TEHRAN (IQNA) – According to the teachings of Hazrat Ebrahim, the relationship between worshippers and God should be based on love more than anything else.

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Prophets of God were His chosen people who passed difficult divine tests. Among those tests was the one for Yaqub (Jacob) who had to bear the separation of his son, Joseph (AS), from him for 50 years.

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Ismail (Ishmael) was the first son of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). After birth, Ismail was taken to Mecca along with his mother Hajar on God’s order. This migration was the beginning of a history that heralded the arrival of Islam.

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Prophet Lut (AS) was among companions of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) in inviting people to monotheism. He was tasked to travel to other cities to promote monotheism.

Merely being a caretaker of the Baitullah (House of God- the Kaaba) and a Saqqa (dispenser of water to Hajj pilgrims) and developing Masjid al-Haram (the Grand Mosque in Mecca) are not enough or related to the true purpose (of the Hajj pilgrimage). Like the time of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and the early days of Islam, the Kaaba and the mosque being simple and a pure place for Muslims to congregate is thousands of times better than embellishing the Kaaba and building high-rising structures while forgetting the main objective (of the pilgrimage), which is awakening the people and realization of their interests. This grand house has been built for the awakening of people and a universal movement and for people’s interests. (Part of Imam Khomeini’s (RA) Message to Hajj Pilgrims, August 26, 1984)