Thursday 23 June 2011

Hajj Article

Vertical and Horizontal Communication – A Retrospective Outlook at the Rituals during the Hajj Pilgrimage


Introduction
The concept of vertical and horizontal communication denotes the relationship between an individual and the Creator (hablumin-Allah) as well as the communication with the rest human beings (hablumin-Al-Nas) which reflect the intrapersonal and interpersonal interaction within or between human beings. The Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah is an example of how pilgrims could uplift the vertical and horizontal communication to ensure a successful spiritual journey. Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam; a religious duty that must be carried out by able Muslims at least once in their entire lifetime.
The virtues of Hajj demonstrate the solidarity of the Muslim ummah and their submission to Allah the Al-Mighty. The pilgrimage enable Muslims from all over the world; of different colors, languages, races and ethnicities; to come together in a spirit of universal brotherhood and sisterhood to worship the One God together. In short, Hajj unites Muslims around the world in Makkah, which is also considered as the centre of the Earth.
The vertical dimensions of communication
Hajj is an event of the assembly of Muslims in Makkah every year during the Islamic month of Zulhijjah, responding to the call of the Almighty to do so and being physically and spiritually present at the Masjidil Haram, the House of Allah. Thus, Hajj pilgrims are also affectionately called upon as His guests in the Holy Land. 

Abu Hurairah narrated from Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as saying: “Do not undertake a journey (for religious purposes) except to three mosques: the Masjid al-Haram (in Makkah), the mosque of mine and the Masjid al- Aqsa (in Jerusalem). The abundance of mercy offered to the pilgrims is the fundamental reason of performing Hajj despite its many hardships and challenges throughout the entire journey.

   The vertical communication aspects of Hajj for the pilgrims begin once they utter the intentions (niyat) and cry out the response to Allah’s call known as “Labbaikallah” (“O my Lord, here I am at Your service.) Then, the circumambulation of Ka’aba seven times (tawaf), hurring seven times between the two hills Safa and Marwa (Sa’i), halting in Arafah, Muzdalifah and Mina for the symbolic stoning of the devils.

According to Kamar Oniah (2009), the rituals of Hajj in Islam incorporate the elements of both intra-personal and interpersonal communication. When performing the rituals, the pilgrims strengthen their relationship with Allah their Creator as well as with their fellow beings. In fact, the growth in God consciousness among the pilgrims exists even before they start their journey to Makkah which indicates the upliftment of vertical communication towards God, The Creator. Abul A’la Mawdudi (2008:232) said:

“As soon as the intending pilgrim makes up his mind to perform Hajj, fear of Allah SWT, piety, repentance, seeking forgiveness from Allah SWT, and desire to do good begin to blossom within him. As he starts saying goodbye to his relatives, friends and associates and settles all of his pending affairs, everyone can notice that he is no longer the same man as before: his heart is now pure and clean because of the newly-kindled spark of Allah SWT”.

Muslims see the rites of Hajj as the opportunity to seek forgiveness for their sins throughout their life. It is narrated that the rewards of performing prayer (salat) in Masjid al-Haram in Makkah is equivalent to 100,000 salats in other mosques while prayers in Masjid-al-Nabawi are equivalent to a thousand.

Being at the Holy Site in Makkah is indeed a blessed privilege.  Every time the pilgrims reach the Ka’aba, they honor this blessing by remembering Allah at every step of the way.  The only sound that one could hear is the cry that comes from the hearts and souls of the pilgrims - “Labaik allahumma labaik labaikallah sharika lakalla baik, innal hamda ,wanneeamata ,laka wal mulk  la sharikalah” (“O my Lord, here I am at Your service. Here I am. There is no partner with You,here I am.Truly the praise, and the provisions are Yours, and so is the dominion and sovereignty”.)  Pilgrims recite their prayers and supplications during pilgrimage mostly to beseech Allah for His Forgiveness for all the sins and wrong doings that he or she committed in the past and present, hoping for a good life in the future and in the Hereafter. Allah said in the Qur’an:
“When My (Allah) servants (mankind) ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every worshipper when he called on Me; let them also with a will, listen to my call, and believe in Me; that they may walk in the right way” (Al-Qur’an 2:186).

The intense vertical communication of the pilgrims can be seen when everyone in a close relationship with the Creator. The pilgrims would grasp every opportune moment in Makkah to devote for the submission of Allah. They would recite Al-Qur’an, perform additional prayers, tawaf, sa’i, and make supplications.  At the vast desert grounds of Arafah, during the ritual of Wukuf, they seek forgiveness from their Creator with tears of regret for past sins, simultaneously beseeching for the purification of the soul. Despite the millions of pilgrims, each one seems to have a very special and close relationship with God as stated by Kamar Oniah (2009):

“Although there are millions of pilgrims around him, he feels very much on his own, focusing only on his very personalized communication with the Divine in His Infinite Attentiveness, and reaching out to His Infinite Love and Mercy, being in a state of peace, tranquility and inner silence, journeying far into his inner being, with spirituality and enlightenment glowing deep within him”.

