0 HAJJ: The Journey of a Lifetime, (Part 1)!

‘Hajj’ means ‘to set out for a definite purpose’. There are two main purposes of the Hajj. The first is to show obedience to Allah, (this is the Arabic word for God). The second is that the Hajj is a way of worshipping Allah.

Islam, the religion of Muslims, lays out five acts of worship called the ‘Five pillars’, which all Muslims must perform. The last of these is the Hajj. It is the duty of each Muslim to go on the Hajj at least once in their lifetime as long as they can afford it and the family left behind is properly provided for. Muslims who go on the Hajj are both worshipping and obeying Allah.

The Hajj takes Muslims to Mecca. For them, this is the holiest city in the world. Many people think that Islam was founded, or started, by the Prophet Muhammad and that Mecca became a Holy city because he made it a religious centre. However, Muslims believe that he was carrying on the work which other men had started long before him.

Hajj was made obligatory in the 9th year of Hijra. The following year, 10th Hijra, the Prophet Muhammad announced he himself would perform Hajj that year. He led tens of thousands of Muslims to Hajj that year and demonstrated to

1 Muslims how to perform all the rites and rituals of the Hajj. This Hajj is known in history as ‘Hajjatul Wida’ or Farewell Pilgrimage because this proved to be the last Hajj Prophet Muhammad performed. At the end of this farewell pilgrimage, the divine revelation that had started 22 years ago came to an end with the following verse of Surah Al-Maidah:

“This day have I completed My commandments for you, and have brought to its fullness the favour that I have bestowed upon you, and have chosen Islam as your religion.”

Hajj is an act of worship just like Salah (five daily prayers) and Sawm (fasting in the month of Ramadan). Muslims from all over the world gather in Mecca in the last month of the Muslim calendar and worship Allah. Hajj is a special worship that lasts for several days (Dhul Hijjah 8th-13th). This is an occasion that brings Muslims of all countries, colours, and races to one place – the Kaabah. This is a unique opportunity of worshipping Allah collectively in a large gathering at one place.

In the centre of the Great Mosque in Mecca is a cube shaped building known as the kaabah. The Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail originally built this. It was the first centre for the worship of Allah. In the years that followed, it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The Kaabah of today still contains the famous ‘black stone’. This was part of the first Kaabah. It was a stone which was said to have been brought by angels from heaven.

By the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), people had forgotten what the Kaabah was for. Instead of using it as a place to worship Allah, they were worshipping idols there. Muhammad (pbuh) put a stop to this. He threw out all the statues and made it, once again, a place for the worship of Allah.

2 Belief in Allah is the most important thing in the life of every Muslim. Mecca is the most holy centre for the worship of Allah. Muslims remember this, not only by going on the Hajj, but everyday when they turn to face the direction of Mecca to pray.

Who must go on the Hajj? 1. Any Muslim who can afford it, 2. A free person, not a slave, 3. A sane person, 4. An adult, 5. A person who is in good health* 6. Women who have travelling company (mahram)*

* Should find someone else to go if cannot go oneself.

Before a Muslim goes on the Hajj, they must: 1. Be physically fit and healthy, 2. Be financially secure, 3. Pay off all existing debts, 4. Leave enough money for family who are staying behind, 5. Make up with anyone whom they have broken up with, 6. Buy the correct clothing, 7. (Females) must go with their ‘mahram’.

3 THE ROUTE OF HAJJ!

1), 6) Mecca

3) Arafat

4) Muzdalifah

2), 5) Mina

TASKS! 1. What does the word ‘Hajj’ mean? 2. Which city do pilgrims go to perform the Hajj? 3. What is the name of the famous holy building in this city? 4. With which famous prophets is this city connected? 5. What is the Black stone? 6. Draw a picture of the Kaabah? 7. Who must go to Hajj? 8. Who does not have to go on the Hajj? 9. What three things must a Muslim do before going on the Hajj? 10. What is a ‘mahram’? 11. The Hajj is an act of worship. Worship is a way of showing a person’s feelings for God. Pilgrims going to Mecca give up their usual life for a while to show their devotion to Allah. Make a list of other things people do to worship God.

4 HAJJ, Part 2!

Muslims from all over the world take part in the Hajj. They come from very different countries and backgrounds. Some will be rich while others are poor. None of this will matter. Before reaching Mecca, each pilgrim must wash and put on special clothes called ‘Ihram’.

