by Ramjan Mubarak
As mentioned in a previous article, during the month of Dhu’l-Hijjah (the last month of the Lunar Calendar in which we are currently in), millions of Muslims around the world go to Makkah to participate in the annual Hajj (pilgrimage). It is a very important pillar of Islam which every adult Muslim must perform as long as they are physically, financially and mentally fit.
I find it amazing to see individuals from a range of different backgrounds being on the same journey, participating in the same rituals whilst standing side by side. For me, Hajj really emphasises that no one is better than anyone else just because of where they are from etc, and it humbles everyone as we are all in the same position: we all must strive hard to please Allah (One God). For example, there are a lot of physically demanding activities that everyone must participate in during Hajj, such as, circumambulating the Ka’aba (a cube-shaped structure) 7 times & walking/running between the two hills (As-Safaa and Al-Marwah) 7 times, which can be very humbling! Hajj is also a good reminder of how we will all be gathered before Allah on the Day of Judgement, humbled and waiting for the announcement of our destination. Our background will not matter, but only our good deeds.
Allah says in the Qur’an: “O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may (get to) know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware” (1). We believe we are all the Children of Adam & Hawwa’ (Eve), whether Muslim or not, and we should learn about each other’s cultures/backgrounds so we can understand and respect each other. Allah doesn’t judge a person on their background (race, nationality, sex, social class or status), because He is the One who has created people the way they are in the first place. Doing good deeds is the only way to obtain a higher status in the Eyes of Allah. It is also stated in the Qur’an, “But those who do good - whether male or female - and have faith will enter Paradise and will never be wronged (even as much as) the speck on a date stone” (2). Even though we may be different, our rewards from Allah will be the same.
No one chooses what country they want to be born in, but Allah decides this. Therefore, there is no reason for a person to be arrogant they were born in a certain country, or are of a certain race, because no-one chose this for themselves. A famous story is that of el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (also known as Malcolm X) who had joined the Nation of Islam (a group not accepted to be a part of Islam). However, he left the Nation of Islam and began to follow the true Islam with its correct morals, values and traditions. When he went on Hajj, he understood the equality of races in Islam and that not one race is greater than the other. In his autobiography, he said "During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass, and slept on the same rug - while praying to the same God - with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. And in the words and in the actions and in the deeds of the 'white' Muslims, I felt the same sincerity that I felt among the black African Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan and Ghana"(3). Also, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is known to have said, “There is no superiority of an Arab over a foreigner, nor a foreigner over an Arab, and neither white skin over black skin, nor black skin over white skin, except in terms of taqwa (God-Consciousness)” (4).
We also believe Allah is the One Who decides how much wealth a person is entitled to throughout their life. No-one truly knows when their circumstances may change. One day someone’s financial situation may improve, for someone else it may be the opposite, and this is only by the will of Allah. A person who is rich is not better than someone who is not. We should never be arrogant and think we are superior to anyone else due to wealth or status (e.g. social class, job position, etc), because nothing is guaranteed in this life. During Hajj, Muslims stay away from all forms of luxury, wear the most simple of clothes and stay away from all forms of distraction so the focus is on worshipping Allah, seeking His forgiveness and submitting to His Oneness (or monotheism). We may have all these luxuries, but we can’t take anything with us when we leave this earth. They’re just a means to help us when we are here. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying luxury, but we should always show our gratitude towards Allah and work on staying humble.
There are of course differences between people, for example between men & women, cultures and financial & social statuses. However, despite these differences, we are one Ummah (community) and we are on the same journey. These differences are not anything to feel superior or inferior about. We should always strive to do our best and only Allah will decide what a person’s true status is on the account of their deeds.
On a final note, one of the ways we show gratitude during this Hajj season is by celebrating Eid-ul-Adha (The Festival of Sacrifice) and it will be this Sunday, so Eid Mubarak to those celebrating!
(1) Qur’an 49:13 https://quran.com/en/49/13
(2) Qur’an 4:124 https://quran.com/4/124
(3)
The Autobiography of Malcolm X (with the Assistance
of Alex Haley)
(4)
Musnan Ahmad 22978
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