Today we are right on the 3rd Dzulhijjah 1446 Hijri. Dzulhijjah is the last month or occupies the 12th sequence in a matter of Hijri years. The scholars confirmed that based on the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, Dzulhijjah was one of the four months that was glorified in Islam, as the Prophet's words:
And the several months of God are twelve months, of which four are prohibited, three sequences: Dhul Qi'dah, Dhu al -Hijjah, Al -Muharram, and Rajab Mudar, who is between Jumada and Shaaban
The scholars also stated that the first ten days of Dzulhijjah had a very special glory. The gift of this glory is suspected because many important events of the great occur in the first ten days of the month of Dzulhijjah, namely the peak of the Hajj ritual procession, Wukuf in Arafat, Arafat Fasting for those who are not happy, Eid al -Adlha and Ayyamunnahri (Sacrifice) until the decline of the Qur'an Al Maidah verse. Because of the great glory of the first ten days of Dzulhijjah until the Rasullah SAW delivered:
There are no days of good work in them, I love God from these ten days, I mean, the tenth of Dhu al -Hijjah, so they said, O Messenger of God, and not jihad for the sake of God? He said: There is no jihad for the sake of God, except for a man who came out himself and his money, and he did not return from that with anything (narrated by Al -Bukhari 969)
"There is no day when the charity in it is more loved by God than ten days that means ten dzulhijjah." They asked, "O Messenger of Allah, even jihad in the way of Allah?" He replied, "Despite fighting in the way of God, except for a person who comes out with his soul and his wealth and does not return." (HR. Bukhari, 969).
The same is true of the great fasting of 'Arafah fasting on Taggal 9 Dzulhijjah is the greatest Sunnah fasting, as the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said:
The day of the day of the day of God is reckoning against God to atone for the Sunnah before him and the Sunnah after him. (Narrated by Muslim)
"Fasting Arafat, I hope God will eradicate sin a year ago and a year to come." (HR. Muslim, 1162).
Ma'asyrial Muslimin, Rahambakumullah.
The glory of Dzulhijjah is certainly not to be missed by the process of pilgrimage as the fifth pillar of Islam that was carried out this month. It is clear and clear that the pilgrimage has a very high position and meaning in Islam. Islamic Habjatul, Imam Al Ghozali in his monumental work performs the pilgrimage as the peak of worship containing the Divine (secret) asror, the value of the spiritual ethics, and the spiritual glory of any other charity. Hajj worship is not just a physical journey to the holy land, but a process of inner adventure that penetrates a high degree of dimension. It is a call of God aimed at the hearts of those who want to return to holy, to the souls who longing to remove all the worldly arrogance and unite in the orbit of the headlines to the Khalik. Hajj is a field of creation of civilization and slavery to God. It is a means of learning about tawadlu attitude ', caring, patience, discipline, equality, and love. Al Ghozai's view is in line with the teachings of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), when he was asked about the meaning of the truth of the pilgrimage:
The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: What is the righteousness
The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was asked 'What is the good of the pilgrimage? Then firmly answered 'feeding and improving the word'.
In another history it is said:
It was said: O Messenger of God, what is righteous? He said: ((Come on the food, and disclose peace))
The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was asked 'What is the good of the pilgrimage? The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) replied; "Divide food and spread greetings".
Hajj should not stop at rites, but should continue to be a reflection and moral revolution. Congregants who understand this essence will return from the holy land to their homeland not only as people who have received the title of hajj, but as agents of change who bring home the spirit of civility and exemplary action.
The pilgrimage is not a ritual package that is sufficiently run mechanically; It is an arena of moral education and character formation. Therefore, pilgrims need to be equipped not only with a guidebook or technical training, but also with a deep understanding of the morals of Al -Hajj -Eti which accompanied the entire series of Hajj rituals. Starting from patience in facing a long queue, order in schedules and mobilization, to politeness in interacting with fellow pilgrims from various nations, languages, and culture. Every moment in the pilgrimage is a test of sincerity, a training ground for the soul that is taking a path of purification (tazkiyatun nafs), throwing the crust of arrogance, self -esteem, and desire to stand out.
The success of a true pilgrimage is not only measured by the smooth flow of movement or logistics success. The more essential size is the extent to which pilgrims are able to bring home the spirit of manasik and civilization that have been trained in the Holy Land. Is after returning from Mecca and Medina, the pilgrims become more polite individuals in saying, lighter hands helping others, more disciplined in worship, and more broad gratitude to Allah SWT? If not, then the departure only touches the outer skin, not yet penetrated the core. This is where the importance of making Hajj a moral investment, not just social status. Because as al-Ghazali said, Hajj is a journey to God, not just to Baitullah. So every step, sweat, and prayer during the Holy Land should be a foothold towards the improvement of morals and improving the quality of life in the nation, society, and religion.
Al-Ghazali also emphasized that the pilgrimage of the pilgrimage unveiled his ego and arrogance. In Thawaf, he saw the orbital symbols that united humans in the divine poros, eliminating their ego center. In Arafat, as a universal muktamar and the largest pardon farm for mankind. Therefore, it would not be too much if the pilgrimage is referred to as the civilization of worship that forms humans into ta'abbudī (submissive servants) and ta'adubī (civilized man).
Reviving the teachings of Al-Ghazali in the current era of pilgrimage is a necessity, especially in the era when modernization often reduces spiritual meaning to just symbolic routine. In the midst of the splendor of the facilities and ease of logistics, it is even more awareness is needed to return to the deepest core of the pilgrimage: Civilized Restriction. If every pilgrim is able to make the pilgrimage as a moral and spiritual leap, then surely we will not only witness the technical orderly pilgrimage, but also the Hajj that gives birth to civilization: more polite people, more concerned people, more people who have a more prosperous nation. Herein lies the primary of the real pilgrimage - a witness from the journey to Allah, who is full of wisdom and meaning.
May Allah Almighty give his taufiq and his guidance to all Indonesian pilgrims and the world, both who have fulfilled it in the pursuit of and implement the Maqashid Shariah Hajj to the best of the civilization of the civilized life and peace in His mercy and mercy.
Dr. H. Khoirul Huda Basyir, Lc. M.Si (Ministry of Religion Employees, Al Kawkab Pesantren Caretakers)