For men, Ihram consists of two seamless pieces of white cloth to cover the upper and lower parts of their bodies. Women wear garments which cover everything except their hands and faces. As all pilgrims dress in the same way, many of the differences between them disappear. They are all equal. During the Hajj, pilgrims must not have sex, use perfume, cut their hair, harm or kill in any way any living thing. They must make a special effort not to get angry with others. This should be a time of peace.

Once they are dressed correctly, pilgrims may enter the ‘Haram’. This is the holy area around Mecca and only Muslims are allowed to enter this district. The first place to visit is the Kaabah.

The Kaabah:

❖ Muslims believe Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail built the Kaabah. ❖ In pre Islamic times, the Kaabah was home to 360 idols and gods. ❖ For Muslims, the Kaabah marks the direction of prayer. ❖ It is a large cube shaped building covered by a black cloth (kiswah). ❖ Muslims circulate the Kaabah anti-clockwise during Hajj 7 times. This is known as ‘Tawaf’.

5 Ihram:

❖ Ihram is a special state of ritual purity represented in special clothing. ❖ Ihram must be worn when performing Hajj. ❖ The following are prohibited when in the state of Ihram: 1. Engage in marital relations, 2. Shave or cut nails, 3. Use cologne or scented oils, 4. Kill or hunt anything, 5. Fight or argue, 6. Men may not cover their heads and women may not cover their faces.

❖ The Ihram for men is two pieces of white cloth. One covering them from the navel to the knees and one covering the torso. However, the right shoulder must not be covered. ❖ Women wear long robes covering them from head to toe except the face. ❖ Ihram symbolises purity, humbleness, equality and unity.

6 The Black Stone

• The Black Stone is placed in the Eastern corner of the Kaabah. It is also known as the ‘Hajar al-Aswad’.

• Muslims regard the Black Stone as sacred. As a mark of respect, during the Hajj pilgrims kiss or touch the Black Stone as they circulate the Kaabah.

• According to Islamic legend the stone was given to Adam on his fall from paradise and was originally white but has become black by absorbing the sins of the millions of pilgrims who have kissed and touched it over the years.

• During the time of the Prophet Muhammad, the Kaabah was rebuilt. A dispute broke out as to who should have the honour of placing the Black Stone in its correct place.

• The Prophet Muhammad settled the dispute. He instructed the people to bring him a cloak. He advised them that the elder of each clan should hold onto one edge of the clock. The stone was then carried to its correct place.

7 Safa and Marwah

• Safa and Marwah are two small hills enclosed under domes and joined by a walkway.

• During the Hajj, pilgrims must run or walk fast, back and forth between Safa and Marwah seven times.

• The ‘running’ which is also known as ‘Sa’ee’ commemorates Hajar’s search for water in the desert. Hajar was the wife of Prophet Ibrahim.

• Hajar ran back and forth between Safa and Marwah in search for water for her child Ismail. On her seventh visit she heard a voice and saw an angel pointing to the feet of her child. There she saw a spring of fresh water.

• She dug a well at the spot and called it Zamzam.

• During the Sa’ee, pilgrims are reminded of the story of Hajar and hope to take some inspiration from it.

The main spiritual characteristics of Hajar’s story are: Patience, Trust in God, Struggle and Striving.

8 Arafat

❖ Mount Arafah, is a granite hill east of Mecca. Muslims believe the prophet Adam and his wife Eve (Hawa) were reunited on the hill and forgiven by Allah after 400 years separation on account of their forgetfulness in paradise when satan confused them. This is why it is also called the mount of ‘mercy’. ❖ It is an important place of pilgrimage because on the Hajj, Muslims are required to spend an afternoon there wearing the Ihram asking God for forgiveness and repenting for their past sins. ❖ No specific rituals or prayers are required during the stay at Arafat, though many pilgrims spend the time praying, talking to Allah, and thinking about the course of their lives. ❖ Muslims believe that on the Day of Judgement, all Muslims will gather here. ❖ The Prophet Muhammad also gave his Final speech here before he died.

Muzdalifah:

• Muslims stay at Muzdalifah because it was something the Prophet had done during his Pilgrimage. • It was the first time the Prophet combined his prayers. • It is also the place where pilgrims spend the night and collect their pebbles for the stoning of the devil later on in Mina.

9 Mina

❖ In the Islamic religion, ‘stoning of the devil’ is an annual ritual of pilgrims throwing pebbles at three pillars in Mina, which represent the devil. This ritual reenacts Abraham’s pilgrimage to Mecca.

