ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Hajj - The Islamic Pilgrimage Stages of Hajj Beginning of the journey and going through different stages After we have become familiar with the philosophy of Hajj and its sublime goals, we should go on two parallel journeys, namely the journey of body (the physical journey) and the journey of soul (the spiritual journey). We should be keen about the inner state, the spiritual effect, and its acceptance.

Stage One: Pure Intention إِذا أرَدتَ الحجَّ فجَرِّدْ قَلبَكَ للهِ تَعالى مِن كُلِّ شاغِلٍ. “When you intend for Hajj, purify your heart from what keeps you away from Allah.”[^1]79 Men of heart and pilgrims of the House of God, after getting to know the meaning of Hajj and before taking provisions with them, purify their hearts and see whether their motivation in this journey is godly or not. The aim of Hajj is to express the submission to God.

Hence, a pilgrim must keep away from physical desires and aims at obeying God, obtaining the rewards of the Hereafter, and escaping from the punishment of the Hereafter. If Hajj is made for fun, amusement, business, social prestige, and escape from people’s blame, its true aim—devotion is lost. To test his pure intention, a pilgrim should see whether he wants to perform Hajj for the above-mentioned purposes or he goes on Hajj for sake of God alone.

If, for instance, a jurisprudent dissuades him from going on Hajj by telling that the money should be spent on a more urgent case, it should not be painful for him. But if he sees that not going on Hajj is painful for him; that he feels ashamed before people, then his intention of Hajj in not pure, and he must ask forgiveness for the same. Stage Two: Repentance ثُمَّ اغْتَسِل بماءِ التَّوبةِ الخالِصةِ مِن الذنوبِ.

“Then purify yourself of sins by water of repentance.”[^2]80 Beyond doubt, the impure have no place among the pure. Purification is a prerequisite for the beginning of the Hajj pilgrimage in the same way that prayer is not valid without purification. Hajj, too, which is the circumambulation of the Kaaba and prayer being a part of it, requires purification that, too, with water of repentance from defaulted duties and violation of people’s rights.