Ihram: the pilgrim garb

 the Sign of Allah it reminds me of 

Almost every creature on Earth, from the tiniest to the largest, all are covered in some kind of natural cover. No creature needs to clothe itself. Humans are probably the only exception. Our bodies need clothing to cover our shame, to comfort us, to adorn us, to beautify us. 

The Quran, Surah Ta Ha, explicitly describes the condition of Adam and his wife when they were in the Garden: 

اِنَّ لَـكَ اَلَّا تَجُوۡعَ فِيۡهَا وَلَا تَعۡرٰىۙ‏ ١١٨ وَاَنَّكَ لَا تَظۡمَؤُا فِيۡهَا وَلَا تَضۡحٰى‏ ١١٩

118.Indeed, it is for you not to be hungry therein or be unclothed. 

119.And indeed, you will not be thirsty therein or be hot from the sun." 

However, Satan was able to tempt Adam into not keeping his covenant with Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, and eat from the forbidden tree. That resulted in Adam and his wife slipping out of what they were in, and losing their natural clothing. They put their 'nafs' in darkness. Surah alA'raf, quotes their dua: 

**'darkness' is generally mistranslated as 'wronged', and 'nafs' as 'self'  

 قَالَا رَبَّنَا *ظَلَمۡنَاۤ اَنۡفُسَنَا* وَاِنۡ لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَـنَا وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا لَـنَكُوۡنَنَّ مِنَ   قَالَ اهۡبِطُوۡا بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَـعۡضٍ عَدُوٌّ​ ۚ وَلَـكُمۡ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ مُسۡتَقَرٌّ وَّمَتَاعٌ اِلٰى حِيۡنٍ‏ ٢٤ قَالَ فِيۡهَا تَحۡيَوۡنَ وَفِيۡهَا تَمُوۡتُوۡنَ وَمِنۡهَا تُخۡرَجُوۡنَ‏ ٢٥ يٰبَنِىۡۤ اٰدَمَ قَدۡ اَنۡزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمۡ لِبَاسًا يُّوَارِىۡ سَوۡاٰتِكُمۡ وَرِيۡشًا​ ؕ وَلِبَاسُ التَّقۡوٰى ۙ ذٰ لِكَ خَيۡرٌ​ ؕ ذٰ لِكَ مِنۡ اٰيٰتِ اللّٰهِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَذَّكَّرُوۡنَ‏ ٢٦ يٰبَنِىۡۤ اٰدَمَ لَا يَفۡتِنَـنَّكُمُ الشَّيۡطٰنُ كَمَاۤ اَخۡرَجَ اَبَوَيۡكُمۡ مِّنَ الۡجَـنَّةِ يَنۡزِعُ عَنۡهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوۡءاٰتِهِمَا ؕ اِنَّهٗ يَرٰٮكُمۡ هُوَ وَقَبِيۡلُهٗ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا تَرَوۡنَهُمۡ​ ؕ اِنَّا جَعَلۡنَا الشَّيٰطِيۡنَ اَوۡلِيَآءَ لِلَّذِيۡنَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ‏ ٢٧

23.They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged* ourselves*, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers." 24.[Allāh] said, "Descend, being to one another enemies. And for you on the earth is a place of settlement and enjoyment [i.e., provision] for a time." 25.He said, "Therein you will live, and therein you will die, and from it you will be brought forth." 26.O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that is best. That is from the signs of Allāh that perhaps they will remember. 27.O children of Adam, let not Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from Paradise, stripping them of their clothing to show them their private parts. Indeed, he sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them. Indeed, We have made the devils allies to those who do not believe. 

When Adam was observing his covenant with Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, and keeping away from the forbidden, he was in a state of taqwa, and was clothed (وَلِبَاسُ التَّقۡوٰى ۙ ذٰ لِكَ خَيۡرٌ​). Ayat 27 clearly states that Satan stripped them of their clothing, resulting in their removal from the Garden (اَخۡرَجَ اَبَوَيۡكُمۡ مِّنَ الۡجَـنَّةِ). 

