About our Pilgrimage Journey to Mecca  - PART III

Published in December 2, 2019

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Thirdly: about the universality of pilgrimage: pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca is for all humanity:

1- Let us suppose that a Coptic Orthodox Christian couple; i.e., a man and his wife, who are devoted to their religion, submitted a request to perform pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca. The result will be that their request will refused by Saudi authorities because such a couple deify Jesus Christ. In contrast, an Egyptian Sunnite Muhammadans man believes in the so-called intercession of Muhammad, performing pilgrimage to the mausoleum ascribed to him in Yathreb, and in myths like Muhammad being created from the Light of the Lord God, Muhammad being created before Adam, and the world being created only for the sake of Muhammad; this Sunnite man was accepted to come into Saudi Arabia as a pilgrim in Mecca. This is unjust; both he and the Coptic couple deify mortals; both are polytheists; yet, the Coptic man and his wife who deify Jesus are never allowed into Mecca as pilgrims; the Sunnite man is allowed into Mecca as pilgrim and the same applies to a Wahabi man who joined ISIS terrorists and another Wahabi man who joined Al-Qaeda though both men professed their readiness to commit jihadist/terrorist operations anywhere worldwide including Mecca! Thus, the Christian Copts of Egypt who are among the most peaceful communities on earth and who bear patiently with being unjustly treated cannot perform pilgrimage to the Kaaba, whereas pilgrimage is available for all Muhammadans who deify mortals and things  (disbelief in terms of faith tenets) especially for Wahabis who tend to commit acts of violence (i.e., disbelief in terms of behavior) and to massacre innocent people within indiscriminate killings and terrorist operations. This injustice has nothing to do with the True Islam (i.e., Qurnaism).             

2- When we were inside the Sacred Kaaba Mosque, we saw that the vast majority of pilgrims there at the time were (arranged from the biggest numbers to the least numbers) Indians, Indonesians, Turks, Moroccans, Africans, and Europeans. We could not help but wonder why they never allow non-Muhammadans in their countries from coming to Mecca for pilgrimage if they desire it. We mean that pilgrimage to Mecca should be permitted to peaceful Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Baha'is, Ahmadiyya, and Israelites. We mean that they never commit aggression at all; the same applies to the vast majority of the peaceful Muhammadans. The disbelievers in terms of demeanor (i.e., violence, terrorism, and aggression) are less than 1% of the Muhammadans. Of course, the polytheistic belief tenets of the Muhammadans who deify mortals resemble those of Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Baha'is, Ahmadiyya, etc. who also deify mortals with different names. Thus, the raised question is as follows: why is pilgrimage allowed for the Muhammadans only? They also fall into the trap of disbelief in terms of faith tenets as they perform pilgrimage to the Yathreb abomination; i.e., the mausoleum or tomb forcibly and falsely ascribed to Muhammad. No one protests against such devilish pilgrimage to Yathreb. We hope that one day, the true Quranic/Islamic sharia laws would be applied one day in relation to pilgrimage; i.e., pilgrimage should be allowed for all peaceful human beings regardless of their faith tenets and denominations.   

3- Allah is the One Lord God of all humanity and not only of Muslims and Muhammadans: "Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds." (1:2). The One Lord has but one Sacred House made for all human beings, in all eras, for the sake of pilgrimage which is a religious duty for those who can afford it: "The first house established for the humankind is the one at Bacca; blessed, and guidance for all people." (3:96); "...Pilgrimage to the House is a duty to God for all who can make the journey..." (3:97); the Lord God has commanded Abraham to call all human beings to perform pilgrimage: "And announce the pilgrimage to humanity. They will come to you on foot, and on every transport. They will come from every distant point." (22:27). When the Qorayish tribesmen controlled the Kaaba as if they were its owners, the Lord God has described them as disbelievers; His Sacred House is made for all human being equally within safety and security: "As for those who disbelieve and repel from God’s Path and from the Sacred Mosque - which We have designated for all humankind equally, whether residing therein or passing through..." (22:25); "God has appointed the Kaaba, the Sacred House, a sanctuary for all people, and the Sacred Month, and the offerings, and the garlanded..." (5:97); "And We made the House a focal point for the people, and a sanctuary...And We commissioned Abraham and Ishmael, “Sanctify My House for those who circle around it, and those who seclude themselves in it, and those who kneel and prostrate.”" (2:125); thus, this meaning is repeated in the Quran. When the Qorayish tribesmen hated dispersing from the Arafat Mount, the Lord God has told them the following: "Then disperse from where the people disperse..." (2:199).

