Three years ago, me and my mother were among the estimated three million Muslims who performed the Haj. One of the five pillars of Islam, Haj is the culmination of every Muslims aspiration for a good life in this world. But, as has been said in the Quran, it is only compulsory for those who can afford it.
Many from all the four corners of the world travel great distances and save money all their lives to be able to recite, ‘Labaik Alahumma Labiak’ and take the spiritual tail that many lucky faithfuls have been following for centuries and gain Allah’s Blessings and Forgiveness. Like many who undertake this, at time perilous, journey, I prepared for the 40 days of prayer and ibadaat to the best of my abilities. Collecting books and literature from wherever I could get them, I complied quite a library. But that all can be done now from the luxury of your home and thanks to your computer.
The Internet, with the help of all its resources is filled with sites that are informative. For example The BBC, with all its news gathering resource, has put together this really terrific site that is one of the best on Haj and is present at http://www. bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/customs/hajj/index.shtml.
Though part of the broader religion and ethics site, the BBC’s site on Haj starts off with the history of the event and then shares with the reader, the experience of individual Hujjaj. There is also an account of James, a convert to Islam who found that the experience initially made him question his faith but eventually reinforced it. History is there and so is a Flash movie that deals with the origins of the Haj.
Hajj and Ummrah http:// hajj.al-islam.com/ is yet another detailed site on Haj. Though there is a sign Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da’wah and Guidance, I couldn’t find a word here that said it is the official site.
On the contrary, there’s a footnote saying that the contents of the site do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Ministry. But away from this confusion, the site is indeed good, taking an in depth view of the Haj, the three types of the annual pilgrimage and Umrah. Other relevant links include: Definition of Hajj, Rule and Evidence, Obligations of Hajj, Hajj Jurisprudence Requisite, Obligatory acts of Hajj, Supererogatory acts of Hajj, Jurisprudence Hajj Types, Hajj by Proxy, Women’s Hajj, Children’s Hajj. Definitely a must-read site for people going on Haj for the first time and worth a visit by other pilgrims too.
Pakistan’s contribution to this end is the Official Website for Hajj http://www. hajj.gov.pk/. This site should have ideally been the cornerstone of Pakistan’s efforts towards the Hajj, but as far as the presentation goes, it leaves much to be desired. In fact, at first look the visitor gets the idea that the links are not working. This might prompt the no-so-patient user to exit the site all together. But the answer lies in the drop down menus. There you get the information that helps you prepare of the occasion. A lot of reading as well as videos that can be downloaded in the zip format and viewed. Logistical details for Pakistani Hajis is seen here.
More of the same, albeit in a little different manner is available at Hajj and Umrah Site http://www.tohajj. com/eng/ for the viewer. Logistical information about the Haj, including the hospitals, the banks and the travel and tourism offices in Makkah and Medina are an easy front page click here. Audio, video, maps and photos are all available. On the technological front, the site is a little flawed in the sense that it kept on reloading while I was at the main page. Though the information remained the same, but the constant movement of the reloading bar proved to be a minor irritant.
The http://www.saudinf. com/ is the information resource of the Government of Saudi Arabia. And though it has a lot of information regarding the kingdom, it has relavent information and links about the Haj season as well. You can have a look at the accommodation details for Makkah and Madina. There are also specialized links of Makkah that has image galleries giving the viewer a birds eye view of the holy city. Brief histories of the Hajre Aswad ,as well as that of the Holy Ka’aba are not only good reading but also eye-openers.
There are many other sites on the Internet that do their best to teach the intending pilgrim how to perform Hajj. But if I know that if I would have consulted the above sites before embarking on the pilgrimage, it could have been an easier job for me. Nevertheless, the pride and joy of having visited the House of Allah and the Prophet’s mosque can never be explained sufficiently in words. It can only be experienced.
Three years ago, me and my mother were among the estimated three million Muslims who performed the Haj. One of the five pillars of Islam, Haj is the culmination of every Muslims aspiration for a good life in this world. But, as has been said in the Quran, it is only compulsory for those who can afford it.
Pakistan’s contribution to this end is the Official Website for Hajj http://www. hajj.gov.pk/. This site should have ideally been the cornerstone of Pakistan’s efforts towards the Hajj, but as far as the presentation goes, it leaves much to be desired. In fact, at first look the visitor gets the idea that the links are not working. This might prompt the no-so-patient user to exit the site all together. But the answer lies in the drop down menus. There you get the information that helps you prepare of the occasion. A lot of reading as well as videos that can be downloaded in the zip format and viewed. Logistical details for Pakistani Hajis is seen here.
