Hajj

Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia.

It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which are the core duties of the faith. These pillars include the declaration of faith, prayer, almsgiving, and fasting during Ramadan. For adult Muslims, Hajj is a mandatory religious duty. It must be completed at least once in a lifetime by those who are physically and financially capable. This capability includes being able to support one's family during the absence from home. The pilgrimage serves to show Muslim brotherhood and submission to God, known as Allah.

The pilgrimage follows a specific sequence of rites performed over five to six days. These rites take place during the last month of the Islamic calendar, Dhu al-Hijjah.

First, pilgrims enter a spiritual state called Ihram. In this state, they must follow certain rules, such as not clipping nails or using perfume. Men wear two pieces of unstitched white clothing to represent equality. This clothing helps remove distinctions between the rich and the poor.

Next, pilgrims perform Tawaf by walking counter-clockwise around the Kaaba seven times. They also kiss or touch the Black Stone mounted on the Kaaba's corner. Following this, they walk between the hills of Safa and Marwah seven times. They then drink from the Zamzam Well and stand in vigil on the plains of Mount Arafat.

The ritual process continues with a night spent in the plain of Muzdalifah.

Pilgrims then perform a symbolic Stoning of the Devil by throwing stones at three pillars. This is known as Ramy al-Jamarat. After this, a sacrifice of cattle is made, which can be done using a voucher. Finally, men shave or trim their heads, while women trim the ends of their hair. This sequence concludes with the global festival of Eid al-Adha. Some Muslims also perform Umrah, a lesser pilgrimage, at other times of the year. However, Umrah is not a substitute for the mandatory Hajj.

The history of these rituals connects to both the Prophet Muhammad and the Prophet Abraham. Islamic tradition traces the pilgrimage back to Abraham's time. According to the Quran, Abraham built the Kaaba with his son, Ishmael. The tradition also tells of Hajar, Abraham's wife, running between the hills of Safa and Marwah. She was searching for water for her son, Ishmael, until a fountain sprang forth.

In the 7th century AD, Muhammad established the current pattern of Hajj. In AD 630, he led his followers to Mecca and cleansed the Kaaba of pagan idols. He then performed the first and last pilgrimage in AD 632. This event solidified Hajj as a central pillar of the Islamic faith.

Historically, the journey to Mecca was a massive undertaking. In medieval times, pilgrims traveled in large caravans through cities in Syria, Egypt, and Iraq. These caravans often included tens of thousands of people. To protect them from robbers or natural hazards, they were sometimes escorted by military forces. These groups also included physicians to provide medical care. Travelers like Ibn Jubayr and Ibn Battuta recorded these long journeys. However, the journeys were often dangerous. In the 17th century, an Egyptian group lost 1,500 people. In 1924, one-fifth of a Syrian group died during the journey. By 1926, it is thought that 12,000 people died during the trek.

The timing of Hajj is determined by the lunar Islamic calendar, or Hijri calendar. Because a lunar year is about eleven to twelve days shorter than the Gregorian year, the dates change annually.

For example, in 2024, Dhu al-Hijjah ran from 7 June to 6 July. In 2025, it will run from 28 May to 25 June. This shift means the Hajj season can fall twice in one Gregorian year. This phenomenon occurs every 33 years, as seen in 2006. The most important day of the pilgrimage is the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, known as the Day of Arafah.

Participation in Hajj is immense and highly organized. Between the years 2000 and 2019, the average number of attendees was 2,269,145 per year.

Of these, 1,564,710 pilgrims came from outside Saudi Arabia. The remaining 671,983 were domestic pilgrims. The year 2012 saw the highest number of participants, reaching 3,161,573. During the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020, the Saudi government restricted Hajj to very limited numbers of residents. Similar restrictions were applied in 2021. These large numbers show the global scale and the deep unity of the Muslim community during this sacred time.