It is time for Muslims around the world to complete the Hajj pilgrimage. What is Hajj? We’ve actually covered it in extensive detail in this blog post– What Christians need to know about Islam's mandatory pilgrimage, Hajj– but we’ll go through some basics in this post before we talk about how you can connect with your Muslim friend during this time.
The Basics of Hajj spelled out for Christians
- Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that lasts 6 days.
- Each day of Hajj has specific tasks that must be completed to please Allah.
- Every Muslim (who is physically and financially able) is required to complete the hajj at least once in their life because it is one of the mandated Five Pillars of Islam.
- Hajj is always during the Islamic month Dhu-Al-Hijjah. The dates for Hajj in 2023 are June 26th through July 1st.
- Hajj is a time of heightened spiritual awareness for all Muslims, whether they are on the pilgrimage or not. This makes it a great time to share the Gospel with them!
How to connect with your Muslim friend during Hajj
Because Hajj is a time of spiritual focus for most Muslims, Christians should be covering their Muslim friends in prayer. God continues to use Hajj to draw Muslims to Himself by revealing the emptiness of Islam to them during the endless rituals and rules. This year, God might want to use you to point your Muslim friend to the truth!
To start a conversation about Hajj with your Muslim friend, you can ask them questions like this:
- Have you completed Hajj, or do you have plans to do so in the future?
- Why is completing Hajj important?
- What happens if you don’t go to Hajj during your lifetime?
- Have you thought about the rituals that you usually do during the Hajj, their meaning and origin? Do they make sense to you?
The biggest thing you should focus on when talking to your Muslim friend is showing the difference between the rules of Islam and the grace that God offers us. Muslims are constantly doing their best to follow all of Islam’s rules and regulations, without ever thinking about why they do them, in order to gain Allah’s favor and avoid his wrath. They still will not have any assurance that it will guarantee them eternal life in paradise.
As Christians, we need to have compassion on Muslims who are lost in Islam. We have a wonderful gift from God, and Jesus has commissioned us to share it! Don’t be afraid to share the gospel with your Muslim friend. The Holy Spirit will provide you with the right words in the moment.
“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” Luke 12:11-12