Hajj

**Hajj** (/hɑːdʒ/; Arabic: حَجّ, romanized: *Ḥajj*; dem sanso spell am **Hadj**, **Haj** anaa **Haji**) be an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, de holiest city give Muslims. Hajj be a mandatory religious duty give capable Muslims wey for carry out at least once insyd dema lifetime by all adult Muslims wey be physically den financially capable of undertaking de journey, den of supporting dema family during dema absence from home.

Insyd Islamic terminology, Hajj be a pilgrimage dem make to de Kaaba, de "House of Allah", insyd de sacred city of Mecca insyd Saudi Arabia. Ebe one of de Five Pillars of Islam, alongside *[[Shahada]]* (oath dat one dey believe der be no god buh Allah (God)), *[[Salah|salat]]* (prayer),  (almsgiving), den ''sawm'' (fasting during Ramadan). De Hajj be an annual practice wen Muslim brotherhood dey for display den dema solidarity plus fellow Muslim people den submission to God (Allah) be fulfilled. De Hajj be taken by Muslims make dem cleanse dema souls of all worldly sins, wich dey connote both de outward act of a journey after death den de inward act of good intentions. Dem dey perform de rites of pilgrimage over five to six days, wey dey extend from de 8th to de 12th anaa 13th of Dhu al-Hijjah, de last month of de Islamic calendar. Secof de Islamic calendar be lunar wey de Islamic year be about eleven-twelve days shorter dan de Gregorian year, de Gregorian date of Hajj dey change from year to year. Insyd 2024 AD (1445 AH), na Dhu al-Hijjah extend from 7 June to 6 July. Insyd 2025 AD (1446 AH), Dhu al-Hijjah go extend from 28 May to 25 June; den insyd 2026 AD (1447 AH), Dhu al-Hijjah go extend from 18 May to 15 June.

De Hajj be associated plus de life of de Islamic prophet Muhammad from de 7th century AD, buh de ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca dem state insyd Muslim sources dey stretch back to de time of Abraham.

## Etymology

De word insyd Arabic: حج ḥajj be similar to de Hebrew: חג ḥag , wich dey mean "festival", from de triliteral Semitic root ح-ج-ج. Na dem use de term make dem refer to de three pilgrimage festivals Israelites go make to de Temple insyd Jerusalem each year. Similarly, de Arabic: حج ḥajj insyd Islam dey refer to act of traveling to Mecca make dem perform de various rituals dem associate plus de pilgrimage.

## History

Na de present pattern of Hajj be established by Muhammad. However, according to de Quran, elements of Hajj dey trace back to de time of Abraham. According to Islamic tradition, na God order Abraham make he to lef ein wifey Hajar den ein son Ishmael alone insyd de desert of ancient Mecca. In search of water, na Hajar desperately run seven times between de two hills of Safa den Marwah buh she find none. Dey return in despair to Ishmael, na she see de baby dey scratch de ground plus ein leg den a water fountain spring forth underneath ein foot. Later, na dem command Abraham make he build de Kaaba (wich he do plus de help of Ishmael) den to invite people make dem perform pilgrimage der. De Quran dey refer to dese incidents insyd verses 2:124–127 den 22:27–30. According to de tafsir of Zamakhshari (d. 1144 C.E.), na de archangel Gabriel bring de Black Stone from Heaven wey dem for attach am to de Kaaba wen na Prophet Abraham build am.

Insyd pre-Islamic Arabia, a time dem know am as Age of Ignorance (*Jahiliyya*), de Kaaba cam be surrounded by pagan idols. Insyd AD 630, Muhammad lead ein followers from Medina to Mecca, he cleanse de Kaaba by destroying all de pagan idols, wey he then consecrate de building to God. Insyd AD 632, Muhammad perform ein only den last pilgrimage plus a large number of followers, wey he instruct dem on de rites of Hajj. Na ebe from dis point wey Hajj cam turn one of de five pillars of Islam.

