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The
fifth Pillar of Islam is the pilgrimage to Makkah and its surroundings known as
Hajj. All Muslims are obligated to make Hajj once in their lifetimes if they can
afford it and are otherwise able to do so.
The
Hajj is made from the eighth to the twelfth of the Islamic
month of Dhul-Hijjah.
Muslims
travel from all over the world to perform Hajj. The rituals are themselves
simple, but the amount of walking necessary, the hot climate, and the crowds
make the Hajj a rigorous exercise in faith. Still, between 2 and 3 million
people perform Hajj every year, and millions more yearn to do so.
To
perform the Hajj, pilgrims enter a state of consecration known as ihram. In this
state they may not clip their nails, cut or pluck any hair, or have any sort of
sexual contact. Male pilgrims wear special clothes consisting of two seamless
strips of cloth, one covering the back and shoulders, the other covering from
the waist to the knees. Female pilgrims can wear ordinary clothing that covers
everything but the face and hands.
The
rituals of Hajj date back to the time of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and
commemorate his willingness to sacrifice his only son, Isma`il (Ishmael). During
the days of Hajj, the pilgrims attempt to forget all but their most basic
worldly needs and to focus their attention and devotion on Allah Alone.
Upon
arriving in Makkah, the pilgrims first circumambulate the Ka`bah
seven times in a ritual known as Tawaf. This ritual reminds the pilgrims that
Allah (God) should be the focus and center of their lives.
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For
more on the significance of the rituals, see:
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The
next ritual is Sa`i, which is walking back and forth seven times between the
hillocks named Safa and Marwah. This commemorates the search for water made by
Hajar (Hagar) when Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) left her and her infant
son Isma`il (peace be upon him) in the desert.
On
Dhul-Hijjah 8, pilgrims head to Mina, where they spend the day supplicating
Allah. Early the next morning they go to `Arafah (or `Arafat). They spend the
day supplicating Allah and begging for His forgiveness. Many stand on the Mount
of Mercy to supplicate, though this is not necessary. When the sun sets on the
Day of `Arafah, the pilgrims’ sins are forgiven.
After
sunset the pilgrims move on to Muzdalifah, where they spend the night and
collect pebbles to be used in the next ritual.
The
next morning, Dhul-Hijjah 10, is the Day of Sacrifice. Most pilgrims slaughter a
sheep or goat, and the meat is distributed to the poor. (Muslims who are not on
Hajj also slaughter that day, which is known as `Eid Al-Adha.) The ritual
commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Isma`il (peace be upon
them both) and Allah’s provision of a ram as a substitute sacrifice.
But
before slaughtering, the pilgrims go to throw pebbles at the stone pillars known
as Al-Jamarat. This ritual commemorates Ibrahim’s stoning of Satan when the
latter tried to tempt him to disobey Allah.
After
this, the pilgrims cut or shave their hair (women cut off only a small amount)
and return to Makkah to repeat Tawaf and Sa`i. They sleep at Mina and repeat the
stoning of the pillars on the next two days. A final Tawaf before leaving Makkah
completes the Hajj.
Many
pilgrims also go to Madinah before or after Hajj in order to pray in the
Prophet’s Mosque and visit his grave, although this visit to Madinah is not
necessary.
The
above is only a summary. There is some variation in the performance of Hajj,
depending on whether the individual pilgrim chooses to also perform `Umrah
(often known as the lesser pilgrimage) beforehand and whether this will be while
in one prolonged state of ihram or two separate ones for `Umrah and Hajj.
*
Ælfwine Mischler is an American convert to Islam. She has an M.A. in
Linguistics and Teaching English as a Foreign Language. She is a writer and is
currently the head of the Copyediting Unit in IslamOnline.net. |
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