Statements in Meeting with Hajj Officials and a Group of Pilgrims to the Sacred House of God

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and virtuous family and his chosen companions, and those who follow them with goodness until the Day of Judgment.

Welcome, dear brothers and sisters! Whether you are pilgrims or servants of the pilgrimage, I congratulate all of you; both those who are embarking on the pilgrimage — it is a great blessing, a significant gift from God to you, and you must appreciate it, and God willing, this journey will be blessed for you — and also to the servants of Hajj; whether the governmental bodies that have been mentioned, ministries, organizations, various sectors of the country that each participate in this great task in some way, and whether the officials of the caravans and executive bodies and the Hajj organization and others; I congratulate you for the fact that the Almighty God has bestowed upon you the blessing of serving the pilgrims; you must also appreciate this and, God willing, carry it out in the best manner.

Now, before I begin with the topic I have prepared to present to you, I find it necessary to once again refer to the bitter incident in Bandar Abbas and express my condolences to the families of the victims and the injured. It was truly a bitter incident and a calamity for all of us because of the families. Various incidents occur for organizations; earthquakes, fires, destruction, whether intentional or unintentional, all kinds happen, but they can be compensated. If there has been a problem for the organizations here, God willing, it will be compensated promptly, with the power and capability of our capable and youthful executive bodies; what burns the heart of a person are the families; the families of the victims who have lost their loved ones. We express our condolences to them; and we say that if we endure in various calamities of life, the value and significance of the reward that the Almighty God will grant us for this patience is thousands of times greater than the bitterness of that calamity. Those who are patient, God sends blessings upon them; this is very important. And God willing, may the Almighty God calm their hearts and grant them tranquility and peace.

Regarding Hajj; we have recommendations concerning the holding of Hajj, both those that pertain to the pilgrim and those that pertain to the organizers; we have said these many times and, God willing, will repeat them again. What I want to present today is not these; it is the understanding of this act that you are about to perform: the recognition of Hajj itself. You who are pilgrims and will become pilgrims, God willing, know what you are doing.

This is not an ordinary pilgrimage; this is not a sightseeing trip. This journey of yours for Hajj and your act of Hajj is participation in a very important endeavor that the Almighty God has established for the administration of humanity — not just for the administration of believers and Muslims — this system, this organization has been ordained. Hajj is for the administration of humanity. Therefore, you see in the Quran, God addresses Abraham and says: "And proclaim to the people the Hajj;" all people, the people of the world; most of them did not have faith in Abraham at that time, but the call to Hajj, the invitation to Hajj, belongs to all of humanity. God has made the Kaaba, the Sacred House, a standing place for humanity; the Almighty God has made this noble house a place for the standing and establishment of humanity; this is how it is. Or that other noble verse: "Indeed, the first house established for humanity is that which is in Bakkah;" this house that we have placed in Mecca, in Bakkah, "is for humanity." Look at it with this perspective. Your actions, your going, your circumambulation, your visitation of this house, are acts whose benefits and returns go back to humanity; of course, provided that they are performed correctly, provided that they are done with their conditions, which we have repeatedly mentioned in these messages. A correct Hajj is service to humanity; it is not just service to yourselves, it is not just service to your country, it is not just service to the Islamic nation; it is service to humanity. Now see how important Hajj is. You are participating in this work. This is one.

Secondly, this obligation of Hajj is an obligation, and it may be said that it is the only obligation whose outward form, its composition, is one hundred percent political. [The fact that] people gather in one place, at one time, every year — for anyone who can — what is this? The gathering of people, the coming together of people around each other, this act itself has a political essence; that is, according to the essence of Hajj, contrary to the efforts and words and behaviors of some who undermine this, the essence is political; its form is political; its composition is political; this is another characteristic.

Another characteristic is that this political composition, this political framework, has a content that is one hundred percent devotional; the content of this framework is purely devotional. From the beginning of Ihram, when you start [saying] "Here I am, O God," you begin with the Almighty God expressing your needs, showing your devotion; "Here I am, O God, here I am." Then you enter into Ihram; it is Ihram, it is supplication, it is remembrance, it is worship, everything has a spiritual and devotional aspect; that is, this political framework has a purely devotional content. Well, see, all these show the various aspects of Hajj. Now it continues.

Another point is that now this devotional content, this devotional essence, each has a symbolic reference to human life. All these devotional acts that exist in Hajj, each of them has a symbolic aspect — to use a foreign term that I do not usually express, symbolic — and refers to a human and humanitarian matter.

