Muslims from all over the world are preparing themselves for the journey of a lifetime. Packing their bags, memorising du'as, calling their nearest and dearest for forgiveness with the mission for their Hajj to be accepted by Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Kind. Allah guides whom he shall. May Allah accept all our du'a. Ameen.
Once in a lifetime, Hajj and `Umrah are decreed for those who can afford it (3:97). Hajj must be observed during the four Sacred Months - Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, Safar, & Rabi` I (12th, 1st, 2nd, 3rd months of the Islamic calendar) (2:197; 9:2, 36). The first part of the pilgrimage is called `Umrah. `Umrah can be performed by itself any time during the year. However, performing `Umrah by itself is not a substitute for Hajj.
The Hajj step by step: To carry out the pilgrimage rituals a pilgrim needs to be in a state of Ihram - a special state of ritual purity. A pilgrim does this by making a statement of intention to perform the Hajj, wearing special white clothes (which are also called Ihram), and obeying certain regulations. During the Hajj, pilgrims are forbidden to:
- Engage in marital relations
- Shave or cut their nails
- Use cologne or scented oils
- Kill or hunt anything
Fight or argue - Women must not cover their faces, even if they would do so in their home country
- Men may not wear clothes with stitching.
[Ihram clothing indicates the cloth which a person wears into their grave. A plain white sheet without stitching. With the head shaven, all men look very similar symbolising equality in Islam, that Allah looks at the person from within - not their exterior. Wealth is not apparent in a state of Ihram, the only thing that differentiates from one person to another is piety - as when one enters their grave, it is only their good deeds that are present and therefore patience and gratitude is of uppermost importance during Hajj]
DAY 1: FIRST STEP
Pilgrims travel to Mina on 8 Dhul Hijjah and remain there until dawn the next morning.
DAY 2: STANDING AT ARAFAT
Pilgrims then travel to the valley of Arafat and stand in the open praising Allah and meditating.
At the end of the day, pilgrims travel to Muzdalifa where they spend the night. Pilgrims gather up stones to use the next day.
DAY 3: STONING THE DEVIL
In the morning, pilgrims return to Mina and throw seven stones/pebbles at pillars called Jamaraat. These represent the devil. The pillars stand at three spots where Satan is believed to have tempted the Prophet Abraham. Pilgrims sacrifice an animal (usually a sheep or goat). This commemorates the incident related in the Old Testament when the Prophet Abraham was about to sacrifice his son and God accepted a sheep instead.
Pilgrims shave their heads or cut some hair from it and return to Mecca for a further Tawaf, around the Kaaba. They then return to Mina, where they spend the night.
DAYS 4 & 5
Pilgrims spend time in Mina, stoning the pillars each day. If a pilgrim has been unable to return to Mecca to walk around the Kaaba, he or she does so on the fourth or fifth day.
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