Religious Calendar to be according to the Lunar Tear, Regard for the sanctity of the Sacred Month, Fighting in self-defence, Regard for the sanctity of the holy city, Self-defence during the sacred month, Pilgrimage under restrictions, combining ‘Umrah’ with ‘Hajj’

Al-Baqarah Verses 189 - 196

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَنْ تَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ ظُهُورِهَا وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنِ اتَّقَىٰ وَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَابِهَا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

“They ask thee (Our Apostle Muhammad) concerning the new moons; say ‘they are indications of times fixed for men and for the pilgrimage; It is not righteousness that ye should enter your houses from behind but the righteous one is the one who guardeth himself (against evil) and enter ye (the) houses by their doors and take shelter in God so that ye may be successful” (2:189).

وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ

“And fight in the cause of God (against) those who fight you but be not aggressive; for verily God loveth not the aggressors” (2:190).

وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَخْرِجُوهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَخْرَجُوكُمْ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ وَلَا تُقَاتِلُوهُمْ عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ حَتَّىٰ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِيهِ فَإِنْ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ كَذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ

“And slay them wherever ye find them and drive them away whencefrom they drove you away for mischief is more grievous than slaughter but fight not with them nigh unto the (Inviolable) Sacred Mosque until they fight with you therein but if they fight with you slay them (for) such is the recompense of the disbelievers” (2:191).

فَإِنِ انْتَهَوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

“But if they desist, then verily God is Forgiving, Merciful” (2:192).

وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ لِلَّهِ فَإِنِ انْتَهَوْا فَلَا عُدْوَانَ إِلَّا عَلَى الظَّالِمِينَ

“And fight with them until there is no (more) mischief and religion be only for God but if they desist then there should be no hostility save against the aggressors” (2:193).

الشَّهْرُ الْحَرَامُ بِالشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ وَالْحُرُمَاتُ قِصَاصٌ فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ

“A sacred month (in reprisal) for a sacred month and reprisal (is lawful) in (all) things sacred; whoever then inflicteth aggression on you, inflict ye the like aggression on him as was inflicted by him on you; and fear God, and know that God is (always) with the pious ones” (2:194).

وَأَنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ ۛ وَأَحْسِنُوا ۛ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

“And spend in the path of God and cast not yourselves with your own hands into perdition, and do good, for verily God loveth the beneficent ones” (2:195).

وَأَتِمُّوا الْحَجَّ وَالْعُمْرَةَ لِلَّهِ فَإِنْ أُحْصِرْتُمْ فَمَا اسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ الْهَدْيِ وَلَا تَحْلِقُوا رُءُوسَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ الْهَدْيُ مَحِلَّهُ فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ بِهِ أَذًى مِنْ رَأْسِهِ فَفِدْيَةٌ مِنْ صِيَامٍ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ نُسُكٍ فَإِذَا أَمِنْتُمْ فَمَنْ تَمَتَّعَ بِالْعُمْرَةِ إِلَى الْحَجِّ فَمَا اسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ الْهَدْيِ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ فِي الْحَجِّ وَسَبْعَةٍ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ تِلْكَ عَشَرَةٌ كَامِلَةٌ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ أَهْلُهُ حَاضِرِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

“Complete the pilgrimage and ‘Umra’ for the sake of God; but if ye be prevented, then be sent whatever offering easily available (for you) and shave not your heads until your offering reacheth its place; but whosoever among you is sick and hath an ailment in his head then let him effect a compensation by fasting or alms or sacrifice; But when ye are secure (from the hinderance), then whoever enjoyeth from the ‘Umra’ to the ‘Hajj’ let him offer of whatsoever offering easily available (for him) but he who is not able to find (any offering) should fast for three days during the pilgrimage and for seven days when ye return; this (maketh) the ten (days) complete; this is for him whose people (nearest kith and kin) dwell not near the Sacred Mosque; and fear God and know ye! that God is severe in requiting evil” (2:196).

Commentary

Verse 189

Ahillah is the plural of Hilal (i.e. the Crescent). Fast, Festivals and Pilgrimage etc., prescribed by Islam are timed according to the lunar months. None can count the days and months by the help of the Sun without a formulated Calendar which may be available to some and may not be available to the others. But a man can without any other help count days of the month and enumerate the months of the year by the help of the varying shapes or forms of the Moon. Hence the various religious observances in Islam have been based upon the lunar calculation which even an illiterate one can avail of, through his own personal observation.

