Why is Hajj important?

Hajj is the ultimate form of worship, as it involves the spirit of all the other rituals and demands great sacrifice.

On this unique occasion, around three million Muslims from all over the globe travel to Makkah to enjoin prayers together. Regardless of the season, male pilgrims wear special clothes (Ihram) – two, very simple, unsown white garments – which strips away all distinctions of wealth, status, class and culture; everyone stands as one, and are equal before God. Through this, no one can tell a person’s social or economic status, or national origin based on the clothes one wears. It is during Hajj that every race and nationality from all over the world come together to worship God.

How is Hajj performed?

The rituals of Hajj go back to the time of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) who built the Ka’bah (cubical building covered in black silk) over five days.

The Hajj rituals include circumambulating the Ka’bah (Tawaf), and walking and lightly jogging between the hills of Safa and Marwah, as Hajar (Abraham’s wife) did during her search for water for her son Isma’il. This is when God blessed her with the spring of ZamZam water, which still exists, and is drank by millions of pilgrims to this day!

The pilgrims then stand together on the wide plain of Arafah and join in prayers for God’s forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a preview of the Last Judgment. The pilgrims also cast stones at stone walls which represent Satan. The pilgrimage ends with Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers, the sacrifice of an animal, and the exchange of greetings and gifts in Muslim communities everywhere.