Facts about Hajj
Today many pilgrims buy a sacrifice voucher in Mecca before the greater hajj begins; this allows an animal to be slaughtered in their name on the tenth without the pilgrim being physically present.
There have been many incidents during the hajj that have led to the loss of hundreds of lives.
The hajj is an ancient ritual that many of the faithful believe dates back to the time of Abraham in 2000 B.C.E.
On the hajj, Muslims take part in a rite of passage of truly epic proportions.
The ritual framework of the hajj in its entirety acts to elicit a sense of sacred time among its participants.
On the first day of the hajj, the eighth day of Dhul Hijjah {the twelfth month}, the pilgrims perform their first Tawaf.
The imputed Abrahamic origins of the hajj ceremonies contribute a deeper, complimentary layer of symbolism that serves to underpin Muhammad's treatment of the hajj as a monotheistic ritual.
The sermon he delivered on the Mount of Mercy, at Arafat, and his removal of all pagan idols from the Ka'bah in Mecca are recollected annually during the hajj ceremonies.
Before departing for Mecca, the future pilgrim is required to make an invocation, known as the talbiyah, which commemorates their intentions to participate in the hajj.
The hajj was already an ancient ritual in the time of Muhammad (seventh century C.E.).
Gerald Hawting, in the Encyclopedia of the Qur'an, notes that it is simply inadequate to translate hajj as "pilgrimage," given the functional and experiential nuances particular to the two.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj has a website, with the message, "Be peaceful, orderly and kind.
The sermon he delivered on the Mount of Mercy, at Arafat, and his removal of all pagan idols from the Ka'bah in Mecca are recollected annually during the hajj ceremonies.
The umrah comprises the same rituals as the hajj, and can be taken at any time throughout the year.
The hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, an obligation that must be met at least once by every able-bodied Muslim, with exceptions made for those who are prevented by financial or medical concerns.
The hajj (Arabic: ??, transliterated ?a??; "greater pilgrimage") is the Islamic rite of pilgrimage in Mecca, the city in Saudi Arabia containing the religion's holiest site, the Masjid al-Haram.
At present, the hajj, in addition to its inestimable religious significance, is also a tremendous engine of economic redistribution, as it annually brings Muslims from the four corners of the globe back to Saudi Arabia.
Forever after, a photograph of the Kabaa reminds the former pilgrim of the intensity of the experience of Hajj, rather as a photograph of a small child warms the heart of its grandparent.