Hajj
The
Hajj is the largest regularly occurring pilgrimage in the world,
and one of the
five pillars of Islam, a
religious
duty that must be carried out by every able-bodied
Muslim
who can afford to do so at least once in his or her lifetime. The Hajj is a
demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to
God
(
Allah in the Arabic language).
The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th day of
Dhu al-Hijjah,
the 12th and last month of the
Islamic calender. Because the
Islamic calendar is a
lunar calendar, eleven days
shorter than the
Gregorian calendar used in the
Western world, the Gregorian date of the Hajj changes from year to year.
Ihram
is the name given to the special spiritual state in which Muslims live while on
the pilgrimage.
The Hajj is associated with the life of
Islamic prophet Muhammad
from the 7th century, but the ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca is considered by
Muslims to stretch back thousands of years to the time of
Abraham
(
Ibrahim). Pilgrims join processions of hundreds of
thousands of people, who simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of the
Hajj, and perform a series of rituals: Each person walks counter-clockwise
seven times around the
Kaaba, the cube-shaped building
which acts as the Muslim
direction of prayer, runs back and
forth between the hills of
Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, drinks from
the
Zamzam Well, goes to the plains of
Mount
Arafat to stand in vigil, and throws stones in a ritual. The pilgrims
then shave their heads, perform a ritual of animal sacrifice, and celebrate the
three day global festival of
Eid al-Adha.
History
The Hajj is based on a pilgrimage that was ancient even in the time of
Muhammad in the 7th century. According to
Hadith, elements
of the Hajj trace back to the time of Abraham (Ibrahim), around 2000 BCE.
Abraham's wife, Sarah, was unable to conceive, and upon her request, Abraham
had taken their female servant, Hagar, as a second wife. Hagar bore Abraham a
son, Ishmael. It is believed that Abraham was ordered by God to leave
Hagar
(
Hājar) and
Ishmael (
ʼIsmāʻīl) alone
in the desert. Looking for shelter, food and water, Hagar ran back and forth
between the hills of Safa and Marwa seven times with her son. In desperation,
she laid the baby on the sand and begged for God's assistance. The baby cried
and hit the ground with his heel (some versions of the story say that the
angel
Gabriel (
Jibral) scraped his foot or the
tip of his wing along the ground), and the Zamzam Well miraculously sprang
forth.
Prior to Muhammad's era, each year tribes from all around the
Arabian
Peninsula would converge on Mecca, as part of the pilgrimage. The exact
faith of the tribes was not important at that time, and
Christian Arabs
were as likely to make the pilgrimage as the
pagans. Muslim
historians refer to the time before Muhammad as
jahiliyyah,
the "Days of Ignorance", during which the Kaaba contained hundreds of
idols – totems of each of the
tribes of the Arabian Peninsula,
with
idols of pagan gods such as
Hubal,
al-Lat,
Al-‘Uzzá and
Manat.
Muhammad was known to regularly perform the Umrah, even before he began
receiving revelation. Historically, Muslims would gather at various meeting
points in other great cities, and then proceed en masse towards Mecca, in
groups that could comprise tens of thousands of pilgrims. Two of the most
famous meeting points were in
Cairo and
Damascus. In
Cairo, the
Sultan would stand atop a platform of the famous gate
Bab
Zuwayla, to officially watch the beginning of the annual pilgrimage.
In 630 CE, Muhammad led his followers from
Medina to Mecca,
it was the first Hajj to be performed by Muslims alone, and the only Hajj ever
performed by Muhammad. He cleansed the Kaaba, destroyed all the idols, and
re-ordained the building as the house of God. It was from this point that the
Hajj became one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
Performing Hajj was a hazardous journey for early pilgrims;
Ibn
Jubayr noted the skeletons of pilgrims who had died of thirst during the
journey. In the seventeenth century a group of
Egyptian
pilgrims lost over 1,500 people and 900 camels. In 1924 around one-fifth of a
group of
Syrian pilgrims died and two years later 12,000 are
thought to have died during the journey.
Preparations
Pilgrims generally travel to Hajj in groups, as an expression of unity. Some
airlines have special packages for Muslims going to Mecca such as the
Haj
subsidy offered in India. Ships also take pilgrims to Mecca.
During the Hajj, male pilgrims are required to dress only in the
ihram,
a garment consisting of two sheets of white unhemmed cloth, with the top draped
over the torso and the bottom secured by a white sash; plus a pair of sandals.
Women are simply required to maintain their
hijab—normal
modest dress, which does not cover the hands or face.
The Ihram is meant to show equality of all pilgrims, in front of
God:
there is no difference between a prince and a pauper. Ihram is also symbolic
for holy virtue and pardon from all past sins. A place designated for changing
into Ihram is called a
miqat ( like Zu 'l-Hulafa,
Juhfa, Qarnu 'l-Manāzil,
Yalamlam, Zāt-i-'Irq, Ibrahīm
Mursīa).