The pilgrim garb, the two pieces of unstitched clothing that men wear when entering the state of Ihram is a clear reminder of us having lost our original natural clothing that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى initially adorned us with when He created Adam. 

The children of Adam (Bani Adam) have lost not only the Garden, but also the wonderful comforts and adornments that came with it. 

Ihram is a clear reminder to keep our taqwa, so that we our protected by Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى from the great fire, on the Day when nothing but the Mercy of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى will protect from the terrible, eternal punishment. 

Muslims bury their dead in two pieces of unstitched white clothing. The Ihram is similar in that sense also, that it is reminder of death and consequent resurrection and standing before Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى . 

Ihram has a history since before Muhammad ﷺ preached in Arabia. Hajj was announced by Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام). Pilgrims have been entering the state of Ihram since before Muhammad ﷺ preached in Arabia. Polytheism and shamelessness had creeped into the rituals of Hajj and Umrah. So, we read further in Surah alA'raf: 

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 وَاِذَا فَعَلُوۡا فَاحِشَةً قَالُوۡا وَجَدۡنَا عَلَيۡهَاۤ اٰبَآءَنَا وَاللّٰهُ اَمَرَنَا بِهَا​ ؕ قُلۡ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يَاۡمُرُ بِالۡفَحۡشَآءِ​ ؕ اَتَقُوۡلُوۡنَ عَلَى اللّٰهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏ ٢٨ قُلۡ اَمَرَ رَبِّىۡ بِالۡقِسۡطِ​ وَاَقِيۡمُوۡا وُجُوۡهَكُمۡ عِنۡدَ كُلِّ مَسۡجِدٍ وَّادۡعُوۡهُ مُخۡلِصِيۡنَ لَـهُ الدِّيۡنَ ؕ كَمَا بَدَاَكُمۡ تَعُوۡدُوۡنَؕ‏  ٢٩ فَرِيۡقًا هَدٰى وَ فَرِيۡقًا حَقَّ عَلَيۡهِمُ الضَّلٰلَةُ ​ ؕ اِنَّهُمُ اتَّخَذُوا الشَّيٰطِيۡنَ اَوۡلِيَآءَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ وَيَحۡسَبُوۡنَ اَنَّهُمۡ مُّهۡتَدُوۡنَ‏  ٣٠ ۞ يٰبَنِىۡۤ اٰدَمَ خُذُوۡا زِيۡنَتَكُمۡ عِنۡدَ كُلِّ مَسۡجِدٍ وَّكُلُوۡا وَاشۡرَبُوۡا وَلَا تُسۡرِفُوۡا​ ۚ اِنَّهٗ لَا يُحِبُّ الۡمُسۡرِفِيۡنَ‏ ٣١ 

28.And when they commit an immorality, they say, "We found our fathers doing it, and Allāh has ordered us to do it." Say, "Indeed, Allāh does not order immorality. Do you say about Allāh that which you do not know?" 29.Say, [O Muḥammad], "My Lord has ordered justice and that you direct yourselves [to the Qiblah] at every place [or time] of prostration, and invoke Him, sincere to Him in religion." Just as He originated you, you will return [to life] - 30.A group [of you] He guided, and a group deserved [to be in] error. Indeed, they [i.e., the latter] had taken the devils as allies instead of Allāh while they thought that they were guided. 31.O children of Adam, take your adornment [i.e., wear your clothing] at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess. 

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ reformed the practice of Ihram, at Hajj and Umrah, by removing the shamelessness and excesses being observed by the pagans. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ restored the spirit of Hajj and Umrah to its original purpose and proper rituals. 

Surah alA'raf, ayat 29 explicitly states sincerity in Deen (Law of Recompense), and that we will be recreated as we were originally created. 

The Quran also mentions another 'tree trial' in the Hereafter. 

May we always remember the loss our parents suffered due to the advise of Satan, and live our lives with Taqwa, so that, by the Mercy of Allah, we are protected from the trial of the Tree of Zaqqum.  

More on what happened to our parents Adam and his wife, in the links on this page: Natural Clothing.

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