Islam the Religion of Peace

HAJJ

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.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

Islam the Religion of Peace














Five Pillars of Islam

Five Pillars of Islam, called arkan in Arabic, five ritual duties that mainstream Muslims view as central to their faith. These are :(1) pronouncing the confession of faith (shahada or kalima); (2) performing the five daily prayers (salat); (3) fasting during the month of Ramadan (saum); (4) paying the alms tax (zakat); (5) and performing, at least once in life, the major pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj). In most places where Islam is the official religion, Muslims are not punished for failing to perform these duties. In some Islamic states, however, public denial by a Muslim of the validity, importance, or centrality of the five pillars is generally considered an act of heresy and is punishable by death.

The shahada is the Arabic statement “La ilah illa Allah wa Muhammad rasul Allah,” meaning “There is no God but the one God and Muhammad is His prophet.” In the Shia Islam, believers generally add to this the Arabic phrase “wa Ali Wali Allah,” meaning “and Ali ibn Abi Talib is the friend of God.” In addition to this confession of faith, Muslims must also express their belief in the Qur'an (Koran), angels, and the Last Day. The shahada also is uttered as part of the Muslim call to prayer (adhan).

The salat—the five obligatory daily prayers—is also known as the namaz in Iran, India, and Turkey. These prayers are only performed after ritual bathing and take place before sunrise, at noon, in the mid-afternoon, immediately after sunset, and before midnight. Mainstream Shia Muslims combine the noon and afternoon prayers and also the sunset and midnight prayers so that they need only pray three times a day. Praying in Islam is also associated with a specified set of postures, such as standing, bowing, and prostrating.

The saum is a fast prescribed only for healthy, adult Muslims during the 30 days of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. From dawn until dusk, no food, drink, or sexual relations are permitted. Ill individuals and nursing women are excused, but they are expected to make up for missing the fast at other times in the year when they are healthy again or no longer nursing.

The zakat or alms tax is levied annually on the crops, livestock, precious metals, and cash of all those living above subsistence and whose debts do not exceed their assets. In theory it is to be collected on behalf of, and then distributed to, the poor. However, some Islamic leaders have collected the zakat to add to their royal treasuries. For this reason, the identity of the zakat collector and distributor has often been a mystery. Since the late Middle Ages (ad 476-1453), mainstream Shia Muslims have had the tax collected by their jurists, legal scholars of Islamic law, who act according to their self-styled role as governors of the imam.

The hajj is the “greater” of the two pilgrimages to Mecca required of all Muslims. All healthy adult Muslim men and women should perform it at least once in their lifetime if they have sufficient means and safe transport. Unlike the lesser pilgrimage, called umra, Muslims must perform the hajj during the first half of the month of Dhu al-Hijja, the last month of the lunar year. Those who perform the hajj can use the honorific title Hajji if male and Hajja if female.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.