Why Do Muslims Perform Hajj: A Comprehensive history and Origin of Hajj

One day, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him)  woke up and told his wife Hajar to get their son ready for a long journey. A few days later, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) set out with Hajar and their son Ismail.

Ismail was still a nursing baby. Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) traveled through farmlands, deserts, and mountains until he reached a barren valley in the Arabian Peninsula with no plants, no food, no water, and no signs of life.

After helping his wife and child settle down, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) left them with a small amount of food and water, barely enough for two days, and started to walk away. Hajar hurried after him, asking, “Where are you going, leaving us in this desolate valley?”

Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) didn’t answer and kept walking. She asked again, but he remained silent. Finally, she understood that he was following the command of His Lord, Allah. She asked, “Did Allah commanded you to do this?” He replied, “Yes.” Hajar then said with great faith, “Then He, Allah will not neglect us.” She returned while Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) proceeded onwards.

On reaching the Thaniya where they could not see him, he faced the Kaba raising both hands, invoked Allah saying the following prayers:

“O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Your Sacred House (Kaba at Mecca) in order, O our Lord that they may offer prayer perfectly. So fill some hearts among men  with love towards them, and O Allah provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks.” (Quran 14:37)

The source of the tradition of the Sa’i

Ismail’s mother went on suckling Ismail and drinking from the water (she had) When the water in the water skin had been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty, She started looking at Ismail heaving in agony. She left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of As-Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land.

She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended for As Safa and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble till she crossed the valley and reached the mountain of Al Marwa.

She stood there and started looking expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She repeated that running between Safa And Marwa seven times. The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

This is the source of the tradition of the Sa’i (rituals of the hajj, pilgrimage) the going of people between them (As-Safa and Al-Marwa).  (Sahih Bukhari)

The origin of the Zam Zam Water

When she reached Al Marwa (for the last time) she heard a voice and she told herself to be quiet to listen attentively. She heard the voice again and said:

“O whoever you maybe! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?”   (Sahih Bukhari)

And behold! She saw an angel at the place of Zam-zam, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing) till water flowed from that place. She started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started filling her water skin with water with her hands and the water was flowing out after she had scooped some of it.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) added: “May Allah bestow mercy on Ismail’s mother! Had she let the Zam-zam flow without trying to control it, or had she not scooped from that water to fill her water skin, Zam-zam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth.”  (Sahih Bukhari)

The settlement at Mecca

I hope you are enjoying and learning the origin of the Hajj that Muslims perform.  The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) continued:

“Then Hajar drank the water and suckled her child. The angel said to her: “Don’t be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects His people.”  (Sahih Bukhari)

The House (Ka’ba) at that time was on a high place resembling a hillock, and when torrents came, they flowed to its right and left. “She lived in that way till some people from the tribe of Jurhum or a family from Jurhum passed by her and her child as they (the Jurhum people) were coming through the way of Kada.

They landed in the lower part of Mecca where they saw a bird that had the habit of flying around water and not leaving it. they said: “This bird must be flying around water, though we know that there is no water in this valley.”

They sent one or two messengers who discovered the source of water and returned to inform them of the water. So they all came towards the water. Ismail’s mother was sitting near the water.

They asked Ismail’s mother: “Do you allow us to stay with you?” She replied: “Yes, but you will have no right to possess the water.”

They agreed to that. Ismail’s mother was pleased with the whole situation, as she used to love to enjoy the company of the people, so they settled there, and later on they sent for their families who came and settled with them so that some families became permanent residents there.

In another narration: They (tribe of Jurhum) said: “birds can only be found at a place where there is water.” They sent a messenger who searched the place and found the water and returned to inform them about it. Then they all went to her and said: “O Ismail’s mother! Will you allow us to be with you (or dwell with you)?” Then they stayed there.

The child (Ismail) grew up and learned Arabic from them and (his virtues) caused them to love and admire him as he grew up and when he reached the age of puberty they made him marry a woman from amongst them.

The marriage of Ismail and the blessing of Mecca

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) continued:

After Ismail’s mother had died, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) came after Ismail’s marriage in order to see his family that he had left before but he did not find Ismail there. When he asked Ismail’s wife about him, she replied: “He has gone in search of livelihood.”

Then he (Prophet Ibrahim,.peace be upon him) asked her about their way of living and their condition, and she replied,

“We are living in misery; we are living in hardship and destitution,” complaining to him.

He (Prophet Ibrahim,.peace be upon him) said: “When your husband returns, convey my salutations to him and tell him to change the threshold of the gate (of his house).”