4- As per the abovementioned point, the pilgrimage to the Kaaba is for all humanity; this is a universal or international religious duty imposed by Allah on all people who are addressed directly here: "O people! We created you from a male and a female, and made you races and tribes, that you may know one another. The best among you in the sight of God is the most righteous..." (49:13). This means all human beings are brethren and have one parents (i.e., Adam and his wife) despite their different tongues and colors; they should get to know one another peacefully and not to fight one another; the best location and time for peacefully knowing one another are during Hajj at the Kaaba (a sanctuary of security and peace made by Allah for all humanity) within the four sacred months. All of them are united there within peace and security; i.e., Islam in terms of behavior.  

5- The root of the problem is that most people are not aware of both types of Islam (i.e., in terms of behavior and in terms of belief). In terms of behavior, Islam is peaceful demeanor; this can be judged by others; all peaceful people are Muslims as per overt behavior when they deal with people regardless of their different faith tenets or denominations which are judged only by the Lord God: "Say, “Our God, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of all secrets and declarations. You will judge between your servants regarding what they had differed about.”" (39:46). In terms of belief, Islam is monotheism; i.e., to devote/dedicate one's heart/soul and religion to the Lord God, willingly obeying Him only within submission: "Say, “My prayers and my acts of worship, and my life and my death, are devoted to God, the Lord of the Worlds. No associate has He. Thus I am commanded, and I am the first of those who submit." (6:162-163). Of course, the true, monotheistic believers are expected to adhere to both types of Islam (i.e., in terms of peaceful behavior and in terms of monotheistic belief): "O you who believe! Enter into peace, wholeheartedly, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan; he is to you an outright enemy." (2:208). The pious ones who will inherit the Eternal Life in Paradise combine both meanings of Islam (i.e., in terms of peace and monotheism), and their Paradise in the Hereafter is called the Home of Peace which is the reward of their good deeds: "For them is the Home of Peace with their Lord, and He is their Ally - because of what they used to do." (6:127). Sadly, the vast majority of human beings, who belong to Islam in terms of peaceful behavior, belong to misguidance or polytheism in terms of faith tenets: "And most of them do not believe in God unless within polytheism." (12:106); they would have misguided Muhammad himself if he were to obey them: "If you were to obey most of those on earth, they would divert you from God’s Path. They follow nothing but assumptions, and they only conjecture." (6:116); Muhammad could never have convinced such polytheistic majority, of his era in Arabia, to believe in Allah within monotheism: "But most people, for all your eagerness, are not believers." (12:103). At the same time, a minority of human beings in all eras will be among the Paradise dwellers who are of two types of degrees: the Forerunners and those on the Right mentioned respectively here: "A throng from the ancients. And a small band from the latecomers." (56:13-14); "A throng from the ancients. And a throng from the latecomers." (56:39-40). The sphere of applying the Quranic/Islamic sharia laws is linked to human rights as per their overt behavior and NEVER as per searching into souls/hearts of people to question their faith. As for the belief in Allah within either polytheism or monotheism, this is for Allah to judge and not for human beings to judge. Typically, people differ in their religions and faith tenets; each group consider itself as having the Truth and deem others as disbelievers. This is why on the Last Day, the Omniscient Lord God is the Only One to judge all humanity and settle their disputes and differences in religion: "Say, “Our God, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of all secrets and declarations. You will judge between your servants regarding what they had differed about.”" (39:46). This meaning is repeated several times in the Quranic text.

