About Hajj
A Muslim is obliged once in their lifetime ,by their religion along
with their own will, to take a pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia.
This pilgrimage is called Hajj and is an amazing journey that is done
for a definite purpose. It is part of the Five Pillars of Islam that
is the basis of the entire religion making it obligatory. Through
completing Hajj, a Muslim can begin to feel closer to Allah (Islam's
God) and experience inner fulfilment. Hajj must be done for the right
reasons, "it is for the glory of Allah not for the glory of the person
making the journey." Hajj literally means 'to set out for a place',
it's a journey with rites and rituals along the way. The Qu'ran calls
Muslims to 'complete the Hajj or Umrah in the service of Allah'.
For generations, the journey a Muslim takes has always started in
Makkah. This place is sacred because in 10AH, 632 CE, Muslim's believe
that Muhammad (pbuh)- Islam's most famous prophet - performed Hajj
with 1400 of his followers because Allah instructed him to. He also
lived and preached in Makkah during his lifetime. Since Muhammad's
pilgrimage, Makkah has been sacred to all Muslim's. They want to
follow in the footsteps of Muhammad and the prophets Adam, Ibrahim and
Isma'il as they believe that Allah is there to guide them through life
just as he guided the prophets. Makkah is classed as Holy Ground and
people go there to change their life as they wash away their sins.
They believe that Hajj and Makkah makes them a better person.
Hajj must take place at certain times because of its historic roots.
It is to be taken place between 8 and 13 Dhu'l Hijjah, the twelfth
month of the lunar calendar. If a Muslim journeys at another time,
it's known as 'Umrah' (a lesser pilgrimage that can be taken at any
time). The significance of this journey isn't as great as Hajj and the
journey isn't counted as a completion of the fifth pillar.
The Hajj or pilgrimage to Makkah is one of the five pillars of Islam "arkan-al-Islam”- Its purpose is essentially to facilitate the act of submission to Allah which is pinnacle to all followers of Islam. "Perform the pilgrimage and the visit [to Mecca] for Allah" Surah 2:196. It has enormous significance, not only for the pilgrim undertaking the Hajj but also for the wider Muslim community, the Umma, as it allows for all individuals to gain unification of faith. Such purpose can be examined through considering various rituals; the stand before Allah "wuquf", the stoning of the pillars at Mina, the commemoration of the festival of sacrifice "Id-ul-Adha", the circling of the Ka'bah and drawing water from the well of Zamzam. Such rituals give example to a profound meaning of the Islamic faith and upon completion, the individual is fulfilling to the ultimate goal of Islam, a more perfect submission to Allah.
... and Jihad According to Islam." HWeb. HWeb, 13 June 2006. Web. 05 Nov. 2013. .
Both the Buddhist monks and suicide bombers resort to violent means to try and enact a certain social change. The Buddhist monks that sacrificed their own lives believed they were just and right in fighting the religiously discriminatory government. If someone believes their fight is just and right and that their life is worth what they believe in, then violence on oneself in acts of civil disobedience is permissible. However, the actions of suicide bombers in the Middle East are not right because their suicides inhibit on the liberties of innocent people.
caused their banishment from the place in which they were” (Rodwell 6). The Koran does not
die and are in a lot of pain, all religions teach us that they should
... or disobeys God’s way in committing premeditated murder or involuntary manslaughter should be put to death immediately.
Am I right or am I wrong? If a muslim man/woman were to kill someone it would be considered
Among the most beloved traditions and rituals of the Islamic faith is a pilgrimage that unites Muslims around the world. It is known as the Hajj, an Arabic word meaning “to set out for a place” (“Short History of Hajj”). It is one of the five pillars that define the Islamic faith. The Hajj itself is a five day trip into Mecca, the Islamic holy city, as well as surrounding areas. It is a trip that thousands of Muslims undergo each year. It is a staple of Islamic faith, as well as a spiritual and emotional journey that brings Muslims closer to God.
For example honor killings, including female genital mutilation, is a traditional patriarchal custom where, male family members subject Muslim women to murder in case they lose their virginity before marriage either by rape, falling in love with the wrong men or the victim of incest they refuse to accept an arranged marriage. This behavior is considered socially acceptable and a dishonor to the family, especially among the underprivileged classes where they can achieve honor more than prosperity. This film encourages the idea that honor killings are linked to Islam, however, it is not mentioned in the Quran and it has occurred in other religions such as Judaism and Christianity as well as in Islam. Women are victimized through established religious restrictions that are neither condoned nor confined by the principles of Islam. Egypt and Jordan witness cases like this, even though they are not motivated by honor. A considerate number of NGOs and legislation succeeded in imposing sentences to people committing these crimes, these acts are still occurring in silence. (Husseini,
A human being should be free to choose what he pleases in regards to his own life, however,
The prophet did not show mercy or spare the lives of people criticizing Islam. His views remain a big motivator to Muslims that fight other people for belonging to the different religions. Muhammed orders Muslims to fight the non-Muslims everywhere and ensure that they acknowledge that “Allah” is the only God. The position taken by the prophet is openly one that escalates existing tensions and creates war. People from different cultures in the world have different religions that relate to their cultures. Muslims should use ideologies to convert people to Islam and war as directed by the prophet. The use of force calls for retaliatory attacks from non-Muslims who may be unwilling to join the religion. The prophet also instructs the Muslims to kill those who choose to leave the religion in favor of other religions. Killing those who leave creates an example of Muslims waging war to their fellow Muslims. The prophet clearly illustrates Muslim is a religion that does not promote peace by viewing other members as inferior. According to his teachings of the prophet, it is not a sin for a Muslim to kills a non-Muslim. The heavenly rewards Allah gives for killing non-Muslims encourage the Muslims to follow the teachings of killing peaceful and innocent members of other religions. Often people rely on the prophet’s views and teachings to interpret the scriptures they are not able to
Mecca is also known as Makkah and its full name is Makkah al-Mukkaramah. Mecca is a city in the Hijaz region of western Saudi Arabia. It is known as the holiest site in the Islamic religion. The history of Mecca goes back as early as the fifth century. It was an independent and powerful city in pre-Islamic times. It is the religious center for Islamic people and it houses the Kaaba and the Great Mosque. It is also the birthplace of Muhammad, the first capital of caliphate, and the center of present day mosques. In 630 Muhammad and some of his followers went into the city of Mecca and captured it. Mecca is said to have started one of the most important religions in the world and it brings together the Islamic religion.
a Muslim does such perils, it is blamed on the faith on whole and not
Muslim, ever wonder what this word really means? Who is classified as Muslim? Someone that is Muslim is not a terrorist, nor a bad person. They are humans. Someone that is a Muslim only has an Islamic belief. This word originated in Arabia where this whole culture developed (BBC “Islam”). Islam followers, or Muslims, were introduced to their culture from the Prophet Muhammad (BBC “Islam”). The word Islam comes up very often, but who knows what it means? It is said to be the “submission to the will of God (BBC “Islam”).” Majority of the U.S. population today see Muslims as bad people only because a certain group attacked the United States. We, as a whole, discriminate today towards Muslims and any human with an Islamic background.
On Hajj The religion of Islam is held up by five pillars, known as the five. pillars of Islam. These are five ritual duties that Muslims view as central to their faith. These are: (1) pronouncing the confession of faith (shahada); (2) performing the five daily prayers (salat); (3). fasting during the month of Ramadan (saum); (4) paying the alms tax.