7th Dhu-el-Hijja
DAY 7: when I woke up this morning, the sun was shining; it was hot, dry and dusty. I had some breakfast and although it was very different from back home it was tasty all the same. I got dressed into my ihram clothes and performed Wudu. This is to ensure that my body is clean before I pray and perform my Hajj duties. The hotel was quite near Mecca, so we left to go the great mosque where I will be circling the Kaaba. A main part of performing Hajj is to circle the Kaaba seven times. When we neared the mosque, I was in total awe of the whole place. There were so many people there and they were all wearing white. My brother and I then circled the Kaaba seven times and was breath- taking to say the least. I found it slightly difficult because it was extremely hot. I must have drunk at least three bottles of water while performing Tawaf (this is what circling the Kaaba is called). The immense heat made me feel totally exhausted but after carrying out my Tawaf duties I had to carry out my duties of Sa’y. Sa'y means to run but in practise people usually walk briskly between the two hills Safa and Marwa. They do seven lengths in remembrance of Hajera (Hagor). She ran madly between these two hills when her baby son, Ishmael was crying for water. Pilgrims like me, run between these two hills in remembrance of Hajera’s tribulation. In my religion, Islam, the Kaaba is the first place of worship. It was destroyed in the first great flood of Noah and later on it was rebuilt by Ibrahim and his son Ishmael. Circling the Kaaba symbolises that our whole life revolves around God. The distance between the two hills of Safa and Marwa is 460 yards but many people die while carrying out Sa’y.
8th Dhu-el-Hijja
Day 8: today I had to wake up really early because I had to do everything that I did yesterday and more. I got up and like usual it was a glorious morning. I had a shower and performed Wudu. We then made our way to the mosque in Mecca so we could circle the Kaaba again. It is very different from England, here, as there is a very big sense of community and the atmosphere is very religious. I circled the Kaaba in my ihram clothes and I went round it in an anti-clockwise direction which meant that the Kaaba was always to my left. I tried to touch the sacred black stone, and was lucky enough to do so, because there is always a very big crowd here, as everyone is trying to touch or kiss it. Muslims believe that the black stone represents the right hand of Allah, to whom they are showing their loyalty. After Tawaf my brother and I made our way to the holy well of ZamZam. According to ancient story this is where Hajera found water for her Ishmael. We were given some of this rich mineral water to quench our thirst. The water was brilliant because the heat was getting almost unbearable and the water managed to help cool me down a little. After drinking the ZamZam water, I ran between the two hills of Safa and Marwa. I could feel that I was hot and tired but there was something that kept me going. I noticed that there was a special aisle for elderly and disabled people. I thought that this was very thoughtful as it was evident that the aisle was helping many people. Everything was really spiritual; everyone was either talking in Arabic or praying. We left soon after as we had to reach the town of Mina before the noon prayers. I took some water from the ZamZam well so that the experience would always be with me. Mina is only a few kilometres away from Mecca but the journey took long because there were so many people travelling. My brother and I travelled by car with some friends, but many people made the journey by foot while others travelled on donkeys and camels in the scorching heat. No matter how difficult the journey may have been all the pilgrims arrived safely to spend the night in Mina.
