Hajj (Pilgrimage)

One of the five arkan al-Islam (Pillars of Islam). It is required of each Muslim once during the lifetime provided that the person is of sufficient health, can afford it, and meets other conditions to make the pilgrimage to Mecca between the eighth and thirteenth of the month of Dhu-l-Hijjah, the last month of the Muslim lunar calendar. When the pilgrim arrives at the outskirts of the holy precinct around Mecca, the person, either male or female, puts on holy garments of unseamed white cloth, vows abstinence from sexual intercourse, the wearing of perfume and other acts of grooming, and is in a state of ihram. On the model of the Prophet’s Farewell Pilgrimage, in which he set forth the pattern for the ceremony, Muslim pilgrims perform a number of rites including circumambulating the Ka¤bah seven times, running between as Safa and al-Marwah, and standing on the plain of  Arafat on the ninth of the month. This standing, wuquf, around the 71 hajj Mount of Mercy, where Muhammad delivered his Farewell Sermon, is the central part of the hajj, without which it is invalid. Some scholars see this as a parallel to the standing around Sinai at the receipt of the Torah, and the plain of Arafat is thought by many to be the closest place to God. On the tenth, pilgrims sacrifice an animal and eat a ritual meal at Mina in commemoration of the intended sacrifice by Ibrahım of his son, Ismail. Parts of the sacrifice are distributed as alms, and Muslims all over the world celebrate this day, called Id al-Ad ha , as one of the most important feast days in the Muslim calendar. The hajj has been an important social factor in unifying Muslims, and many teachings have spread throughout the world as a result of contacts made on the pilgrimage. Muslims who return from the pilgrimage are accorded special status in their communities and often incorporate a title in their names signifying that they have performed the rite. In numerous Muslim countries travel arrangements are organized by the government, and prospective pilgrims must register and receive instructions before they can go. At the end of the pilgrimage, many Muslims also add a visit to Muhammad’s tomb in Madınah, although this is not a canonical part of the hajj. The lesser pilgrimage, the umrah, which can be performed any time and has fewer requirements, does not satisfy the requirements of the hajj.

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