Whoever argues against this has not yet discerned the reality and the value of hajj…
The warning of the Rasul (saw) “Those who have the means to go to hajj and don’t, will die as a Jew or a Christian!” is sufficient to underline the importance of this topic.
As for those who argue, “Why should I make the Arabs rich when I can spend that money to help the needy in my own country?” or those who claim “I’ll go to hajj after I wed my daughter, circumcise my grandson, and retire from all worldly business…” this is totally nonsense and based on ignorance, clearly these people have no knowledge on what hajj means!
On the contrary, hajj is a practice that should be observed as early in one’s life as possible. If the person is lucky, he will reap the benefits of this throughout his entire life.
As those who have been to hajj would have seen, while most of the pilgrims coming from all over the world are mainly young, only those who go from Turkey are in their old age. There are countless young pilgrims attending from Indonesia for example, to fulfill their duty before getting married!
Also, there is an important problem women face in this area. They say, “If I go to hajj, I will have to start wearing the headscarf after I come back, but I can’t do this, therefore I can’t go to hajj!”
THIS IS A VERY BIG MISTAKE!
Do you not wear a scarf when you perform salat in your normal life and then go about your daily business once you’re done? Do you not cover your hair during prayer and then uncover it again once you finish praying? Yes!
Well in the same way you can go to hajj, cover yourself while performing your hajj duty, and when you come back, do as much as you can!
The greatest enemies of the religion of Islam are those who appear to be from Islam but make the Islamic recommendation difficult to apply, causing people to hate and fall far from Allah and His Rasul (saw)…
Know that…
Hajj is just as mandatory and just as beneficial as salat!
To be deprived of such an amazing practice with the lame excuse “I can’t cover my hair when I come back” is an unfathomable mistake and the greatest loss!
To cover your hair is one of the obligations asserted by the Quran. To not fulfill this is to not comply with Allah’s offer. However, the Quran does not inform us of a consequence for this.
A woman who covers her hair will most obviously receive the rewards of complying with Allah’s offer. A woman who does not cover her hair will be held accountable by Allah and the consequence of this will be determined by Allah alone.
But there definitely isn’t a verse in the Quran stating anything like “A woman must cover her hair after fulfilling her hajj otherwise her hajj will not be accepted”
To not gossip is also a definite prohibition with serious consequences. The Quran likens the act of gossiping to “eating the raw flesh of one’s brother”! Do you ever say, “I can’t stop my self from gossiping so I might as well stop wearing the scarf”?
Obviously not!
Just like the inability to comply with one of the commands does not prevent you from complying with others, not going to hajj when you have the chance to, simply because you don't want to wear a scarf is a grave mistake!
Let me take this opportunity to emphasize again:
The offers of the religion of Islam are not a package program. It’s not a ‘take all or leave all’ sort of an offer!
What is asked of you is clear, what you should and shouldn’t do is obvious…
So, you do as much as you can, and what you can’t do is your short-coming, the verdict is Allah’s alone!
“I can’t do this and that so I might as well not do any of it” is a ridiculously defective approach!
Just do as much as you can!
If you have the means to go to hajj then go. If you don't want to wear a scarf after you come back then don't. Maybe one day, Allah willing, you will…
To wrap this up:
If you can comprehend the truth that you are going to embark on an infinite solo journey after death, then go to hajj as soon as you have the means to my friend! Otherwise, the regret you will feel for missing out on this opportunity is incomprehensible!
Abdulqadir al-Jili, the Perfect Man of his age, from whom I receive great inspiration, gives us the following definitions of the symbols pertaining to hajj:
The intention to go to hajj: To continue progressing on the path of Allah…
Ihram: To abandon the vision of duality
Hair shaving: To cleanse one’s self from the desire to lead others
The act of abandoning nail clipping: To realize the real doer, Allah, behind the actions that you seemingly do!
To abandon using perfumes and other fragrances: To feel the reality of the Absolute One and be freed of the constriction of the qualities of the Names
To abandon sexual activity: To abandon bodily activity
To abandon using eye liners: To be freed of the desire of discovery and annihilate yourself in the reality of the Absolute One
Miqat: The heart
Kaba: The Absolute One (dhat)
Hajar al-aswad: The human subtlety
The black color of the Hajar al-aswad: How nature and temperament colors the heart
Tawaf: Man’s essence, origin, source and point of observation is consciousness in a way that is befitting Allah…
Tawaf being seven times: The reality that Allah has seven attributes. Life, Knowledge, Will, Power, Hearing, Sight, Speech