Renewal of Faith

forgiven. This process begins after one’s initial faith, and it reaches its completion with the renewal of faith through Hajj. If the initial faith was indirect, then the renewed faith through Hajj is direct. In cases of incapacity, the initial faith alone, by the mercy of God, suffices for the forgiveness of sins. However, for those with the capability of performing Hajj, their faith is completed through the renewal that occurs after Hajj. The essence of Islam is to surrender oneself to God. This surrender is fully realized in Hajj. When all the pilgrims gather in the plain of Arafat, proclaiming “Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk” (Here I am, O Allah, here I am), it is a collective demonstration of this very surrender. Hajj, in a sense, is a presentation of oneself before God. On the Day of Judgment, every person will be seized and presented before God, while the arrival in the plain of Arafat during Hajj is akin to voluntarily presenting oneself before God. The truth is that Hajj is the supreme act of worship. Just as the Ka’bah stands unparalleled among all mosques, Hajj holds a similarly supreme position among all acts of Islamic worship. (Safarnama Ghair Mulki Asfar, 1992, pp. 50-65).