Rites Of Hajj And Umrah

Hajj usually means ‘setting out towards a place’, but in the Islamic religion, Hajj refers to the holy pilgrimage to Makkah undertaken by the Muslims in order to perform certain religious rites in accordance with the holy book Quran. On the other hand, Umrah means ‘to visit a populated place’ and you can avail the best Umrah Packages or Hajj Packages 2020 with us.

The Rites

The rites of Hajj and Umrah were first set by Allah during the time of the Prophet Ibrahim and Allah gave him the task to build the Kaba along with his son Ismail.

After establishing the Kaba, Prophet Ibrahim went over to Makkah quite often to perform the Hajj and right after his death, the pilgrimage was practised by his son. However, with the passing of time, both the pattern of the Hajj/Umrah rites were altered. As idolatry spread all over Arabia, Kaba began to lose the sanctity and the walls became covered with paintings and poems.

How Hajj Lost Its Meaning

Initially, during the period of Hajj and Umrah, sacrifices were also made in the name of God. The blood of the animals was poured on the walls of Kaba and the flesh was hanged. There were poetry competitions and the poets would praise the bravery and splendour of the wars and warriors.

True Worship Restored

A series of teachings of the Prophet Ibrahim and their forefathers were taught to the devotees and the pilgrims who came for the Hajj. For 23 years, a man named Muhammad ibn Abdullah spread the message of ‘true monotheism’ or Tawheed, which Prophet Ibrahim also spread and the laws of Allah were established.

He expanded the world of Allah, making it supreme over every victory, smashing idols in Kaba. Once again Kaba became the true and pure holy center of worshipping the Allah and down the years Umrah Packages became more and more famous to visit Allah House.

The Prophet, not only free Kaba of all impurities but also reinstated all the Hajj rites with Allah’s permission. Competitions and animal sacrifices were stopped because it was clear that it's not the meat or the blood that pleases Allah, but the Taqwaa or prayer/petition reaches Him.

Pleasing Allah In Every Way

Another custom started right before Umrah, the carrying of provisions during Umrah. Initially, during the holy pilgrimage, some people would travel to the holy cities by begging for food. However, Allah told to carry sufficient provision for the journey, as mentioned in the Surah al-Baqarah.

Gradually, all pre-Islamic practices that were not acceptable to Allah were abolished and the Hajj was restored to its true form and purity with the fear of God, simplicity, and piety. Now, there is the true form of worship and remembrance of Allah every step. As prophets Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) said, ‘the reward for an accepted Hajj is nothing less than paradise’.