Pilgrimage to Mecca: The Important Ritual in Islamic Culture, the Hajj

Religious practices and rituals are the most significant elements which distinguish it from other religions. All monothetic religions acknowledge one supreme being but in different manners and forms. Islam has rituals practices in which the believers must practice obligatory duties to Allah. These duties are prescribed in the Five Pillars. The Five Pillars are known as the fundamental duties of Islam and are to be completed by every Muslim in his or her lifetime. There are two pilgrimages to Mecca. Hajj is known as the greater pilgrimage while ‘Umrah is known to be the lesser pilgrimage. Hajj can only take place at a certain time, the twelfth month of the Muslim calendar. ‘Umrah pilgrimage can be taken anytime during the year. Every year, about two million Muslims from around the world would take part in the world’s largest pilgrimage.

The pilgrimage to Mecca also known as Hajj. Hajj is a religious obligation that every Muslim must fulfill at least once in his or her lifetime. If they can physically and financially. Hajj is a pilgrimage made to Kaaba the “House of Allah” in the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The rites of Hajj are performed in five days. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. Hajj is a ritual that believers embark upon from the given set of days, to rise about the routines of daily life to get closer and connected to Allah. The set of rituals was first performed by the prophet Muhammed centuries ago. The events are a deep spiritual experience from Muslims. Hajj must be performed during the special pilgrimage season. It must take place during the month of Dhu al Hijja, the last month of the Islamic calendar. The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar year, the date changes in the Georgian calendar each year and is 10 to 11 days earlier than the preceding year. The rituals performed at Hajj today were established by the prophet Muhammed. For Muslims to carry out the pilgrimage rituals, they first must need to be in a state of Ihram, which is a special state of ritual purity. Muslims must make a special statement of intentions to begin their journey. Muslims believe that Ibrahim was ordered by Allah to leave his Hajar and his infant son Ismael alone in the desert of ancient Mecca. In search of water Hajar desperately ran seven times between the two hills of Safa and Marwah but she found no water in sight.

While she was returning to her son Ismael, Hajar saw the baby scratching the ground with his foot and a water fountain sprang forth at the site. This well is the well of Zamzam in the Masjid- al-Haram in the city of Mecca. Pilgrims visit the well while performing the Hajj pilgrimage to drink Zamzam water from the well. The following are the rituals performed during a pilgrimage to Mecca: Ihram: When pilgrims arrive in Mecca, they enter the state of Ihram (purity) for the Hajj pilgrimage. Women are required to dress in white with their hands and face uncovered. Men must wear Ihram garments, which is consisting of two white seamless sheets wrapped around their bodies. Also, as purity, the clothing symbolizes equality and unity as there are no visible reminders of one’s class, wealth or status. While pilgrims are in the state of Ihram, they are not to engage in marital relations, shave or cut their nails nor engage in fights or arguments. Tawaf: Each person must walk counterclockwise seven times around the Kaaba (cube-shaped building and the direction of players for all Muslims everywhere) in Masjid Al-Haram.

The most sacred site in Islam. Al-Safa and Al-Marwah: Pilgrims run seven times between the mountains of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah as Hajar did during her search for water. Mount Arafat: Pilgrims go to the plains of Mount Arafat, where the prophet Muhammed gave his last sermon to stand in vigil. Stoning the Devil: After Mount Arafat, they move to Muzdalfah and then to Mina to perform a symbolic ritual in which they throw stones three times at the walls known as Jamarat. This symbolizes how the devil tried to mislead Ibrahim from following Allah but was fought off when the prophet threw stones at him on three occasions. Eid ul Adha: the tenth day of the month of Dhul al-Hijja marks the start of the three-day festival of Eid ul Adha (the feast of sacrifice) the pilgrims perform the ritual of animal sacrifice and continue with other rites to complete their Hajj. The Kaaba, a sacred place and sanctuary for Muslims. It is enclosed within the roofless courtyard of the sacred mosque of Mecca, Al-masjid- Haram. Twenty-four gates lead into the mosque courtyard. The four walls of the Kaaba are covered with a gigantic black curtain known as Kiswah, the Kiswah is decorated in bands of Arabic Calligraphy embroidered in gold. The Gate of Peace is the traditional entrance for the performance of the ‘Umrah pilgrimage. Once pilgrims have entered the Gate of Peace, they begin to move east of the Kaaba and face the corner black stone. Similar to the Hajj pilgrimage while performing the ‘Umrah pilgrimage the rite of Tawaf or circumambulation must take place and begin with supplication followed by the gesture of touching the black stone. Then the pilgrims begin with seven circumambulations, moving counterclockwise around the Kaaba. Each circuit has a special significant prayer that is to be recited. Multazim or a place of pressing, if possible Muslims is to uplift their arms and resting it on the Multazim wall while offering a supplication. A place of visitation is the Magam Ibrahim, which symbolizes the place from which Ibrahim is said to have prayed toward the Kaaba.

