The best and most valuable supplies that a pilgrim to the House of God should prepare before traveling and should carry with him more than anything else in order to benefit from the blessings of the Land of Revelation are knowledge and understanding. Imam Khomeini (may Allah be pleased with him) says in this regard: “It is important that the pilgrim knows where he is going and whose invitation he is accepting? And who is the guest? And what are the etiquettes of this hospitality? And he should know that every selfishness and self-centeredness is contrary to the desire for God and is contrary to the migration to God and causes the spirituality of the Hajj to be violated.” The Value of Visiting the House of God The pilgrim to the Land of Revelation must first of all know where he is going? What great success has God bestowed upon him and how valuable is the visit to the House of God? This spiritual and enlightened journey is so valuable that Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says: “Those who are resting in the heart of the grave wish to have the success of performing Hajj once, in exchange for giving up the world and what is in it!” This statement means that the value of Hajj is beyond imagination, and the knowledgeable pilgrim knows that the value of this worship cannot be measured by material standards. The knowledgeable pilgrim knows that visiting the house is actually visiting the owner of the house, and he goes to visit God on this journey, has accepted His invitation, and is His guest. The knowledgeable pilgrim knows that the hospitality of God Almighty on this journey is not the reception of the pilgrim’s body, which is always God’s guest.

Therefore, he thinks less about material comfort and well-being and tries with all his might to enjoy the spiritual pleasures of this journey and his fellowship with the owner of the house. Finally, the knowledgeable pilgrim knows that the most important etiquette for entering the spiritual guesthouse of God Almighty and enjoying its blessings is purity of heart, and to purify the soul, one must remove the root of spiritual impurities and pollution, which is selfishness and self-centeredness. However, one who does not know the value of this journey and the meaning of God’s hospitality and its etiquette cannot benefit from what God Almighty has prepared for the guests in His harem and enjoy the blessings of the land of revelation. A pilgrim who thinks of more comfort, better food, and more gifts in the land of revelation does not know the meaning of God’s hospitality! He thinks more about breakfast, lunch, and dinner than about spiritual enjoyment of Hajj, Umrah, and the host, and if he sometimes sees a mistake or omission in the hospitality, it is an unforgivable sin!

Rather than feeling sad about returning empty-handed from the spiritual blessings of the House of God, he is more concerned with filling his bags with souvenirs. He wanders through the markets of Mecca, Medina, and sometimes Jeddah! He tries with all his might to buy something cheaper, lest unfair merchants overcharge him. If he hears that his friend has bought something cheaper, he is impressed, but he does not know what a great trick Satan has put on his head, and has taken away the most precious opportunities from him at the cheapest price.

It is appropriate not to say anything about ourselves in answering this question, but to ask the owner of the house how he receives guests and which visitor can benefit from his kindness? Undoubtedly, His Book (the Holy Quran) and the sayings of the Prophet’s family - may God’s prayers and peace be upon them all - will help us in reaching the answer to this question. The answer that the Book of God gives us is that: The owner of this house is very merciful and kind, there is no one more merciful than Him. He considers mercy and kindness obligatory upon Himself: The mercy and kindness of the owner of this house are extensive to everything and everyone. He himself said: {And My mercy encompasses all things}, This is not a shortcoming or omission on His part. It is we who must remove the obstacles to attracting the mercy of God. What prevents the visitor to the House of God from enjoying the blessings of this blessed House is pollution. The owner of the house ordered Ibrahim Khalil-ur-Rahman to clean his house for a spiritual reception of pilgrims.