During Hajj all Muslims have to understand that your all equal, nobody is richer or poorer, better or worse. And to show you are all equal you all wear the same clothes a simple clothing called Ihram. Its really a state of mind you cant think any worse or look down at anybody because while on Hajj your all equal and the same. This what brings every body together and help them work and co-operate as a team. Woman cover all their body accept faces, hands and feet.
While performing pilgrimage pilgrims have to follow simple rules. They are not allowed to harm any wildlife or growth of any plants in the sacred garden. They are also not allowed to trim nails or hair.
Muslims come on pilgrimage between 8th and 13th of the twelfth month on the Islamic calendar; this is called Dhul hijjah in Arabic. If they come on pilgrimage at any other time then this pilgrimage is known as the lesser pilgrimage or Umrah. The rituals of hajj will take about five days but can be completed in three.
While Muslims are on Hajj they have to visit the Ka'ba which is mainly the first place a Muslim will visit when they arrive in Makkah. The Ka'ba is a cubic building built by prophet Ibrahim and his eldest son Ishmael. The Ka'ba is a place of worship and prayer to Allah, the big tall cubic building has a large black cloth dragged over the Ka'ba and throughout the year this black cloth is hung over the Ka'ba. And at the end of Hajj each pilgrim gets a piece to remind them of this special journey to Makkah.
In the Eastern corner of the Ka'ba is the Blackstone. While on Hajj pilgrims kiss or touch the Blackstone.
So basically Hajj is all about following in the footsteps of Mohammed and bring them self closer to god.
This is my coursework on what is Hajj?
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A02
Christian pilgrims go on a pilgrimage to see or to imagine how Jesus and other people may have lived long time ago. An example of this would be Bethlehem that I wrote about in part A but also Jerusalem where Jesus spent the last weeks of his life and where he died. Christians feel they are walking in Jesus' footsteps and often feel that they have felt closer to him especially in places like the quiet Gardens of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed the night before he died.
Christian pilgrims go on a pilgrimage to ask for forgiveness for the sins they may have committed or to ask for guidance in what they might want to do in the near future.
Some pilgrims go on a pilgrimage to thank God for the good things that he may have brought to them or they're family. Paying a lot of money to go on a pilgrimage may be a way how other Christians may think it's a way of showing they're trust and love and to show how committed they are to God. Others may want to strengthen their faith or belief in Jesus or God and to show how much they are willing to do anything for him.
Healing the disabled is another reason for Christian pilgrimage to go to a holy place and ask Jesus to heal them from what they are suffering from. Lourdes in France is an important place for this type of pilgrimage because of the vision that was experienced by Bernadette. While she was gathering firewood with her sister and a friend she saw a vision of the Virgin Mary in a Grotto. She claimed that the beautiful lady asked her to return to the Grotto every day for fifteen days. Bernadette's credibility was increased when her lady instructed her to dig in the ground with her hands which resulted in the discovery of an underground spring. The water was soon found to have healing powers and the Grotto at Lourdes became a heaven for the sick and the afflicted from all over the world.
Some Christians go on a pilgrimage to ask for help and guidance from God. Many Christians may go on a pilgrimage expecting that they would come back as a changed person but sometimes they may not come back different because if a person is not prepared to change nothing can be changed but if he is willing to committ him or her self to God they may change. However some Christians do come back changed and committed to God and they may have learned a lot about their faith.
Christians may also go on a pilgrimage to show their devotion to God as a Christian. Others go on pilgrimages to ask for forgiveness from God on some thing wrong that they may have done in their lives. Some Christians may even go on a pilgrimage to pray for to other's that might be ill or having problems in their lives or to ask God to guide them it what they may want to do
As a changed Christian they may they may be more involved in their local church and in other church activities or take part in charities .Some Christians may even come back and change their job to be more involved with the local church or even become a priest or vicar. Being baptised and confirmed may be the first thing to be done after going on a pilgrimage and coming back a change person to show how much they are committed to God. Some Christians may learn a lot and may get closer to God as a result of the pilgrimage. Christians could go on a pilgrimage to feel apart of the Christian family by sharing with others the knowledge that others may not have and expressing their thoughts and views on Christianity.
Protestant Christians feel that there is no need to go on a pilgrimage as the Roman Catholic Christians do but they belive that Jesus is every where and can be thanked or asked for guidance in your local church or even from home and there is no need for spending a lot of money going to far away places to feel closer to God. The Roman Catholic Christians feel that spending a lot of money on a pilgrimage and giving up some time to go shows the determination on a christian that he/she is willing to get closer to God and to learn more about there faith.
A03
I agree that there are more important things for a Christian to spend a lot of money on than to go on a pilgrimage. Christians could use the money to help the disabled and the poor.
Christians may think that going on a pilgrimage could make them feel closer to God but there are a lot of ways a person could feel closer to God like reading the bible taking part in your local church and activities that take part around the community.Praying at home could also make you feel closer to God. Helping the poor, the disabled and those who are in need of help could make you feel closer to God.
However there are some Christians who think going to the place where Jesus was born, lived and died will make them feel closer and even more committed but God is every were and can be worshiped from anywhere even reading a bible at home is a way to feel closer to God and become even more committed. Christians may want to show God that they are willing to try and be more committed by paying a lot of money to go on a pilgrimage.
Although to some Christians it may have a deep effect on their lives and they may feel that they have developed in their spiritual lives as a result of the pilgrimage.
Changing their lives after a pilgrimage to a Christian is very important because it will show that the pilgrimage has taken a deep effect on the person spiritual faith in Jesus.
Christians may go on a pilgrimage to be healed and they may come back healed and to show how thankful they are they may change their lives and devote them selves to God and will try to keep the promise they may have made during the time they were confirmed.
