The topic of hajj is extremely important because Muslim people commonly believe that without this pilgrimage to Makkah they cannot enter paradise.(Heaven) Sadly, the vast majority of Muslim people will never be able to make hajj because they are too poor.  Every year about 2 million people journey to Makkah and Medina but there are still another 1.98 billion Muslims who didn't go.  Even during the average lifetime of about 70 years only about 140-150 million will become pilgrims and the remainder will miss out. So for all of those Muslims who didn't go, they are left with the feeling that somehow they won't enter paradise because they were unable to please their God. Fortunately the Bible describes a different God who is easily pleased and is loving.

The teachings of Jesus shows us that this kind of pilgrimage is not necessary to enter paradise.  Instead, a different kind of journey is required.  If any Muslim is reading this, it should bring hope to his or her heart. The journey that is required is not one of the feet, but a journey of the heart. It is a search to know God and to become like Him. We must become pilgrims within. 

Jesus began by describing it this way. "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate.  The highway to destruction is broad, and it's gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way.  But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it." Matthew 7:13-14  Later in the Injil it says it another way.  It says that the people who will perish "...live by natural instinct because they do not have God's Spirit living in them." Jude 1:19  Therefore it is obvious that we should not automatically do whatever seems to be right, but we must be looking and searching for God.  Instead of living by our instincts we must seek God's Spirit to dwell within us.  This is a pilgrimage of the heart.  This is true hajj.

Many Muslims think that their God is unapproachable, that He is far too important for them and would not be interested in their lives.  They often refer to Allah as "Al Rahman", the Merciful One, but rarely if ever do we see the evidence of this mercy.  The reason is that they have not yet begun pilgrimage in their heart toward a God who does love and care for them. He wants them to truly know Him. This is the God that is spoken of in the Injil. The Injil says that, "God is love," and it also says that "We love God because He first loved us," and also "All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God." Romans 8:14  So when we have begun this hajj within our heart, we come to know God and to find that He truly loves us and we find that we really are His children.  We find that we have been accepted in the family of God and we become certain that we will go to paradise.(Heaven)

How does one begin this hajj within the heart?

Two things prevent us from drawing near to God and beginning a pilgrimage of knowing Him.  Firstly our sin is a blockage and secondly the Injil says that we must have God's Spirit living within us. 

We are able to draw near to God because Jesus provided a way through these obstacles.  Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one can come to God except through me." John 14:6  Not only has Jesus provided the way to God, but He Himself was God in human form.  When God wanted to show His love and mercy to humanity, the only way to do it was to become a man.  The Injil explains it like this. "Your attitude should be the same that Jesus had.  Though he was God, He did not demand and cling to His rights as God.  He made Himself nothing; He took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form." Philipians 2:5-7 God is indeed merciful because He appeared to us in the form of Jesus to provide for us and show us His love.

When Jesus came to earth, He lived a life of perfection, and then He died a death He did not deserve.  This death was an act of replacement for us who want to know God - that is, Jesus took our place in death, and suffered and died for our sins.  Then Jesus conquered the power of death by being raised back to life.  When we put our faith in Jesus, we can receive forgiveness and complete pardon from our sins, and also the power of death will be conquered within us.  In the same way, by faith we are able to receive the Spirit of God.  In this way we begin the pilgrimage of knowing and finding out who God is. 

We begin pilgrimage by faith.  We believe Jesus is God in human form, the sign of God's love and mercy to us.  When we trust Him, we are pardoned and granted certainty of going to paradise.  We also receive the Spirit of God within and can begin to know God by continuing to pray, believe and love Him.  We do not do these things to earn merit, but rather because we have found that we truly love and know God.  If you would like to commence hajj within your heart today, here is a prayer that will draw you to that place.

"Jesus, I believe you have provided a way for me to know God.  I truly want to begin this journey to discover the mercy and acceptance of God within my heart.  I ask that you would pardon my sins according to your great mercy and give me the Spirit of God to dwell within me.  My true desire is to find what is right and also to find certainty that I will go to paradise.  May your blessings come upon me and bring guidance and joy in this journey."

If you have prayed this prayer as an expression of your heart, then I would like to send you more information about the teachings of Jesus.  I would also like to email you a part of the Holy Injil to read.  I will pray for you that God will give grace to you to walk in the teachings of Jesus.  If you would like this further information, please leave me your details below.

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