People can only take part in the hajj if they are physically and mentally able to, such as the insane or the ill are not able to go. They take part as the hajj is one of the five pillars. The five pillars are very important in a Muslim faith it is a part of there submission to Allah, Muslims follow the five pillars which help them with the way they live there life and the unity of the Muslim community. The Five Pillars of Islam are also the five obligations that every Muslim must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life according to Islam.
The Five Pillars consist of:
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Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith
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Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day
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Zakat: paying a certain percentage of there money to benefit the less fortunate.
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Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan
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Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca
Aii) Hajj is the pilgrimage an event which combines religion and passion. Many Muslims save for years in order to perform the pilgrimage, they often have to travel thousands of miles. The Pilgrimage costs thousand of pounds and many Muslims will find it very hard to afford it. Some Muslims might be fortunate
to go as Muslim community’s put money together to help the less fortunate to take part in the hajj. There is a lot of preparation which is very important to Muslims this includes of saving money for the pilgrimage, planning the journey, obtaining a visa from the Saudi Arabian Embassy, booking tickets and finding accommodation. Another very important thing Muslims have to prepare for is the ihram wearing the correct clothing, the ihram is a white seamless garment this is similar to the sheet worn by Muhammad. It indicates the brotherhood and equality and purity of the pilgrim, although for women the ihram clothing often consists of their normal modest dress.
I got these images from Google images.
The main pilgrimage takes during hajj although there is a lesser pilgrimage this takes place anytime in the year Muslims are required to perform the Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage. This involves;
- Wearing the ihram, the pilgrim’s clothes.
- Making the Tawaf, the ritual circling the Ka’aba seven times.
- Making the Sa’i, the ritual of running between the mounts As-Safa and Al-Marwa seven times.
Arriving in Mecca, pilgrims perform the initial tawaf, which is a circular, counter- clockwise procession around the Ka'bah. All the while, they state "Labbayka Allahumma Labbayk," which means "Here I am at your service, O God, Here I am!" The tawaf is meant to awaken each Muslim's consciousness that God is the centre of their reality and the source of all meaning in life, and that each person's higher self-identity derives from being part of the community of Muslim believers, known as the ummah. Pilgrims also perform the sa'i, which is hurrying seven times between the small hills named Safa and Marwah, reading quotes form the Qur'an and the story of Hajar's desperate search for water and food.
I got this image from Google images.
On the first official day of Hajj the two million pilgrims travel a few miles to the plain of Mina and camp there. From Mina, pilgrims travel the following morning to the plain of Arafat where they spend the entire day in earnest supplication and devotion. That evening, the pilgrims move and camp at Muzdalifa, which is a site between Mina and Arafat. Muslims stay overnight and offer various prayers there.
I got this image from Google images.
Then the pilgrims return to Mina on the 10th, and throw seven pebbles at a stone pillar that represents the devil. Abraham's throwing stones at Satan when he tried to dissuade Abraham from sacrificing his son. Then the pilgrims sacrifice a sheep, the meat from the slaughtered sheep is distributed for consumption to family, friends, and poor and needy people in the community. After the sacrifice, the pilgrims return to Makkah to end the formal rites of Hajj by performing a final tawaf and sa'i.
I got this image from Google images.
There are many reasons for Muslims to go to Mecca, as it says in the Qur’an it welcomes people to the Ka’bah.
[Qur’an; 2:125] We have rendered the shrine (the Ka’aba) a focal point for the people, and a safe sanctuary. You may use Abraham's shrine as a prayer house. We commissioned Abraham and Ismail: "You shall purify my house for those who visit, those who live there, and those who bow and prostrate."
The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and it is the duty of every Muslim to go on the Hajj at least once in their life time to follow the footsteps of Muhammad. The hajj or pilgrimage to Makkah is a central duty of Islam whose origins date back to the time of Prophet Ibrahim. It brings together Muslims of all races. Mecca was also Muhammad’s birthplace and Muhammad emphasized the pilgrimage.