Political Hajj is a religious obligation
One of the grave mistakes, which we used to hear all the time – in the present time, some negligent tongues continue to whisper such things about Islamic truths – is that we should avoid politicizing hajj. What does this mean? The political affairs that we need in hajj are in accordance with Islamic teachings. Establishing unity is a political affair. This is an Islamic command and it is an act of worship: “And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah stretches out for you and be not divided among yourselves.” [The Holy Quran, 3: 103] In hajj, if we defend and support the Palestinian nation and the oppressed in the world of Islam, such as the oppressed in Yemen and others, this is of course a political affair, but it is one that originates from Islamic teachings. Defending the oppressed is an obligation in itself. It is a wajib and therefore, it will be fulfilled.
Another obligation is expressing our “bera’at” of polytheists. If we stress and emphasize the issue of bera’at and if we carry it out – by Allah’s favor, it should be carried out every year in the best way possible – this is because it is an Islamic obligation: “Allah and His Messenger dissolve (treaty) obligations with the polytheists.” [The Holy Quran, 9: 3] Believers too should stay away from polytheists: “’We are clear of you and of whatever you worship besides Allah. We have rejected you, and there has arisen, between us and you, enmity and hatred forever unless you believe in Allah and Him alone.’” [The Holy Quran, 60: 4]
All these come from religion. Yes, there is politics. Political affairs exist in the hajj obligation, but they are in accordance with religious obligations and acts of worship. Notice that these are important points. If they prevent people from such political moves, that is a political affair too, but one that is non-religious and anti-religious. If they say that you are not allowed to frown at the Americans in hajj, this is a political move as well, but it is a satanic and non-Islamic one. However, if you express your hatred of every polytheist and anti-Islamic element, that is a political move, but one that exactly follows religion.
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