|
Disclaimer |
Muslims Pillar #5: Hajj
(Return to the main Islam
Page)
 |
Hajj, or the annual pilgrimage to Makkah,
is an obligation once in a lifetime, for those who are physically
and financially able to perform it. Hajj is a special worship that
lasts for several days. About two million people go to Makkah each
year from every corner of the globe providing a unique opportunity
for those of different nations to meet one another. Although Makkah
is always filled with visitors, the annual Hajj begins in the twelfth
month of the Islamic year (based on the lunar calendar). Pilgrims
wear special clothes: simple garments which strip away distinctions
of class and culture, so that all stand equal before God. |
Pilgrims pray at the Haram mosque
in Makkah. In this mosque is the Kaaba which Muslims turn
toward when praying. The Kaaba is the place of worship which
God commanded the Prophets Abraham and his son, Ishmael, to
build.
|
 |
|
| The rites of the Hajj, which are of Abrahamic origin,
include circling the Ka'ba seven times, and going seven times between
the mountains of Safa and Marwa as did Hagar (Abraham's wife) during
her search for water. Then the pilgrims stand together on the wide
plain of Arafa and join in prayers for God's forgiveness, in what
is often thought of as a preview of the Last Judgment. |
| The close of the Hajj is marked
by a festival, the Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers and
the exchange of gifts in Muslim communities everywhere. This, and
the Eid al-Fitr (a feast-day commemorating the end of Ramadan), are
the main festivals of the Muslim calendar. |
|