While wearing the Ihram, a pilgrim may not shave, clip their nails, wear
perfume, swear or quarrel, have sexual relations, uproot or damage plants, kill
or harm wild animals, cover the head [for men] or the face and hands [for
women], marry, wear shoes over the ankles, or carry weapons.
Rites
Upon arrival in Mecca the pilgrim, now known as a
Hajji,
performs a series of ritual acts symbolic of the lives of Ibrahim (or Abraham
in English) and his wife Hajar (or Hagar in English). The acts also symbolize
the solidarity of Muslims worldwide.
The greater Hajj (
al-hajj al-akbar) begins on the eighth day of the
12th lunar month of Dhu al-Hijjah. On the first day of the Hajj (the 8th day of
the month), if they are not already wearing it upon their arrival, pilgrims put
on ihram clothing and then leave Mecca for the nearby town of Mina
where they spend the rest
of the day. The Saudi government has put up thousands of large white tents at
Mina to provide accommodations for all the pilgrims.
Tawaf
The pilgrims perform their first
Tawaf, which
involves all of the pilgrims visiting the Kabah and walking seven times
counter-clockwise around the Kaaba. They may also kiss the Black Stone (Al
Hajar Al Aswad) on each circuit. If kissing the stone is not possible because
of the crowds, they may simply point towards the Stone on each circuit with
their right hand. In each complete circuit a pilgrim says "In the name of
God, God is Great, God is Great, God is Great and praise be to God" (Bism
Allah
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa lil Lahi
Alhamd) with 7 circuits constituting a complete tawaf. The place where pilgrims
walk is known as "Mutaaf". Only the first three shouts are
compulsory, but almost all perform it seven times.
The tawaf is normally performed all at once. Eating is not permitted but the
drinking of water is allowed because of the risk of dehydration. Men are
encouraged to perform the first three circuits at a hurried pace, followed by
four times, more closely, at a leisurely pace.
After the completion of Tawaf, all the pilgrims have to offer two
Rakaat
prayers at the Place of Abraham (Muqaam Ibrahim), a site inside the mosque that
is near the Kaaba. However, again because of large crowds during the days of
Hajj, they may instead pray anywhere in the
mosque.
Although the circuits around the Kaaba are traditionally done on the ground
level, Tawaf is now also performed on the first floor and roof of the mosque
because of the large crowd.
After Tawaf on the same day, the pilgrims perform
sa`i, running or
walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah. This is a
re-enactment of the frantic search for water for her son Ishmael by Abraham's
wife and Ismael's mother Hajar. As she searched, the Zamzam Well was revealed
to her by an angel, who hit the ground with his heel (or brushed the ground
with the tip of his wing), upon which the water of the Zamzam started gushing
from the ground. The back and forth circuit of the pilgrims used to be in the
open air, but is now entirely enclosed by the
Masjid al-Haram
mosque, and can be accessed via air-conditioned tunnels. Pilgrims are advised
to walk the circuit, though two green pillars mark a short section of the path
where they are allowed to run. There is also an internal "express
lane" for the disabled. As part of this ritual the pilgrims also drink
water from the Zamzam Well, which is made available in coolers throughout the
Mosque. After the visit to the mosque on this day of the Hajj, the pilgrims
then return to their tents.
Arafat
The next morning, on the eighth of Dhu al-Hijjah, the pilgrims proceed to
Mina where they spend the night in prayer.
On the tenth day, they leave Mina for Mt. Arafat where they stand in
contemplative vigil and pray and recite the Qur'an, near a hill from which
Prophet
Muhammad gave his last sermon, this mountain is called
Jabal Al Rahmah (The Hill of Forgiveness, Mount Arafat). This is known as Wuquf,
considered the highlight of the Hajjah. Pilgrims must spend the afternoon
within a defined area on the plain of Arafat until after sunset. No specific
rituals or prayers are required during the stay at Arafat, although many
pilgrims spend time praying, and thinking about the course of their lives. A
pilgrim's Hajj is considered invalid if they do not spend the afternoon on
Arafat.
[4]
Muzdalifah
As soon as the sun sets, the pilgrims leave Arafat for
Muzdalifah,
an area between Arafat and Mina. Pilgrims spend the night sleeping on the
ground with open sky, and in the morning they gather pebbles for the next day's
ritual of the stoning of the
Devil (
Shaitan) after
returning to Mina.
Ramy al-Jamarat
At Mina the pilgrims perform Ramy al-Jamarat,
throwing stones to signify their defiance of the Devil. This symbolizes the
trials experienced by Abraham while he was going to sacrifice his son as
demanded by God. The Devil challenged him three times, and three times Abraham
refused. Each pillar marks the location of one of these refusals. On the first
occasion when Ramy al-Jamarat is performed, pilgrims stone the largest pillar
known as Jamrat'al'Aqabah. Pilgrims climb ramps to the multi-levelled Jamaraat
Bridge, from which they can throw their pebbles at the jamarat. On the second
occasion, the other pillars are stoned. The stoning consists of throwing seven
pebbles. Because of the crowds, in 2004 the pillars were replaced by long walls,
with catch basins below to collect the pebbles.