‘Enter houses by their gates.’ It is reported by some commentators that it was the practice among the Arabs that after getting into ‘Ihram’ (the pilgrim’s garb) they considered it unlawful to enter their houses through the usual doors, but they cut a new entrance from behind the premises. This verse abolished that superstitious custom. But the object and the significance of the revelation of this verse is reasonably wider and greater. According to Razi, entering from behind is a figurative expression for turning aside from the right course, and entering by the door means sticking to the right path.

The house as the figure used in this verse, is the House of Guidance and the door stands for the Right Course to gain admission to it. The famous declaration of the Holy Prophet clears the point further: ‘I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its Gate.’ i.e. whosoever desires admission to knowledge, can have it only through Ali. The Shi’a School or the Islam Original derives all its knowledge or guidance through Ali. The Sunni Mo’tazalite (Rational) School and the Sufis (Mystics) openly declare that they also derive their system only from the teachings of Ali.

The other reasons for preferring the Lunar calculation to the Solar one, though both the systems were known to the Arabs, are:

1. So that the devotee should have the benefit of performing the religious rites in all seasons during his lifetime for anything fixed with the solar calculation fixes the season also for it, for all times.

2. To avoid the seasonal ritualism of the Metheric and the other Star-worshippers, which had already affected the Christian cult.

3. The Lunar year being shorter than the Solar one, the devotee will have the benefit of a greater frequency of the opportunities of special devotional services.

4. The tendency of reversion to the Solar Calendar even for ritual purposes is due to the Christian influence which itself has been affected by the pagan cult of the Romans as the result of the compromising attitude adopted by Paul towards the Pagan cult. However this tendency should be resisted wherever it is noticed. (A.P.)

Verse 190

To know what was the creed of the Israelites about fighting in the cause of God, we must read Numbers: 25/1-3 and Numbers 31/7-18.

1. “And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

2. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

3. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.’’ Num: 25/1-3.

4. “And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses’, and they slew all the males.”

5. And they slew the kings of the Median, beside the rest of them that were slain: namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

6. And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.

7. And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.

8. And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.

9. And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.

10. And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.

11. And Moses was wroth with the officers, of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.

12. And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?

13. Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Rear, and there was plague among the congregation of the Lord.

14. Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.”

15. But all the women, children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.”1

The details of the heartless and the wholesale massacres reported of Moses and Joshua and the other apostles of God which were nothing but extirpation in the fullest sense of the word, which are heart-rending to know. Let us leave them aside and justify that when the apostles had to fight so relentlessly to meet the devilfish characters and the brutal conduct of the infidels, in the way of the Lord, would it not be similarly just and proper if another Apostle of God, placed in exactly the same position with the same sort of people, to meet their force with force in defence of the heavenly guidance he had brought for mankind?

In spite of the brutal and heartless outrages committed by Christendom upon the unarmed Jews under the Edict of Milan, if any Christian authority falsely prides upon saying that they did not take up the sword to force the Gospel on the world, they must disown unconditionally their belief in the word of God which was revealed to Moses which was fully subscribed to by their god their Christ. Moreover, there can never be any comparison between the outrages committed by Moses, and the Christians, and the wars which were forced upon the Holy Prophet in which he had only to defend himself. The words of the injunction in the verse, speak aloud as to what the intention of the Muslims should be and how they should behave in the situation and how the undertaking must be only defensive2.

“Nobody who has any idea of the miserable conditions of the early Musalmans, would for a moment imagine that this handful of people could have wantonly set themselves to provoke the active hostility of the whole world about them. They would quietly have borne any provocation rather than take the risk of fighting with hordes without number. If they did engage themselves in this way, one would presume that circumstances had forced them to it; unless their very existence were in peril, they could not possibly have thought to plunge themselves into a mortal struggle. This is so clear a priori that even if in threats, the initiative did appear to be taken by the Musalmans, no sane minded person would for a moment suppose that they were really offensive wars - they must have been offensive with a defensive import. The circumstances had forced them to take action, and if the Prophet had not been quick to it and had waited for a formal assault from the other side, he would only have given the enemy time to collect their forces; and who can doubt that in that case the world would soon have heard the least of this little band of Musalmans.”

