The Spirit of Hajj

The Emotional Journey Of Hajj there isn’t enough room left for you to bow or prostrate properly. In such a situation, if you focus only on the people in front of you, anger and frustration will arise within you. However, if you begin to introspect, your state will change entirely. You might say, “O Allah, accept this broken and imperfect prayer of mine, for even my seemingly correct prayers are, in truth, just as imperfect as this one.” A person who can shift their mindset in this way will experience a completely different reality. From a situation that most people find frustrating, this person will derive a sense of closeness to God. Similarly, during the journey of Hajj, various unpleasant experiences arise—such as the crowd during the stoning at Mina, the intense heat in Mina and Arafat, and people pushing to get water. If you focus only on the immediate situation, feelings of anger and irritation will arise within you. However, if, in such moments, you reflect on how the minor discomforts of this world are nothing compared to the great trials of the Hereafter, you will suddenly feel that what seemed like a hardship has turned into a source of comfort. It will envelop you as a manifestation of God’s mercy. An Extraordinary Journey In the travelogue of the Hajj, as mentioned above (1982), the impressions are described as follows: “In 1982, I set out on a journey to several countries. The plan did not include performing Hajj, nor did I even imagine that I would reach the Hijaz and fulfil