The Hajj or the Islamic pilgrimage is an obligation for every healthy adult Muslim who has sufficient means of support. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. In addition to the Hajj (the normal pilgrimage), there is also the Umrah. This is also called the small pilgrimage. Every year millions of Muslims from all over the world visit the holy city of Mecca. Before a Muslim can perform the pilgrimage, they must adopt a state of spiritual purity
The Hajj
Hajj stands for Islamic pilgrimage. It is one of the five pillars of Islam and therefore a duty for every Muslim. Once in his life the Muslim will have to perform Hajj. A pilgrim is also called a ,Pilgrim,.
Islam is a world religion and is spread all over the world. The vast majority of Islamic countries are located in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. A follower of Islam is called ,Muslim, (men) or ,Muslima, (women).
The Hajj is a holy pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia. Every year millions of Muslims go to Mecca to fulfill their duty. The pilgrims come from different parts of the world; from Islamic countries, but also from other countries.
Exception
Every adult Muslim should perform the Islamic pilgrimage once in his life. Only if there is a limitation, such as disability or illness, or if it is financially impossible, the pilgrimage is not obligatory. Even the very elderly cannot handle such a long, busy journey and they do not have the duty either. This means that the sick, disabled, very elderly and poor are exempt from the Hajj.
What does the Hajj mean for a Muslim?
Mecca is the place where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) preached Islam. The farewell pilgrimage of Muhammad (pbuh) in the year of his death became the example for the current hajj ritual. The Hajj is one of the five pillars in the Koran and therefore an obligation for Muslims.
The visit to the holy places strengthens the moral and religious feelings of the Muslims. The pilgrimage is a means for Muslims to address themselves to Allah to ask forgiveness for all their sins (whether committed consciously or unconsciously), by solemnly promising never to do bad deeds again in their lives.
In the Islamic world, ,Allah, is a synonym for God. It is the Arabic name for God. The same God that is known in, for example, Christianity or Judaism. The meaning differs only in the fact that Islam does not view ,Jesus Christ, as a son of God, but as an important prophet of Allah.
When does Hajj take place?
The Hajj takes place at the beginning of the month ,Dhul-Hijjah,. This is the 12th and also the last month of the Islamic calendar. However, the date of the Hajj, according to the normal calendar, shifts a few days every year. This is because the Islamic year is a lunar year and has 354 days.
Officially the Hajj rituals last 5 days. This year the Hajj period is: December 16 to 20, 2007
Preparation for the Hajj
Before arriving at the holy city, pilgrims will begin to prepare spiritually for the pilgrimage and be in a state of initiation at the Miqat. This is called ,Ihram,. A Miqat is a place on the entrance roads to Mecca for assuming Ihram.
The Ihram
Before Ihram can be accepted, a ritual washing takes place: Ghusl. All body parts are washed according to a certain order. Without the ,Ghusl, a Muslim may not pray, enter a mosque, hold the Quran or perform Hajj. It is therefore a very important preparation and must be repeated when, for example, you have gone to the toilet.
After the ritual washing, Ihram is accepted. This is a white robe that pilgrims must wear during the Hajj.
For men, these are two unsewn white cloths, one wrapped around the waist and the other around the shoulder. Women wear a long white dress with a scarf over their heads. The hands and face must not be covered.
The white clothing is a symbol of human equality and unity before God. In this way there is no longer any distinction between rich and poor.
When Ihraam is adopted, shaving or cutting hair is prohibited. Nails should also not be cut. So these are things that still need to be done in advance. Sexual intercourse is also no longer permitted after assuming Ihram.
Ready for Hajj
After the pilgrim has entered a state of Ihraam, he recites a prayer and expresses his intention to perform Hajj. Men shout loudly: ,Labbaika Allahoemma Labbaik, (meaning: I am ready for your service, O God), while women have to say it softly within themselves. Now the Hajj rituals can begin.
The Hajj rituals
For 5 days the pilgrim must perform the Hajj rituals in a certain order.
First day:
TAWAF
Upon arrival in Mecca, the Kaaba is the first thing to be visited. This is located in the middle of the square, where the large mosque ,Masjid Al Haram, is located. The Kaaba is a black cube-shaped building. In Arabic this is also called ,Baitullah,, which means ,House of God,. The building is equipped with a richly decorated black cloth, with Quranic verses embroidered in gold thread. In the eastern corner of the Kaaba is a Black Stone, surrounded by a silver ring.
The Ka’bah was a shrine even before the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Ka’bah was destroyed by a heavy flood. Prophet Abraham (PBUH) rebuilt the Ka’bah together with his son Ishmael. The Black Stone was given by the angel Gabriel. According to tradition, this was a meteorite. This Black Stone was then used to rebuild the Ka’bah. According to legend, the Black Stone was once white. Later it became black due to the sins of man. The Black Stone determines the direction of prayer in Islam. That is why the black stone has an important meaning.
The pilgrims must circumambulate the Kaaba seven times while shouting supplications. They start with the black stone that they have to touch or, if possible, kiss. They then walk around the Ka’ba, counterclockwise. The Ka’ba must remain on the left side. After completing seven rounds, she must stand at the entrance of the Kaaba and pray. Now the Tawaf is completed.
SA’IE
This ritual involves walking back and forth between the hills ,Safa, and ,Marva, seven times. Then the water source ,Zamzam, is visited, which is located there. The water has a sweet taste and appears to have medicinal properties. Many pilgrims therefore also take bottles of Zamzam water home.