“Yet such is the perversity of prejudice that no such considerations, obvious as they are, are allowed to have any weight with writers like Muir, Sell, Noeldeke and others. AU they can see is that in the Battle of Badar and its prelude, the raid of Abdullah bin Jahsh, it was the Musalmans that began the quarrel with the infidels. What the infidels had been doing all the time before is, as a matter of principle, ignored and forgotten.”

“How deep-rooted was the acrimony which drove the infidels on against the new converts, may be easily judged from their pursuing them down even to Abyssinia where they had fled to avoid the horrible tortures they were suffering at their hands. They would not let them live in peace even in other lands. Could it be imagined that they could all complacently see them flourish and develop their mission from a centre only 70 miles away from themselves? What are the facts?

Soon after the emigration of the Prophet they wrote to the chief of Medina Abdullah ibn Obai as follows: “You have given protection to our man. We have sworn by God that you either kill him or expel him, otherwise we will come upon you with all of us, and kill your fighting men and take hold of your women as lawful for us” (Abu Daud Sunan) Ohay bin Kaab says, “When the Prophet and his people came to Medina and the Ansars took them under their protection, All Arabs were united to make an assault upon them” They never lay down to sleep except with their weapons with them” (Haakim).

“This is not the place to give an account of the various wars and battles that were fought. They will be described under the various verses relating to them.”

“This is merely an introduction that may help us to understand the true state of things at the time. All this is quietly passed over by European Critics of Islam.”

“Finally, it should be noted that as without ‘Jihad’ the correspondence of our Prophet to the career of our Lord Moses would fail to be perfect, Islam would also fail to be a complete and perfect religion for the world. Fighting has well been said to be the direct necessity of human nature, a religion that did not provide for it, did not regulate its principles, and define its rightful limits, would not be a perfect religion, much less a final religion for the world.”

In spite of all that has been said that Islam prefers peaceful methods of preaching the truth, and that it never took any initiative in waging war against its opponents, the fact is that Islam recognises the right of taking even the initiative in using force against those who persist in ungodly activities causing human degradation or social or moral deterioration. But this measure cannot be adopted save by the Prophet of God or his Vicegerent authorised by him and none else. As the fifth Holy Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali Al-Baqir says ‘A war may be termed as holy or godly (Jihad)’ if the object be to make people give up submission to any one besides God, and to submit only to God’s authority and the Divine will. But if the object be to make them give up submission to one creature in order to submit to any other, it is the usual war waged for selfish and some worldly gain. Hence it is unholy and thus, condemned by Islam. Taking this definition in view, it is obvious that no war is holy unless it is sanctioned and allowed by the person who is perfectly pure from every kind of ungodliness and is constantly in communion with the Universal Will of the Absolute.

However, Islam enjoins on Muslims to be always ready, well prepared, and well equipped to meet all exigencies or an eventuality which may unexpectedly develop against them, then they should gather strength as much as they can so that their opponents, the opponents of the divine cause may refrain from any unprovoked aggression3. (A.P.)

Verse 191

“To kill the enemy wherever one finds him is nothing strange when a state of war exists, and yet the critics of Islam draw the most grotesque conclusions from these simple words. The verse, read together with the first, runs thus: And fight with those who are fighting with you, and kill them wherever you find them. Do the civilized nations fight with each other to spare their enemies? The personal pronoun in the words kill them refers to those with whom fighting is enjoined in the previous verse. In fact, it cannot refer to anything else, nor to unbelievers generally, who are nowhere mentioned in the previous verses, not even in the previous section.”

‘Akhrijoohum’ - drive the persecutors out from whence the Muslims were driven out from their homes in Mecca and Mecca in which stood the Holy Sanctuary of the Ka’ba had become the Islamic Centre. The Words clearly mean exterminate the usurper only to be dispossessed of what he had unlawfully taken.

‘‘Fitna’’ persecution or burning with fire, affliction, distress, hardship, slaughter, causing to error, misleading, seduction from faith in any way or means. This part of this verse is self-evident that the main object of Islam is peace, order and harmony among the members of the human family, and to help them always to be on the right path.

The word ‘fitna’ is used as explained in Verse 2:217 in which fighting has been abhorred as a grave matter, and persecution has been declared as graver than slaughter.

