culture gather together inMecca and stand before the Kaaba praising
Allah together.
It is a ritual that is designed to promote the bonds of Islamic
brotherhood and sisterhood by showing that everyone is equal in the
eyes of Allah.
The Hajj makes Muslims feel real importance of lifehere on earth, and
the afterlife, by stripping away all markers of social status, wealth,
and pride. In the Hajj all are truly equal.
The Hajjis or pilgrims wear simple white clothescalled Ihram. During
the Hajj the Pilgrims perform acts of worship and they renew their
sense of purpose in the world.
Mecca is a place that is holy to all Muslims. It is soholy that no
non-Muslim is allowed to enter.
For Muslims, the Hajj is the fifth and final pillar of Islam . It
occurs in the month of Dhul Hijjah which is the twelfth month of the
Islamic lunar calendar. It is the journey that every sane adult Muslim
must undertake at least once intheir lives if they can afford it and
are physically able.
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History
History of the Hajj
Four thousand years ago the valley of Mecca was a dry and uninhabited place.
Muslims believe the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) was instructed to bring
his wife, Hajira (Hagar) and their child Is'mail to Arabia from
Palestine to protect them from the jealousy of Ibrahim's first wife
Sarah.
Allah told the Prophet Ibrahim to leave them on their own, and he did
so, with some supplies of food and water. However the supplies quickly
ran out and within a few daysHajira and Is'mail were suffering from
hunger anddehydration.
In her desperation Hajira ran up and down two hillscalled Safa and
Marwa trying to see if she could spot any help in the distance.
Finally she collapsed beside Is'mail and prayed to Allah for
deliverance.
Is'mail struck his foot on the ground and this caused a spring of
water to gush forth from the earth. Hajira and Is'mail were saved. Now
they had a secure water supplythey were able to trade water with
passing nomads for food and supplies.
After a while the Prophet Ibrahim returned from Palestine to check on
his family and was amazed tosee them running a profitable well.
The Prophet Ibrahim was told by Allah to build a shrine dedicated to
him. Ibrahim and Is'mail constructed a small stone structure - the
Kaaba or Cube - which was to be the gathering place for all who wished
to strengthen their faith in Allah.
As the years passed Is'mail was blessed with Prophethood and he
gavethe nomads of the desert the message of surrender to Allah.
After many centuries, Mecca became a thriving city thanks to its
reliable water source, the well of Zam Zam.
Gradually, the people began to adopt polytheistic ideas, and worship
spirits and many different gods. The shrine of the Prophet Ibrahim was
used to store idols.
After many years, Allah told the Prophet Muhammed that he should
restore the Kaaba to the worship of Allah only.
In the year 628 the Prophet Muhammed set out on a journey with 1400 of
his followers. Thiswas the first pilgrimage inIslam, and would
re-establish the religious traditions of the Prophet Ibrahim.
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