## Timing of Hajj

De date of Hajj be determined by de Islamic calendar (dem know as de Hijri calendar anaa AH), wich dey base on de lunar year. Every year, de events of Hajj dey take place insyd a ten-day period, wey dey start on 1 den dey end on 10 Dhu al-Hijjah, de twelfth den last month of de Islamic calendar. Among dese ten days, dem know de 9th Dhul-Hijjah as Day of Arafah, wey dem dey bell dis day de day of Hajj. Secof de Islamic calendar be lunar den de Islamic year be about eleven days shorter dan de Gregorian year, de Gregorian date for Hajj dey change from year to year. Thus, each year insyd de Gregorian calendar, de pilgrimage dey start eleven days (sam times ten days) earlier. Dis dey make am possible for de Hajj season make e fall twice insyd one Gregorian year, wey e dey do dat every 33 years. De last time na dis phenomenon occur be insyd 2006.

De table below dey show de Gregorian dates of Hajj for recent years (de dates dey correspond to 9 Dhul-Hijjah of de Hijri calendar). Prospective dates be approximate:

## Rites

*Fiqh* literature dey describe in detail de manners of carrying out de rites of Hajj, wey pilgrims dey generally follow handbooks den expert guides to successfully fulfill de requirements of Hajj. In performing de rites of Hajj, de pilgrims no dey follow de model of Muhammad per, buh sanso dey commemorate de events associated plus Abraham.

### ''Ihram''
Ihram be de name dem give to de special spiritual state, state of holiness, wich dey mark de start of de ritual of Hajj give each person. Dem dey initiate Ihram upon de arrival to de *Miqat* anaa prior to if dem reach am, wey dey depend on wer dem dey komot from.

### ''Tawaf'' den ''sa'ay''

De ritual of  dey involve walking seven times counterclockwise around de Kaaba. Upon arriving at *[[Masjid al-Haram|Al-Masjid Al-Ḥarām]]*, pilgrims dey perform an arrival  either as part of Umrah anaa as a welcome . During , pilgrims sanso dey include Hateem – an area for de north syd oftde Kaaba – insyd dema path. Each circuit dey start den dey end plus de kissing anaa touching of de Black Stone. Pilgrims sanso dey point to de stone den dey recite a prayer dem know as Talbiyah. If kissing anaa touching de stone no be possible secof crowds, pilgrims fi simply point towards de stone plus dema right hand for each circuit. Dem no dey permit chow buh dem dey permit den encourage de drinking of water, secof de risk of dehydration. Dem encourage men make dem perform de first three circuits for a hurried pace, dem know as *Ramal*, den de following four for a more leisurely pace.
File:Sa'yee_To_Go.jpg|Sa'yee towards Safa
File:Sa'yee_For_older.jpg|Central section dem reserve give de elderly den de disabled. Dem sanso divide am into two directions of travel.
File:Sa'yee_To_return.jpg|Sa'yee wey dey return from Safa


### First day of Hajj: 8th Dhu al-Hijjah (Tarwiyah Day)
For de 8th Dhu al-Hijjah, dem go remind de pilgrims of dema duties. Dem san go don de Ihram garments den confirm dema intention make dem make de pilgrimage. De prohibitions of Ihram dey start now.

#### Mina

After de morning prayer for de 8th of Dhu al-Hijjah, de pilgrims proceed to Mina wer dem dey spend de whole day den offer noon (Note: For Friday, dem dey offer Friday Prayer, instead of Dhuhr Prayer, for Mina), afternoon, evening, den night prayers. De next morning after morning prayer, dem go lef Mina go Arafat.

### Second day: 9th Dhu al-Hijjah (Arafah Day)
De 9th Dhul-Hijjah be known as Day of Arafah, wey dem dey bell dis day de Day of Hajj.

