The Hajj Pilgrimage
Images courtesy of SPA, zamzam.com, Abdullah Shakoor
Circumambulate (v): to circle around a sacred object or idol on foot
Right now, more than 1 million people have converged on the holy city of Makkah (Mecca) in the west of Saudi Arabia, for the annual religious pilgrimage, Hajj.
So what exactly is Hajj?
A pilgrimage which follows a route Prophet Muhammad walked nearly 1,400 years ago and is believed to trace the footsteps of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail.
This year, 850,000 pilgrims from abroad are expected to join the locals for the first time in two years due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions in 2020 & 2021 limiting the pilgrimage to Saudis only.
Taking part in the six-day ritual at least once in their lifetime is an obligation for all Muslims around the world, both men and women, who are physically and financially able to do so. It is a time when Muslims dedicate their very being to God.
Pilgrims wear special clothing during the ritual. Men wear two white cloths, one around the waist, the other across the right shoulder, while women wear a simple white dress and are not permitted to cover their face. The purpose of such simple clothing is to ensure all pilgrims are dressed the same, can focus on their journey and not be distracted by wealth or social status.
While performing Hajj people from all backgrounds, irrespective of culture standing, wealth, ethnicity or job are deemed to be equal. It is not uncommon to see images of royalty draped in the Ihram and wearing a pair of sandals walking alongside ordinary men and women.
After entering the city of Makkah, pilgrims circle the Kaaba (a cube-like structure located in the Grand Mosque) seven times in a counter-clockwise direction before heading to the hills of Safa and Marwa, where they walk back and forth between the two hills, seven times.
Pilgrims then walk to an area about 5km away, where they will spend the day in prayer, resting ahead of the following day’s 20km journey to Mt. Arafat. While on the mount they will devote the day to prayer until sunset, then head down to Muzdalifah for night prayers, where they will collect pebbles no larger than the size of a fingertip ahead of the stoning ritual on the next day.
On the third day, pilgrims stone the pillar called Jamarat Al-Aqabah, a place where the Prophet Ibrahim threw seven pebbles at the devil. After doing so, pilgrims change from their Hajj clothing and men cut or shave their heads, while women cut a fingertip’s length of hair.
For the next three days pilgrims stay in Mina and perform the stoning of two other pillars, Al-Jamarah Al-Wusta and Al-Jamarah Al-Sughra.
Saudi Arabia’s authorities undergo major planning every year to manage the mass gathering. Thousands of volunteers, military, law enforcement, and health personnel are on the ground to assist pilgrims in what many believe is their sacred duty to serve the guests of God in the holiest and most sacred of journeys for a Muslim.
This year, Saudi scouts have been assigned to assist elderly pilgrims in moving around the holy sites to perform the Hajj rituals.
