Muslims must be mindful of attempts to cause disunity and division of the ummah.

This call from the leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei for this year’s hajj, also reminded Muslims to show their resistance to oppression.

Referring to the hajj as a manifestation of Muslim’s unity and harmony, Ayatollah Khamenei contends that this pilgrimage must be used to oppose Zionist attempts to weaken the ummah.

He says that Palestine is one of the manifestations of resistance as it has been able to “bring down the Zionist regime from its state of aggression.”

Meanwhile, Islamic scholar, Na’eem Jeenah says that hajj epitomizes the struggles that the individual must overcome.

He says that it is significant that this personal struggle takes place in the midst of the masses converging for the same purpose.

This sense of community during the hajj is the perfect example of the diversity of the ummah, which cannot prosper without the help of others.

He also contends that the Hajj, as the last pillar of Islam, must be a once in a lifetime undertaking.

Jeenah supports this claim by urging hujaaj to imbibe the full benefits of the pilgrimage.

He says that if hujaaj properly internalise the pilgrimage, they should be well equipped to carry on these lessons for the rest of their lives.