Upon the completion of Hajj, pilgrims believe their hardships and adversities are rewarded with the purification of sins and souls. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had said “Whosoever perform Hajj solely for the sake of Allah and, in the course of it, abstain from sensuality and disobedience, he returns from there as immaculate as a newborn child.” (Bukhari, Muslim). In short, the Hajj pilgrimage -from deciding and preparing for Hajj to returning home - has a tremendous impact on the hearts and minds of the pilgrims. The entire process entails sacrifice of time, money, comfort, worldly matters and pleasures for the sake of Allah SWT with no selfish motive (Abul A’la Mawdudi :2008).

The horizontal dimension of communication

Hajj is the most suitable platform for Muslims from all corners of the world to get to know each other as stated in the Qur’an: “O mankind, verily We created you from a single (pair) of male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know each other,(not that you may despise each other). Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you”. (49:13)
The opportunity to interact with other Muslims during Hajj depicts the sense of brotherhood and unity before the Lord. The social network is being strengthened for the survival of Muslim ummah.  Abul A’la Mawdudi (2008) said:
“Whoever acknowledges the sovereignty of Allah SWT and accepts the leadership of Muhammad (pbuh) enters the brotherhood of Islam, no matter if he is American or African, Chinese or Indian. If one has become a Muslim, his rights are identical to those of the Makkah’s themselves”.

 The challenges of implementing vertical and horizontal communication
The rituals of Hajj are simple, but the biggest challenge pertains to the human behaviors which are contrary to the teachings of Islam. The annual gathering of the Muslims witnessed many ‘unIslamic’ manners in spite of the total submission to Allah SWT. Although Hajj is designed to fulfill the five pillars of the Muslims, there are several challenges to implement the vertical and horizontal communication.

Yet, the successful Hajj pilgrims endure many improper behaviors that could hurt the other pilgrims physically, psychologically, and emotionally. The pilgrims would experience physical hardship, psychological tortures, emotional and spiritual turmoil through various tests and trials by Allah SWT. These tests and trials would derive from other pilgrims as a result of different cultural backgrounds and misconception towards Hajj. In fact, there are several examples of wrongdoings or bad manners demonstrated by the pilgrims such as;

1.    Individualistic or selfish attitude
The vast opportunities for any rituals during hajj somehow invite improper manner among the pilgrims. Many of the pilgrims are rather ‘extreme’ and obsessed in their supplication to Allah especially in the Masjidil-al-Haram while performing prayer or circle seven times the Ka’aba to complete tawaf. The privilege spots for supplication such as Multazam, Hijr-Ismail, Kissing the Black Stone (Hajar-al-Aswad) and almost every part near to Ka’aba turn into a dangerous and unsafe location for the pilgrims especially during tawaf. Tawaf is a powerful way of communicating with God, but many of the time pilgrims would push, jostle and cut paths in their hurry to complete the process. Hence, performing tawaf without any physical disturbances by selfish individuals is almost impossible near the Ka’aba.   
 
2.    Inconsideration towards other pilgrims restrict some opportunities to fulfill the hajj pillars in peace and calmness
The unIslamic behaviors such as lack of respect, patience and tolerance during the Hajj season become obvious especially during waiting for turns to go to the washroom which is a great hassle especially in Arafah, Muzdalifah and Mina. Indeed, the limited number of toilets for the pilgrims that amount to almost 3 million people can cause many discomfort and trouble.  Thus, the minimal usage and lesser time spent in the toilet would allow others to comfortably ease themselves for ablutions and taking showers.

To conclude, Hajj is the best platform for the implementation of vertical and horizontal communication. Plus, the experience of Hajj will definitely transform the pilgrims’ perspectives in life. The hardships and challenges of Hajj bring forth spiritually-renewed Muslims whose faith and submission to the One Creator is ever more solid before their journey begins, thus making them the best of believers, Insya Allah.


References
1.    Abdul Azeem Badawi. 2007. The Concise Presentation of the Fiqh of the Sunnah and the Noble Book. International Islamic publishing House. Riyadh. Saudi Arabia.
2.    Abul A’la Mawdudi. 2008. Fundamental of Islam. Khutubah New Revised Edition.  Dar Al Wahi Publication. Kuala Lumpur.
3.    Kamar Oniah Kamaruzaman.2009. Understanding Islam: Contemporary Discourse, Saba Islamic Media :  Kuala Lumpur.
4.    Mohamad Tajuddin Mohamad Rasdi. 2004. Hadith and Mosque. Utusan Publications & Distributors Sdn. Bhd. Kuala Lumpur.
5.    Muhammad Said Nursi.2004. Panduan Praktis dalam Pergaulan. Gema Insani Press. Jakarta.
6.    Waffie Mohammed.2008. Islamic Sociology A.S. Nordeen . Kuala Lumpur.

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