Unifying

Now we know that in Dhul Hijja every year

muslims from all around the world gather at the Ka'aba in Makkah

to join together in Hajj,

remembering the story of Ibrahim and its meaning to our lives.

But the Ancient House,

the Ka'aba,

remains there throughout the rest of the year,

always available for pilgrimage.

And the kind of pilgrimage that can be made at any time of year is known as 'Umrah.

And 'Umrah is like a little Hajj,

the start of a Hajj,

and we prepare for 'Umrah as we would for Hajj,

washing all over

and then wearing Ihram with the intention of making pilgrimage.

Ihram for men being two simple rectangles of white cloth

to cover the body,

no difference between rich and poor, ruler and subject.

And Ihram for women,

simply modest dress,

no show of extravagance or wealth,

and without veiling.

The pilgrimage begins with all reduced to equals before God,

and with the intention to make pilgrimage we pledge ourselves to God's service.

And then we come to the Ka'aba to circle around it,

beginning where possible by kissing the Hajar-al-Aswad,

the black stone set into the corner of the Ka'aba.

But if you can't get close enough to kiss the stone

it is enough to indicate your wish and intention with your hand

and carry on.

But carry on with what?

Well, praising God and devoting ourselves to God's service

while circling around the Ka'aba,

seven times around in what is known as Tawaf,

until finishing once more at the Hajar-al-Aswad,

a stone that was in that place

before the House was built by Ibrahim and Isma'il.

The place to which we make pilgrimage was there long before Ibrahim,

marked by that stone as a place of worship

devoted to the One God, Allah.

At the end of the Tawaf

we can pray at the Maqam Ibrahim,

next to the rock bearing Ibrahim's footprint,

and knowing that Ibrahim prayed

in that very place before us.

And then it is just a short walk to the small hill of Safa,

from which we hasten the short distance to the hill of Marwa,

then back again,

seven times from end to end, four times standing on each hill.

This hastening, part walking part running, is called the Sa'y,

and all the while we can remember Hajar

running, terrified of losing her son,

scanning the horizon for signs of water,

and crying out to God for aid.

And we try to remember that no matter how self-sufficient we may seem,

at any minute we are just as much as Hajar at the mercy of God for our survival.

And with that we can drink from the well

which sprang from beneath the heel of the infant Isma'il,

Zam-zam,

with our 'Umra complete, apart from the men having a haircut.

But at this point the Hajj moves on

to think further on the story of Ibrahim

and what he felt God needed him to sacrifice.

And that takes place at 'Arafat.

For Ibrahim was faced with the decision of what to do

when he felt that God was asking him

to sacrifice what he most loved in the world,

in the shape of his son Isma'il.

What do you do when you think God is asking you

to give up all you have and trust in Allah to provide,

to submit to God's Will and accept it with gratitude.

Offering up all that we have to God,

in the knowledge that God alone is our Provider

is hard,

even if not as immediately traumatic as it was for Ibrahim,

but there is a day of the Hajj put aside for it.

After a Day of Watering at Mina,

the day of Tarwiyah,

pilgrims journey to the plain of 'Arafat

to stand

and examine their relationship with their Maker,

and surrender themselves to Allah.

Then, after 'Arafat,

the pilgrims head back towards Mina via Muzdalifa,

gathering tiny pebbles along the way to throw at the Jamra-al-Aqba,

the three pillars that remind us of the three times that Shaitan tempted Ibrahim,

pillars against which we also throw stones,

seven stones at each, three times in three days,

in the hope that they are enough to keep Shaitan away.

Now, at the end of the Hajj,

pilgrims provide animals for sacrifice and distribution to the poor,

and men have a hair cut or their heads shaved,

and the Hajj is complete,

though most will make

a farewell Tawaf around the Ka'aba before they leave.

But the standing at 'Arafat is the heart of the Hajj,

the ultimate moment

in an act of worship that is the one religious duty

that need only be performed once in an able muslims lifetime.

And what are the words that are said at this moment?

There are none.

It's just you and Allah.

What do you want to say?

Allah is listening.

And what are the actions required for this special moment of worship in a muslim's life?

There are none.

It is just standing,

and remembering you are standing before God.

The men standing wrapped in two pieces of cloth,

much like they might have been placed in as infants when they first came into the world.

And as at the beginning of life, so at the end.

Many will expect these two pieces of cloth

to be wrapped around them at the end of their lives

when they are laid in the ground

to await the Day of Reckoning.

All of which is for consideration

during the standing at 'Arafat.