In this essay I will select five rituals of hajj, describe them and their spiritual meanings for Muslim pilgrims. I will start of with Ihram.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Select and Describe 5 rituals of Hajj which will be of spiritual value to Muslim pilgrims

In this essay I will select five rituals of hajj, describe them and their spiritual meanings for Muslim pilgrims. I will start of with Ihram.

Ihram actually occurs just before Hajj. Being in the state of Ihram requires women to wear plain clothes and Men to wear two white sheets tied together. This is very uncomfortable. This is also showing modesty on the woman’s part. This also deters the possibility of any sexual distractions. Whilst in the state of Ihram men’s head’s must be uncovered whereas women must cover every part of their body with the exceptions of their hands, face and feet. As everyone is wearing the same it is uniting all the Muslim’s into one huge Ummah. It is also showing equality as everyone is wearing exactly the same regardless of status or color. This is also showing they are humble. The Ihram clothing that a Muslim wore on Hajj will be the clothes they are buried in. This is a reminder of death and will hopefully make the Muslims mind even more focused on getting into Jannet. No perfume or jewelry may be worn whilst in the state of Ihram as these would be a distraction. Every Muslim must perform wudu before being in the final state of Ihram. This is symbolizing a state of purity. The Hajji or Hajja must pray to reach the full state of Ihram. This focuses them on Allah. Ihram is not only a physical state but also a mental one. The Muslim must be calm, patient and basically be in the right state of mind for the Hajj. Doing all of this, shows a state of readiness and obedience as this is what Allah wants.

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The next ritual I will describe is Tawaf. The Tawaf marks the start of the Hajj. This requires the Muslim to circle around the Kab’ah 7 times. They circle the Kab’ah because it was the first house of prayer. It was built by Adam. Also, Ibrahim rebuilt it and prayed there. This will remind Muslims of Muslims passed and the prophets. On the last time around, the Muslim must kiss the black stone if they are close enough to it or raise their hand towards it. Also on their way around, the male Muslim’s must shout and the female Muslims must say the Talbiya. This is a statement similar to Tauhid. This reminds Muslim’s that there is only one God. The Muslim must pray whilst on his journey around the Kab’ah. This would bring them closer to God. As the Tawaf is a compulsory section of hajj, Mecca is packed full of Muslims. This would give the sense of unity and harmony. By performing Tawaf they are following the Sun’nah as Muhammad also did this upon his return to Mecca. This is the Direction all Muslims face when praying normally and performing Salah.

The next ritual is Sa’y. Whilst performing Sa’y, Muslims travel between the Safa and Marwa hills. On this journey, men must run and women must walk. This symbolizes Hajar’s search for water when her son was dying. She had faith in Allah when she returned. She was rewarded as at Ishmael’s feet was the spring Zam-Zam. This is telling Muslims to have faith and they will be rewarded with paradise. Also Hajar’s search for water symbolizes a Muslims search for true life. Again the Talbiya is said yet again with the rules of Men must shout this and the women must say it. This is emphasizing their meaning of their words. As there is so many Muslims on this part of the Hajj, there are special walkways for women with children. There is also a lane for the handicapped as these are carried in this lane because they cannot mobilize themselves. This is showing that everyone is included. Because of all the activity and the mass of people there are traffic lights and lanes for people similar to a Motorway with a fast lane and slow lane. This is so no one gets crushed. The Sa’y requires a lot of effort.

This ritual is known as the standing at Arafat. In this ritual of Hajj, people must stand on Mount Arafat for a day. During this time Muslim’s must beg for forgiveness of their sins. The heat is almost unbearable and during all of this the male member’s heads must still be uncovered. Some Muslims read verses of the Qu’ran as part of their prayer. As all the Muslims are there, there is a strong sense of unity throughout the Hajji’s and Hajja’s. This ritual is very difficult and lasts a long time. This is showing their loyalty to Allah if they will suffer and go through the pain. Muslims pray whilst on their stand. This is where a Muslim should feel closest to Allah. This is also the venue of Mohammed’s last sermon. This also acts as a reminder that he must have suffered too. This ritual is hot and difficult requires effort and endurance, which also shows the loyalty to Allah. The standing at Arafat is known as the holiest event a Muslim can be a part of. It is the point of acceptance or rejection for a Muslim. Also, when the day of judgement comes, this will be it’s venue. This is also where Allah reunited Adam and Eve. Yet again they are reminded of the prophets. Also whilst going through the pain of the stand they will feel a connection to Allah.

The final ritual I will describe is ‘The stoning at Mina’. Here, at Mina there are 3 pillars called Jamras. These represent the devil. The Muslims on Hajj throw stones at these pillars ‘releasing’ all their anger and Hatred with the devil. This is showing their resistance to temptation and their rejection of evil. This stoning occurs on different days ending with a total of 70 stones being thrown. This is the symbolic action of rededication to Allah. This is where Shaytan tried to tempt Ibrahim into not killing Ishmael but he had faith in Allah and rejected the evil. He was rewarded. Therefore this stoning of the devil shows obedience and submission to Allah. This is the fundamental belief in Islam.