Hajj: The Pilgrimage to Mecca
Every Muslim strives to make a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to the sacred sites in Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia. This final pillar of Islam is required of every adult Muslim, male or female, if it is physically and financially possible. Many Muslims spend their entire lives saving and planning for this journey.
Preparing for the Hajj
When undertaking the pilgrimage, Muslims first shed all signs of their wealth and status by donning simple white garments, called ihram. The required pilgrimage dress for men is two white cloths, one of which covers the body from the waist down, and one that is gathered around the shoulder. Women usually wear a simple white dress and headscarf. The ihram is a symbol of purity and equality. When wearing the ihram, the pilgrims enter a state of devotion and purity, during which quarreling and violence (toward other people or even animals) is forbidden.
In recent years, nearly 3 million Muslims from every corner of the globe have gathered in Mecca each year for the rites of the Hajj. Pilgrims arrive by air, road, and sea from more than seventy nations. The government of Saudi Arabia has expanded the size of the mosques and pilgrimage sites in order to accommodate the large crowds.
Muslims announce their arrival by calling out, “Here I am, Oh God, at Your command! Here I am at Your command! You are without associate! Here I am at Your command! To You are praise, grace, and dominion! You are without associate!” The sound of this chant rings out all over the land as pilgrims begin arriving in Mecca for the sacred rites.
It may appear to some that the pilgrimage in Mecca is somehow associated with the importance of the city in Muhammad's life. However, most of the rites of pilgrimage date back to the Prophet Abraham and are performed in remembrance of his life.
Rites of the Hajj
On the first day of the Hajj, the pilgrims travel from Mecca to Mina, a small village east of the city. There they spend the day and night, praying and reading the Qur'an.
Why are only Muslims allowed into Mecca and Madinah?
These are cities of great importance in Islamic tradition, centers of pilgrimage and prayer, sacred places where Muslims are free from the distractions of daily life. The ban, mentioned in the Qur'an, is intended to provide a place of peace and refuge for Muslim believers.
On the second day of the pilgrimage, the pilgrims leave Mina just after dawn to travel to the plain of Arafat for the culminating experience of the Hajj. On what is known as the “Day of Arafat,” the pilgrims spend the entire day standing near the Mount of Mercy, asking Allah for forgiveness and making supplications. After sunset on the Day of Arafat, the pilgrims leave and travel to an open plain called Muzdalifah. There they spend the night praying, and they collect small stone pebbles to be used on the next day.
On the third day, the pilgrims move before sunrise, this time back to Mina. Here they throw the stone pebbles at pillars that represent the seductions of Satan. When throwing the stones, the pilgrims remember the story of Satan's attempt to dissuade Abraham from following God's command to sacrifice his son. The stones represent Abraham's rejection of Satan and the firmness of his faith. After casting the pebbles, most pilgrims slaughter an animal (often a sheep or a goat) and give the meat to the poor — a symbolic act that shows their willingness to part with something that is precious to them, just as the Prophet Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son at God's command.
The pilgrims then return to Mecca and perform seven turns around the Ka'aba, the house of worship built by Abraham and his son Ishmael. In other rites, the pilgrims pray near a place called “the Station of Abraham,” which is reportedly where Abraham stood while constructing the Ka'aba. The pilgrims also walk seven times between two small hills near the Ka'aba, called Safa and Marwa, in remembrance of the plight of Abraham's wife Hajar, who searched desperately for water for herself and her son before a spring welled up in the desert for her. The pilgrims also drink from this ancient spring, which continues to flow today.
The Lesser Pilgrimage or Umrah
Hajj is required of every adult Muslim who is physically and financially able to make the journey, and it must be performed during a specific period of time in the Islamic calendar. However, there is another type of pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the umrah (lesser pilgrimage), which may be performed any time during the year.
Islam rejected the ancient rituals of sacrificing animals to God. According to the Qur'an, “Neither its meat nor its blood will reach Allah; it is only your piety that reaches Him” (Qur'an 22:37). Muslims slaughter animals at this time to remember and celebrate the piety of the Prophet Abraham and to obtain meat to share with the poor.
During umrah, Muslims observe many of the same pilgrimage rites as during Hajj. However, while this experience is commendable, it does not free one from the requirements of performing the pilgrimage during the appointed time.
