Hajj Had Never Been Suspended Throughout Islamic History

Features

July 29th, 11:06am

Makkah- Asharq Al-Awsat

Photo: SPA, Musheir Muna

A scientific study being carried out in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute of Hajj and Umrah Research at the Umm al-Qura University confirmed that Hajj was never once suspended throughout Islamic history. After interpreting more than 40 scientific references and sources that followed the entire history of Islam, the study found that Hajj was never fully suspended and that the most that had ever happened was a partial suspension by some countries due to either pandemics or health or security issues that had happened to some pilgrims that prevented them from completing the duty while others still carried on performing Hajj. The scientific study that was conducted by a representative of the Hajj and Umrah Institute for Development and Entrepreneurship, Dr Ayman al-Safri, revealed that pilgrimage is one of the rituals common to all religions. The study proved that historians had always documented the news they received of accidents that happened to pilgrims either in Makkah or on the way there throughout history. They also mentioned details of every Hajj season, including rises and declines in prices and water supplies, times of thirst and leisure, epidemics and deaths, rainy seasons and floods, wars, and security disturbances in Makkah as well as roadblocks. They also documented the consequences of those accidents on the reachability of Makkah from different cities during certain years. Despite all of the substantial accidents and adversities that they had documented, Muslims never abandoned pilgrimage to the House of God, instead, it was attended every year and Muslims maintained this connection despite going through extreme catastrophes throughout history. The study provided several examples of these accidents including the Qarmatians' attack on the Holy Mosque during the Hajj season in 919 AD when they killed pilgrims while they were performing the rituals of Hajj. The study also found texts by historians that showed that during that year, Hajj was nearly going to be suspended had some pilgrims not been able to make it to Arafat and complete their pilgrimage. The study showed the prominent role that the people of Makkah played in the context of maintaining Hajj during the years that people elsewhere could not reach al-Kaaba.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2418596/hajj-had-never-been-suspended-throughout-islamic-history