After the circumambulations and visitations, pilgrims leave the sacred mosque through the gate of purity. There the pilgrims begin the rite of trotting seven laps, leading to the Zamzam well this ends the rite of ‘Umrah. Symbols are marks or characters used as a conventional representation of an object, function, and many other things. It is also something that represents or stands for something else. In the Islamic religion, many symbols have different values and meanings and play a big part in the tradition. There's the “Rub El Hizb” which is a symbol made of two overlapping squares where one square is turned at 90 degrees and thus creates an 8-pointed star and there is also a circle in the center of both the squares(Ancient Symbols). This sign in Arabic calligraphy is to mark a chapter's end and is at the end of passages in the Quran. This symbol is also on various flags and can be seen to be a big deal especially being associated with the Quran. Also, the most known symbol, the Star and the Crescent. This sign can be seen on top of Mosques, many Islamic flags, and on the National flags of Turkey and Pakistan. The origin behind the symbol though is very interesting because it did not come from any pre-historic Islamic cultures. The symbol is said to of started with the Ottoman empire. Islam had supposedly started to become a main focal point to the Ottoman Turks, who used the symbol on their flag.

After that, it was started to be used by Islamic culture. A symbol that goes by a lot of people is the Burqa that women wear. The Burqa is an outer garment worn by women in some Islamic cultures. Most people have seen women who wear this clothing, it is full-body, with an opening at the eyes. Muslims who adhere to this practice is forbidden by law to wear anything else. This is more important than people may think because women in the modern-day have been stoned to death for not wearing the sacred veil. Just for not wearing their garment, women may be killed so this is something that should be considered a symbol giving the circumstances that women have to deal with. Lastly, the word “Allah” as seen in text or scriptures can be regarded as visually representing Islam as a symbol. “Ihram”. An Ihram is a white garment which is very sacred, because that is when they make their intention, and recite a prayer to God. Their prayer to God is to announce their arrival for pilgrimage. On the first day, everyone performs the first rituals that are associated with the Hajj, in a Sacred Mosque. Also, the pilgrims perform a “Say’ a”, which is running seven times between the two hills Safa and Marwah.

On day two, Pilgrims perform a “Wuquf”, which is a rite that everyone takes part in, either standing the whole day or sit the whole day. On day three, pilgrims perform the Ramy ceremony, they throw stone pebbles they have previously collected, the object that they are targeting are the three pillars that represent the temptations of Satan. Over the next three days, the pilgrims return to Mecca and perform the Tawaf and Sayee. This is very big for Muslims because after the Hajj is performed, pilgrims come home with a renewed faith and are given honorific titles. It is expected of those who are wealthy or healthy to go because this is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is very sacred that people taking photographs and who have cameras get their devices confiscated. The Hajj emphasizes the concept of equality of mankind, that is why they all dress the same and do the same rituals. It allows no superiority on anything of the color of your skin or your wealth. It is only humility and devotion.

In summation Muslims of every ethnic group, status and or culture gather together and stand before the Kaaba and praising Allah together. This ritual is to show the bonds of Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood by showing that everyone is equal before Allah. Hajj makes Muslims feel the real importance of life on earth and also the afterlife. Taking the pilgrimage to Mecca removes all indicators of social status, wealth and pride while showcasing equality and unity amongst Muslims. The Pilgrimage to Mecca remembers the selfless sacrifices of prophet Ibrahim, and represent the lessons prophet Muhammed taught. The pilgrimage is a pilgrimage of faith that shows the concept of equality while eliminating superiority, race, and gender.