Umrah pilgrimage smacks of the afterlife

By Wisnu Pramudya & Santi W. Soekanto

JAKARTA (JP): Umrah literally means ziarah or pilgrimage.

Ustadz (teacher) Aunur Rofiq Shaleh Tamhid of Indonesia said people who go on pilgrimage are actually given a taste of the afterlife.

"Many of the rites performed and the religious monuments encountered remind us of death and the afterlife," he said. "We keep on being reminded. Take as example the Raudlah, the "garden of paradise" inside the Prophet's Mosque."

According to the fiqh (laws of ritual obligations), umrah means going on pilgrimage, to the House of Allah in Mecca, and performing the thawaf (encircling of Ka'bah seven times) and sa'y (running to and from the mounds of Shafa and Marwa seven times).

Everybody knows that Moslems who have the means are obligated to go on haj pilgrimage at least once during their life. But what about the umrah of minor pilgrimage?

Scholars from the Syafii and Hambali schools said umrah is as mandatory as haj. They cited verse 196 of Sura Al Baqarah, which says: "And complete the haj or the umrah, in the service of Allah."

Ulemas from the school of Hanafi believed umrah is a sunnat, something commendable but not mandatory. They cited the Prophet Muhammad, who once said the rite was not mandatory.

What do people on umrah pilgrimage do?

They first perform the ihram, where male pilgrims don two lengths of seamless cloth to cover their bodies and express the niyat, or intention to perform the umrah.

People doing ihram may not use perfume, destroy trees, kill animals or commit any other violence or have sex; they are asked to watch themselves so that their every step and utterance reflects their closeness to Allah.

The place where a Moslem begins his ihram, either for haj or umrah, is called miqat maqani. Those coming from the direction of Medina have to go to the Dzul Hulaifah as their miqat maqani, those from Syria and Egypt at the Juhfah; those coming from the direction of Nejd at the Qarnul Manazil; those coming from Yemen, including Indonesia, perform the ihram at Yalamlam; while those coming from Iraq do so at the Zati Iraq.

Residents of Mecca or those already staying there must leave town before completing their ihram; they can do this at the mosques at Tan'im or Ji'ranah.

The mosque in Tan'im is Masjid Aisyah, derived from the name of the Prophet's wife. The mosque in Ji'ranah, some 12 kilometers from Mecca, has a history of its own.

It was said that following the Hunain War, the victorious followers of the Prophet ran out of water. The Prophet then hit his cane to the ground and water sprang forth. The spring is now called Bi'ru Taflah.

After expressing the niyat (intention) by saying two bows of shalat, the pilgrims enter Mecca to complete the thawaf, the circling of the Ka'bah holy shrine seven times. During their trip to Mecca, pilgrims are told to say the talbiyah, an "acquiescence", or an answer to the call from Allah to enter His house:

I am here to serve you, Allah. Here I am!

I am here because nothing compares to you.

Here I am! Praise, blessings, and the kingdoms are yours.

Nothing compares to you.

After the thawaf, the pilgrims are encouraged to say a prayer and drink Zamzam water before performing the sa'y. Soon afterward, the pilgrims perform tahalul (cutting at least three strands of their hair) to signify the completion of the umrah.

The rites, of course, are much simpler and take less time, as well as being less physically demanding than those required in the haj pilgrimage.

The haj pilgrims, for instance, have to perform wukuf or "standing " in the Plain of Arafat, some 25 km east of Mecca.

At this particular rite, pilgrims are required to be on the plain from midday to sunset, and to spend their time meditating, reading the Qur'an or saying their prayers.

They also have to trek to Muzdalifah, some 5 km north of Arafat, before proceeding to Mina to perform the rite of stoning the jamarat, a group of three pillars, a re-enactment of Abraham's effort to chase the devil away as he was about to sacrifice his son Ishmael.

History

Umrah pilgrims usually use their spare time to visit historical sites in the holy land.

In Medina, people can also go to Mosque Quba that the residents of Medina built after receiving the Prophet who emigrated from Mecca.

Afterward, pilgrims can also go to the Jabal Al-Uhud, the hill that once witnessed the defeat suffered by the Prophet at the hands of the attacking Makkans after his followers defied his order to stay at the guard posts. In this complex, people usually pay a visit to the grave of Muhammad's uncle, Hamzah the Lion of Allah, who was martyred during the Uhud War.

Pilgrims can also take a trip to the Masjid Qiblatani, the mosque which once had two qibla (the direction that Moslems face when saying prayers). The first was to the Masjid Al-Aqsha or Dome of the Rock in Palestine, before it was replaced by the Ka'ba in the Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca. The mosque is very beautiful; unfortunately, no one is allowed to take pictures here or elsewhere.

Also in Medina, pilgrims can visit the site of the Khandaq (trench) War and see the remnants of the trenches built by the early Moslems to protect themselves from their enemies' attack. There are also remnants of seven mosques found here, including one named the Mosque of Abu Bakar, the Prophet's closest disciple.

And of course, there is also the date market. It's not a historical site, but this is a place where people can buy various varieties of dates as well as perfume.

In Mecca, pilgrims going to the Plain of Arafat usually also visit the Jabal al-Rahmah (Mount of Mercy), a hill in the plain which people say is where Adam met Eve after years of separation, and the Namira Mosque.

Many set aside time to climb to a small hill where the Cave of Hira, where Angel Gabriel first spoke to Muhammad. There is also the birthplace of Muhammad, which is now a public library.

With all those historical sites to visit and learn from, the umrah pilgrimage may be minor in name, but is by no means small.