‘Fitna’ i.e. any action subversive to public peace. A thorough study of this passage dealing with war along with the other passages of the subject matter will leave no doubt that Islam is originally for universal peace and harmony to be established among mankind as a whole, and is tolerant to all other castes and creeds so long as they have no ill will or ill designs against it, to the extent of recommending the Muslims to be kind and do justice even to the disbelievers who are not hostile to them4. Not content with this, even to those hostile ones among the infidels, Islam enjoined and observed strict and utmost justice. There are many verses to this effect but some of them are: 4:135, 5:8, 16:90. It is the definite policy of Islam to avoid killing and destruction, as far as possible.

Of course, when the public peace and safety is at stake, and when the use of force becomes unavoidable, then Islam has no mercy for any persistent aggressor and any intentional mischief monger. To Islam the observation of the sanctity of the Holy Ka’ba and of the sacred months is very important but to defend against any aggression when there is left no other alternative, the ritual or the sentimental sanctity had to be superseded by the cause of public peace, harmony, and security. Islam started its mission with peaceful and convincing methods of argument, reasoning and appealing sermons, and the same method continued throughout the life of the Holy Prophet. The wars waged against the disbelievers during his life-time were confined to the pagans of Mecca (the Quraish) and the pagan tribes who were the active associates of the hostile Quraishites to exterminate the new faith and its adherents, the Muslims.

The Christians were fought when the Syrian vassals of the Roman Empire mischievously counselled the Emperor Hercules to adopt hostilities against, the Muslims, which was wholly unprovoked and unwarranted by any genuine exigency but just to support the pagans of Mecca. The Holy Prophet never waged any war, nor did he order any of his followers to do it, or initiate any assault against any non-hostile person, tribe, or country, to do it either in his lifetime or afterwards. There is no indication whatsoever of even allowing any such offensive measure, neither in the Holy Qur’an nor in the traditions of the Holy Prophet. On the contrary there are many Qur’anic passages and the recommendations of the Holy Prophet which enjoin upon the Muslims to do their best in preaching the truth by peaceful methods of conviction and not of deception practiced by the others5.

The point worthy of note in support of what has been said above, is that the sword, which was devoted, right from the beginning to the cause of Islam was the ‘Zulfiqar’ and the man whose life was devoted to the same cause was Ali, as it was declared by a divine voice from heaven in the very presence of the Holy Prophet in the midst of the battle of Uhud:

La fata illa Ali...(with God) There is no Hero but Ali.

La saif illa Zulfiqar...There is no sword but the Zulfiqar6.

This champion of Islam, Ali, and his sword fought against the pagans of Mecca and their allies, the Jews and the Christians during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet by his order and afterwards his sword was sheathed and Ali withdrew from all wars and war-like campaigns, which developed and were executed after the departure of the Holy Prophet against the non-Muslims of the world. Ali had again to helplessly resort to his sword, not against any disbelievers but against those who professed to be Muslims and yet acted against the justice for which Islam stood (i.e. against hypocrisy).

Ali had to fight even against A’ysha the wife of the Holy Prophet and those who professed to be the closest followers and the intimate companions of the Holy Prophet at ‘Jamal’ when they deviated from the prescribed right path of Islam. He fought (at Siffeen) against Mu’awiyah the son of Abu-Sofyan the old arch-enemy of the faith who was persistently busy in his subversive and anti-Islamic activities within the folds of Islam. Ali had to fight many parties who professed and seemed to be very pious and orthodox (the Kharijites) when they tended towards anarchism and disturbed public peace and harmony. Ali said in one of the battles: ‘I shall not cease to fight this type of the people until the last hypocrite is driven out of the rank of the faithful:

Ali used his ‘Zulfiqar’ against the practice of injustice and the use of religion for worldly purposes.

The last use of the ‘Zulfiqar’ was by Ali’s son Husayn at Karbala for the same purpose for which it was used by Ali himself. It was thereafter sheathed as the purpose was served, the right and wrong, the false and genuine was clearly and once for all distinguished and the battle of Karbala drew the demarcating line between the divine and devilfish camps. The Imams succeeding Husayn, needed not to resort to the sword. They struck themselves to the original method of reasoning and practicing righteousness and piety which they preached. They did their best in the face of the worst of the oppositions, heartless and torturous persecutions and under all sorts of the tyrannical methods adopted by the ruling classes and the satellite priests to crush and destroy the cause of the original Islam advanced by the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt. In spite of all the suppressive activities the cause of truth flourished more and more to the extent that even the greatest despots had to acknowledge their defeat and failure. (A.P.)

