Hajj: A Commitment to Ultimate Sacrifice

Abu Sufyan replied, “No.” After narrating this event, Ibn Kathir writes: “Abu Sufyan, then the leader of the disbelievers and the chief of the Makkans, still admitted the truth.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Volume 4, Page 222). This lineage was established by Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) through the profound act of “sacrifice” involving his offspring. From this lineage emerged selected individuals who were designated as the “best of nations,” wholeheartedly devoted to monotheism. Through their unparalleled sacrifices, they ended the era of religious persecution and the dominance of polytheism, paving the way for religious freedom and the ideological supremacy of monotheism. From Prophet Ibrahim to Prophet Muhammad, this was a 2,500-year plan. Its centre was the region of Arabia known as Hijaz, where Makkah is located. Hajj is a symbolic reenactment of this history. Through Hajj, Muslims renew their commitment to be part of this divine plan. By saying “Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk” (Here I am, O Allah, here I am), they gather in the land of Ibrahim and Isma’il, symbolically reenacting in a few days what those people experienced in reality. Through this, they declare to God that if needed, they are ready to repeat the history that was enacted here before. The issue we face today is essentially the same as in ancient times, with the key difference being that in the past, people were shaped by a polytheistic mindset, whereas today, they are influenced by an atheistic worldview. Overcoming