হজ্জ

The history of হজ্জ begins with Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), সাল্লাল্লাহু আলাইহি ওয়া সাল্লাম, who is regarded as the father of monotheism in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. According to Islamic tradition, Allah commanded Ibrahim to leave his wife Hajar (Hagar) and infant son Ismail (Ishmael) in the barren valley of মক্কা মুকাররমা. It was here that the miraculous spring of Zamzam burst forth to save them from thirst. Years later, Allah instructed Ibrahim and Ismail to build the কাবা শরীফ as the first house of worship dedicated solely to the One God. The কুরআন records this in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:127): 'And when Ibrahim and Ismail were raising the foundations of the House, [saying], Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing.' After completing the construction, Allah commanded Ibrahim to proclaim the হজ্জ to all of humanity: 'And proclaim to the people the হজ্জ; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass' (কুরআন 22:27). This divine proclamation established হজ্জ as a universal act of worship that has continued for thousands of years.

In the centuries following Ibrahim's era, the pure monotheistic practices of হজ্জ became corrupted as the people of the Arabian Peninsula gradually fell into idolatry. By the time of Prophet Muhammad (সাল্লাল্লাহু আলাইহি ওয়া সাল্লাম), the কাবা শরীফ housed 360 idols, and the rituals of হজ্জ had been mixed with pagan customs, including naked circumambulation and the clapping of hands instead of সালাত. The Quraysh tribe, as custodians of the কাবা শরীফ, controlled the হজ্জ and profited enormously from the annual influx of হাজীগণ from across Arabia. When Prophet Muhammad conquered মক্কা মুকাররমা in 630 CE (8 AH), he cleansed the কাবা শরীফ of all idols and restored the monotheistic worship of Allah. The following year, he sent Abu Bakr to lead the হজ্জ and announced that no polytheist would be allowed to perform হজ্জ thereafter. In 632 CE (10 AH), Prophet Muhammad performed his only হজ্জ, known as Hajjat al-Wada (the Farewell Pilgrimage), which established the definitive rituals that Muslims follow to this day. During this হজ্জ, he delivered his famous Farewell Sermon at আরাফাত, addressing over 100,000 companions on matters of equality, justice, and the completion of the religion of Islam.

After নবী করীম's passing, the Rightly Guided Caliphs maintained the হজ্জ and ensured safe passage for হাজীগণ. Under Umar ibn al-Khattab, the Mataf (circumambulation area) around the কাবা শরীফ was expanded for the first time by purchasing and demolishing surrounding houses. The Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates further developed the infrastructure of মক্কা মুকাররমা and মদীনা মুনাওয়ারা, building roads, wells, and rest stations along major হজ্জ routes from Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and Yemen. The Ottoman Empire, which controlled the Hijaz from 1517 to 1916, invested heavily in the হজ্জ infrastructure. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt the কাবা শরীফ's walls and renovated the মসজিদুল হারাম. The Ottomans established the famous Surre Alayi, an elaborate annual caravan from Istanbul carrying gifts, provisions, and the Kiswa (the cloth covering of the কাবা শরীফ) to মক্কা মুকাররমা. They also built the Hejaz Railway in 1908, connecting Damascus to মদীনা মুনাওয়ারা, which dramatically reduced the journey time for হাজীগণ from the Levant and Turkey. Throughout these centuries, হজ্জ remained a perilous journey; many হাজীগণ died from disease, bandits, extreme heat, and dehydration along the way. The হজ্জ could take months or even years of travel.

The modern transformation of হজ্জ began when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932. King Abdulaziz ibn Saud initiated the first major expansion of the মসজিদুল হারাম in 1955, increasing its capacity from 50,000 to 400,000 worshippers. King Fahd's expansion in the 1980s and 1990s added air-conditioned সালাত halls, escalators, and the now-iconic minarets, bringing capacity to over 800,000. The most ambitious project began under King Abdullah in 2011 and continues today: the Third Saudi Expansion aims to accommodate over 2.2 million worshippers simultaneously in the মসজিদুল হারাম. This includes the massive Mataf expansion, new multi-story structures, advanced crowd-management systems, and the জামারাত Bridge complex in মিনা, which replaced the old ground-level stoning area and dramatically reduced the deadly stampedes that had plagued earlier years. The Haramain High-Speed Railway, opened in 2018, now connects মক্কা মুকাররমা, মদীনা মুনাওয়ারা, and Jeddah, allowing হাজীগণ to travel between the holy cities in approximately two hours. Modern হজ্জ management also involves sophisticated logistics: tent cities in মিনা with fire-resistant structures, mist-cooling systems throughout the holy sites, thousands of medical stations, and an extensive security apparatus. The annual হাজী count has grown from around 50,000 in the 1930s to over 2.5 million in recent years.

The 21st century has brought both unprecedented challenges and innovations to the হজ্জ. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to the most restricted হজ্জ in modern history, with only 1,000 হাজীগণ permitted — a stark contrast to the 2.5 million who attended the previous year. The pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital technologies: electronic permits, health screening apps, crowd-monitoring AI, and robotic sanitation systems became standard features of হজ্জ management. Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 plan includes ambitious goals for the হজ্জ: increasing annual উমরাহ visitors to 30 million, developing the মদীনা মুনাওয়ারা Knowledge Economic City, and enhancing হাজী experiences through smart city technologies. The Neom and Red Sea development projects also aim to create new tourism corridors that could benefit হাজীগণ. Climate change poses a growing concern, as rising temperatures in the Arabian Peninsula threaten হাজী safety during the summer months when হজ্জ falls on those years. Saudi authorities have responded with expanded cooling infrastructure, mandatory heat advisories, and research into climate-resilient হজ্জ management. The spiritual essence of হজ্জ, however, remains unchanged from Ibrahim's time: millions of Muslims from every corner of the world, regardless of race, wealth, or status, gather in simple white garments to answer the eternal call of 'Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk' — Here I am, O Allah, here I am.