The pilgrimage to Mecca had been the subject of a prayer from Abraham, the father of Ishmael and the Arabs, addressed to Allah, and reported in 14:37 “My Lord, I made some of my people inhabit an arid valley, by Your Sacred Shrine, for them to perform (maintain) the ritual prayer, so let the hearts of people lean towards them, and bestow your provisions (fruits) on them, that they may be grateful“.
Here also, the inhabitants of Mecca have to eat all year long. Quran tells us that of the 12 months of the lunar year, 4 are considered holy. No fighting is usually allowed during those months, even among enemies, except in self defense. Those months are also used for traveling in safety to and from Mecca to fulfill the pilgrimage obligation Allah has entrusted the Moslems with.
Restricting the pilgrimage to once a year defeats the purpose of delivering provisions to the Mekkans. The animals that the pilgrims have to sacrifice (slaughter) as part of their rituals are meant to feed the poor (22:28). Allah says in 22:37 that “the animals’ meat and blood do not reach Allah, but what reaches Him is the devotion deriving from them”. Sacrificing an enormous number of animals, and throwing their meat away-as it used to be done until freezing capabilities were provided recently- is not what Allah meant by recommending an animal sacrifice, when millions of Moslems were suffering from hunger and malnutrition. Besides, even if we consider that in the beginning of the Islamic period, the devotees’ numbers made it easy to assemble them in one shot to have a show of force, doing the same today poses very hard logistical problems that create catastrophic situations at almost every pilgrimage.
The Hajj performance, as it is practiced, includes visiting Medine, place of the tomb of the prophet Mohammed. That was certainly not established by the prophet. Besides, there is nowhere in Quran where it mentions that there is more than one holy shrine in Allah’s book and vision. In fact, creating rules and religious rituals not sanctioned by Allah may fall in what is described by verse 42:21, “Or do they have partners (that they associated to Allah) who decreed for them what Allah has not authorized?”
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Le “Hajj”, ou Pelerinage a La Mecque
Quran Perspective 