9th Dhu-el-Hijja
Day 9: today I woke up in my hotel room in Mina. I was exhausted after yesterday’s journey so I slept till late. We left the town of Mina after sunrise and travelled north to the town of Arafat. We are going to Mount Arafat as this is where Muhammad gave his farewell talk Muslims and also where Abraham took Ishmael to be sacrificed. Many other pilgrims that I was talking to said that this was the “climax” of Hajj. Thousand of pilgrims were gathered in the valley of Arafat before noon. When I got there, I was shocked at the sight before me; the valley of Arafat was gigantic. It was apparent that before we got to Arafat, worker and guides organized by the Saudi Arabian government had pitched up thousands of tents in the valley. It was a breath-taking sight that could not only be seen but felt as well. When I first got to Arafat I just stood there beside my brother for a few moments and took it all in. My heart was filled with appreciation; the government was kind enough to consider our comfort. Mount Arafat is the high point of Hajj; I concentrated on my sins and prayed for forgiveness. Soon after there was a still and strong silence that could have been cut with a knife, the pilgrims were all praying and meditating. There were so many people, Muslims from every part of the world were at peace with each other and united in praying for the forgiveness of God. I feel that what the prophet Muhammad said was very true:
“The best of prayers is the prayer on the day of Arafat”
It is here that Abraham took his son Ishmael to be sacrificed for Allah. This was a test of loyalty. I prayed continuously for 3 – 4 hours and after sunset, we set off travelling again. Like before we were sharing a car with some fellow pilgrims but other pilgrims were in buses or on foot. We were all on our way to Muzdallifah. On the way to Muzdallifah many pilgrims were chanting prayers. Once at Muzdallifah I carried out my Wudu and did my evening prayers. After the prayers my brother and I had to gather some pebbles to throw at the pillars in Mina. After we had gathered the pebbles we made our way into the desert where I read some more of the Quran:
“A person who recites the Qu’ran, and reads it fluently
will be in the company of the obedient and noble angels,
and he who reads the Qu’ran haltingly and with difficulty
will have a double recompense.”
(Bukharee Hajj)
Today everybody is going to sleep under the stars in the desert because it is part of the climax of Hajj. People were sitting huddled around fires for warmth, because it gets really cold at night. Some people were chatting with friends while many others were deep in prayer or sleeping. I was reading my Qu’ran because mum had given me strict orders to do so. I prayed to Allah so that I would be forgiven for any sins that I have committed.
10th Dhu-el-Hijja
Day 10: I did not sleep much last night, and this morning we had to leave Muzdallifah before sunrise. I was amazed at how much the temperatures vary because it got really very cold last night. We made our journey back to the small village of Mina. In this town there are three stone pillars that represent the devil Satan. These pillars mark the spot where the devil tried to persuade Ishmael to rebel against his father and refuse to be offered as a sacrifice to Allah. It is said that Ishmael drove off the devil with stones. In this way, I and other fellow Muslims also threw stones at the big pillar. The three pillars are in three different sizes, big, medium and small. After the first pillar had been stoned, many pilgrims including my brother and myself sacrificed a sheep. This is to remember Abraham’s sacrifice of a ram instead of his son. The killing of an animal is always seen as a sacrifice in Islam because it is believed that all life belongs to Allah. It is important that whenever an animal is killed, that prayers are offered over it. So while people were sacrificing their chosen animal they were also praying. This praying is what makes meat Halal. The meat of the animals slaughtered at Mina is shared amongst the poor and the pilgrims. This festival is known as Eid-ul-Adha and Muslims all over the world take part in it whether they are performing Hajj or not. The Hajj is now nearing an end but there are still some duties which need to be carried out. After the pillars have been stoned the men get their heads shaved and women get their hair trimmed. I removed my ihram and got my hair trimmed. I had a cold refreshing shower and we made our way back to Mecca. Here everyone performed Tawaf again.
11th Dhu-el-Hijja
Day 11: Today all the pilgrims stone all three pillars. I noticed today that as there are so many people trying to stone the pillars a lot of people were actually getting hurt by other people’s pebbles. I know that stones were not being thrown on purpose but I saw a couple of pilgrims that had been really badly injured.
12th Dhu-el-Hijja
Day 12: today I circled the Kaaba for the final time, and I don’t know why but I had tears in my eyes. I was very relaxed and prayed with all my heart. It was amazing today because even with the massive rush I managed to touch the sacred black stone for the second time in my Hajj. This has truly been a journey of lifetime that I will never ever forget.
7th March 2002
Well, I’m back at home now… but what a journey it was…magnificent. When I got to Heathrow, my family was there to meet me and my brother. When we got home though I was shocked, there were so many people. It is custom that people who have been on Hajj wait for people to call on them and people do, as it is considered to be a privilege to meet someone who has been on Hajj. I am now an al-hajjah and my brother is called an al-hajji. I unpacked in my room and gave everyone presents. Also everyone was given a couple of dates each which we had bought back and some holy water from the ZamZam well. It was a fun filled homecoming and I know that I will never ever forget my experience. I am religiously awakened and determined to be a good Muslim.
CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGE DIARY
Day 1: today I woke up really early so that I could get to the airport in time. My flight was due to depart at 8:45 but it was delayed and I ended up getting on to the plane at 10:50, the flight from London Heathrow to Jerusalem took about two hours. It feels really good to be in Jerusalem and it feels good because I am here by choice. In Christianity pilgrimage is not regarded as essential. My main aim is to try and relive the events in the last week of Jesus’ life. This means that my pilgrimage will start at the top of the Mount of Olives. But today I am quite tired from my journey so I am just staying in a hotel near the airport. The hotel room is really comfy and the bed is calling my name so I am just going to sleep and take advantage of my spare time.
Day 2: today I made my way to the little village of Bethany, and I found that it is very traditional. I spent a few hours in this little village as this is where Jesus borrowed a donkey for his ride to the city. I could imagine all the crowds of people shouting with joy, as they believed that he was the messiah. I then carried on walking to the summit of the Mount of Olives. The view was picturesque and the whole city could be seen. My next stop was magnificent church called The Church of Dominus Flevit. There was a shop nearby and I picked up some tourist information there. One of the leaflets told me that dominus Flevit is the Latin term for the lord wept. I went inside the church and in the little window behind the altar you could see the old city gleaming under the warm sun. Here I thought of Jesus weeping for the city in his time. I said a quite prayer and then left.
Day 3: today I went up into the city through St. Stephen’s gate, the golden gate through which Jesus would have gone through has been bricked up sine the time of the crusades. I went to the temple mount which is now holy place for Muslims, but in Jesus’ time there was a Jewish temple where a great mosque now stands. At every sacred place that we visited it my aim to pray and here I prayed for strength to stand out against evil. I spent the rest of the day wandering around the city and I found that it is a beautiful place that is both peaceful and serene. Food here is really nice we went to a traditional restaurant for dinner and the food was lush.
Day 4: today I am going to relive the day of the last supper. No one knows exactly where it took place but earlier Christians wanted somewhere to commemorate this event. An important place now that marks this event is the Cenacle. I went to see the cenacle and was surprised at how different it was to what I expected it to be. I had imagined that it would have been a small upper room in a humble home but this was quite different. It was a large upper room, reached by a steep narrow, flight of stairs. It was just a large empty room with a roof supported by ornate pillars and it was no older than the fourteenth century CE. Many people believe that visiting a place that has no direct connection to Jesus is not worth visiting but the Cenacle is such a place that although it is unlikely that the last supper would have taken place in such a grand room, one can still imagine it to do so. While I was in the Cenacle it occurred to me how nice it would have been to celebrate Holy communion in such a wonderful holy place, but I later found out that no such services were allowed to take place.
Day 5: Today I visited the Garden of Gethsemane. While I was making my journey to the garden I was very aware of how Jesus must have felt when going to the garden after the last supper, knowing that before the evening would end that he was going to get arrested. The garden was stunning, there were very old olive trees, and it was a pleasant and quite place. I imagine that it would have been quite different in those days, but today there is a fine church by it known as the church of agony. It is called the church of agony because it is believed that here is where Jesus agonized in prayer, asking God to spare him from the ordeal which lay ahead. This church is also sometimes referred to as the church of all nations, because when it was built in 1924, many nations contributed to the cost. The new church is obviously built over a much earlier one. The altar inside the church stands behind a large square of rough rock, believed to be where Jesus prayed. I was lucky because when I was at the church there was service for pilgrims. Out in the garden there were two very thoughtful sculptures which made me think a great deal about how Jesus must have felt. One was of Jesus praying and the other was of him being taken away by his enemies. I stood there for some time just imagining how lonely Jesus must have felt.
Day 6: today I followed the ‘way of the cross’ or the Via Dolorosa. This has been followed by Christian pilgrims for centuries. It is marked by the 14 so called Stations of the Cross. These stations mark events involving Jesus on his way to the place of crucifixion. Not all the stations are mentioned in the holy bible but they are all very intriguing places.
The first station is where the roman fortress stood and it is thought that Jesus was brought here before Pontius Pilate and condemned. However today all it is is the playground of a Palestinian school.