Verse 192

The clemency enjoined by Islam upon its adherents even against their bloodthirsty enemies in the battle-field has no match in any other religious order. The Muslims have been definitely commanded to sheath their swords if the enemy desists from fighting. The fight allowed by Islam has to be only against the wrong done, and there should be no rancour against the enemy when they correct themselves or even when they end the hostility.

Verse 193

The ‘Fitna’ has been explained briefly under Verse 191. This verse clearly states that the object of the Islamic fight must be to stop ‘Fitna’, i.e. persecution, corruption, or mischief and once it is stopped the fight should also cease.

‘Wa yakunuddin lillah’ the religion be only for God. This part of verse clearly sets forth that the object or the ultimate end of the Muslim fight must always be to remove persecution against religious liberty or until everyone is allowed free to choose and practice his or her own faith. And ‘Shirk’ or associating anything with God i.e. Polytheism, is the cause of the whole trouble. Hence it will mean that Muslims should endeavour or fight until there remains no ‘shirk’ in the world and this object will be fulfilled when the last or the 12^th Holy Imam Muhammad Al Mahdi appears.

Verse 22:40 discloses that the Muslims fought not only to defend their own faith but also to defend Churches, Synagogues and even Cloisters or the monks, to gain for them their individual liberty of remembering God at their own choice so that there be no compulsion in the matter of religion Verse 256. This speaks of the religious liberty and freedom for individual decision and practice which Islam grants. In short, it means that Islam does not allow Satan or the Satanic forces to interfere in the matters of anyone or any people who want to worship none but the One True God with one’s own belief and practice. This freedom and toleration, one would search for in vain elsewhere other than Islam.

The command to stop hostilities when the enemy desists from fighting and to enter into an agreement with the aggressors when they give up aggression, clearly means to content with the cessation of the interference with the belief and the practice of Islam and allowing even the enemy to have their own way if they only stop hostilities against Islam and the Muslims.

‘La udwana’ There shall be no hostility but only against the aggressors or oppressors.

If the meaning of desisting means their giving up their belief in the false deities and the idol gods, it will mean to fight until the enemy embraces the truth and believes in the One and Only True God (i.e. accepts Islam).

Verse 194

The four months Rajab, Dhu ‘l-Qaʿdah, Dhu ‘l-Hijja, and Muharram were recognised by the Arab-world as whole, as sacred. Muslims are permitted to violate the sanctity of these holy months if it is first violated by the enemies.

The clause ‘Bimithli ma a’atada’ proves that the Muslims had to be only on their defence if the necessity arises.

Verse 177 clearly indicates who in fact are the pious.

Verse 195

Stinginess is condemned in every religion and creed. About stinginess, Islam says: ‘The stingy shall be away from God, away from Paradise and nearer to the Hell’. This verse says that by being stingy you will be leading yourself and your nation to perdition. According to Islam the displeasure of God is perdition of the individual or the people.

In dealing with ‘Jihad’ which means preparation for the sacrifice of life as well as wealth in the cause of God, God warns the Muslims not to be moved by any sentiment and be aggressive against their enemy and go beyond justice7. They should not also be moved to surrender either their life or wealth where it does not help the cause of the faith or the faithful. In any way the effort has to be constructive and productive and not destructive or in vain, as explained in the notes to Verse 2:2 and 2:156.

Man’s life or any of his possessions is not his own but of God, and he is only a trustee. He should not use it to please himself but to please God in promoting His cause and when no promotion is expected nothing of the life or wealth shall be risked and when it is to result in the promotion of the cause nothing should be spared, as did the Holy Prophet at Hudaibia, Ali in Siffin, Hasan and Husayn with Mu’awiyah, and as Husayn staked his all when he realised that in his sacrifices lay the Revival of Islam and the salvation of the human race.

Therefore, ‘Tahlika’ ordained to be avoided comprehends in its meaning the unscrupulous sparing of life as well as the risking of it or the wealth unproductively in the way of God.

‘Ahsinu’ i.e., to be ever vigilant to do only the best which is loved by God. (A.P.)

