Muslims might take part in Hajj to become closer to Allah and to fulfil their fifth pillar of their religion. There is a lot of planning to do with going on Hajj because firstly you have to be spiritually ready which means that you must be strong enough in your mind to cope with all the religious stress involved due to you beginning to fulfil your fifth pillar of Islam. You have to be ready to go on your Hajj and you also have to apply for a Hajj visa which you can only get hold of one if you are a Muslim, this is so that tourists can not just go as a spectator because this is a religious occasion. Once the Muslims have planned to go to Hajj they have to carry on with the other four pillars of Islam before there Hajj to show that they are committed to there religion. They then fly to Jiddah airport where they will arrive at the Hajj terminal where they will be greeted by a guide who will house them during Hajj and who will also look after them and show them around Mecca and take them all the way through there Hajj. Once they get to Mecca all the Muslims change into their Ihram which is two white cloths which are a sign of purity and equality which is also to show that they are ready and from that day until the end of there Hajj they are not allowed to cut their nails or shave. The following day the got to the Ka’ba where they walk around it seven times getting closer and closer each time and many Muslims try to touch it or try to kiss it as a sign of good luck whilst they are on their Hajj. They then walk between Safa and Marwa which are two small hills which are now enclosed under domes and joined by a walk way. They would then go on to the Zam Zam Well where they would take water to drink. This symbolises the truth that when all seems lost, God is still present, with healing and life from the soul. The Muslims will then spend the night at Mount Arafat in large white tents and there are over two million Muslims staying at this one camp site. The following day they stand before Allah at the mount of Mercy this is called Wuquf, where they are to stand in the hot sun for as long as they can where Allah will forgive all there sins, and if they are really lucky they might even have the chance to climb the mount of Mercy. The Muslims then camp overnight at Muzdalifah on there journey between Arafat and Mecca, here they pick 49 pebbles to hurl at the Pillars of Mina the following day. They have to walk from Muzdalifah to Mina where there are three pillars called Jameas where you throw your pebbles and you also have to sacrifice an animal. This is called Id – ul – Adha. The Muslims then make their ways back to the Ka’ba where they yet again walk around the Ka’ba seven times before taking off there Ibrams. Finally before all the Muslims leave Mecca all the men have there heads shaved and all the women have a few inches off there hair as a sign of purity and also to show that they have completed Hajj the fifth pillar of Islam.
The meaning and significance of Hajj for a Muslim all starts with the ihram which is the white cloths which Muslims wear whilst on hajj as a sign of purity which also shows that they are ready to perform the pilgrimage and also that they are equal in the eyes of Allah. This also shows that Muslims they are all equal and equality is a main part of the Hajj because in Allah’s eyes they are all equal. They are not allowed to wear any jewellery apart women are allowed to wear there wedding rings but yet again this is to show that they are equal before Allah. The Ummah is the world wide community of Muslims, the nation of Muslims. The Kabah also has probably the most meaning to Muslims and this is because this is what Adam was to believed to have built which is believed to be the first house of god on earth and it is many Muslims desire to visit the Kabah at least once in there life times. Once they have seen this holy shrine for the first time they feel astonished and I think that they may feel like they have butterflies in there stomachs which I would call a sickly feeling but in a good way so therefore they will be feeling inspired by what they are seeing. Muslims walk around the Kabah 7 times and this is called the Tawaf, when they walk around the Kabah they do this 3 times quickly and 4 times slowly getting closer and closer to the Kabah each time and this is showing that Allah is at the centre of their lives and that they are trying t get closer and closer to him. Then they go on to Safa and Marwa where Hagar and her son Ismail went, after her husband Abraham left her. Hagar frantically dashed between these two places searching for water and when she finally stopped Zam Zam well appeared before her She then realised what to do and this is what it was to put her faith in god.
Many of them then try to get to the mount of Mercy where they stand before Allah, they stand there for as long as they can and also when they are stood there they are constantly praying for gods forgiveness. Once staying at the mount of Mercy the following day they travel to Muzdalifah where they collect 49 pebbles ready to throw at the two pillars in mina the following day. They then spend the next four days in Mina where they throw there 49 pebbles at the pillars which they see as the devil and near the end of there four day journey comes Id- ul- Adha a festival, this consists of prayer at the mosque, then a family gathering which includes a sacrifice of either a sheep, chicken or a goat which is shared with the poor. They then make there way back to the Kabah for the last time on there Hajj where they yet again walk around it 7 times 3 times quick and 4 times slowly another name for the Kabah is the Baitullah which is covered by the Kiswah robe. The final part of the meaning and significance of the Hajj is the unfurling which happens at the end of Hajj. The unfurling is all about the Muslims that have completed the Hajj being reborn and purified this is done when the men have there heads shaved and the women have a few inches of there hairs this is to show that they have completed the Hajj and that they are now reborn.
The difficulties that there might be for a Muslim performing Hajj could be financial difficulties which could mean that they could not afford to go on Hajj leaving their loved ones behind. Their health might they might not be physically healthy to perform the Hajj. They might not be up to the social side of Hajj having to be around many millions of Muslims many of them without their companions. They might not also be able to stand the heat during Hajj due to them permanently being in the sun throughout the day. The difficulties that they might have to overcome whist travelling to and from the different sites of Hajj. They also have to find somewhere to stay and they also need to make sure that they have got enough food and water for the whole journey. And finally the biggest difficulty of going on Hajj would be the emotional stress which they will have t over come when they stand before Allah and also when they see all the holy buildings and people that they see whilst on Hajj.
Participating in Hajj might affect the Muslims lives in many ways because after the Hajj the Muslims will feel completely fulfilled knowing that they have completed the fifth pillar of Islam, this is very important to Muslim. This also renews the feeling of all Muslims being one big family, you will also feel stronger spiritually and this will make you closer to Allah. Once you have got back off Hajj when you are telling all your friends about Hajj more of your community will think more of you and also the children of your community may want to get more involved in there religion.
When reflecting on the statement ‘True pilgrimage is really a journey within’ there are several points of view we must reflect on. The way that I would describe/ reflect on this statement is that I would say that yes a true pilgrimage is really a journey within this is because I would say that even though you are physically going on a journey you are still going on the pilgrimage within because you have to prepare your self for the trip and also if it is the Hajj then you will have to be spiritually ready to complete the pilgrimage.
