Hajj Generates Smart Power for Muslim Ummah: Expert
Hajj has two dimensions of soft and hard power, Gholam Reza Kahlaki told IQNA in an interview.
He said the Rami Jamrat (stoning of the devil) ritual is an example of manifestation of hard power and intellectual discourse and the dominant culture is the soft power of Hajj.
This is where Hajj is understood as a tool for creating smart power for the Islamic Ummah, he added.
According to the expert, Hajj is presented as a model of collective security and coordination in social actions to achieve divine goals.
In Hajj, people of different races, colors, languages and cultures with religious and other differences gather around a single goal, he stated.
It ensures their safety, sustains their survival, strengthens their beliefs, and helps them to know themselves and their God, he went on to say.
“So, God has made the growth of humanity in communal acts such as congregational prayer, Friday prayers and Hajj, not in isolation and listening. In the Renaissance, it was a common misconception that isolation and seclusion were the signs of closeness to God, but later it became clear that human beings can only achieve success, fulfillment and perfection through collective action.”
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Kahlaki also said that Hajj is not merely a spiritual or religious event.
“Practically all Islamic societies should take it seriously because it is part of Islamic thought and belief. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Infallible Imams (AS) designed the Islamic machine, of which the Hajj is a part. In other words, it is one of the most important components and the fuel of this car. The pilgrimage, it could be said, is a fundamental part of the driving force of the international Muslim community, so it essentially can not be ignored and neglected under Islamic rule.”
Hajj is a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca that every able-bodied and financially able Muslim is obliged to undertake at least once during their lifetime.
The annual pilgrimage is regarded as one of the pillars of Islam and the largest act of mass pilgrimage in the world. It is also a demonstration of Muslims’ unity and their submission to Allah.
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