#### Arafat
For 9th Dhu al-Hijjah before noon, pilgrims arrive for Arafat, a barren den plain land sam  east of Mecca, wer dem stand insyd contemplative vigil: dem offer supplications, repent on den atone for dema past sins, den seek de mercy of God, den listen to de sermon from de Islamic scholars wey deliver am from near Jabal al-Rahmah (De Mount of Mercy) from wer dem say na Muhammad deliver ein last sermon. Dey last from noon thru sunset, dis be known as 'standing before God' (wuquf), one of de most significant rites of Hajj. For *Masjid al-Namirah*, pilgrims offer noon den afternoon prayers togeda for noontime. Dem dey consider a pilgrim ein Hajj invalid if dem no spend de afternoon for Arafat.

#### Muzdalifah

Pilgrims for leave Arafat for Muzdalifah after sunset widout performing dema maghrib (sunset) prayer for Arafat. Muzdalifah be an area between Arafat den Mina. Upon reaching der, pilgrims perform Maghrib den Isha prayer jointly, spend de night praying den sleeping for de ground plus open sky, den gather pebbles for de next day ein ritual of de stoning of de Devil (Shaytan).

### Third day: 10th Dhu al-Hijjah (Qurban Day)
After de morning prayer, de Pilgrims move from Muzdalifah to Mina.

#### Ramy al-Jamarat

For Mina, de pilgrims perform symbolic Stoning of de Devil (Ramy al-Jamarat) by dem dey throw seven stones from sunrise to sunset for de largest of de three pillars per, dem know as Jamrat al-Aqabah. Dem no dey stone de two pillars wey remain (jamarah) for dis day. Dem say dese pillars dey represent Satan. Pilgrims dey climb ramps to de multi-levelled Jamaraat Bridge, from wich dem fi throw dema pebbles for de jamarat. Secof safety reasons, insyd 2004 na dem replace de pillars by long walls, plus catch basins below make dem collect de pebbles.

#### Animal sacrificing
After de Stoning of de Devil, dem go sacrifice cattle (Surah 22:34-36) make dem commemorate de story of Ibrahim den Ismael. Traditionally na de pilgrims slaughter de animal demaselves anaa dem oversee de slaughtering. Today chaw pilgrims buy a sacrifice voucher insyd Mecca before de greater Hajj begin, wich dey allow make dem slaughter an animal insyd de name of God (Allah) for de 10th, widout de pilgrim be physically present. Modern abattoirs plete de processing of de meat, wich dem then send as a charity to poor people around de world. For de same time as de sacrifices occur for Mecca, Muslims worldwide perform similar sacrifices, insyd a three-day global festival dem call *Eid al-Adha*.

#### Hair removal
After sacrificing an animal, anoda important rite of Hajj be de shaving anaa trimming of head hair (dem know as Halak). All male pilgrims shave dema head anaa trim dema hair for de day of Eid al Adha den female pilgrims cut de tips of dema hair.

#### Tawaf Ziyarat/Ifadah

For de same anaa de day wey dey follow, de pilgrims re-visit de Sacred Mosque insyd Mecca for anoda *tawaf*, dem know as *Tawaf al-Ifadah*, an essential part of Hajj. E dey symbolize dem be in a hurry make dem respond to God den show love for Am, an obligatory part of Hajj. Dem dey spend de night of de 10th back for Mina.

### Fourth day: 11th Dhu al-Hijjah
Dey start from noon to sunset for de 11 Dhu al-Hijjah (den again de day wey dey follow), de pilgrims san throw seven pebbles for each of de three pillars insyd Mina. Dis be commonly known as de "Stoning of the Devil".

### Fifth day: 12th Dhu al-Hijjah
For 12 Dhu al-Hijjah, de same process of de stoning of de pillars as of 11 Dhu al-Hijjah dey take place. Pilgrims fi leave Mina for Mecca before sunset for de 12th.

### Last day for Mina: 13th Dhu al-Hijjah
If unable make dem leave for de 12th before sunset anaa dem opt make dem stay longer, dem san for perform de stoning ritual for de 13th before dem go return to Mecca.

