Imam Khomeini revived philosophy of Hajj

Imam Khomeini revived philosophy of Hajj

The founder of the Islamic Republic revived real philosophy of the Eid of sacrifices and the event of Hajj and taught the Muslims worldwide that how they should make best use of these social and spiritual events.

According to the third verse from the blessed chapter three in the Quran, it was communicated to the noble prophet (PBUH) by God:

“And a proclamation from Allah and His messenger to all men on the day of the Greater Pilgrimage that Allah is disgusted with the idolaters, and so is His messenger.”

Also it is addressed to Ibrahim, the Friend of God (PBUH) that he should call the people from all social strata to go to Hajj in order for them to witness their profits. Such profits are, of course, social, political and cultural. People need to go to the pilgrimage of Hajj to see how the great prophet offered the dearest result of his life in the cause of Allah. All the offspring of Adam must go on that pilgrimage to follow the example of the prophet and see how he broke the idols and threw away whatever was apart from God.

For a long time, for many years or perhaps for centuries this great political, social, worshiping congregation of Hajj, which could put all the aims of the Islamic school into action, had found its trend only toward superficial worshiping of individuals. And, its true prophetic mission which was the real belief in God, avoidance of any kind of polytheism, and collaboration to help Muslims to solve their problems were all forgotten. This was the situation until Imam Khomeini , the idol-breaker of the time once again entered the arena of Islamic issues. He wrote and announced to the Muslims their obligations and reminded them of what they should do and how they should treat on such a day of pilgrimage.

Imam Khomeini , on the Feast of Sacrifices, the first year after the victory of Revolution gave a message to the pilgrims of Hajj, in which he embarked upon analyzing fully how Kaaba came into existence and what the Muslims should do. He considered a place for dissemination of monotheism and negation of polytheism. He emphasized that Kaaba was the original place of monotheistic call and the center for breaking the idols, and today the devils all over the world. Reasoning on some Quranic verses then, he argued that it was incumbent upon Muslims to keep Kaaba clean of all impurities and pollutions the worst of which is polytheism. Again, he referred to the prophet’s rejection of polytheists in the Quranic chapter al-Tawba and pointed out to the uprising of the Promised Mahdi (PBUH), the savior who would first appear by the House of Kaaba and invite the people to monotheism. Imam Khomeini, then, concluded that all idol-breakings would start from the Kaaba and would spread to other places and the Muslims too had to follow his example.

Imam Khomeini , during the last years of his fruitful life, gave different messages to the annual Congress of Hajj explaining how the religions practices had to be done and how the pilgrims should benefit from them. He had, in fact, organized a charter for the Muslims to perform their acts like the prophet Ibrahim. Here we will refer to 3 important messages of the Imam, which contain not only all necessary aspects of political ceremonies or rites to be performed but also the problems and troubles that Islamic nations are encountered with:

Islam is endowed with a rich culture of humanitarian organizations which brings together diverse communities regardless of their languages, nationalities, races or colors without having a tendency to the west or to the east blocs. The religion of Islam relies on the morality, God believing dimension and directs mankind to good deeds and advises everyone to seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. In the political dimension, Islam enjoins the countries to choose sound and safe governments in every ground, which do not have recourse to deceit or beguiling conspiracies and administer the affairs in a proper manner. Islam directs the countries to live peacefully and have friendly relations and brotherly interaction with other nations. Islam encourages the countries to have economical relations without using oppression and cruelty to be committed to work for a common benefit. Islam gives a lot of significance to the life of the weak and the poor in the society and emphasizes that everyone should struggle for more growth in agriculture, industry and trading. Islam recommends that apt individuals in the community, those who have competency, to defend against attacks, be trained in military services so that they could be mobilized voluntarily or maybe in an obligatory way at the time of emergency cases to defend borders, to put the cities in order, to keep the roads safe and prepare a faithful, trained power always ready.

In the percept of Hajj, which is saying “here am I” to the invitation of God and it is an emigration toward God, the Exalted with the blessings of Ibrahim and Mohammad (peace be upon them), there is the station of negation of all the idols and the devils, the large satan and small devils. Now which idol is larger than the United States, the exploiter of the world, and the former Soviet Russia the aggressive atheist and which devils, large or small, are stronger than the devils of our time?

In your repeating of “here am I”, “here am I” reject all the idols and shout at the devils saying “no” to them. In your circumambulation of the Kaaba, which is the sign of love to God, free your heart from others, clean away from all fears except of God’s, and at the same time keep away from all the devils large or small and their affiliated rogues, because God and God’s Friends kept away from them and all broadminded people of the world are free from any obligations toward them.

When you touch the Black Stone, take the oath of allegiance to God not to be an enemy of God and His messengers or their righteous, liberal men, not to obey the enemies of God whenever and whoever they are! Cleanse your heart from the fear or the authority of God’s enemies because such enemies whose chief is the great Satan are despicable though they seem to be superior at committing crimes and suppressing the others.

In your “sa’y” (attempt) at Safa and Marwa, truly and honestly put more effort into finding the beloved, because with your finding Him all other secular findings shall be torn off, all doubts and hesitations shall collapse and all kinds of your “fear and hope” shall be obliterated and all material attachments shall be thrown away; all freedom will flourish and every kind of satanic bonds of slavery which has made servants of God live in captivity and surrender will fall down.

In your going to Mash’ar-al-Haram and Arafat, try to keep being in your perfect senses, and at every stop make sure that God’s promise – to have the oppressed and deprived ones rule the Earth – will be realized. Meditate and deliberate over Allah’s verses in the Quran. Think about the way how you may deliver the deprived and the weakened from the grips of the global arrogance. Ask God to help you find the way for their deliverance at those noble stops on your way.

Then, go to Mena in order to find out truthful wishes: the desire to sacrifice the most beloved thing in the way of the “Absolute Beloved”; and know that as long as you have not dispensed with all those worldly loves the worst of which is the love of oneself (egoism) and its adherent: “love of the world” you will never reach the absolute beloved. It is at such an instance and only at this time that you stone at the Satan and it will flee from you. Repeat stoning the Satan, large or small, in various situations making use of the divine commands and make them all run away from you.

Hajj is the center for Godly knowledge. It is a center from which you should explore the gist of Islamic policy in every corner. Hajj is the herald of establishing a community far from both material and spiritual vices. Hajj is the manifestation and repetition of all love-creating scenes of a man and a perfect society in the world. The rites and ceremonies of Hajj are the methods of living; and since the Islamic society, consisting of all races and nationalities, must be Ibrahim-like to link and unify all the Muslims or Mohammedans to become only one entity, Hajj is the way of regulating and arranging for such a great monotheistic gathering. Hajj is the arena for such an exhibition and it is the mirror of measuring or assessing the material and intellectual potential of the Muslims.

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