022- AL-HAJJ
THE PILGRIMAGE
Al-Hajj
There is no general agreement as to when al-Hajj was revealed. Some say it is Madinan except for vv. 52–55, which are Makkan, while others say it is Makkan except for vv. 19–22, which are from the Madinan period. Most say it is a mix of Makkan and Madinan verses. According to one tradition, it was called one of the most remarkable of sūrahs for several reasons: it was revealed both at night and during the day, while on journey and while at home, and during war and during peace; it contains both abrogating and abrogated verses; and it has both muḥkam (unambiguous) and mutashābih (symbolic or allegorical) verses. It takes its name from the mention of the hajj (pilgrimage) in v. 27 and also the broader discussion of it throughout.
Al-Hajj opens with a warning of the terrors of the destruction of the world and the Resurrection (vv. 1–4), which are compared to the individual life cycle of human beings (vv. 5–7). The traits of the misguided are described and compared with those of the righteous through the parable of a garden and by describing their reward or punishment in the Hereafter (vv. 8–25). The significance of the hajj is addressed in a passage that begins with a reminder that the rituals of the hajj were begun by Abraham and goes on to note that the true meaning of the rites of pilgrimage lies in the inner state of reverence (taqwā) that reaches God, not sacrificial meat or other physical aspects of the hajj (vv. 26–37).
The resistance to and rejection of other prophets by their peoples is mentioned in a passage that some commentators have explained in terms of the “story of the cranes,” more popularly known in the West as the “Satanic Verses,” which are connected to various passages of the Quran, but are often discussed in connection with v. 52 of this surah. This surah contains an important passage thought by many scholars to be the first verses revealed giving the Muslim community permission to resort to the use of force to defend itself against persecution (v. 39–41); it also contains significant verses dealing with the relationship of Islam to other religions and the place of the Muslim community in history (vv. 17, 34, 67, 78).
(source: “The Study Quran” a new translation and commentary by Seyyed Hossein Nasr)
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