In a time when people are uniting in the name of language, ethnicity, color, economic benefits and many other titles, the fifth pillar of Islam (HAJJ) comes again this year to remind Muslims that what unites them is their faith in Allah.
I remember the first night I spent in front of the Ka'bah in Makkah reading Quran softly (not to disturb others around me), when I saw the hand of an elderly man signaling to me to read louder! He wanted to hear the Quran being recited so I raised my voice for him to hear. When the athan for fajr was called we prayed, but when I stood up to leave, he gave me a hug like he was saying goodbye to an old friend he had known for years! With tears in his eyes he pointed to himself and said, "Turkey, Izmir, ziyara." I understood he was telling me that he was from Izmir in Turkey and if I happen to visit there he would be my welcoming friend!
Subhanallah, I just met him two hours prior but it was HAJJ that made us feel this sense of brotherhood in the most sacred place on earth. Even though I knew that I might never see him again in my life, I still feel that I have a friend and a brother in a town called Izmir in Turkey.
Unfortunately, many Muslims are not able to see HAJJ in the big picture the way it is meant to be seen. We are now more than ever in desperate need to look at HAJJ as the pillar of bringing Muslims together. All differences should melt and dissolve in the spirit of Hajj and especially on the Day of ARAFAH. If people are all in one place, wearing the same simple clothes, saying the same words of TALBIA, facing one direction toward the KABAH and all asking one thing, then they should come back from that place feeling that they have performed their duty to Allah, and connected to each other and are united as Allah wanted them to be. Allah said: [Indeed, this 'faith' -community of yours is one community, and I am your lord, so worship Me.]
For Muslims living in the States, Hajj should help dissolve all social sensitivities between them. Many Muslims are feeling alienated on different levels. Immigrant Muslims feel detached from the western-born generation because they assume they know Islam better! The western-born Muslims feel detached from the immigrant Muslims because they feel that immigrants don't know how to connect to the culture here! Muslims living in the suburbs and fancy neighborhoods feel separated from Muslims living in the inner city and less affluent neighborhoods, while those living in the city feel they have nothing to do with Muslims living in Suburbs! In seeking a marriage partner, you hear all types of prejudices in the name of (Kafa'ah) or equal matching! Yes, it is true that (Kafa'ah) or equal matching is a real concept recognized in Islam, but how many rejections are really and truly based on this concept rather than pre-conceived prejudices!
We do not want stories of the Sahabah to be fairytales only read at bedtime to kids or just as entertaining sessions for adults! We want the stories of the Ansar and Muhajereen being brought together as brothers to be relived and enjoyed over and over again between Middle Eastern, Indo-Pakistani, African-American and all Muslims. These stories are real, and we should read them and learn the valuable lessons our timeless role models recorded for our benefit. If we know the story of (As-suffa), who were more than 70 poor Sahabah living in the Masjid An-Nabawi and being cared for by other Muslims, shouldn't it trigger the sense of responsibility in us now, among those who are more blessed in wealth in our community, to rush to help those who are in need? The Hadith of the prophet (PBUH) that said Salman (the Persian) belongs to us (Aal-al Bayt) should leave no place for nobility of race but rather for piety and Taqwa.
We need to be united in responding to the call of Allah. We need to be united to be effective as a community and have one voice. We need to be united to purify ourselves from social diseases. We need to be united to feel the blessings of this great pillar in our Deen. I hope such reminders will keep echoing in our hearts the importance of unity in our community. I pray to Allah to unite us to serve Him the way it pleases Him, Ameen.
Sh. Kifah Mustapha