6- Muhammad's companions exemplified both type of Islam in terms of peaceful behavior and in terms of monotheistic belief; many of them exemplified disbelief/polytheism as well. One's companions are one's contemporaries who lived in the same era and location; this is why Muhammad is described in the Quran as the companion of Arab disbelievers and polytheists (see 34:36, 53:2, and 81:22). Accordingly, the polytheistic Arabs were also companions of Muhammad. There were several types of his companions in Yathreb: the Forerunners, those who mixed good deeds with bad ones, the frank hypocrites, and those adamant in hypocrisy who concealed their disbelief and were never known for Muhammad as hypocrites (see 9:97-102). Hypocrites who died as such will enter into the lower levels of Hell. Of course, both types of hypocrites (overt, frank ones and covert, secret ones) in Yathreb who lived around Muhammad were peaceful people in terms of behavior and they never resorted to violence nor raised arms; this is why they enjoyed citizenship in the Quran-based or Islamic Yathreb city-state. Some companions in Yathreb were believers in terms of behavior but within monotheism and they enjoyed their religious freedom available by Islam (i.e., the Quran); this is inferred from this Quranic context descended shortly before the death of Muhammad: "O you who believe! Wine, gambling, mausoleums, and divination are abominations of Satan’s doing. Avoid them, so that you may prosper. Satan wants to provoke strife and hatred among you through wine and gambling, and to prevent you from the remembrance of God, and from prayers. Will you not desist? Obey God and obey the Messenger, and beware. If you turn away - know that the duty of Our messenger is clear communication." (5:90-92). Of course, there were polytheistic Arabs whose aggressive behavior and launching wars against Yathreb entailed engaging into self-defense military endeavors (see 2:190-194 and 2:217). Belligerent Arabs loved to raid one another; this was the dominant culture turned into a polytheistic religion by Qorayish tribesmen whose military troops attacked Yathreb several times to terrorize peaceful believers there at the time. When the peaceful Islamic call prevailed eventually, most Arabs, including the tribe of Qorayish, entered into the religion of peace (i.e., Islam in term of peaceful demeanor); this is deemed in the Quran as victory: "When there comes God’s victory and triumph. And you see the people entering into God’s religion in multitudes. Then celebrate the praise of your Lord, and seek His forgiveness. He is the Accepter of Repentance." (110:1-3). Muhammad, of course, was no mind-reader and he had no measure of omniscience; he never knew if such multitudes converted to Islam in terms of faith inside their souls or not; he saw only their adherence to peaceful coexistence.

7- During the wars of Qorayish against Muhammad, this tribe prevented Muhammad and the early believers (i.e., peaceful people) from pilgrimage: "It is they who disbelieved, and barred you from the Sacred Mosque, and prevented the offering from reaching its destination...." (48:25). We should bear in mind that Muhammad's companions at the time included covert and overt hypocrites, the Forerunners, those who mixed good deeds and bad ones, and those who were addicted to sins like wine, gambling, and polytheistic acts worship. There are no Quranic divine commands about preventing them from performing pilgrimage in Mecca. On the contrary, the Lord God has predicted their performing pilgrimage later on: "God has fulfilled His Messenger’s vision in truth: “You will enter the Sacred Mosque, God willing, in security, heads shaven, or hair cut short, not fearing. He knew what you did not know, and has granted besides that an imminent victory.”" (48:27). This means that pilgrimage to the Kaaba is for all peaceful people (i.e., those who adhere to peaceful demeanor) regardless of their faith tenets and denominations.

8- Disbelievers in terms of behavior (i.e., aggressors and those who resort to unjustified violence) are the ones to be prevented from approaching the Sacred Kaaba Mosque; their unwarranted aggression makes them polluted with sin; this is mentioned in this Quranic verse addressing Muslims during Muhammad's lifetime when they controlled Mecca: "O you who believe! The polytheists are polluted, so let them not approach the Sacred Mosque after this year of theirs..." (9:28).

9- Within the abovementioned point, we know that the description of disbelief applies to those who control the Kaaba while preventing peaceful people from entering into Mecca for pilgrimage: "As for those who disbelieve and repel from God’s Path and from the Sacred Mosque - which We have designated for all humankind equally, whether residing therein or passing through..." (22:25). Other disbelievers are aggressors who commit violence inside Mecca and its Sacred Kaaba Mosque: "O you who believe! The polytheists are polluted, so let them not approach the Sacred Mosque after this year of theirs..." (9:28). Within the long history of the Ancient House before and after the descent of the Quran, it was mostly Arabs who violated the sanctity of the Kaaba and were highwaymen who raided, robbed, and massacred the pilgrims on their way to Mecca or to their homelands. Such sinful Arabs were not among the vast majority of peaceful human beings who are allowed to perform pilgrimage.

10- Lastly, the call for pilgrimage to the Kaaba (the only place sanctuary designated by Allah on Planet Earth) is for all people in all eras, regardless of their different faiths and denominations, within peace and security; i.e., pilgrims there must adhere to peaceful behavior so that security is maintained. Pilgrims meet in peace and security preserved to the extent that quarrels and arguments are prohibited during the state of Ihram there in order to make room for people to make the acquaintance of one another as they consume the meat of sacrificed animals while contemplating on the One and Only Lord God; pilgrims should return to their homelands in safety after such a great spiritual experience; they may be guided by this experience of Islam in terms of behavior (i.e., peaceful demeanor) to reach Islam in terms of faith (i.e., submission to the Dominant Lord God within monotheism and devotion).