More than 20 lakh Muslims will participate in this week Haj journey In Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca, one of the world’s largest religious congregations has returned to full capacity after years of coronavirus restrictions.
Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and all Muslims are required to perform it at least once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to do so.
For pilgrims, it is a deeply spiritual experience that washes away sins, brings them closer to God, and highlights Muslim unity. For the Saudi royal family, which took control of Mecca in the 1920s, organizing the pilgrimage is a major source of pride and legitimacy.
Authorities have invested billions of dollars in modern infrastructure, but the Hajj has occasionally been hit by tragedy, such as in 2015, when more than 2,400 pilgrims died in a stampede. Here’s a look at the pilgrimage and its meaning, starting on Monday.
What is the history of Haj pilgrimage in Islam?
The pilgrimage draws Muslims from around the world to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, where they follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad and recount the journey of Ibrahim and Ishmael, or Abraham and Ishmael as they are known in Christian and Jewish traditions.
As told in the Qur’an, Ibrahim is asked to sacrifice his son Ismail as a test of faith, but God stops his hand at the last moment. It is said that later Ibrahim and Ismail together built the Kaaba. In Christian and Jewish traditions, Abraham almost sacrificed his second son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah, which is associated with a major holy site in Jerusalem.
The Kaaba was a center of polytheistic worship among pagan Arabs until the arrival of Islam in the 7th century, when the Prophet Muhammad consecrated the site and inaugurated the Hajj.
Muslims do not worship the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure covered with black, gold-embroidered cloth, but view it as their most sacred place and a powerful symbol of unity and monotheism.
Wherever they are in the world, Muslims face the Kaaba during their daily prayers. Despite wars, plagues and other upheavals, the Hajj has been held every year since the time of the Prophet.
In the Middle Ages, Muslim rulers organized huge caravans with armed escorts that departed from Cairo, Damascus and other cities. It was a difficult journey through the desert where Bedouin tribes raided and demanded tribute.
An infamous Bedouin attack in 1757 destroyed the entire Hajj caravan, killing thousands of pilgrims. Worldwide in 2020 corona virus lockdown, Saudi Arab limited the pilgrimage to a few thousand citizens and local residents. This is the first year it has returned to full capacity.
How do Muslims prepare for Hajj?
Some pilgrims spend their entire lives saving up for the trip or wait years to obtain permits, which Saudi officials distribute to countries based on a quota system.
Travel agents offer packages for all income levels, and charities help pilgrims in need. Pilgrims begin by entering a state of spiritual purity known as “Ihram”. Women skip applying make-up and perfume and cover their hair, while men change into seamless terrycloth gowns.
There can be no stitching in the clothes, this rule is intended to promote unity between the rich and the poor. Pilgrims are forbidden from cutting their hair, cutting their nails, or having sexual intercourse while in the state of ihram.
They are not expected to argue or fight, but the heat, the crowds, and the hardships of the journey inevitably test one’s patience. Many Muslims visit Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad was buried and where he built the first mosque, before traveling to Mecca.
What happens during Hajj?
The Hajj begins with Muslims circumambulating the Kaaba in Mecca seven times in a counter-clockwise direction while offering prayers. They then walk between two hills in a reenactment of Hagar’s search for water for her son Ishmael, a story that occurs in various forms in Muslim, Christian, and Jewish traditions. It all takes place inside Mecca’s Grand Mosque – the largest in the world – which includes the Kaaba and the Two Hills. ,
The next day, pilgrims head to Mount Arafat, about 20 kilometers (12 mi) east of Mecca, where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his last sermon. Here, they stand in prayer all day asking God for forgiveness of their sins, which is seen by many as the spiritual high point of the pilgrimage.
Around sunset, pilgrims walk or take a bus to an area called Muzdalifah, 9 kilometers (5.5 mi) west of Arafat. They pick up pebbles the next day to symbolically stone the devil in the valley of Mina, where Muslims believe Ibrahim was tempted to ignore God’s order to sacrifice his son.
Pilgrims stay several nights at Mina, one of the largest tented camps in the world. The pilgrimage ends with a final circumambulation of the Kaaba and the casting of stones at Mina. Men often shave their heads and women cut a tuft of hair, a sign of renewal.
Many will assume the title of “Hajj” or “Hajja” – a great honor, especially in more traditional communities. Some people paint murals on their homes with images of aeroplanes, ships and the Kaaba to commemorate the visit.
The final days of the Hajj coincide with Eid al-Adha or the Festival of the Sacrifice, a joyous occasion celebrated by Muslims around the world commemorating Ibrahim’s test of faith. During the three-day Eid, Muslims slaughter animals and distribute their meat among the poor.
Follow us for more lifestyle news Instagram , Twitter , Facebook And don’t miss the latest updates!