When Ismail came, he seemed to have felt something unusual, so he asked his wife: “Has anyone visited you?” she replied, “Yes, an old man of such and such description came and asked me about you and I informed him and he asked about our state of living and I told him that we were living in a hardship and poverty.” On that Ismail said: “Did he advise you anything?”

She said: “Yes he told me to convey his salutation to you and to tell you to change the threshold of your gate.”

Ismail said: “It was my father and he has ordered me to divorce you. Go back to your family.”

So, Ismail divorced her and married another woman from among them (Jurhum).

Lesson: A good wife is one that honours his husband’s guest and doesn’t expose the condition of her household to a stranger. It is better she says “All is fine”.

Again Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) thought of visiting his dependents (Ismail) whom he had left at Mecca, and told his wife (Sarah) of his intentions.

Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) came to Ismail’s house and asked: ‘Where is Ismail?’ Ismail’s wife (the second one he remarried) replied: ‘He has gone out hunting,’ and added: ‘will you stay for some time and have something to eat and drink?’ Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said: ‘What is your food and what is your drink?’ she replied: ‘Our food is meat and our drink is water.’

He, (Prophet Ibrahim peace be upon him) replied: ‘O Allah! Bless their meals and their drink.’ Abu Al Qasim (Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) said: “Because of Prophet Ibrahim’s (peace be upon him) invocation there are blessings in Mecca.”   (Sahih Bukhari)

The Prophet Muhammad ( peace and blessings be upon him ) said, “They did not have crops then, otherwise Ibrahim would have invoked Allah to bless that too. Those who do not live in Makkah cannot bear eating a diet only containing meat and water.”

“Ibrahim said, `When Isma`il comes back, convey my greeting to him and ask him to keep the threshold of his gate.” When Isma`il came back, he asked, `Has anyone visited us.” She said, `Yes. A good looking old man,” and she praised Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), and he asked me about our livelihood and I told him that we live in good conditions.

He asked, `Did he ask you to convey any message” She said, `Yes. He conveyed his greeting to you and said that you should keep the threshold of your gate.” Isma`il said, `That was my father, and you are the threshold; he commanded me to keep you.”

The construction of Ka’ba

Continuation of the hadith from Ibn Abbas: “Once more Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) thought of visiting his family he had left at Mecca and he told his wife (Sarah) of his decision. He went and found Ismail behind the Zam-zam well, mending his arrows. He said: ‘O Ismail, your Lord has ordered me to build a house for Him.

‘ Ishmael said: ‘Obey the order of your Lord.’ Abraham said: ‘Allah has also ordered me that you should help me therein.’ Ismail said: ‘Then I will do so.’ So both of them were saying:

“O our Lord! Accept this service of us, verily, You are the All Hearer, the All Knower.” (Quran 2:127)

When the building became high and the old man (Abraham) could no longer lift the stones to such a high position, he stood over the stone of Al Maqam and Ishmael carried on handing him the stones and both of them were saying:

“O our Lord! Accept this service of us, verily You are the All Hearer, the All Knower.””

The Prophet (pbuh) added: “Then both of them went on building and going round the Kaba saying:

“O our Lord! Accept this service from us, verily, You are the All Hearer, the All Knower.”;
(Sahih Bukhari).

Under Allah’s command, Ibrahim and Ismail built the Kaaba as a place of worship and even asked Allah to accept it as an act of worship. This construction is not just a historical act but one filled with great spiritual significance in the heart of Muslims.

Imagine Ibrahim and Ismail, father and son, laboring together to build this sacred house. This was not just a physical act but a spiritual one that represent their sincere devotion and submission to Allah’s will.

They also prayed for their efforts to be accepted and for their descendants to remain true to monotheism. This is how the act continues for true believers and worshippers of only one true God, Allah.

Origin of the Sacrifice on Eid al-Adha

Allah the Almighty told us of Prophet Ibrahim’s (peace be upon him) affliction with his beloved son: So We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy. And when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: “O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offer you in sacrifice to Allah), so look what do you think!”

“O my father! Do that which you are commanded Insha Allah (if Allah wills), you shall find me of the patient.”

Then when they had both submitted themselves to the Will of Allah and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his forehead for slaughtering);

And We called out to him: “O Abraham! You have fulfilled the dream (vision!” Verily! Thus do We reward those who perform good deeds, totally for Allah’s sake only.

Indeed, this was the clear trial. And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice, [a mighty ram from Paradise]   

 We left for him (a goodly remembrance) among generations (to come) in later times.

“Salamun (peace) be upon Abraham!” Thus indeed do We reward the Muhsineen (good doers). Verily, he was one of Our believing slaves.    (Quran 37:99-111 )