Believing in rites of Hajj

I did Hajj several years ago. Whilst looking at the Kaaba and seeing the crowds doing the tawaf, a thought drifted into my mind, that these people, including me, were just continuing the practice of the jahaliyah pagan arabs and their customs. The thought put doubt into my mind because of the fact that certain Jahaliyah arab customs were incorporated into Islamic worship. This thought seriously affected my iman and I feel that it greatly affected my Hajj. I am due to go on Umrah inshallah shortly and would like to know the answer to the doubt that crossed my mind and how I should deal with any doubts in the future inshallah. I would also like to know if there are any other acts of ibadah that have been passed down in a similar vein as above.

In the Name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

Dear Questioner,

I pray this message reaches you in elevated states of iman.

May Allah Ta'ala accept your forthcoming Umrah.

I would suggest doing some research before making your journey.

One word of caution, however...please select books by knowledgeable, qualified Muslim scholars. There are a lot of books written by religious studies "experts," largely non-Muslim, whose agenda is to sow doubt in our minds. One of their oft-repeated allegations is that the hajj, and other rituals, are holdovers from pre-Islamic, or Jahiliyya, times. This argument is usually put forth to discredit Islam as a divinely-ordained, monotheistic religion.

As Muslims, we need to be conscious of two things:

1. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, was sent as a bearer of glad tidings of the promise of heavenly reward to those who believe in Allah, the finality of Prophet Muhammad, and the all the other aspects of Islam's creed. The Prophet, peace be upon him, was also sent as a warner to those who would deny, or cover up, the signs of Allah, even though the truth had been made apparent to them.

Allah Ta'ala says, in reference to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace:

"Verily, We have sent thee with the truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner: for there never was any community but a warner has [lived and] passed away in its midst" (Fatir, 35:24).

2. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, in his capacity as bearer of glad tidings and warner to his people, was sent to rectify their religion. He did this by eliminating the polytheism that formed the basis of Arabian society. He also recognized, however, that the pre-Islamic Arabs, were the heirs of Ibrahim and Ismail, peace be upon them, who established the worship of One God and erected the Ka'aba. Prophet Ibrahim prayed to Allah Ta'ala that the people of the area would uphold the worship of One God. He also prayed for a prophet who would come after him and bring the people back to Islam.

Allah Ta'ala says, referring to the prayer of Ibrahim, peace be upon him:

"O our Sustainer! Make us surrender ourselves unto Thee, and make out of our offspring a community that shall surrender itself unto Thee, and show us our ways of worship, and accept our repentance: for, verily, Thou alone art the Acceptor of Repentance, the Dispenser of Grace!
O our Sustainer! Raise up from the midst of our offspring an apostle from among themselves, who shall convey unto them Thy messages, and impart unto them revelation as well as wisdom, and cause them to grow in purity: for, verily, Thou alone art almighty, truly wise!" (Surat al-Baqarah, 2:128-129).

Therefore, Prophet Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace, was the answer to Ibrahim's prayer. Prophet Muhammad recognized that the Arabs retained vestiges of Ibrahim's monotheism in the act of pilgrimage. However, the Arabs made pilgrimage to their idols. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, destroyed the idols, and restored the pilgrimage to its proper purpose: the adoration of One God.

In this way, we can see the continuity between Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon them both. The hajj pilgrimage is not a holdover from Jahiliyya. Instead, it is the practice of Ibrahim, peace be upon him, as restored and revived by Prophet Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace.

And Allah knows best.