For example, the "Tawaf" that you perform, the lesson of Tawaf is the movement around the center of monotheism. It teaches humanity that the movement of your life should revolve around the center of monotheism: life, a monotheistic life; governance, a monotheistic governance; economy, a monotheistic economy; behavior with brothers and sisters, monotheistic behavior; a monotheistic family; all aspects of life must revolve around monotheism. This reference of Tawaf is a lesson for life; this is the lesson. Of course, we are very far from this; now we who are Muslims and believers and think we are moving in the way of God, we are very far; those who do not know God, not at all! If humanity can achieve that its life, its governance, its education, its war, its peace, its friendship, its enmity is conducted around God, the world will become a paradise. If monotheism is the criterion, these selfishnesses, these mercilessnesses, these cruelties, these killings, these child murders, these colonialisms, these interventions in other countries will disappear. Tawaf teaches you this; it says: the lesson of life is monotheism. [And this] belongs to all of humanity; it is not just for the believers: "Proclaim to the people the Hajj;" a standing place for humanity.

"Sa'i" between Safa and Marwah is worship; in it, you say remembrance, you recite supplications, but it has a symbolic reference; [that is] always move between the mountains of life's problems, strive. "Sa'i" means to walk quickly. "And a man came from the farthest part of the city running;" "Sa'i" means to move quickly. Among the mountains of problems that exist in life, never remain stopped, never remain idle and confused; move, speed up; the lesson of Sa'i, the symbolic reference of Sa'i is this. Moving to Arafat, to Mash'ar, to Mina means that you who have come to Mecca, do not remain stationary for several days in Mecca [itself]. "Stagnation" is contrary to God's will for humanity. Humanity is created for "movement." You have hands, you have feet, you have a tongue, you have intellect, you have ability, you have strength, you must move; movement. Going to Arafat, going to Mash'ar, going to Mina.

"Qurbani" has a symbolic reference that sometimes a person must give up even the dearest things of his own, sacrifice. The complete and perfect example of this is the sacrifice of the prophets, the sacrifice of Abraham is the sacrifice of Ishmael; "So when they had both submitted and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead;" is it a joke? To bind the hands and feet of his young son, to throw him to the ground, to cut his throat with a knife, because God said; sacrifice. In some places, one must sacrifice, in some places, one must give a sacrifice, in some places, one must be sacrificed; it is a symbolic reference.

"Rami Jamarat" [means] strike the devil, wherever he is, however he is; wherever you find the devil, strike him; recognize the devil and strike. We have devils of humans, we have devils of jinn; "And thus We have made for every prophet an enemy, devils of humans and jinn who inspire some of them to others with adorned speech to delude;" [striking] the devil. See, all these are lessons. All these movements, these acts that exist in Hajj, these worships that we have mentioned constitute the content of Hajj, all these are lessons.

"Ihram" is a lesson. Ihram is humility before the Almighty God; removing the clothes and adornments and various decorations of life with a piece of cloth is worship, it is humility, but it is a lesson; this act must be performed equally by the wealthiest person in the world and the poorest individual present [who is] in Hajj, there is no difference between them; whether a king or a subject, it is the same; whoever it is, it is the same; the equalization of humans before the Almighty God.

See; so this third point that we mentioned is that this content, which was all worship, also has references and symbols for human life issues, each in its own way, which I have briefly mentioned.

The next point: this gathering is essentially for the benefits of humanity: "So that they may witness benefits for themselves." This "lam" in "So that they may witness" apparently is a lam of purpose. People gather in Mecca, in the Sacred House of God, in the various areas of Hajj, for what? "So that they may witness benefits for themselves;" for them to find their benefits. Now some think that this benefit is only a matter of trade; no, anything that is called "benefit." Today, what is this benefit? "Unity of the Islamic Ummah." In my opinion, there is no benefit greater for the Islamic Ummah than unity. If the Islamic Ummah is united, if they join hands, coordinate, and synergize, Gaza will not happen, Palestine will not happen, Yemen will not be under such pressure. When we are separated, the [colonial] regimes — America in one way, the Zionist regime in another way, some other European and non-European countries in another way — impose their own interests and ambitions over the interests of the nations; it becomes like those countries that are under their pressure, which you see what events are happening; it becomes Gaza. When there is unity, security comes; when there is unity, progress comes; when there is unity, synergy comes. We can provide assistance to such an Islamic country that it does not have; we can help, and it can help us, everyone benefits from each other, everyone helps each other; this is benefit. "So that they may witness benefits for themselves;" look at Hajj with this perspective.

In any case, let us recognize Hajj. What I have mentioned is part of the cognitive points for Hajj. Know where you want to go, know what you want to do. Of course, Islamic governments have a significant role; the host government of Hajj has a very large role, a great and heavy responsibility; the officials of the countries, scholars, intellectuals, writers, speakers, those who have an influential position among the people and whose words have an impact, all of these have roles; they can explain the truth of Hajj to the people, make the people understand, and influence public opinion.

Seek help from the Almighty God. Truly, from the very beginning of your journey, say "My Lord, cause me to enter a good entrance and to exit a good exit;" seek help from God that your entry into this great task is with divine assistance and your exit is also with divine approval. Move correctly, God willing, the Almighty God will bless you.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.