Verse 196

Hajj and Umrah are practically the same visiting the Holy Ka’aba, but with a slight difference. The latter is a briefer pilgrimage which one can perform at any time in the year while the former i.e. Hajj has its month and date fixed. In ‘Umrah’ the rites to be performed are only a few. However, a very brief note on the routine of the disciplined personal behaviour of the pilgrim which is strictly followed in Hajj is given below just to give an idea of the degree of self-restraint, and submission and sacrifice demanded of a Muslim pilgrim, for the information of those who may not know anything about the significance of the pilgrimage prescribed by Islam:

On arrival at the last stage (‘Miqat’) near Mecca the pilgrim bathes and performs two ‘Rakat’ prayers and then divesting himself of his usual clothes, puts on his Pilgrim’s Garb called ‘Ihram’ which consists of two seamless wrappers only, one being wrapped round his waist, and the other thrown loosely over the shoulders, the head being left uncovered. So, shoes also must be cast off though sandals may be worn. From this time forth, the pilgrim must abstain from all worldly affairs and all thoughts of the comforts of the body, must be given up. He must not even scratch himself, lest the vermin be destroyed; he can only rub himself with the open palm of his hand. (And in this state, he has to live until the prescribed rites of pilgrimage are duly completed).

“He then proceeds to the Holy City, steeped as far as possible in thoughts of devotion and crying ‘Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik’ ‘Here, I am O Lord’ (i.e. in submission to Thee). On arrival at Mecca he performs the prescribed ablutions in the Great Mosque around the Ka’aba and then kisses the Holy Stone (Hajar Al-Aswad). He then makes seven circuits ‘Tawaf’ round the ‘Ka’aba’, reciting the prescribed declaration of his submission to the Lord, hallowing His name. He then proceeds to the ‘Maqam Ibrahim’ mentioned in verse 125 above, and performs two ‘Rabat’ prayers, thereafter he returns to the Holy Stone and kisses it.

He then proceeds immersed in thoughts of devotion and in the memories of Abraham, Ishmael, and Hagar to the hillock ‘Safa’, and runs between the two hillocks ‘Safa’ and ‘Marwa’. seven times repeating the prescribed prayers. This is the sixth day of ‘Zulhijja’ the evening of which is again spent at Mecca and circuit (Tawaf) is again made round the ‘Ka’aba.’ The seventh and the eighth days, are spent in devotion at ‘Arafat’ and in the evening the pilgrim proceeds to ‘Mina’ and on his way he spends the night at ‘Muzdalifa.’

The next morning, he arrives in Mina when, after a ceremony of casting stones at the devil to symbolize the resolution to keep him off from Satan in future life, the pilgrimage ends with sacrifice in the commemoration of the thrilling sacrifice of his son Ishmael that Abraham prepared himself to make in obedience to the command of the Lord. The pilgrim’s dress Ihram is then taken off, and the pilgrim gets himself shaved and his nails pared, and he returns to ordinary life. However, he should stay at Mina for three days, and before starting on his return journey he must proceed to Mecca and perform the circuits round the ‘Ka’aba’ and return to Mina and stone the three devils.

In Umrah the Ihram is put on and circuit is made round the ‘Ka’aba’ and the running between ‘Safa’ and ‘‘Marwah’ is done but the other ceremonies are omitted.

The above outlines which give only the barest routine of the ceremonies will suffice to show that Hajj is a week of intense devotion continued in the midst of the inconveniences of the journey and a camp life. To say nothing of the vast concourse of some hundred thousand heterogeneous of people in a space barely sufficient for them, which is alone sufficient to make the mind dizzy, even the most elementary comforts of the body are tabooed and yet the mind is expected to be constantly fixed in devotion to God. For the prayers and other rites of devotion that the pilgrim has to perform, refer to the details on Hajj in the book on ‘Fiqh

.’ The aim of Islam is to enable man to sublimate the self in him to qualify himself to the glorious heights of spiritual bliss. The poor are already humbled. It is the pride, haughtiness and the arrogance of the rich that needs sublimation. A rich man might give away any amount of his wealth in charity but would never subject himself to any inconvenience to humiliate himself before the public. Hajj er pilgrimage is ordained only on those who are rich enough or who can afford to meet the expenses of the journey. Imagine the big land-lords and even mighty kings, who have never known anything but luxury and enjoyment in their life, being compelled by the institution of Hajj to behave and act during Hajj in the humblest desirable humility and sublime manner not allowed even to express their anger or hurt even an ant or pluck a plant. In such a state of being a source of peace, and help to one and all, the Haji has to devote his mind as much as he can, to God and Godliness. Is it easy to subject the Satanic arrogance of the rich and the kingly ones in the human race to such a trying ordinance? And if this is effected, will it be anything short of a miracle? Will not such a strict disciplinary training qualify an individual for loftier and glorious state of real bliss? No difference or any vestige of any of the differences or the distinctions of wealth, birth, caste, colour, or nationality is tolerated.

