On the first day of hajj, the pilgrims go to the great mosque (the Ka’ba) it is situated in Makkah and according to Islam it is the centre of the world. Muslims perform the salat (prayer) inside; they then walk around it seven times.
During the second day, the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, pilgrim’s head for the
Plain of Arafat, at the time of hajj the plain becomes a city of tents. The pilgrims usually arrive around midday; they must remain in Arafat for at least six hours. The action during this day is simply called wuquuf, “the standing” and when the sun sets behind the western hills, the idafa starts. The idafa is the running to Muzdalifa. The two last prayers are performed here, and then the pilgrims spend the night. Some of them then go to the Mount of Mercy, where the prophet Muhammad delivered his unforgettable farewell sermon. Just after sunset, the tremendous masses of pilgrims proceed to Muzadalifah, which is an open plain approximately halfway between “Arafat and Mina.” It is here where they will first pray and then collect seven small pebbles to use on the following days of the pilgrimage.
Before daybreak on the third day the pilgrims move to Mina, it is there where they throw the pebbles they collected previously from Arafat at white pillars.
Following the throwing or casting of the pebbles, most pilgrims sacrifice a sheep, goat or some other animal. They then give the meat to the poor later on; in some cases they keep a small portion for themselves.
Many men either shave their heads or clip their hair whilst women may cut off a symbolic lock if they choose. This is done whilst facing the Ka’ba. When this is complete the pilgrim has finished a major part of the hajj, they are now allowed to shed their Ihram and put on everyday clothes and the pilgrim or hajjiyy is no longer a mihram (the one that had the holy purity of the Ihram) On this day muslims around the world share the happiness the pilgrims feel and join them by performing identical individual sacrifices in a worldwide celebration of “Id al-Adha”, the “Festival of Sacrifice.”
It is now custom at this point to journey through Mina returning to Makkah for another essential right of the hajj: the tawaff, the seven- fold circling of the Ka’ba, with a prayer recited during circuiting. Whilst making their circuits some Muslims choose to kiss or touch the Black Stone. After completing the tawaf, pilgrims then pray at the Station of Abraham, and then they drink the water of Zamzam.
Another and sometimes final right a pilgrim may accomplish is the sa’y, or the “running.” They now return to Mina, where they stay up to the 12th or 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah. There they throw their remaining pebbles at each of the pillars, they then take leave of the friends they have made during the Hajj before leaving Makkah, however pilgrims usually make a final tawaf round the Ka’ba to bid farewell to the holy city.
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On the first day of hajj the pilgrims generally spend their time meditating and preying, as this is what the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) did on his pilgrimage.
The pilgrims congregate at the plain of Arafat, there they stance and gather as this reminds them of the Day of judgement. Muslims believe that there is a Day of Judgement when all people of the world throughout history of mankind till the last day of life on earth are to be brought for accounting, reward or punishment.
Some pilgrims go to the Mount of mercy, as it is where Muhammad performed his last sermon. These are emotionally charged hours, which the pilgrims spend in worship and supplication. Many shed tears as they ask God to forgive them, on the sacred spot, they reach culmination of their religious lives, as they believe they feel the presence and closeness of a merciful God. (Allah)
The prophet is reported to have asked God to pardon the sins of pilgrims who “stood” at Arafat and was granted his wish. This is why pilgrims prepare to leave the plain joyfully, feeling reborn without sin intending to turn over a new leaf.
In Mina the pilgrims cast seven white stones at white pillars, to remember the story of Satan’s attempt to persuade Abraham to disregard God’s command to sacrifice his son. Abraham was told to sacrifice his son Ishmael, he takes him to the top of a hill and lays him down on the alter, he then lifts the knife up ready to kill him, but God stops him as it was just a test for him to see if he was committed enough to his faith. There was a goat in the bush so God told Abraham to sacrifice the goat instead. Abraham and Ishmael then went back down the hill home.
Throwing the pebbles is symbolic of humans’ attempt to cast away evil, not once but seven times – this number symbolises infinity. Pilgrims then sacrifice an animal; this rite is associated with Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son in accordance with God’s wish. It symbolises the Muslim’s willingness to part with what is precious to him, and reminds them of the spirit of Islam, in which submission to Allah’s will plays a leading role. This act also reminds the pilgrim to share worldly goods with those who are less fortunate, and serves as an offer of thanksgiving to God.
The pilgrims choose to cut or shave their hair to mark their deconsecration. This is done as a symbol of humility.
The Muslim’s circumambulation of the Ka’ba symbolises God’s oneness and implies that all human activity must have God as its centre. It is also a symbol of God and man. As the Muslims walk around the Ka’ba some may choose to kiss the black stone. This oval stone first mounted in a silver frame late in the seventh century, has a special place in the hearts of Muslims, as, according to some traditions, it is the sole remnant of the original structure built by Abraham and Ishmael. But perhaps the single most important reason for kissing the stone is because the prophet Muhammad did so.
The sa’y, or the “running” is a re-enactment of a memorable episode in the life of Hagar, who was taken into what the Qur’an call the “uncultivable valley” of Makkah, with her infant son Ishmael, to settle there. The sa’y commemorates Hagar’s frantic search for water to quench Ishmael’s thirst. She ran back and forth seven times between two rocky hillocks, “al-Safa” and “al-Marwah”, until she found the sacred water known as Zamzam. This water, which sprang forth miraculously under Ishmael’s tiny feet, is now enclosed in a marble chamber in the Ka’ba.
When the pilgrims return to Mina they throw the remaining pebbles at each of the pillars in the manner either practiced or approved by the Prophet.
Before or after going to Makkah, pilgrims may also take the opportunity provided by the hajj to visit the Prophet’s mosque in Madinah, the second holiest city in Islam. Here, the prophet lies buried in a simple grave under the green dome of the mosque. The visit to Madinah is not obligatory, as it is not part of the hajj but the city-, which welcomed Muhammad when he migrated there from Makkah.
