فصلنامه میقات حج
پیاپی 110 (زمستان 1398)

An Interview with the honorable representative of the Supreme Leader in the matters of Hajj and Pilgrimage

Mash’ar is sacred land and the most mysterious symbol of the Hajj; and as its name suggests, it has an inseparable connection with consciousness and awareness. In this holy land, the pilgrim transforms his knowledge, accumulated in Arafat, into a firm and practical vision and belief; he attains a very high level of consciousness and awareness of the secrets of the Hajj. All the consciousness of Mash’ar is symbolic and reflects the deep and profound concepts of value. But many of their dimensions are still unknown and abandoned that need to be analyzed and examined. Certainly, over time and due to the growth and flourishing of human thought, the endless truths of Mash’ar flourish as much as possible and become apparent and newer messages and functions are discovered. The present article follows a communicative approach to investigate the semantics of the holy land of Mash’ar as the most mysterious symbol of the Hajj and the pivot of communications of the Islamic Ummah. The article also highlights the functions and symbolic aspects of Mash’ar as a cognitive strategy.

In this study, the effect of ihram prohibitions (muharramat) on self training and self controlling in different dimensions is examined. The results of this document-based and library research performed by descriptive and analytical methods indicate that the sanctity of the prohibitions of ihram is not only a devotional dimension, but also plays an effective role in controlling the pilgrim’s self and training his instincts and powers, and observing a set of these prohibitions leads to his complete training; therefore, one must practice humility, self-esteem, and self-control in order to train his soul. One must train the sense of ownership and absolute possession, fight against ignorance, control sexual instinct, control anger and rage, control and train the desire to show off and adorn, control the tendency of individualism, and learn to protect the nature and animals.

The invasion of Karbala by Al-Saud I government in 1216 AH /1802 AD revealed the danger of Wahhabis for Ottomans and made the West recognize this group. Following the event, several books on Wahhabis, including a description of the story, were published in Europe by orientalists and diplomats working in Muslim countries. This article is a report on the attack on Karbala according to the first Western texts written in the first half of the 19th century. A report of the event and the authors’ perspectives on the analysis of its contexts and consequences are reflected Here. Western writers provided some new information about the event, their views on the political and economic analysis of the event are also significant. The role of the Ottoman Empire’s weakness in this incident, the economic motivations of Wahhabis, and the economic and political impact of this attack on the development of Al-Saud’s power are some of these issues.

The activities of the movements with Shia and Sufi tendencies are of great importance in history. One of the areas of mystics’ social presence is their attention to the rituals of Hajj because this rite provides a platform for mystics and Sufis to show their spiritual relations with the rulers and masses of people besides pursuing their spiritual desires. Jami’s Hajj pilgrimage is an example of the pilgrimage of mystics and Sufis, and the only existing Hajj travelogue from the Timurid period. Since Jami was at the center of official and court power, advising the rulers and emirs, he influenced the statesmen and helped to solve the people’s problems while he continued his monastic life and led the disciples. This position caused Sultan Hussein Buyqura to exempt him from paying any taxes during his hajj and pilgrimage of ʿAtabāt-i ʿAlīyāt. The Sultan sent letters to the centers of power in the Muslim world and ordered them to welcome him and his companions. This article is a chronological study of the Hajj pilgrimage and Sufis’ approach in the 9th century in this regard. It also analyzes Jami’s Hajj pilgrimage.

Unity is one of the most important human needs today and the emphatic commands of the Holy Qur’an and the Infallible Imams. Islam rejects any intellectual, political, religious, class, and racial boundaries; and on this basis, Islamic scholars have always strived for the unity of the Islamic Ummah and have been the heralds of unity. In their practical tradition, they have always focused on the Holy Qur’an and the tradition of the Infallibles to teach religious teachings and preserve them, and to fight against distortion, heresy, and intellectual and practical deviations among the Islamic Ummah. Hajj is one of the political deeds of Islam performed every year by millions of Muslims in a single time and place, and a large number of people who come to the land of revelation from all over the world have different customs, nationalities, races, and colors. Despite all these apparent differences, there are many similarities between them, including the fact that they all move around the single House (Ka’ba) with a single purpose, deed, ritual, and even a single color of the garment, all of which symbolize unity and uniformity, empathy, interaction of thoughts, and reaching mutual understanding, interacting thoughts and understanding, approaching different cultures to each other, attention to phenomena such as participation, morality, peace, security, the ways of talking and communications, and finally removing misunderstandings and making hearts friendly to each other which are the functions of the Hajj.

Among the important subjects in the rituals of the Hajj, researched a lot by scholars, is Maqām Ibrāhīm. Based on obvious reasons, building the Ka’ba, Ibrāhīm made the walls up to a point where he could not reach anymore, he placed a piece of stone under his feet while left his mark on. Ibrāhīm used to stand on that stone in his worshiping and instructing the people. There are different views on the meaning of Maqām Ibrāhīm, all agree with the same piece of stone on which his feet are embedded. The reason why it is called Maqām Ibrāhīm is the especial stand of Ibrāhīm (AS) among other prophets mentioned several times by God in the Holy Qur’an. Maqām Ibrāhīm is the symbol of stability, solidarity, unity, and tolerance for all individuals to overcome the problems and oppression of aliens by unity. Maqām Ibrāhīm is also a guide for all individuals to avoid darkness and to go towards perfection and happiness, and it is a relief against all the problems of society. This research was done based on library resources and analytical-descriptive methods.