The Sa’ie is a reminder of Hagar, the second wife of Abraham (pbuh). She was left in a desert. Hagar walked around desperately with her son Ishmael, looking for water. She walked across the Safa and Marva, praying for help.
Suddenly a spring of water appeared, the Zamzam, and Hagar and her son were saved from thirst. The appearance of the water source symbolizes the presence of God, when all seems to be lost. Hagar is seen as one of the bravest women in Islam.
SERMON OF THE QADI
This is followed by a sermon by the Qadi (Islamic judge) of Mecca.
MINA
The pilgrims leave by bus to Mina. Here the pilgrims will spend the night in tent camps. Mina is a desert town, a few kilometers from Mecca. There are many strong pilgrims who prefer to walk the journey.
Second day:
ARAFAT
The next afternoon the pilgrims will travel by bus to the Arafat plateau. This mountain plain is located about 30 km east of Mecca. The pilgrims stay on the Arafat plateau until shortly after sunset. There is also a large tent camp here. Staying on Arafat is a very important part of the Hajj. Pilgrims can come to their senses at this holy place. They can express their deepest wishes to God. The revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) took place on Arafat . The reflection on Arafat is also called ,Waqoof, or ,Wakfa,.
MUZDALLIFAH
The same evening (after the stay on Arafat), the pilgrims go by bus to the Muzdallifah plain. After the prayers, at least 7 small stones must be collected. These stones are needed the next day for the ritual stoning. The pilgrims stay on this plain this night. Muzdallifah is located between the plain of Arafat and Mina.
Third day:
JAMRAH
The next morning the pilgrims return to Mina very early in the morning, so that they will be there around sunrise. There they throw the seven stones at a stone pillar or column. This stoning is called ,Jamrah,. During each throw, ,Allahu Akbar, is shouted. The stoning starts after sunrise and can be done until night. Until the year 2004, the stones were thrown at three pillars, because of the crowd every year. more deaths occurred, the Saudi authorities replaced the columns with a long wall.
The ritual ,Jamrah, is reminiscent of the prophet Abraham, who did the same when the devil tried to tempt him not to sacrifice his son to God. This place is symbolized by three columns; stone pillars.
SACRIFICE FEAST
After stoning, the ritual of sacrifice begins. A sheep or other livestock is being slaughtered. A camel or cow may be shared among a maximum of 7 pilgrims, because these animals are quite expensive. The slaughter is until sunset. On this day, extensive meat from the sacrificed animals is eaten.
The sacrificial feast again reminds us of the prophet Abraham. He wanted a son and promised God that if he has a son, he will sacrifice him as a tribute. He had a son by Hagar and called him Ishmael. When Ishmael was 7 years old, Abraham was instructed in his dream to fulfill his promise: sacrifice his son! Abraham sacrificed 100 camels and begged God to accept this act. But the next day he had the same dream again: “Keep your promise!” After another similar dream he decided to keep his promise. During a long journey, Abraham told his son about the command of God. Ishmael replied “O father, follow the command of Allah. I will obey. Tie my hands and feet, so that I may not hurt you in my agony. On the way the devil appeared and tried to deceive father and son. But the sacrifice had to take place because it was God’s command. Abraham sadly laid Ishmael’s head on a stone and placed the knife on the throat. The knife would not cut. When he wanted to sharpen the knife on the stone, this boulder broke in half. Very surprisingly, he tried again to sacrifice his son, but again the knife did not cut and there was not even a single cut or scratch on the throat! The knife started to talk and said: “You want to cut, but it is the Almighty who makes knives cut.” Then father and son shouted “Allahu Akbar, (God is mighty) to try again. At the same moment, their cry was echoed. It was the angel Gabriel who was instructed by God to give a ram, so that he could sacrifice it instead of his son. Since then, the festival of sacrifice has been celebrated every year on this day. Every Muslim (who has sufficient means of support) must then slaughter a sheep, ram, goat, camel or cattle. Of these he must sacrifice 7 distribute parts to the poor.
On this day the men are shaved or their hair is cut shorter.
The last two days
TASHRIQ
The last days are called ,Tashriq,. These are the days on which all three pillars in Mina must be stoned. (On the third day, only one pillar was stoned.) Each pillar must be stoned with seven stones, starting from the smallest. You can collect the stones anywhere in Mina, Muzdallifah or Mecca.
FAREWELL TAWAF
It is also obligatory to do the farewell Tawaf in Makkah. (so again 7 circuits around the Ka’aba). The Sa’ie is also done again. (walking back and forth between the Safa and Marwa hills and drinking Zamzam water)
During these last days they can also do some shopping and relax a bit.
After the farewell Tawaf, the Hajj is completed. Everyone is free from all obligations again. Pilgrims often want to go to the city of Medina to visit the grave of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) before returning home .
After the Hajj
The Muslims who complete the Islamic pilgrimage ,the Hajj, are given an honorary title ,Hadji,. This applies to both Muslims and Muslim women. They are highly regarded within their own community and are often considered authorities in the field of faith. The Hajis are free from their sins because of their fulfilled task and must try to keep it that way for the rest of their lives.
Accidents.
Many pilgrims die every year during the Hajj. Although the Saudi Government has made many improvements in safety, sometimes it is simply unavoidable. Especially the tunnel to Mina where, especially in the past, but still today, hundreds of people are trampled over or crushed to death by the enormous crowds. Many people also die during the stoning and when the Hajj falls during a very hot season.