The Muslim Hajj is a Pilgrimage

“I did not create the jinn’s and the humans except to worship Me alone.” Quran 51:56, Submission to the will of Allah is to a great extent central to the life of a Muslim. Hajj is a pilgrimage of individual healing which allows Muslims “who have been wasteful against their own souls” the chance to be cleansed of sin and offer themselves fully to Allah. Environmental ethics also teach Muslims to live a life centred around respect for Allah. This is taught through Tawhid, which positions God as the creator and owner of the Universe. Submitting one’s very desires to the “All-compassionate and merciful” Allah is the highest form of worship, superior adherents submit to the Will of Allah, and hence are able to remove desires and struggle, and “receive forgiveness” of one’s sins becoming greater jihads. As such, Hajj and environmental ethics are both to a significant extent critical in the life of a Muslim as they involve submitting oneself fully to Allah.

The teachings of Allah are to a major extent key to the life of Muslims as evidenced through Hajj. It is one of the most important events in a follower’s religious journey and demands total focus on Allah. Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca and is one of the pillars of Islam and compulsory for every Muslim to undertake in their lifetime, thus demonstrating its centrality to the life of a Muslim. It is considered so important because it allows adherents to fully submit themselves to the will of Allah. 'pilgrimage unto the Temple is a duty owed to God by all people who are able to undertake it.” Qur'an 3:97, Hajj offers Muslim believers the opportunity to cleanse themselves of the despair from past sins and to be forgiven by the “mercy of Allah”, their “all-compassionate God” by submitting to the instruction “owed to god. Arafat, the most significant aspect of the pilgrimage, consists of a day of prayer in which adherents ask Allah for forgiveness. In exchange, followers offer themselves fully to God as expressed in the Tabiya where it states “here I am at your service, O Allah, here I am.” Belief in the Oneness of God is central to Islam as a monotheistic faith and Hajj provides Muslims with the time and space to pray and thus show their commitment to Allah as their only God. Haji also enables individuals to follow role models of Muhammad, demonstrating their belief of Rusul. As Muhammad visited Mecca, through completing Haji adherents can follow this example and mirror the spiritual benefits. A person who performs Haji properly and retraces the steps of Abraham and Ishmael “will return as a newborn baby” free of all sins. Recent developments to improve the safety of the Hajj pilgrimage illustrate the enduring significance of the event and the opportunity it presents to submit oneself to Allah. Between 1990 and 2016, over 3,000 pilgrims were killed in stampedes which brought into question the safety of the event (Fleming 2018). However, recognising the importance of Hajj in the life of a Muslim, Government officials have set up more than 16,000 communication towers, an app with information in seven different languages (Morgan 2018). These financial investments demonstrate Hajj is still seen as vital in the life of a Muslim and has been made more accessible to ensure all adherents have the chance to commit fully to Allah without concern. Hajj is a key example of how adherence to the will of Allah is central to the life of a Muslim. This is because it enables followers to be cleansed of sin and instead focus completely on Allah while recent developments to make the event safer indicate the enduring value placed on this sacred pilgrimage and its connection to Allah.

Islam ethical teachings such as tawhid and Khalifa (stewardship), offer Muslims guidance on how to “not be wasteful against their own souls”. Submission to Allah is to a large extent crucial to the Muslim faith as environmental ethics demand respect and compassion towards God’s creations. The ethical teaching of Tawhid, the belief that “to God belongs all that is the heaven and on Earth” (Quran 4:126) positions Allah as the creator of all on the Earth. Environmental ethics stress the importance of viewing the natural environment as sacred and valuable. In essence, respect for the Earth is another way of submitting oneself to Allah as khalifs – called upon in the Quran (belief in books of revelation) to protect the Earth. For example, in 2017 a Muslim community in Brisbane held a seminar on ‘Islam and Environmental Stewardship’ in relation to the current issue of climate change. Speakers included Imaam Afroz Ali who spoke about ‘Islamic Perspectives on Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change.’ Combatting climate change is a keyway Islam adherent can submit themselves to Allah as they are taught “eat and drink: but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not the wasters.” (Surah 7:31). Through submitting to Allah, adherents but ensure they uphold their responsibility to maintain Allah’s creation and “Do not despair god mercy” Thus, environmental ethics are to a great extent significant to showing one’s commitment to faith as Allah is considered the sole creator of the Earth and respect for God is shown by valuing creation.

Islam is submission. Therefore, both Hajj and environmental ethics are key examples of how Allah is to a considerable extent central to the lives of Muslim followers. Hajj allows adherents who have been “wasteful” of the opportunities given to them by Allah to be “forgiven” and commit themselves fully to God. The essence of Haji is to completely submit to the “will of Allah”, Haji epitomes this belief. Meanwhile, the environmental ethical teaching of Tawhid and Khalifa places Allah as the creator of all on heaven and Earth. Recent discussions by Muslim followers into combatting climate change demonstrate their insistence on respecting Allah’s creation as sacred. In this sense, the will of Allah is at the forefront of all aspects of the Muslim life and confirms one’s Islamic identity.