Islam the Religion of Peace
Hajj
Hajj, in Islam, the major
pilgrimage to Mecca, a city located near the Red Sea coast in Saudi Arabia. The
term hajj means “standing before a deity in a sacred place” or “voyage to a
sacred place,” and Mecca is considered the most sacred of the Muslim cities. As
a religious duty noted in the Qur'an (Koran) and the fifth of the Five Pillars
of Islam, all healthy adult men and women who are financially able must perform
the hajj at least once in their lifetime. Unlike the umra, (minor
pilgrimage to Mecca), which can be performed at any time, the hajj can only be
carried out during the first two weeks of the Islamic month of Dhu
al-Hijja, which corresponds to the last month of the lunar year.
Only Muslims are permitted access to the region of the
pilgrimage—that is, to the holy places of Mecca, Mina, Muzdalifa, and Arafat,
all located in Saudi Arabia. During the hajj pilgrims must enter a state of
ritual purity before they reach Mecca by performing ritual bathing and wearing
the ihram, a white seamless shroud they keep for the rest of their lives
as their burial garb. While in the state of ritual purity the pilgrim is denied
various activities, such as sexual relations. After arriving in Mecca, the
pilgrim carries out a set of rites as an individual. These rites culminate in
the circling seven times, or tawaf, of the Kaaba (a rectangular building
that contains the sacred Black Stone) and the quick, sevenfold crossing back and
forth, or say, between two hills, Safa and Marwa. In addition to these
rites, which make up the umra, the hajj includes certain other rituals performed
by pilgrims collectively. Among these are the stopping on a hill in the valley
of Arafat from noon until sunset, the symbolic stoning of the devil in the
valley of Mina, and the sacrifice of sheep and goats.
Once Muslims have carried out the hajj, they may use the
title Hajji if male and Hajjah if female. During the first half of the 20th
century about 30,000 Muslims annually made the pilgrimage to Mecca. Today, the
number is closer to 2 million.
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