Unifying

Well, we know the various stages of the journey of the Hajj,

from the first Tawaf of circling the Ka'aba,

the Sa'y between Safa and Marwa,

then travelling to Mina,

then to Arafa for the standing,

then to Muzdalifa,

then back to Mina

to stone the Jamarat,

then the sacrifice

and cutting of the hair

to bring the Pilgrimage to a close.

And of course most pilgrims will not set off for home

without a further visit to the Ka'aba

to make a farewell Tawaf before leaving.

But even though very little time is taken up

by the performance of the prescribed requirements of Hajj,

they are spread over several days,

and for the whole of that time

the pilgrim is in the state of making the pilgrimage.

For the beginning and ending of Hajj are not related to Makka or Mina,

but with the putting on and taking off of Ihram,

It is that which signifies the entering and leaving

of the holy state of the pilgrim,

which involves much more than simply dressing up in a special set of clothes.

Of course men do have to wear the traditional two pieces of cloth

that take away the most common markers of distinction

of different levels of wealth

or social standing,

or cultural identity,

dressing in two white towels makes all men look much the same,

and although women may wear their everyday clothes,

they may not cover their faces

in this way they reject the tradition

from times long before the Messenger

when arab women would use a veil

to display their wealth and class superiority.

Things other than clothes

that we use to display and distinguish ourselves

are also taken away,

as pilgrims are made to put aside

their usual efforts to change the way they look

and live for a few days simply as they are.

So fingernails are not cut, and hair is not shaved

or cut or plucked,

and no perfume is used to mask the everyday smell of humans.

And pilgrims also need to modify their behaviour,

not being allowed to hunt,

to kill or harm animals,

or even wilfully break or uproot plants,

and to make clear that the gathering for the Hajj is to be peaceful,

pilgrims are not allowed to carry arms.

Pilgrims refrain from sexual relations while in the state of Ihram,

and should neither marry or take part in a wedding,

and their behaviour should be their very best,

avoiding dishonesty and putting aside arrogance.

This is the state of Ihram

that is entered, to sustain a sense of Taqwa,

being Mindful of God,

throughout the days of Hajj that follow.

Now the pilgrim is in a state where they are truly able to call out the Talbiya

“Here I am God. Here I am. Here I am.

There is no partner to you.

Here I am.

Surely praise and blessings and the realm are yours.

There is no partner to You.”

Then after the rituals of the Hajj have been completed,

it is time to return to the individual experiences of our lives,

but first there is the matter of the hair.

On top of their heads, where their brains reside,

burning up a lot of energy and sensitive to heat,

humans have stuff growing

it keeps their heads warm in the cold,

or alternatively protects them from the heat of the sun.

And it's one of the ways that they recognise each other.

Like animal fur,

or the wool of a sheep,

or the grass and vegetation that carpets the earth,

it is an example of the abundance God provides for us to use,

that is constantly replenished,

our hair grows from inside us, and is part of us,

and yet is something different

it can be cut and burned and feel no pain,

like a part of us that is half living and half dead.

Hair types vary from person to person,

linking them to the genes of their family that came before them,

and all around the world people use their hair

to make themselves distinctive,

either following others in fashion,

or expressing their individuality.

With the cutting of a lock of hair,

or the shaving of the head,

at the end of the Hajj,

we recognise God's ever-growing abundance that we harvest

and for which we give thanks.

We also recognise that our hair marks the passage of time in our lives,

old age bringing with it weakness and grey hair,

and for some the loss of hair entirely.

But hair when growing with vigour can be seen as an example

it shows how something weak

and of little apparent use on its own,

can take on a different quality altogether

it simply needs to be placed alongside millions of similar compatriots.

And for humans this truth must be remembered at Arafa,

when each individual stands alone before God,

side by side with millions of others,

all different but all the same.