About Hajj

1225 Words3 Pages

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.

Open Document