Hajj’s Start: The Maths Ain’t Mathing

The standard line: Hajj locked in as a Muslim must-do in 9 AH (630-631 CE)—Quran 3:97, Abu Bakr’s gig, Muhammad’s Farewell Pilgrimage in 10 AH (632 CE). Sounds tidy, but something’s crooked. Let’s rip it open.

1. Pre-Islam Pagan Hajj: Too Smooth a Handover?

• Kaaba’s a pagan hotspot—360 idols, Black Stone, tawaf, Safa-Marwah (Ibn al-Kalbi, Book of Idols). Muhammad takes Mecca in 8 AH (630 CE), clears the idols (Ibn Hisham, Sirat, p. 552), and bam—Hajj’s “Islamic” by 9 AH. “Instant flip?”—centuries of pagan rites don’t just morph into monotheism overnight. Quran 2:125-127 tags Abraham, but your No Abraham in Mecca post torches that—zero evidence pre-Islam. “Why no pushback?”—Quraysh just shrug and join the new parade? Smells staged.

2. Medina Years: Where’s the Pilgrimage?

• 622-629 CE—Muhammad’s in Medina, Kaaba’s 450 km away, Quraysh turf. Quran 2:196-197 (pre-8 AH) mentions Hajj and Umrah, but it’s optional vibes—“if you can”. Hudaybiyyah (6 AH/628 CE, Bukhari 3.50.891)—Muhammad tries an Umrah, gets blocked, negotiates a truce. “No full Hajj ‘til 9 AH?”—he’s got followers, a base, and a grudge (your caravan revenge angle). Why wait ‘til Mecca’s his? “Logistics or late script?”—feels like Hajj’s tacked on after the power grab.

3. 9 AH Timing: Revelation or Rewrite?

• Quran 3:97—“duty to the House”—drops in 9 AH, post-Mecca takeover. Abu Bakr leads Hajj (Bukhari 2.26.689), Muhammad follows in 10 AH (Bukhari 2.26.632). “Why so late?”—12 years preaching, 8 years in Medina, and the fifth pillar waits ‘til the endgame? Quran’s “gradual” roll-out excuse holds ‘til you clock the silence—“no Hajj chatter pre-8 AH”. Your Fatrah post fits here—revelation stalls early, so maybe this “duty” got backdated to look planned.

4. Farewell Pilgrimage: First or Fixed?

• 10 AH (632 CE)—Muhammad’s “Farewell Hajj” (Bukhari 2.26.632)—big show, 100,000 pilgrims, final sermon. “First Muslim Hajj?”—9 AH’s Abu Bakr run gets overshadowed, and pre-8 AH pagan overlap muddies it. “Retrofit flex”—sources (Ibn Hisham, Bukhari) polish it as the “pure” start, but Quraysh locals were already circling the Kaaba. “New or just claimed?”—looks like Muhammad stamped an old rite, not launched a fresh one.

5. Caravan Revenge Tie-In: Why Raid, Not Redeem?

• Your latest angle—Muhammad’s safe in Medina, hitting Quraysh caravans (Bukhari 4.52.137)—it’s spite, not survival. “Why not Hajj instead?”—if Kaaba’s his holy grail, why not march for it sooner, not raid trade routes? 6 AH truce gave access, yet he waits ‘til 9 AH to mandate it. “Grudge over God?”—caravans bleed while Hajj sits on ice—priorities don’t line up.

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What Doesn’t Add Up: The Cracks

• Too Clean a Switch: Pagan Hajj to Islamic Hajj—“no fight, no fuss”—Quraysh roll over too easy for a sacred turf war.
• Late Lock-In: 9 AH mandate—“12 years late”—why’s a “pillar” dormant ‘til Muhammad’s got the keys?
• Silence Pre-Conquest: Medina phase—“no Hajj push”—he’s raiding, not redeeming, ‘til he owns Mecca.
• Abraham Sham: 2:125-127—“historical void”—your post nails it; Hajj’s pagan, not prophetic.

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Verdict: Hajj’s a Hijack, Not a Hallelujah

Hajj’s “instituted” in 9 AH (630-631 CE)—that’s the official line—but it’s a bloody stitch-up. Muhammad didn’t start it; he swiped it from Mecca’s pagan playbook, slapped an Abraham label on it (no proof), and waited ‘til he had the turf to call it a pillar. “Revenge over ritual”—caravan hits trumped pilgrimage ‘til the time was right. 15:9’s “guarded” flex? Nah—Hajj’s a late grab, not a divine drop. Something’s off, and it’s bleeding bad.