The History of Hajj

divine mission was carried out primarily through the lineage of his son Ishaaq (Isaac). From Prophet Ishaaq to Prophet Isa (Jesus), many prophets were sent in this line to deliver God’s message to human beings in Palestine and its surrounding regions. After Prophet Isa, this sacred responsibility was transferred to the descendants of Ibrahim’s other son, Isma’il (Ishmael). The final prophet, Prophet Muhammad, was born into this lineage. He was uniquely chosen to preserve the divine scripture and establish the religion firmly so that it would never be lost. This mission, referred to in the Quran as the manifestation of the religion — “... so that He may make it prevail [ideologically] over every other religion” (9:33) — highlights a unique aspect of the role of the Final Prophet. Unlike earlier prophets, whose task was solely to convey the message, the Final Prophet was entrusted with both delivering the message and establishing the conditions that would ensure it could be practiced in its pure and unadulterated form by anyone who wished to follow this divine guidance. To fulfil this monumental task, a supportive community was necessary—one that exemplified exceptional human qualities. This community would stand by the final prophet and help bring the divine mission to fruition. For this purpose, Prophet Ibrahim settled his wife Hajar and his son Isma’il in the barren and uninhabited region of ancient Makkah. In this remote and simple environment, far from the complexities of urban civilization, a nation could emerge that embodied the highest virtues: a people