A Journey Through Hajj Testimonials
The Almighty says in His perfect Book, in Surah Al-Imran: “And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House, for whoever is able to find a way there.”
Hajj is a rite from the rites of God, the Almighty, and it is one of the pillars of the Islamic religion and a mandatory obligation on every Muslim man and woman who is able to undertake the journey.
In its literal sense, Hajj means "to intend" or "to aim for". One might say "He Hajj-ed to the place", meaning he intended for that place and arrived at it. However, in Islamic terminology, it refers to the intention to visit the Sacred House of Allah in Makkah Al-Mukarramah during the month of Dhu al-Hijjah of the Arabic calendar to perform specific acts of worship on appointed days. These acts of worship are known as the rituals of Hajj.
This article will provide a general background on Hajj to explain the nature and importance of Hajj certificates, which Muslims have taken as a testament to the completion of Hajj rituals, analyse them technically and present some classic and contemporary examples of artistic Hajj certificates.
Hajj in the Quran – The Beginning of the Hajj Story
The pilgrimage dates back thousands of years before the Prophethood, specifically to the time of Abraham, the Friend of God. When Sarah did not bear Abraham a child, she gifted him her maid, Hagar, who then bore him Ishmael, peace be upon him. Sarah was overcome with jealousy, as women sometimes are, so God Almighty commanded Abraham to settle Hagar and her son Ishmael “In a barren valley, near Your forbidden House.” And Ibrahim called upon his Lord: “And make the hearts of people incline towards them” The call of the Friend of God has been answered, as people flock year after year in ever-increasing numbers to the Sacred House of God, responding to God's call to perform Hajj and pilgrimage.
And in the Almighty's saying in Surat Al-Imran: “Verily, the first House appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah, a blessed place, a guidance for all worlds. In it are manifest Signs: the Station of Abraham. And whoever enters it is safe. And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto mankind for the sake of Allah, for whoever can find a way thereto.” The intention of the first line of the noble verse is that the Sacred House of God is the first house established for the pure worship of God Almighty. The verse generalizes “It has been decreed for mankind” All of them, and did not specify a particular category of people. Whoever entered this sacred house was safe in all respects, and this was a sign of God Almighty's signs and the reason for people's love for this house. The obligation of Hajj was ordained by the Almighty's saying “And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House.” It was truly a divine obligation upon people to perform it, however, Allah Almighty lightened the burden on people by stipulating the condition of being able to do so, and there is no excuse for those who cannot find a way.
The number of pilgrims for the Hijri year 1444 (2023 AD) stood at 1,845,045 from within and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 21% of whom were from Arab countries; 63.5% from Asian countries; 13.4% from non-Arabic-speaking African countries; and 2.1% from Europe, the Americas and Australia.
The wisdom behind legislating Hajj
The Holy Quran has urged pilgrimage for its worldly and religious benefits, as God Almighty said “So that they may witness advantages for themselves and mention the name of Allah on allocated days for what He has provided them of cattle, so eat from them and feed the miserable poor.” As Hajj is a gathering of Muslims from all over the land, east and west, in one place, the primary life benefit is getting to know each other, cooperation, exchanging experiences, and trade. For example, pilgrims from East Asian countries would meet Silk Road merchants and form trade relations with them. Not to mention that the city of Jeddah, located north of Mecca, is an important commercial centre as it lies on the coast.
As for the religious benefit, it is to turn to God Almighty with a feeling of humility and need for Him, however harsh the circumstances of the journey may be. This is a return of the human being to himself through contemplation, so hearts soften, minds remember, and souls humble themselves.
Hajj certificates
Given the greatness of the Hajj pilgrimage in Islam, and the honour a pilgrim receives from visiting the Sacred House, Muslims have shown artistic visual interest in the Hajj ritual through Hajj certificates. A Hajj certificate is a written or drawn document showing the pilgrim's itinerary of holy places visited during their journey to Mecca.
Every Hajj document testifies to the owner's performance of the Hajj rituals. It must include the pilgrim's name, and if it is on behalf of another person, it must include the name of the person represented, which will be detailed in the section on examples of Hajj certificates.
As the primary destination for pilgrims, Mecca and its revered Kaaba were the main element in Hajj certificates. For instance, in the Hajj certificate below, the Kaaba is at the centre of the scroll, and all depicted sacred scenes are oriented towards the Kaaba, indicating it as the central pole and the centre of attraction located in the heart of the globe.
