Islamic History Hajj, Umrh and Ziyara - Essay Example

This essay will attempt to analyze, in light of historical evidence, what the significance of three prominent rituals in Islam, the Hajj, the Umra, and the Ziyara, among the Shi'ite sect of Islam.The essay will then attempt to analyze the importance of these for Muslims, and furthermore, specific importance laid down by the Sunnis and the Shi'ite sects in Islam, and lastly, this essay will talk about what were the events due to which the Hajj began. Since Hajj is a ritual, which is not similar to the obligatory 5-time prayer (Namaz) in the sense that for Muslims, it is a rare novelty and cannot be practiced (unless by citizens of the Holy city of Mecca itself) as frequently as Namaz, therefore, it can be logically construed that this event possesses far more significance with regards to the value of piety that it has for the average Muslim.

The history of Hajj dates back to the era of Abraham, and in fact there is a verse in the Quran which is known as the "Surah-Al-Hajj", which gives a holistic picture of Hajj to Muslims. Muslims, believing as they firmly do, in the Quran and Sunnah (acts of the Prophet Mohammad) take this as a given obligation, as one of the very foundations of Islam.1 (Lindsay, 2005). During the era of Abraham, as per what was revealed to him, he constructed the House of God (Ka'ba). After that, he would come every year to perform pilgrimage at this House which he constructed and this practice was followed by his son after his death.

2In terms of the recent theories of the clash of civilizations and conflict between modernism and Islam which have emerged, for Muslims, commemorations such as the Hajj, Umra and the Ziyara have emerged as a sign of unity, of congregative spirit and a sense of belonging within the Muslim Ummah for the entire community. This is one of the aims that is achieved when Muslims congregate for such a purpose, even though they do not think of this matter consciously when congregating at the event. As far as the Shi'ite Ziyarah is concerned, "the faithful can benefit from the imams' suffering and martyrdom by their willingness to become martyrs themselves, but also by visiting the tombs of the imams and weeping over them.

"3 (Lindsay, 2005)Furthermore, it is also important to highlight the fact that Shi'ite at times consider the Ziyarah more important than Hajj itself (Lindsay, 2005) even though according to the Quran and Sunnah (the acts of the Prophet Mohammad), the Hajj is obligatory (Lindsay, 2005) whereas there is no traditional mention of such an obligation for Shi'ite sect or for Muslims in general. The Shi'ite, logic construes, would justify this belief by stating that the events which led to the Ziyarah having a monumental value, took place after the Quran had been completed and the Holy Prophet Mohammad of the Muslims had passed away.

References1. Lindsay, James E. (2005). Daily life in the Medieval Islamic World.. Greenwood Publishing Group.2. The History of Hajj. Retrieved May 11, 2009, from Islam Online Web site: http://islamonline.com/news/articles/21/The_history_of_Hajj_.html3. Lindsay, James E. (2005). Daily life in the Medieval Islamic World.. Greenwood Publishing Group