in an assemblage is evident from another point of view as well. That there is a mysterious communion from one heart to another is an undeniable truth; it is recognized even by the materialist. Therefore the company of a man who is inspired by similar feelings and who is undergoing a similar experience would undoubtedly give additional force to the spiritual experience of each one of such companions. Take the case of hundreds of thousands of people, all inspired by the one idea of feeling the presence of the Divine Being, all concentrating their minds on the One Supreme Being Who for the time is their sole object; and add to this the mighty effect of the outward unity of them all clad in the same two sheets, crying in one language what is understood by all, labbaika Allāh-umma labbaika — “Here we are, O Allāh! Here are we in Thy august presence.” Their appearance, as well as the words which are on their lips, show that they are standing in the Divine presence, and are so engrossed in the contemplation of the Divine Being that they have lost all ideas of self. Europeans who have observed this wonderful scene, but who have yet not gone deep enough into its inner significance, have wondered that, in this vast concourse of humanity, there are sobbings on every side, there are tears flowing from every eye, but perhaps they have never given a thought to the inner change which thus affects them outwardly. So engrossing is the Divine presence in which they feel themselves to be that they quite forget that they are in the midst of an assemblage; they forget even themselves, and the Divine presence is all in all to them. God is surely not in Makkah to the exclusion of other places, yet that vast assemblage at Makkah sees Him and feels His presence as if He is actually there in their very midst. Such is the higher spiritual experience of the pilgrims to Makkah, the experience not of the hermit shut up in his closet, cut off from the world, but the experience of a mighty concourse gathered together in one place.
Ḥajj is obligatory on every adult, only once in his life, and its performance oftener is voluntary (AD. 11 :1). The obligation to perform the ḥajj is further subject to the condition that one is able to undertake a journey to Makkah: “And pilgrimage to the House is a duty which men owe to Allāh —whoever can find a way to it” (3:97).