Hajj

The last of the core pillars of Islam is the obligation to perform pilgrimage to Mecca, known as hajj, once in a lifetime if one is financially and physically able to do so. The Quran says, “To Allah is an obligation on people to perform pilgrimage to the House, whoever is able to find a way to do so.”[1] The pilgrimage is only performed in the 12^th month of the Islamic lunar calendar named Dhul-Hijjah. It can only be performed in Mecca, which draws Muslims from all over the world culminating in a mass gathering of rich diversity of ethnicities, cultures, and expressions of Islam. In 1964, a Black civil rights activist from the US named Malcolm X wrote about his experience on the hajj pilgrimage, ”Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and the overwhelming spirit of true brotherhood as practiced by people of all colors and races here in this Ancient Holy Land, the home of Abraham, Muhammad and all other prophets of the Holy Scriptures. For the past week, I have been utterly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed all around me by people of all colors… There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black skin Africans. But we were all participating in the same rituals, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white. America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem.”[2]

The hajj pilgrimage is a homage to the prophet Abraham and his family (peace be upon them). We are informed in Islamic scripture that Abraham’s spouse, Hagar, and his son Ishmael were the first to settle in the valley of Mecca and it was there that Abraham and Ishmael built the first house of worship for mankind, known as the Kaaba (which means cube in Arabic). They established the hajj and called people to the worship of the one true God.

The rites of hajj are elaborate and take place over a period of 4-5 days between the 8^th and 13^th of Dhul-Hijjah. Here is a detailed description of the main rites:

1. Ihram

• State of Sanctity: Before arriving in Mecca, pilgrims enter a state of spiritual purity and sanctity called ihram. They don specific garments: men wear two (usually white) seamless sheets, while women wear modest clothing.
• Prohibitions: The word ihram stems from a word meaning to make something prohibited. Whilst in ihram, certain activities are forbidden, such as cutting hair or nails, engaging in sexual activity, wearing stitched clothing and covering the head for men, using scented products, and killing certain animals. As well as foul talk, arguing, and sinning in general.

2. Tawaf

• Circling the Kaaba: Pilgrims perform tawaf, which means circling in Arabic, by circling the Kaaba seven times in a counterclockwise direction. This act symbolises the unity of believers in the worship of the one God.

3. Sa’y

• Walking Between Hills: Pilgrims walk seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah, reenacting Hagar’s search for water for her son Ishmael (peace be upon them both). This now takes place in a structure that houses the path.

4. Day of Arafah

• Standing at Arafat: On the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah after spending the night at Mina on the 8th, pilgrims travel to the plain of Arafat and spend the afternoon in prayer and reflection. This is considered the pinnacle and main pillar of the hajj and also a day of great forgiveness and mercy.

5. Muzdalifah

• Collecting Pebbles: After sunset, pilgrims move to Muzdalifah, where they spend the night in tents or under the open sky and collect pebbles for the next day’s rites.

6. Stoning the Pillars

• Stoning of Pillars: On the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah, which is the busiest day of the hajj, pilgrims toss seven pebbles at the last of the three pillars in Mina, this symbolises a rejection of Satan and his temptation and imitates the practice of the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) who stoned the Devil at this location. This act is performed over the next three or four days and all three pillars are stoned in the following days.

7. Slaughter

• Animal Sacrifice: Pilgrims perform the ritual sacrifice of an animal, either a sheep, goat, cow, or camel, commemorating the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael (peace be upon them both). The meat is usually slaughtered by agencies in Mecca and distributed to the poor, but it can be eaten by the pilgrims themselves.

8. Obligatory Tawaf

• Further Circling: Pilgrims return to Mecca to perform another circling of the Kaaba called Tawaf al-Ifadah/Tawaf al-Rukn/Tawaf al-Ziyarah, which is integral to hajj.
• Sa’y Repeated: Walking between Safa and Marwah is also repeated after the obligatory tawaf.

9. Shaving and Trimming

• Shaving or Trimming Hair: Men either shave their heads or trim their hair. Women trim their hair. This act signifies a state of renewal and is the ending of ihram.

10. Farewell Tawaf

• Final Circling: Before leaving Mecca, pilgrims perform a final circling of the Kaaba called the Farewell Tawaf, as a final act of worship.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever performs hajj, does not have sexual relations, nor commits sin, nor disputes unjustly (during hajj), then he returns from hajj as pure and free from sins as on the day on which his mother gave birth to him.”[3]

[1] Quran 3:97.

[2] https://www.icit-digital.org/articles/malcolm-x-s-letter-from-mecca-april-20-1964

[3] Al-Bukhari, 1521; Muslim, 1350.