Below is the manuscript, divided into two sections for clarity:
The illuminated city of Medina gained its visual importance in Hajj testimonies due to its historical role in Islam as the first capital of Islam and the burial place of the final prophet, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). In contrast, Jerusalem, which was cosmically and eschatologically closer to Mecca and was the qibla (direction of prayer) before the Kaaba, thus gained its spatial significance in Hajj testimonies.
Each of the three cities: Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Madinah Al-Munawwarah, and Jerusalem, formed a two-dimensional visual group drawn with various materials. An example of this will be mentioned in the paragraph on examples of Hajj testimonials.
The holy sites that a pilgrim passes differ from one person to another depending on their journey. Some pass through the shrines of the Levant and Iraq, while others limit themselves to the holy sites of the Hijaz. However, the common site in all Hajj manuscripts is the revered Kaaba in Mecca.
Paper scrolls were the most famous type of documentation for the Hajj journey as they were easy to carry. Many pilgrims used them to document their own Hajj journey by visually depicting places and writing about the stations they stopped at. Hand drawings were the most common at the time, and in some cases, hand printing. The optics of paper scrolls show drawings of Mecca and Medina, as they are two main routes in the Hajj journey, and in rare cases, Jerusalem. While Hajj certificates document the holy sites visited by the pilgrim on their journey, some rare certificates documented the precise journey with all its stops from the pilgrim's homeland to Mecca, and back to the homeland again.
Paper scrolls from the Islamic Middle Ages depicted various sacred sites of Mecca such as Mount Arafat, Muzdalifah, and Mina, drawn in black ink with a fine quill and coloured with watercolours and gold leaf in some cases, with the drawings being characterised by their single perspective. An example of one such testimony is that of Al-Hajjah Maymuna bint Muhammad bin Abdullah in the year 1433 CE, which will be mentioned in detail below in the paragraph on examples of pilgrimage testimonies.
In the early twentieth century, printed Hajj certificates became widespread. These were usually produced in Mecca, Medina, and Cairo, featuring rich colours and simple artistic designs, typically including images of the three most important mosques in Islamic history: Al-Masjid al-Haram, Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, and the Dome of the Rock. Below is a visual example of such certificates.
Hajj Certificate Samples
Wherever they settle and depart, people are accustomed to searching for something that reminds them of their journeys. So what if it's a spiritual journey that may only happen once in a lifetime?
To document this spiritual journey, Muslims were keen on the subject of Hajj certificates and documenting their journeys on scrolls of paper that they carried with them wherever they went during their pilgrimage to Mecca. The Muslims' interest in Hajj certificates and documenting their journeys is merely a reflection of their devotion to the Hajj ritual.
Below are some classical and contemporary examples of pilgrimage certificates, which we will examine from an artistic perspective.
01
A Hajj certificate from the year 1778 attests to the owner Bibi Khanum, who paid Mr. Ali Wali to perform the Hajj on her behalf. The visual of the certificate shows a drawing of the Masjid al-Haram from a single-point perspective, flattening the three-dimensional real-life scenery. The drawing also depicts scenes of the Kaaba, such as the Holy Kaaba, Hijr Ismail, the Well of Zamzam, the Station of Ibrahim, and other existing stations at the time, as well as the mosque's minarets and gates. Considering this certificate, it also serves as a spatial documentation of the holy sites of the Kaaba.
The general colours of the painting depend on red, brown and grey on brown paper. It is noted that the Kaaba is the primary element of the document, occupying the center of the page in its square shape, differing from the rest of the triangular shapes, and all the minarets and stations in the Haram are oriented towards it.
The certificate was painted using ink, watercolour and silver, and it is in the Aga Khan Museum's collection of Islamic art.
02
The art form that relied on frames and decorations and the use of Arabic calligraphy, and usually contained images of the three most important mosques in Islamic history: the Grand Mosque, the Prophet's Mosque, and the Dome of the Rock.
A Hajj certificate from 1930 displays an illustration of the three holy mosques in Islam, based on the noble Hadith: “Journeys should not be undertaken except to three mosques: the Sacred Mosque, my mosque (the Prophet's Mosque), and Al-Aqsa Mosque.” Above each mosque's illustration is a Quranic verse, emphasizing the significance of these holy sites. Alongside the illustration, the certificate features decorative motifs around the borders and Arabic calligraphy, blending script and art. The colours of the certificate are vibrant and lively.
The certificate returns to Haj Abbas Karaara and attests to his visiting the Sacred House and the Prophet's Mosque. As for Jerusalem, he regrettably did not visit it, according to the certificate, although his intention to visit was clear as a drawing of him was included in the certificate.