The individual, be he a king or a peasant, is subjected to running amidst the huge crowd of the thousands unknown people, pushing one another in the rush. Will this all go in vain? Will it not help man to realize, and remember his nothingness in the sight of God and to influence him to feel and practice the brotherhood of man? Besides everything else of the higher religious and spiritual value, the institution of Hajj has a value of its own as a moral and a spiritual exercise which goes a long way to qualify man for a divine life on earth - there is no other religion in the world which has any institution of this kind or which has succeeded to this extent in bringing the brute in man, under such an effective and voluntary control. Islam would have been sadly lacking as a perfect religion if it had not prescribed some duty analogous to this. All exercises, whether they be physical, or moral, social, or spiritual, may appear “Stupid and meaningless” to the ordinary minds but the institution of Hajj has earned an unreserved acknowledgement of its merits and efficiency even from the stranger to it, and even from its enemies.

There are some who object to the sacrifices, calling it a “callous waste of life” It is said that of all civilized religions, Islam is the only one that has retained animal sacrifice to this day. Such a statement never suits the present age of scientific awakening and the advancing rationalism. It suits only the primitive or the pre-historic age of ignorance. Today even an ordinary student of biology, botany and minerology will reasonably assert to prove that life does stop with the animal world, for the vegetable and even the mineral world has its blessing. Can the objectionists to the animal sacrifice ever count the innumerable number or amount of the life they sacrifice or slaughter every day in the ingredients of their daily food? Can anyone say how many millions of lives one swallows in the one draught of every drink one has? The Truth is that the life in the lower stages of it, has been created to serve the survival of the species in the higher realm. This is the order or the law of nature since its every inception.

The feeling for the slaughter of any animal is reasonable and commendable only when it is against any purposeless slaughter, and it becomes unreasonable when the slaughter is in accordance with the demand of the Author of nature. If the slaughter of any animal is so abhorring what is the device the advocates of life of the animals suggest to spare these animals once for all from dying i.e. not allowing them to suffer the pangs of death at all. If man does not slaughter the animals, they are in any case going to suffer death. To speak the truth that by slaughter the agony or the pangs of death are eliminated by the extinction of life being instantaneous and the pain suffered being very short, whereas if the animal left to die of old age or any disease, is sure to labour under that miserable state for long. When an animal is to die - what reason is there to stop or to object to making the animals’ remains useful for the sustenance of the higher life (human) instead of allowing to waste.

Besides if the extinction of life had been an act of cruelty, the creator of these animals who is universally acknowledged by all schools of theistic thought, as the All-Merciful One, would not at all have allowed it to be enacted. The point is that it is in the fulfilment of the plan of the providence that animals particularly those useful for the sustenance of the human life on earth are created in unlimited abundance.

It is perfectly in accordance with the phenomena of the survival of the fittest that objects of lower stages of creation, have been purposely created to be sacrificed for those of the higher stages and in the same order man has been created to sacrifice the self in him which is the dearest to him, to reach the higher realms of divinity or the spiritual bliss.

Man had given himself up to the extremes in the matter of sacrifice or offerings to God. Either he had totally abstained from offering anything to Him saying it is cruel to sacrifice anything or he went to the extent of the human sacrifice to please his own imaginary deities. Islam struck the via media by instituting the sacrifice of the animals, the remains of which can also serve as the sustenance of the higher pace of the Lord’s creation (i.e. the human being) as well as to perpetuate the memory of the miraculous rescue of a human life by God, by sacrifice of an animal in the case of the intended sacrifice of Ishmael by the Holy Prophet who was an ideal of perfect devotion to the Lord.

