According to Rahyafte(the missionaries and converts website):Neglecting this fact could lead to misunderstanding many of the concepts of Hajj. That is why it is necessary to learn about Abrahamic symbols manifested in Hajj.
Hajj is a great divine journey made with the purpose of self-improvement. God says in Verse 125 of Surah Al-Baqarah, “We made the house (in Mecca) as a place of refuge and sanctuary for men. Adopt the place where Abraham stood as a place for prayer. We advised Abraham and Ishmael to keep My house clean for the pilgrims, the worshippers and for those who bow down and prostrate themselves in worship.”
According to this verse, the rituals of Hajj are profoundly mixed with the memory of the struggles of Abraham (AS), his wife Hagar and his son Ismail (AS). Failing to recognize this may lead to confusion when it comes to the rituals. For example, when sacrificing animals in Mina, one may wonder how it can be considered an act of worship. But after learning that Abraham (AS) tried to sacrifice his son at the order of God and then sacrificing animals in Mina became a tradition, we will realize the philosophy of this ritual.
The ritual of sacrificing animals symbolizes giving up everything for the sake of God and purifying one’s heart from everything other than God.
Another example is the ritual of stoning the devil at the Jamarat. Hajj pilgrims throw pebbles at three stone pillars, called Jamarat, in the city of Mina just east of Mecca. One may wonder what throwing so many pebbles at a spiritless pillar could mean or what problem it could solve? But the puzzle is solved for us when we remember that it is a reminder of how Abraham (AS) fought the temptations of Satan who tried three times to dissuade him from obeying God and sacrificing his son and Abraham (AS) made him go away by throwing pebbles at him. So this ritual symbolizes our constant confrontation with Satan.
When we look at the ritual of Sa’y of Safa and Marwah, we may wonder why pilgrims travel back and forth between the two small hills, going from Safa to Marwah and returning from Marwah to Safa until seven rounds are completed. The puzzle will be solved for us when we remember that story of Hagar and how she sought water for her parched son in the hills of Safa and Marwah, going from one to the other seven times until God bestowed her with the miraculous Zamzam spring. It reminds us that one will not achieve goals without making efforts on the path of God.
So it should be emphasized that the rituals of Hajj should be taught with these secrets and with the memories of what happened to Abraham (AS), his wife and his son, so that pilgrims will recognize the philosophy behind every ritual and the profound moral effects of Hajj are manifested in the pilgrims’ lives.
We should make sure pilgrims will recognize the philosophy behind each ritual and the profound moral effects of Hajj are manifested in the lives of the pilgrims.
iqna
Source: rahyafteha