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The city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia has long been the spiritual centre of the Islamic faith: the world's 1.3 billion Muslims kneel in its direction during prayers. But in the final months of the Islamic year, Islam's holiest city becomes even more vital, as an estimated 2.5 million pilgrims make their once-in-a-lifetime journey to the site.
This pilgrimage, known as the Hajj, is one of the Five Pillars of Islam by which every practising Muslim must abide. This year, the Hajj takes place from September 21st to 26th, it takes place annually between the 8th and 12th days of Dhu-al-Hijjah, the final month of the lunar Islamic calendar.
This pilgrimage, known as the Hajj, is one of the Five Pillars of Islam by which every practising Muslim must abide. This year, the Hajj takes place from September 21st to 26th, it takes place annually between the 8th and 12th days of Dhu-al-Hijjah, the final month of the lunar Islamic calendar.
Pilgrims walking the Hajj in traditional Ihram The Hajj consists of a five-day excursion, required by all physically and financially able Muslims, to Mecca and the nearby holy sites of Arafat, Mina, and Muzdalifah. Once there, pilgrims wear Ihram, white garments that make everyone equal and perform a series of rituals to unify themselves with other believers, absolve themselves of their sins and pay tribute to God. This is the Ummah, the community of Islam, in action; one cannot tell the difference between a prince and a pauper.
Muslims claim that the origins of the Hajj date back to 2,000 B.C. when Ishmael, the infant son of the prophet Ibrahim (Or Abraham, as he is called in the Old Testament) and Ibrahim's wife Hager were stranded in the desert. With Ishmael close to death from thirst, Hager ran back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwa looking for water until the angel Jibril (Gabriel) touched down to earth and created a spring of fresh water for the baby, known as the Well of Zamzam.
Muslims claim that the origins of the Hajj date back to 2,000 B.C. when Ishmael, the infant son of the prophet Ibrahim (Or Abraham, as he is called in the Old Testament) and Ibrahim's wife Hager were stranded in the desert. With Ishmael close to death from thirst, Hager ran back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwa looking for water until the angel Jibril (Gabriel) touched down to earth and created a spring of fresh water for the baby, known as the Well of Zamzam.
A pilgrim prays at Mt. Arafat Following the orders of God, Ibrahim is said to have built a monument at the site of the spring known as the Kaaba. Worshippers from all faiths travelled to worship at the site; in 630 A.D., the Prophet Muhammad led a group of Muslims there in the first official Hajj, destroying the idols placed there by polytheistic worshippers and re-dedicating the site in the name of Allah. The path that Muhammad and his followers travelled is retraced as part of the Hajj rituals which include making Hager's walk between Safa and Marwa, stoning the wall of Satan that tempted Ibrahim to defy God, slaughtering an animal in honour of the sacrifice that Ibrahim made to save his son and climbing the Mount of Arafat from which Muhammad made his last sermon.
The ultimate rite of passage during the Hajj is circling the Kaaba, an immense black cube, spiritually considered by Muslims to be the centre of the world, and literally located in the centre of the Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca. During the Hajj, vast swells of worshippers seeking forgiveness circle the Kaaba counter-clockwise, seven times. Completion of all of the mandated rituals earns the pilgrim the title of hajji (literally, one who has performed the Hajj) — coveted and admired in Muslim communities around the world.
The ultimate rite of passage during the Hajj is circling the Kaaba, an immense black cube, spiritually considered by Muslims to be the centre of the world, and literally located in the centre of the Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca. During the Hajj, vast swells of worshippers seeking forgiveness circle the Kaaba counter-clockwise, seven times. Completion of all of the mandated rituals earns the pilgrim the title of hajji (literally, one who has performed the Hajj) — coveted and admired in Muslim communities around the world.
A time-laspe photo of pilgrims circumambulating the Kabba
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