#### Tawaf al-Wadaa
Finally, before dem go lef Mecca, pilgrims dey perform a farewell tawaf dem dey bell de Tawaf al-Wadaa. 'Wadaa' dey mean 'to bid farewell'. De pilgrims dey circle de Kaaba seven times counter-clockwise, den if dem fi, attempt make dem touch anaa kiss de Kaaba.

## Journey to Medina

During dema journey for Hajj, pilgrims traditionally sanso dey travel to de city of Medina (approximately  to de northeast), in particular make dem pray for de Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (Mosque of de Prophet), wich dey contain de tomb of Muhammad. Dem sanso dey usually visit Quba Mosque den Masjid al-Qiblatayn.

## Significance

To Muslims, Hajj be associated plus religious as well as social significance. De obligation for performing dis pilgrimage be only fulfilled if dem do am for de eighth to twelfth day of de last month of de Islamic calendar. If insyd a given year, an adult Muslim dey insyd good health wey dema life den wealth be safe, dem for perform de Hajj insyd de same year. Dem dey consider delaying as sinful unless de delay be caused by reasons beyond dema control.

Malcolm X, an American activist during de Civil Rights Movement, dey describe de sociological atmosphere he experience for ein Hajj insyd de 1960s as follows:

## Differences between Hajj den Umrah

* Both be Islamic pilgrimages; de main difference be dema level of importance den de method of observance.
* Hajj be one of de Five Pillars of Islam. Ebe obligatory for every Muslim once insyd dema lifetime, provided dem be physically fit den financially capable.
* Dem dey perform Hajj over specific days during a designated Islamic month (Dhu al-Hijjah). However, dem fi perform Umrah for any time.
* Although dem dey share common rites, dem fi perform Umrah in less dan a few hours while Hajj be more time-consuming, den dey involve more rituals.

## Number of pilgrims per year

Na der be a substantial increase insyd de number of pilgrims during de last 92 years, wey na de number of foreign pilgrims increase by approximately 2,824 percent, from 58,584 insyd 1920 to 1,712,962 insyd 2012. Secof development den expansion work for Masjid al-Haram, na de authority restrict de number of pilgrims insyd 2013.

Between 1940 den 1945, na dem restrict foreign pilgrims from arriving insyd Saudi Arabia as a result of World War II; na dem severely restrict de pilgrimages insyd 2020 den 2021 while na de country dey deal plus de COVID-19 pandemic. For de most recent 2023 Hajj insyd, na der be 1,845,045 total pilgrims, wey dey include about 184,000 Saudis.

Na de number of pilgrims wey dey follow arrive insyd Saudi Arabia each year make dem perform Hajj:

## Gallery

File:Supplicating_Pilgrim_at_Masjid_Al_Haram._Mecca,_Saudi_Arabia.jpg|Pilgrim insyd supplication for de Al-Masjid Al-Haram insyd Mecca.
File:Aqaba_the_big_one.jpg|De largest Jamarah (pillar). Dese pillars dey depict de evils insyd Islam wey dem be stoned by de devotees.
File:Zamzamwill.JPG|Pilgrims wey dey visit de well of Zamzam.
File:Mount Safa Mecca.jpg|Mount Safa within de Al-Masjid Al-Haram insyd Mecca.
File:Al-Marwah.JPG|Mount Marwah within de Al-Masjid Al-Haram insyd Mecca.
File:Tents_at_Mina.JPG|Tents at Mina.
File:Jabal-e-Rehmat (Mount Arafat).jpg|Mount Arafat during *Ḥajj* plus Pilgrims dey supplicate.
File:Mount_Arafat.jpg|Mount Arafat, a few miles away from Mecca.


## References


## Read further

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## External links

* Hajj: a Cultural History – online exhibition
* Mapping Faith: The Pilgrimage to Mecca Archived 4 August 2023 at the Wayback Machine – CNN interactive feature
* Virtual Hajj by *PBS*
* The Hajj Goes High Tech –*Time* magazine photo essay
* Sequence of Hajj explained through Google Earth Archived 20 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine