS
One of the advantages of human beings is the virtue of gratitude to the Benefactor though this quality exists to some extent in certain animals but it is not a necessary quality in them. Yet man cannot possibly do without it unless he has lost his human nature as a result of indulging in carnal desires and lusts and has become an animal. In this connection, the Holy Quran says:
اُولَئِكَ كَالأنعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ؛ اُولَئِكَ هُمُ الغَافِلُونَ.
“They are as cattle, nay, they are in worse errors; these are the heedless ones. (7:179)”
Evidently, not only do such bestial ones refuse to thank their benefactor but also they will deny Him.
CALL TO WORSHIP IS MAN’S DIGNITY
What grace it is from God to man to make him duty-bound to pray, to make pilgrimage to Mecca, and to do other religious acts that are somehow expressions of thanks by which man’s dignity is safeguarded. In this relation, Imam Sajjad says:
والحمدُ للهِ الذي لَو حَبَسَ عن عَبادِهِ مَعرِفةَ حَمدِهِ على ما أبلاهُمْ مِن مِنَنِهِ المُتَتابِعَةِ وأسْبغَ عليهِم مِن نِعَمِهِ المُتَظاهِرَةِ لَتَصَرَّفوا في مِنَنِهِ فَلَم يحْمِدوهُ وتَوَسَّعوا في رِزْقِهِ فَلَم يَشْكُرُوهُ ولَوْ كَانُوا كَذَلِكَ لخَرَجُوا من حُدودِ الإنسَانِيّةِ الى حَدِّ البَهِيمِيَّةِ فَكانوا كَما وَصَفَ في محْكَمِ كِتابهِ: إِنْ هُمْ إِلا كَالأنعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبيلاً.
“Praise belongs to Allah, for had He withheld His servants the knowledge to praise Him for the uninterrupted kindnesses with which He has tried them and the manifest favors which he has lavished upon them, they would have moved about in His kindnesses without praising Him, and spread themselves out in His provision without thanking Him. Had such been the case, they would have left the bounds of humanity for that of beastliness and become as He has described in the firm text of His Book: ‘They are but as the cattle, nay, but they are further astray from the way.”[17]
WHY IS AN UNGRATEFUL MAN MORE ASTRAY THAN BEASTS?
Lacking in intellect and being subject to its instincts, an animal does not ignore its natural forces nor does it deviate from its path, rather it acts as its Creator wills. In this relation, the Holy Quran says:
مَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ إِلا هُوَ آخِذٌ بنَاصِيَتِها إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ.
“… There is no living creature but He holds it by its forelock; surely, my Lord is on the right path. (11:56)”
Therefore, if an animal is not on human path and does not reach human perfection, it has not committed any sin nor has it done anything contrary to what is expected from it, rather it walks on the right path in reaching animal perfection and follows its own instinct which is its right path. However, man who has intellect, an advantage over animals, is duty-bound to recognize his Benefactor and to be thankful to Him. Therefore, when this graceful human quality is missing, man will deviate from his natural path, which is God’s right path and he will become more astray than beasts hence subject to a great loss and punishment.