The second station is under an arch on the Via Dolorosa, known as the Ecce Homo Arch. The significance of this place is that it was here that Jesus was given the cross to carry.
The third station is outside a small chapel and tradition say that it was here that Jesus fell for the first time under the weight of the cross.
The fourth station is near another little chapel and it is alleged it was here that Jesus met his mother while carrying the cross.
The fifth station reminds pilgrims of the spot where the soldiers forced another man (Simon from Cyrene) to carry the cross for Jesus.
The sixth station is at a simple chapel, where a woman, (Veronica) is said to have wiped sweat from Jesus’ face. Legend has it that the handkerchief that was used became permanently imprinted with the image of his face.
The seventh station is marked by a pillar and it marks the second time Jesus fell under the weight of the cross on his way to crucifixion.
The eighth station is marked by a small cross engraved on the wall, with words in Greek that mean ‘Jesus is the Victor’. This commemorates Jesus telling the women of Jerusalem that they should not weep for him.
The ninth station marked by the entrance to a church that is looked after by Ethiopian monks, also marks where Jesus fell.
The rest of the stations are at the church of the Holy Sepulchre. To many Christians this is the most holy place to which they can ever come. And I have to admit that there was something it amazing about it. The church is divided between six different Christian communities, so there are many different chapels inside it.
The tenth station is a little square outside the church, which reminds the pilgrims of Jesus being stripped of his garments before being put on the cross.
The eleventh station is reached by climbing stairs inside the church to where there are two little chapels. The first chapel is known as the Latin Chapel of Cavalry, here pilgrims think of Jesus being nailed to the cross. There is a mosaic on the wall which shows the scene.
The second chapel is the Greek Orthodox Chapel of Cavalry and this is the twelfth station of the cross it shows the traditional scene of crucifixion.
The thirteenth station is reached by going down the stairs again to where there is a slab of marble, decorated with lamps hanging from the canopy above it. Christians commemorate the anointing of Jesus’ body at this place. The final fourteenth station of the cross is at the Holy Sepulchre itself. This is like a little stone house in the middle of the church; it covers a carefully preserved tomb. The tomb in which the body of Jesus was laid.
It was a totally fascinating walk, thought the narrow busy streets. It was definitely a spiritual experience that I will never forget.
Tonight I can look back and think that the Holy Sepulchre made me think a lot about the resurrection of Jesus.
Day 7: today I visited the Garden Tomb, which lies just outside the present walls of the old city. Inside an entrance that you would close by rolling a large stone in front of lies a tomb cut out of rock. Standing at the Garden Tomb is an experience never to be forgotten, for it simple and it fits the image that one has always had in mind of the burial place. I found it easier to pry at the Garden Tomb compared to the Holy Sepulchre.
Making this pilgrimage has not just left me with memories but a very important experience of visiting and praying at these holy places. It has strengthened my faith and made more determined to be a better Christian. It was definitely the journey of a lifetime and an awe-inspiring spiritual experience.
RS2 – why do pilgrims consider pilgrimage to be an important journey and how does it affect the social and religious life of a pilgrim before and after pilgrimage.
The pilgrimage of Hajj is considered to be very important in Islam, one of the reasons for this being that Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. The five pillars of Islam form the foundations of Islam and all Muslims adhere to live by them. There are verses in the Quran that advise people to perform Hajj. There is a very special religious element to this journey. The Kaaba in Mecca is believed to be the house of God and many Muslims feel privileged to be able to visit it. Hajj aims to make people more religiously aware and it demonstrates that no matter what age, sex, race or colour you are, everybody is equal in the eyes of Allah. It brings to light the unity of the religion. Also some Muslims believe that performing Hajj will wipe away their sins. While on Hajj Muslims refrain form swearing, and sex to show that they are focused on nothing but Islam. Hajj is a spiritual and distinctive journey:
“o God, I intend to make Hajj, and I am taking ihram for it. Make it easy for me and accept from me.”
Another why Hajj is so important to Muslims is that the route of the Hajj is said to follow that taken by the Prophet, so the hajji or hajjah returns, conscious that not only the most difficult pillar of Islam and command of God has been obeyed but that he or she has followed in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad.
