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that he is healthy and able to travel.
Thirdly, that the political conditions
are favourable and safe and there
are no obstacles from going. (Fiqh
Ahmadiyya, pg. 330)
Historical
Importance of Ka`aba
In order to understand Hajj and
its importance, it is necessary to
understand the importance of
Ka`aba which is the focal
point of the institution
of Hajj, the place where
circuits of the Ka`aba are
performed and is the House
of Allāh. Firstly, it should be
understood that the Holy
Ka`aba was the very first
House of Allāh, which was
established for the worship
of Allāh. Allāh the All-
Knowing has explained in
the Holy Qur’ān:
Surely, the first House
founded for mankind is
that at Becca, abounding
in blessings and a
guidance for all peoples.
In it are manifest Signs; it
is the place of Abraham;
and whoso enters it,
enters peace. (A’al Imran:
96-97)
Secondly, numerous verses
of the Holy Qur’ān shed
light on the historical
importance of the Ka`aba in
relation to Hadrat Ibrāhīm as .
However, it must also be noted that
this is the very area where Hadrat
Ibrāhīm as offered a very great
sacrifice of leaving his wife Hadrat
Hājra as and child Hadrat Ismā`īl as
in the wilderness of the desert at
the command of God. This was a
grand sacrifice by Hadrat Ibrāhīm as
who had attained extremely old age
The Institution of Hajj
and left his only son in conditions
that would appear no less than
destructive. It was beside the
Ka`aba near the hillocks of Safa and
Marwa that Hadrat Hājra as ran in a
state of desperation seeking water
for a thirsty and crying baby, and
after running back and forth seven
times at those hills, it was when she
returned in a state of hopelessness
to the baby that Allāh’s help came;
she discovered that a fountain
had gushed forth near the baby.
It was this outstanding and
unprecedented sacrifice of Hadrat
Ibrāhīm as , Hadrat Hajra as and
Hadrat Ismā`īl as that God preserved
forever. The institution of Hajj in
fact has been made a part of the
Pillars of Islām to engrave, in the
hearts and minds of all people, the
purpose and philosophy of sacrifice
and to give full and honourable
acceptance to the prayers of Hadrat
Ibrāhīm as such as:
‘Our Lord, I have settled some of
my children in an uncultivable
valley near Thy Sacred House
— our Lord — that they may
observe Prayer. So make
men’s hearts incline
towards them and provide
them with fruits, that they
may be thankful. (Ibrāhīm:
38)
Thirdly, another verse of the
Holy Qur’ān points to the
rebuilding of the Ka`aba and
raising the foundations of the
Ka`aba by Hadrat Ibrāhīm as
and Hadrat Ismā`īl as :
And remember the time when
Abraham and Ishmael
raised the foundations of
the House, praying, ‘Our
Lord, accept this from us;
for Thou art All-Hearing,
All-Knowing. Our Lord,
make us submissive to Thee
and make of our offspring a
people submissive to Thee.
And show us our ways
of worship, and turn to
us with mercy; for Thou
art Oft-Returning with
compassion and Merciful.
And, our Lord, raise up
among them a Messenger
from among themselves, who
may recite to them Thy Signs
and teach them the Book and
Wisdom and may purify them;
surely, Thou art the Mighty, the
Wise.’ (Al-Baqarah: 128-130)
The most significant aspect of
this prayer which was offered
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