Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. Apparently it is a physical and financial sacrifice. But Hajj has something more than these two aspects.
The sacrifice of nafs, the desires.
Ibrahim (as) was blessed with a son after long hardship and great patience but he was asked to sacrifice his son for the sake of Allah. Ismail (as) was ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of Allah without a second thought. Hajar was left alone with a baby in a desert because it was the command of Allah. The question is how much are we ready to sacrifice for the sake of Allah? You say let me live my youth with all my desires full filled and then I will make Hajj and get rid of my sins, but what if you are not destined to see old age? And even if we go to hajj, we lose our temper when we are stuck in a crowd, or our food is not according to what was mentioned in the package. And if Allah has blessed us with three or four Hajj, we boast to others saying we are pious and favorites of Allah and that is why He keeps calling us to His House. We click selfies and enjoy the entire trip with shopping. But can we say, our Hajj was only for the sake of Allah and not for the people? Did we make a sacrifice of our nafs? Did we genuinely repent for our sins with the intention of not doing it ever again? The sign of an accepted Hajj is you have made changes in your life, i.e. you trying to live according to the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Sacrifice is not only purchasing an animal or planning a Hajj trip but it is about sacrificing your desires. You make sacrifices of your desires, your evil habits with the trust that Allah will replace it with best . It is difficult but just like Hajar was running in between the mountains to look for water you run too to make changes in your life. And just like how Hajar found Zamzam spring you too will find your relief. The more one sacrifices of nafs, the more he rises in status in the sight of Allah swa. Maybe your hardships will not end and maybe it will drain you emotionally but you will gain beautiful patience, strength in faith and maybe that sacrifice which once felt like a mountain on your shoulders is now a blessing. And that sacrifice will be worth it. Every year Allah sends this month as a reminder to give sacrifice and clean ourselves.
Trust in Allah (swa) and let it go because “Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds.” (Al An’am 6:162)
By: Bint_Rafiq
Team IR
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