This certificate is part of the Barry Lawrence Rudman Collection of Rare Maps.
03
A paper scroll containing a Hajj certificate for Hajjah Maymouna bint Muhammad bin Abdullah, dating back to 1433 AH. The scroll is divided into eight sections, with Surah Al-Fath running along its length, as follows:
Part one: A gilded Basmala; the use of gold leaf or gold water was an expression of how valuable the Hajj journey was to the pilgrim.
Part Two: Scenes of areas near Makkah al-Mukarramah; the first verse of Surah Al-Fath; and a verse “And when you have completed your rites, remember Allah as you remember your fathers, or with even greater remembrance.” It is written on each of the mihrab drawings.
Section Three: As-Safa, surrounded by a verse from Surat Al-Fath “So that Allah may forgive you your past and future sins”
Part Four: The Sacred Mosque, its Gates, Stations, and its Minbar “Indeed, the first House established for mankind was that at Bakkah, blessed and a guidance for the worlds. In it are clear signs: the station of Abraham. And whoever enters it is safe.”
Section Five: Gallantry, surrounded by the completion of a verse from Surat Al-Fath “And He will perfect His favour upon you and guide you to a straight path.” It was exciting that the scroll placed the Grand Mosque between the Maqams of Safa and Marwa, and therefore to mimic the geographical locations of the three holy sites in the Grand Mosque, where it is located between the mountains of Safa and Marwa.
Section Six: The Prophet's Mosque, its most important sites and sights such as the Prophet's House, the Station of Gabriel and the Noble Minbar. And at the top of the sixth part of the panel, verses were inscribed. “It is He who sent His messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to make it superior over all religions.”، “God is enough as a witness.”، “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him”
Section Seven: The Poem of the Mantle, surrounded by the names of the Four Caliphs. It imitates the Noble Effigy.
Then the scroll was sealed in Section VIII, Hajja Maimuna's certificate of her performance of the Hajj rites and her visit to the Prophet's ﷺ tomb.
Hajj certificates in contemporary Islamic art
After looking at the classic examples of Hajj certificates, one must look at the artists who were influenced by the art of Hajj certificates.
Afnan Tash is a Saudi artist whose artistic work is inspired by the spiritual journey of Hajj. Since encountering the concept of artistic Hajj certificates, she has found them to be a great inspiration for a number of her projects. The two documents below are examples of her work in the field of Hajj certificates for pilgrims.
A contemporary Hajj certificate painted by artist Afnan Tash for a pilgrim of the Grand Mosque in 1442 AH.
The painting depicts three main scenes: Jeddah, the starting point; the Grand Mosque surrounded by the scenes the pilgrim passes through, such as Arafat, Mina, and Muzdalifah; and finally, the Rawdah of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. Notably, the artist reflected the geographical environment of each of the three cities: Jeddah with its sea, Mecca with its mountains, and Medina with its mountains and gardens.
Painted using gouache, gold ink, and gold leaf.
Another contemporary Hajj certificate by artist Afnan Tash, featuring two main scenes: Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. Beneath the Makkah scene are the three locations the pilgrim passes through in their Ihram: Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah. In the empty space at the bottom of the document, the name of the pilgrim and the witness to their performance of the Hajj rituals are written.
Painted using gouache, gold ink, and gold leaf.
Summary
Muslims preserve their most cherished spiritual memories of Mecca through testimonies of the Hajj, which have passed down to us with their beauty and artistic inspiration. At the conclusion of this artistic Hajj journey, we pray to God to accept the rituals of the pilgrims to His Sacred House, and we supplicate with what Abraham, the Friend, supplicated. “My Lord, make this a safe city and provide its people with fruits.”
Sources:
Hajj Rituals, Madreseh, Tehran, Madreseh Publications, 1995 CE.
Ibn Manẓūr, Muḥammad ibn Makram, Lisān al-ArabBeirut, Dar Al-Saqi, 2003 AD.
Hajj Certificate (B.T.), Qatar National Library The site
Roxburgh, David. “Visualising the Sites and Monuments of Islamic Pilgrimage”. En Architecture in Islamic Arts: Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum, edited by Margaret Graves and Benoît, 33-41. Geneva: Aga Khan Trust for Culture, 2011.
Souvenirs of Hajj at QNL. (n.d.). Www.qnl.qa. Retrieved from https://www.qnl.qa/en/blogs/13263
Gulf Flower. (15 April, 2021). Afnan Tash: A Lover in the “Sanctuary” of Art. Gulf flower The site
Visual sources as mentioned in order in the article: