Hajj literally means ‘to set out for a
place’. Islaamically however it refers to the
annual pilgrimage that Muslims make to Makkah with the
intention of performing certain religious rites in accordance with the method
prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم.
Hajj and its rites were first ordained by Allaah
سُبحانه وتعالى in the time of the
Prophet lbraaheem عليه السلام and he was the one who was entrusted by Allaah to build the Ka'aba
– the House of Allaah – along with his son Ismaa’eel at Makkah.
Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى described
the Ka'aba and its building as follows:
وَإِذْ
بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ أَن لَّا تُشْرِكْ بِي شَيْئًا
وَطَهِّرْ بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْقَائِمِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ
“And remember
when We showed Ibraaheem the site of the [Sacred] House [saying]: Associate not
anything [in worship] with Me and purify My House for those who circumambulate
it [i.e. perform tawaaf] and those who stand up for prayer and those who bow
down and make prostration [in prayer etc.].”
