The Universal Message of Hajj

to God. It is as if Hajj serves as training, and dawah work is the practical application of that training. According to a Hadith, the rituals of Hajj are symbolic enactment of various stages of the life of Prophet Abraham. Prophet Abraham’s entire life was dedicated to inviting people to the path of God. Every believer has to follow this path in his life. For instance, wearing the Ihram signifies a life of simplicity. Tawaf represents devotion and dedication. Sa’i conveys the message that a believer’s efforts should be directed toward God alone. Animal sacrifice teaches the lesson of living a life of sacrifice. Stoning at Jamarat signifies the act of distancing oneself from Satan. Uttering “Labbaik, Labbaik” upon reaching the field of Arafat serves as a reminder of being present before God on the Day of Judgement, and so on. Hajj is the major pilgrimage, while Umrah is a minor pilgrimage. However, the message of both is the same. The purpose of the Shari’ah is not for people to repeatedly perform Hajj and Umrah. Rather, its purpose is for individuals to embody the spirit of Hajj and Umrah in their daily lives after once performing them, and to disseminate its message to the world.