Hajj Reflection #9: Sacrifice

Hajj is full of sacrifice. The whole Hajj ritual constitutes various significant events of the past: the repeated running from Safa to Marwah as done by Siti Hajar in search of water for her son Ismail, the stoning at the three jamrahs as conducted by Prophet Ibrahim who was persuaded and taunted by the satan, and the sacrificing of a livestock portraying the extent Prophet Ibrahim was willing to sacrifice on his only (long-awaited) son.

Such symbolic sacrifices have deeper values. Right from the very beginning - when one decides to take on the challenge of Hajj, he/she is already willing to sacrifice so many things. Time, money, family, work and various forms of commitments are the obvious ones. More importantly, the willingness to travel approximately 7,000km from Malaysia to Makkah, a land where 2-3 million other pilgrims will gather; and where toilets, rooms, tents, transportations and space has to be shared, IS a series of big sacrifices!

Sacrifice is important in Islam. It is Allah's way of testing our imaan; whether we are sincere (ikhlas) in our actions, in the name of Allah.

It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety (taqwa) from you that reaches Him.
(Al-Hajj: 37)