Not only is hunting ‘Haram’ (i.e. prohibited) during Hajj but at all times of the year it is a moral sin to shoot any animal purposelessly. Not even a bug or a mosquito shall be killed by a Haji as long as he is in ‘Ihram’ (pilgrim’s garb). Though for the necessity of it, the killing of animals is allowed elsewhere, the purposeless enactment of it is condemned by Islam. The extent to which Islam, in particular stresses in the matter of animals, can hardly be realized by any, not conversant with the traditions of the Holy Prophet and the Imams of his house. The Holy Imam Ali even on his death bed did not forget the fowls maintained in his house, and he enjoined his children to take particular care of them or to liberate them. A disciple of his, having killed some pigeons in irritation, the sixth Holy Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq made him expiate his act by giving away one Dinar in charity for each one of the birds killed. A dog having come where the second holy Imam Hasan was dining, his companions wanted to have the unclean animal turned out, but preventing them, the holy Imam began to take one morsel for himself and give another to the dog and said, ‘I feel ashamed of God that a creature of His should look to my food and I turn him away.’

Islam does not want the unreasonable feeling of impracticable tenderness to overgrow and take possession of the true believer in God, to prevent him from overcoming it when duties call hint to act in a manly manner. Few will find themselves prepared to act as an executioner, to put to death a friend, when he is even rightly condemned to death by Law, but the law demands to uphold its decree i.e. the course of justice to have its own way and it is unquestionably allowed to have it, by every civilized and law-abiding nation. The purposeless slaughter of animals is condemned by Islamic Law, but the overgrowth of any tenderness, Islam regards as a moral or a mental weakness, and it can only be removed by a proper exercise. This slaughter of animals is only a token of the great sacrifice which the Holy Prophet Abraham had prepared himself to offer, and in making us accustomed to the pangs of tender emotions, the Islamic Law seeks to train us to rise equal to the task of overcoming the weakness whenever demanded to do it in the way of the Lord.

It is also said that the regard paid to the Holy ‘Ka’ba’ is a compromise with idolatry. None can prove any vestige of idolatry in the Hajj. The holy edifice which was exclusively raised for the remembrance of the only true Lord, if the pagans had appropriated it for themselves and used it as their temple, and then if a holy man by the command of the Lord rises and clears the place of the idols and restores it to its original purpose and thereafter men venerating it can that be a compromise with idolatry? Truly Islam has done justice even to idolatry for it has given permanence to what was just and good in it i.e. the spirit of holding in veneration things dedicated to God and godliness without any intention or idea of worshipping them. It has not allowed itself to be carried away by a frenzied spirit of iconoclasm to be unreasonable or foolish, it destroyed the images which purported to represent false gods, but retained and maintained in reverence the things really venerable such as the Black Stone used by Abraham in the construction of the holy edifice, which is reported to have come from heaven. Islam retained the regard attached to the hillocks of ‘Safa’ and ‘Marwah’ for their historic association with the event connected with the life of the Holy Prophets Abraham and Ishmael. If this is idolatry, Islam should be rightly proud of it, and shall not wish to part with it. No religion can be truly perfect without making a provision for the cultivation of these sublime emotions.

‘Whoever profits by combining, ‘Umrah’ to ‘Hajj.’ This means that after performing the rites of ‘Umrah’. the pilgrim casts off his ‘Ihram’ and resumes it for Hajj when its season approaches. This gives the pilgrim the advantage of sparing one more journey for Hajj after the ‘Umrah’ and they are also relieved of the restrictions of being in ‘Ihram’ in the interval.

This, Omar opposed even in the life time of the Holy Prophet and went to the extent of openly forbidding it during his regime as the Khalif nominated by Abu-Bakar, along with the ‘Muta al-Nisa’ and the clause ‘Hayya ala Khairi al-’amal’ in the ‘Azan’ (call for prayer). However, the later jurists did not follow Umar’s ordinance in the case of the ‘Muta al- Haf but his ordinance in the case of the other two i.e. the ‘Muta al-Nisa’ and ‘Hayya ala Khairi al-’amal’, pushed the divine law behind not to be practiced by the ignorant ones until now8. (A P.)

• 1. Numbers 31/7-18.
• 2. See also 22:39-40.
• 3. Vide: 8:60.
• 4. Vide: 60:1, 60:8-9.
• 5. Vide: 16:125.
• 6. Vide: Sirah Ibn Hisham, Tabari and Ibn Athir.
• 7. Vide: 2:190.
• 8. Vide: 4:24.