Monday column: As the road to faith begins
More than two million pilgrims are now arriving in Makkah for the Haj ritual expected to start on June 5 and the target will be the Kaaba built by the Prophet Abraham many thousands of years ago.
But most of them know that the road to the holy city begins at home at a much earlier date. The greatest challenge of them all is to prepare the mind to satisfy the moral readiness needed for the pilgrimage. Many would realise that the challenge of maintaining the 'spirit of Haj' after this religious performance is too hard to meet in their daily lives. This is often the case when the mental preparation was too casual to begin with.
The performance of the Haj is one of the obligatory Five Pillars of Islam "for those who can afford" but it goes without saying it is also for those who are ready spiritually. Much older people would remember and tell you that an intense mental preparation would start years before one sets foot on the sacred grounds. There is a general tendency to accept the fact that once one is financially able then one can pack his bags and go.
There is a danger here of trying to satisfy one of the religious obligations and get it out of the way so you can continue with life by doing other things. To some people, it is like a thorn on the side that has to be dealt with as soon as possible. They are those who go and perform the Haj just because most of their friends have done so and they feel they have to go.
You don't go when you feel you need to go but only when you are ready for it. At the same time, you should gear yourself for that day sooner rather than later. People wiser than I would argue that there is no guarantee you would live to the day when you are prepared to go. I would argue, too, that since you only perform this ritual because you are repentant and one of the conditions is never to consciously repeat your sins, then there is no point in going and coming back only to start all over again.
Remember as a child when your parents asked you to clean your room? You cleaned up because you were told to do it, not because you wanted to. You knew that there was no guarantee of not messing it up again at a later date. However, as you grow older and wiser, you realise that you need to clean your room regularly and you would make every effort of not messing it up. We may never reach that stage of religious perfection but there is every chance of getting near it as we get older and wiser.
The Haj is a solemn promise to Allah not to go back to the old undesirable habits. I am not sure that some of those who make this journey really understand the awesome responsibility they are about to accept. There is only one way to go after that and we all know which way. Nevertheless, to see a throng of hundreds of thousands of people around the Kaaba does stir a feeling of spiritual awareness.
Thanks to technology, we can all watch and follow it closely in the comfort of our own living rooms. It is amazing how people from all walks of life rub shoulders, regardless of status or nationality, and become humble before the Creator. I do not think you can get any closer to all the goodness of the world anywhere else. It is the pinnacle of faith and the self-realisation for those who believe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
a day ago
- Observer
Countdown to Haj
People perform Tawaf in the Grand Mosque during the annual Haj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. More than two million pilgrims are are expected to perform Haj which starts on June 5. — Reuters
Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Times of Oman
Pampers and Lulu Wrap Up First-Ever Joint Promotion in Oman with Exciting Prizes and a Big Innovation Reveal
Muscat – Pampers, the world's leading diaper brand, has successfully concluded its first-ever exclusive partnership with Lulu Hypermarket in Oman—rewarding loyal shoppers and celebrating a new era of product innovation for families in the region. Held from April 23 to May 21, 2025, the joint campaign gave Lulu customers the chance to win 3 iPhone 16 Pro and 5 iPads every week. Shoppers who purchased any Pampers product at Lulu outlets were automatically entered into the weekly raffle draw. The winners of the first and second draws were announced earlier in the campaign, with the final round of prizes handed out at Lulu Baushar on May 29, 2025. This initiative is more than just a giveaway—it marks a pivotal milestone in Pampers' journey in Oman. In parallel with the campaign, Pampers proudly introduced its biggest product innovation in a decade: a new diaper range designed specifically for Gulf consumers, made locally in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and tailored to the real needs of parents and babies in the region. Speaking during the promotion, a spokesperson for Pampers stated, 'At Pampers, we care about every baby's healthy development above anything else. We are extremely delighted to launch this campaign for parents who have trusted us for more than 50 years when it comes to the health, safety and well-being of their little ones. With a range of safe, high-quality and trusted products, we have always been committed to our promise towards a baby's happiness and its healthy development.' The product upgrade is part of Pampers' ongoing mission to deliver newness and superiority in every pack—offering upgraded comfort, skin protection, and leakage prevention designed with regional insight and parent feedback in mind. Commenting on the promotion, a Lulu official said, 'We are glad to have tied up with Pampers to launch this promotion at all our outlets. Through this promotion, which was exclusively for Lulu customers, we were able to offer parents a chance to win iPhones and iPads every week. We congratulate all the winners and thank all those who were part of this promotion,' he added. With this successful partnership, Pampers and Lulu have set the stage for deeper collaboration—bringing even more value, innovation, and trust to families in Oman in the months to come.
Times of Oman
3 days ago
- Times of Oman
Monday column: As the road to faith begins
More than two million pilgrims are now arriving in Makkah for the Haj ritual expected to start on June 5 and the target will be the Kaaba built by the Prophet Abraham many thousands of years ago. But most of them know that the road to the holy city begins at home at a much earlier date. The greatest challenge of them all is to prepare the mind to satisfy the moral readiness needed for the pilgrimage. Many would realise that the challenge of maintaining the 'spirit of Haj' after this religious performance is too hard to meet in their daily lives. This is often the case when the mental preparation was too casual to begin with. The performance of the Haj is one of the obligatory Five Pillars of Islam "for those who can afford" but it goes without saying it is also for those who are ready spiritually. Much older people would remember and tell you that an intense mental preparation would start years before one sets foot on the sacred grounds. There is a general tendency to accept the fact that once one is financially able then one can pack his bags and go. There is a danger here of trying to satisfy one of the religious obligations and get it out of the way so you can continue with life by doing other things. To some people, it is like a thorn on the side that has to be dealt with as soon as possible. They are those who go and perform the Haj just because most of their friends have done so and they feel they have to go. You don't go when you feel you need to go but only when you are ready for it. At the same time, you should gear yourself for that day sooner rather than later. People wiser than I would argue that there is no guarantee you would live to the day when you are prepared to go. I would argue, too, that since you only perform this ritual because you are repentant and one of the conditions is never to consciously repeat your sins, then there is no point in going and coming back only to start all over again. Remember as a child when your parents asked you to clean your room? You cleaned up because you were told to do it, not because you wanted to. You knew that there was no guarantee of not messing it up again at a later date. However, as you grow older and wiser, you realise that you need to clean your room regularly and you would make every effort of not messing it up. We may never reach that stage of religious perfection but there is every chance of getting near it as we get older and wiser. The Haj is a solemn promise to Allah not to go back to the old undesirable habits. I am not sure that some of those who make this journey really understand the awesome responsibility they are about to accept. There is only one way to go after that and we all know which way. Nevertheless, to see a throng of hundreds of thousands of people around the Kaaba does stir a feeling of spiritual awareness. Thanks to technology, we can all watch and follow it closely in the comfort of our own living rooms. It is amazing how people from all walks of life rub shoulders, regardless of status or nationality, and become humble before the Creator. I do not think you can get any closer to all the goodness of the world anywhere else. It is the pinnacle of faith and the self-realisation for those who believe.
