Al-Hajj Al-Mabroor

During this blessed journey, man learns how to waive his pride
and mastery in this universe before its humblest species –
inanimate beings – and kisses it or jostles against the others to kiss
it. None is great by selfhood but true greatness is achieved when
making your free will harmonious, concordant and agreeing with
the Will of Allah and His Set Law.
Through this ultimate Pillar of the Five Pillars of Islam Allah tells
His servant to respect all the species of the universe, for mastery is
not self-given to man but attained by virtue of the preference Allah
gave him above others species.
You must carefully consider what this ritual demands from you
and to deeply muse upon it in order to know what Allah wants
you to do. To grasp that the purport lies in Command, belief and
submission, for Allah is the One Who commanded us to kiss that
stone and to stone another! Neither in kissing or stoning is a
preference for this or that stone, but it is an obedience shown to the
Command of Allah. Therefore, it does not submit to the
philosophies of the mind but rather to the obedience of Faith.
As aforesaid, the Hajj journey starts with Talbiyah, which is a
response to the call of the Prophet Ibrâhîm (peace be upon him)
when he proclaimed the Hajj to mankind. After it you must divest
yourself of pride. To take off your rich clothes and forsake the
home specially prepared to give you comfort. Children, friends,
relatives, power and property, you leave all behind and go to the
Sacred House of Allah, practicing self-denial and assuming Ihrâm.
Leaving the world behind you, just with a seamless piece of cloth
on your body like the shroud you shall come out of this world
wrapped in.
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