Eid al-Adha
After the Stoning of the Devil, the pilgrims perform animal sacrifices, to
symbolize God having mercy on Abraham and replacing his son Ishmael with a ram,
which Abraham then sacrificed. Traditionally the pilgrims slaughtered the
animal themselves, or oversaw the slaughtering. Today many pilgrims buy a
sacrifice voucher in Makkah before the greater Hajj begins, which allows an
animal to be slaughtered in their name on the 10th, without the pilgrim being
physically present. Centralized butchers sacrifice a single sheep for each
pilgrim, or a camel can represent the sacrifice of seven people. The meat is
then packaged and given to charity and shipped to poor people around the world.
At the same time as the sacrifices occur at Mecca, Muslims worldwide perform
similar sacrifices, in a four day global festival called
Eid al-Adha.
Tawaf Al-Ifaadah
On this or the following day the pilgrims re-visit the Masjid al-Haram
mosque in Mecca for another tawaf, to walk around the Kaaba. This is called
Tawaf al-Ifadah, which symbolizes being in a hurry to respond to God and show
love for Him, an obligatory part of the Hajj. The night of the 10th is spent
back at Mina.
On the afternoon of the 11th and again the following day the pilgrims must
again throw seven pebbles at each of the three jamarat in Mina.
Pilgrims must leave Mina for Mecca before sunset on the 12th. If they are
unable to leave Mina before sunset, they must perform the stoning ritual again
on the 13th before returning to Mecca.
Tawaf al-Wida
Finally, before leaving Mecca, pilgrims perform a farewell tawaf called the
Tawaf al-Wida. 'Wida' means 'to bid farewell'.
Journey to Medina
Some pilgrims choose to travel to the city of Medina and the
Al-Masjid
al-Nabawi (Mosque of the Prophet), which contains Prophet Muhammad's
tomb and Riad ul Jannah and also pay visit to the grave of Prophet Muhammad
companions,
Umhat ul Mominen and
Ahl al-Bayt in
Al-Baqi'.
The
Quba Mosque and
Masjid al-Qiblatain
are also usually visited.
Umrah
Umrah can be performed any time of year and is optional for Muslims to do.
The Hajj itself is mandatory. It does not contain as many steps as hajj. For
Umrah preparation/Ihram is to be done. Tawaaf and Sai is to be completed as
described above. Hair cutting as per norms is last step.
Modern crowd-control issues
As of 2010, about three million pilgrims participate in this annual
pilgrimage. Crowd-control techniques have become critical, and because of the
large numbers of people, many of the rituals have become more stylized. It is
not necessary to kiss the
Black Stone, but merely to point
at it on each circuit around the Kaaba. Throwing pebbles was done at large
pillars, which for safety reasons in 2004 were changed to long walls with catch
basins below to catch the stones. The slaughter of an animal can be done either
personally, or by appointing someone else to do it, and so forth. But even with
the crowd control techniques, there are still many
incidents during the
Hajj, as pilgrims are trampled in a crush, or ramps collapse under the
weight of the many visitors, causing hundreds of deaths. Pilgrims can also go
to Mecca to perform the rituals at other times of the year. This is sometimes
called the "lesser pilgrimage", or
Umrah. However, even
if one chooses to perform the Umrah, they are still obligated to perform the
Hajj at some other point in their lifetime if they have the means to do so.
Total number of pilgrims in year 2012 is 3,161,573 according to Saudi Foreign
Embassy.
Social effect of Hajj
Malcolm X, an American human rights activist, describes
the sociological atmosphere he experienced at Hajj as follows:
There were tens of thousands of
pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed
blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same
ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in
America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and the
non-white. America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion
that erases from its society the race problem. You may be shocked by these
words coming from me. But on this pilgrimage, what I have seen, and
experienced, has forced me to rearrange much of my thought patterns previously
held.
Due to lack of communication between more than three million pilgrims from
all over the globe and the immensity of the gathering itself, there have been
many incidents during the Hajj that have led to the loss of hundreds of lives.
The worst of these incidents have usually occurred during the Stoning of the
Devil ritual. During the 2006 Hajj on 12 January, 362 pilgrims died. Tramplings
have also occurred when pilgrims try to run between the two hills known as
Al-Safa and Al-Marwa. In 2006 there were some 600
casualties among
pilgrims performing the Hajj. After these events, the Saudi government made
improvements for pilgrims such as providing separate pathways for travelling to
and from Al-Safa and Al-Marwa.
A 2008 study on the longer-term effect of participating in the Islamic
pilgrimage found that Muslims' communities become more open after the Hajj
experience. Entitled
Estimating the Impact of the Hajj: Religion and
Tolerance in Islam’s Global Gathering, a study conducted in conjunction
with
Harvard University's
John F. Kennedy School
of Government found that the Hajj experience promotes peaceful
coexistence, equality, and harmony. Specifically, the report states that the
Hajj "increases belief in equality and harmony among ethnic groups and
Islamic community and that "Hajjis (those who have performed the Hajj)
show increased belief in peace, and in equality and harmony among adherents of
different religions"
