"And proclaim unto men the Pilgrimage. They will come to thee on foot, and on every lean camel, coming by every distant, deep, track."
(22: 28)
Hajj is a pilgrimage made to Mecca during the Muslim month of Dhul Hijjah, which comes two months after Eid-ul-Fitr. It is the fifth pillar of Islam and every Muslim must try their utmost to perform this pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
The object of the Pilgrimage is to create a feeling of international brotherhood in the minds of Muslims and to make pilgrims aware of God being the central point of their lives, through the performance of certain rites.
The focal point of the pilgrimage is the Ka’aba, which according to the Qur’an is the first house built for the worship of God. It was rebuilt by Prophet Abraham approximately 4,000 years ago and today, this stands in the courtyard of the Sacred Mosque.
Performing Hajj involves the following:
Pilgrims first enter into the state of ’Ihram’ which requires them to dress simply and is intended to show the equality of all pilgrims in the eyes of Allah. Males wear two seamless white sheets of fabric and women are required to dress simply, whilst maintaining their Hijab.
When pilgrims enter Mecca, they are required to perform the first ’Tawaf’, which consists of going around the Ka’aba seven times in an anticlockwise direction.
After this, pilgrims perform the ’Sa’yy’, which consists of running between the two hills of Safa and Marwah, located near the Ka’aba.
Pilgrims then move onto Mina, about four miles east of Mecca and spend the night here.
Next morning, Pilgrims leave for the plan of Arafat, nine miles south east of Mecca. This is the same plain where the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) delivered his farewell sermon. After performing Zuhr and Asr prayers and listening to a sermon given by the Imam, pilgrims move on to Muzdalifah at sunset.
In the Holy Qur’an, Muzdalifah is referred to as the ’Sacred Monument’ and it is here that pilgrims offer their Maghrib and Isha prayers and then spend the night. The following morning, after observing Fajr prayer, Pilgrims return to Mina.
Pilgrims reach Mina on the Tenth day of Dhul Hijjah and the first ceremony performed is the throwing of small stones at three stone pillars. This is a symbolic act of striking the devil.
Pilgrims also sacrifice animals on this day and it is celebrated around the world as the festival of Eid-ul-Adha.
After performing the sacrifice, pilgrims have their heads shaved or clipped and emerge from their state of Ihram, by wearing their everyday clothes.
Pilgrims then perform another ’Tawaf’, i.e. going round the Ka’aba seven times - this is known as ’Tawaf-e-Ziarat’. This is followed by a second ’Sa’yy’ between the hills of Safa and Marwa.
Pilgrims then return to Mina where they stay until the 12th or 13th day of Dhul Hijjah where they continue to perform the ceremony of throwing stones at stone pillars.
On the afternoon on the 12th or 13th day of Dhul Hijjah, pilgrims return to Mecca for the last ceremony of the Pilgrimage. This consists on the farewell Tawaf of the Ka’aba, after which the entire pilgrimage is complete.