❖ The ritual stoning is performed by Muslim pilgrims who travel to the city of Mina just outside of Mecca. The act requires pilgrims to collect a number of pebbles from the ground on the plain of Muzdalifah and throw the pebbles at the three pillars at Mina, which represent the devil. All three pillars represent the devil: the first and largest is where he tempted Abraham against sacrificing Ishmael. The second is where he tempted Abraham's wife Hagar to induce her to stop him, and the third is where he tempted Ishmael to avoid being sacrificed. He was rebuked each time, and the throwing of the stones symbolises those rebukes. ❖ After this, the pilgrims then prepare for sacrificing an animal as a thanksgiving and men shave their hair. Women may cut a few strands off. Pilgrims then perform a second tawaf around the Kaabah. This completes the requirements of the Hajj.

Medina:

• It is the city of the Prophet Muhammad. • The people of Medina were amongst the first people that became Muslim. • It is the place where the Muslims migrated to when they were being persecuted in Mecca. • Medina was the first Islamic state. • The Prophet’s Mosque is built within the city. • Medina is also the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.).

10 TASKS! 1. What is the ‘Ihram’?

2. What is the name given to the area around Mecca where non-Muslims may not go?

3. Write down three things all pilgrims must give up during the Hajj.

4. Why do Muslims try to touch or kiss the black stone in the Kaabah?

5. What is the name of the spring that can be found under the courtyard of the Mosque in Mecca?

6. The city of Mecca was only built after the spring was discovered. Can you suggest why?

7. Using the text to help you, describe: a) Tawaf, b) Sa’ee.

8. During the Hajj, all pilgrims are equal. They even look alike because they all dress in the same way. What other aspects of the Hajj show that everyone is equal?

9. One of the reasons why many schools have a uniform is to make all pupils seem equal. Wearing the same clothes as others is one way of covering up the differences between people and their backgrounds. Do you think having a school uniform is a good idea? Discuss this with the person sitting next to you and write down your thoughts in your exercise books.

10. In everyday life people do not always feel equal with others. Give some examples of the things that divide people. For example, money: some people are poor while others are rich, so this means they can live in a very different way.

11. Non- Muslims are not allowed to visit Mecca or the area which surrounds it. Suggest why this might be so.

11 Reflection:

❖ The questions to reflect upon are not only to become familiar with the religious rituals and duties of the Hajj, but to focus on the meaning and significance to the lives of Muslims and what message they are conveying. Also, how can this Muslim pilgrimage be used to reflect on your own lives irrelevant of your own personal belief? What could you learn from Hajj?

Some Useful Websites!

www.channel4.com/life/microsites/H/hajj/ www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/hajj www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/customs/hajj/index.shtml www.salaam.co.uk/hajj www.islamicity.com/mosque/hajj

12 PART 3, Completion of the Hajj!

Muslims can visit Mecca at any time of year. However, the Hajj takes place in the first part of the month of ‘Dhul Hijjah’. Muslims who go to Mecca at other times perform an ‘Umrah’ or ‘lesser pilgrimage’.

Many Muslims will feel most uncomfortable in the heat but they concentrate on their devotion to Allah. It is a very moving experience to join together with as many as two million other people in the same place for one purpose. This gathering reminds pilgrims of the day when everyone will be brought before Allah for judgment. It makes them realize how small and humble they are in comparison with Allah.

At Mina there are three stone pillars. These represent Satan. They remind Muslims that it was here that Satan tempted Ibrahim and Ismail not to perform the sacrifice that Allah wanted. Pilgrims throw the stones they have collected at these pillars. This symbolic action shows that it was not only Ibrahim and Ismail who had to reject Satan. Everyone has to struggle against evil and try to overcome it in his or her own lives.

Having performed this, the pilgrims now have a haircut and dress again in their usual clothes. At this time, many sacrifice an animal in memory of Ibrahim’s sacrifice of a sheep instead of Ismail. They use some of the meat to feed themselves and give the rest to the poor.

Muslims all round the world do this, not just those on the Hajj, for it is the time of the festival known as Eid-ulAddha. Pilgrims stay in Mina for another two days to pray, stone the devil and remember Allah. They also return to Mecca to walk around the Kaabah again. At the end of the Hajj, large numbers of people go on to visit the Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque and tomb in Medina which is 250 miles north of Mecca before returning home.

It is difficult to explain exactly what the Hajj means to those who take part in it but for most it will be a once in a lifetime experience. It is something they will find very moving and unforgettable.

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