Having completed Hajj people return, and make more effort to be religious people. They try to follow as many requirements of Islam that they can and have a less materialistic view on life.
Pilgrimage means different things to different people and whilst Islam makes pilgrimage necessary, in Christianity people make pilgrimage out of their own free will.
Pilgrimage can have a number of different effects on a pilgrim that can change the person both socially and morally. They may start to think and behave differently. Many people become more religious, for example Muslims may try harder to pray five times a day. Spiritually people may change their outlook on issues like life, marriage and death. Sometimes after pilgrimage people tend to become more secluded socially, this may be because they are now more focused on religion or may be because their priorities have changed.
Sometimes before people go on a pilgrimage they do not know much about their religion, this happens more in countries where that particular religious community is in the minority. Being the minority means that, people may not be able to learn and practise their religion as much as they would be able to in a country where the religion is in the majority. Going on a pilgrimage, especially one like Hajj may give the pilgrim an opportunity to learn more about their religion and it also gives them the chance to meet new people that share the same faith.
Pilgrimage gives the pilgrim a deep and spiritual experience. Whilst on pilgrimage they gain an insight into the equality which all human beings share whether they are rich or poor, it also enables them to understand the deeper meaning behind the spirit of companionship as there is rarely violence on pilgrimage. Another people who are going through troubling times may find that going on a pilgrimage could spiritual strength and comfort.
RS3 – explain why some people consider pilgrimage to be important where as others do not.
There are a number of reasons why people consider pilgrimage to be important. Reasons include things like the religion may have had its roots in that place or a special religious event may have taken place there and some people may believe that visiting these places would help them understand and get closer to their religion. Some people may also have personal reasons as to why they must make a pilgrimage. Sometimes it may also be the case that some place of pilgrimage may be special in that there may be something miraculous there and people may think that visiting these places would mean that they may get blessed etc.
However people also have their reasons as to why they think that pilgrimage is unimportant, and as everyone is entitled to their own views and opinions, no one can disrespect or say that people who do not believe in pilgrimage are immoral and wrong. Individuals may find pilgrimage unnecessary because they may believe that god is what they believe it to be with their heart and soul and that visiting various places around the world has no significance. Other individuals may trust that special places do not need to be visited and that any communication they have with god should be thorough the heart.
There may also be situations where circumstances have made the person consider pilgrimage irrelevant. The may not have enough money to make the journey or they may not have enough time. The appreciation of pilgrimage also depends on the strength of one belief, because if someone is very religious then they would make an extra effort to try and visit as many religious locations as they can whereas someone with a limited belief is likely to visit main places (like Mecca for Islam).
A different amount of emphasis is placed on pilgrimage in different religions and this can also influence the value of pilgrimage to people. For instance in Islam, Pilgrimage to Mecca being one of the five pillars of the religion make Hajj an aim that many people want and try to achieve. It is likely that many Muslims will consider Hajj to be very important as in Islam this once in a lifetime pilgrimage is a substantial base of the religion. Another reason why Muslims believe pilgrimage to be important is that there is constant reference to the Hajj in the Islamic Holy Scriptures and the advantages of making this journey are also made known to the person as well as the consequence of not performing Hajj. This could make Muslims feel obliged to make the pilgrimage.
However in religions like Christianity where the will to perform pilgrimage is left to the individual, only some individuals will make a pilgrimage to one of the many sacred Christian places. The reasons for this may include aspects like more people may believe that religion is a personal belief and that it is not necessary for them to make a journey to prove that they are good practising Christians. Another reason which could affect the number of people making pilgrimages is that Christianity is a religion that is split in to many different branches and so everyone has slightly different beliefs and this could mean that people may make pilgrimage to different places.
Many people see life as a pilgrimage, as they believe that it is a journey with a purpose, passing through various different experiences from birth until death. Some people make the pilgrimage of life simply by living their life whereas other people will make religious pilgrimages as well. No matter what views an individual holds, they have the right to that view and the free will of choice to do as they please.
Bhavika Patel 11DB Religious Studies Coursework
