Importance of Hajj
God says in Verse 97 of Surah Al Imran: “Pilgrimage to the House (Ka’aba) is a duty to Allah for all who can make the journey. And whosoever disbelieves, Allah is Rich, independent of all the worlds.”
So it is incumbent upon those who can afford it to make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Those who have Istita’ah must make Hajj pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. Having Istita’ah means going to Mecca for Hajj is possible for them financially and physically, it will not harm their life and source of living after return, and there are no dangers on the way to Mecca.
Going to Hajj is a something we owe to God and must pay when we can and anyone who refuses to do it is considered a Kafir (unbeliever).
According to a Hadith, those who refuse to make the Hajj pilgrimage until they die will be raised from the dead on the Resurrection Day among unbelievers.
Here are some of the descriptions mentioned about Hajj in Hadiths.
Imam Baqir (AS) said that Islam is founded on five pillars one of which is Hajj.
Imam Ali (AS) said God has made Hajj the flag and banner of Islam.
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According to a Hadith from Imam Sadiq (AS), the religion (Islam) will be standing as long as the Ka’aba is standing and people circumambulate it.
Imam Sadiq (AS) also warned Muslims not to abandon Hajj because it would lead to their destruction and annihilation.
Abandoning Hajj would mean the collapse of the pillar of the religion, falling of the banner, incapability of Muslims and the dominance of Taghut.
In another Hadith, Imam Sadiq (AS) said when people abandon Hajj, God’s anger will arrive (in form of discord, hopelessness, unawareness, rule of oppressors, etc).
According to the book Jawahir al-Kalam:
Hajj is a way for self-improvement, combatting worldly desires and changing habits.
Hajj, like khums and Zakat, is a kind of putting the material world behind us.
It is an act of worship for the body, by going through difficulties, thirst, hunger, etc.
It includes both actions and words.
In Hajj, one both does some actions and refuses to do some others. In Salah we do an action but in fasting we refuse to do something (eating and drinking). Hajj includes both of them.
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So in different ways, Hajj is like Salah, fasting, Khums, Zakat and Jihad.
Hajj is also a monotheistic mobilization, a mobilization from race and nationality, a mobilization against nationalism, against false borders among people, against discord, against Kufir and Shirk, a mobilization for disavowing the enemies of God, a mobilization for rejecting Satan.
Hajj is a demonstration of magnificence and power. It is apolitical maneuver and convention. It is a universal plan. The universal religion has universal enemy and in order to confront the enemy, it needs a universal plan.
