Download The Hajj Inside the hajj: The world`s largest annual pilgrimage

The Hajj
hajj, also spelled hadj, is a holy pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy city of the Islamic religion. The
Kaaba, the most sacred shrine of Islam, is in Mecca and is the chief goal of the pilgrimage. The
Islamic religion requires every Muslim to make this journey at least once, if possible. Going on
the hajj is one of the five pillars (duties) of Islam. The hajj includes a number of ceremonies that
last several days. Muslims believe a person who makes the hajj secures great religious merit.
Such a person is called a hajji and is held in esteem.
Source: http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar242500&st=haj
Source: http://vid.alarabiya.net/images/2013/10/02/9a727c71-73cd-4411-9e28f14d625908f5/9a727c71-73cd-4411-9e28-f14d625908f5.jpg
Inside the hajj: The world's largest annual pilgrimage
By Sarah Brown, CNN
(CNN) – Millions of Muslims began the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, which
represents one of the largest annual human gatherings on the planet.
The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, a journey every Muslim is expected to take in
his or her lifetime if the person is physically and financially able.
This year, the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca is hosting more than 2 million Muslims, about
1 million fewer than last year, according to the Associated Press.
Our iReport team has asked pilgrims who have performed the Hajj about how the
experience changed them - and for their advice to those undertaking the pilgrimage for
the first time.
The result is a mix of spiritual and practical life lessons that transcend Islam.
1. Patience
iReporter Amir Abdul Latip from Brunei said the Hajj taught him a patience that’s carried
over to his life after the pilgrimage.
“I'm still not perfect, but the Hajj has changed my perspective on the temporal nature life,
the universe, and everything else,” he says.
“Just be patient and always try to help others,” Latip says, adding that the Hajj helped
“widen my views to see a bigger picture of our existence.”
Patience is an order during the Tawaf, a Hajj ritual in which throngs of pilgrims circle
seven times around the Kaaba, a cube-shaped building considered the most sacred site
in Islam.
The whole five-day event, which attracts around 3 million people, is slow going and
sometimes chaotic.
“Several times things are not in control of the organizers – they try their best for pilgrims
but they cannot do all due to some unforeseen circumstances,” said iReporter
Muhammad Zafar from Simi Valley, California, who performed Hajj in 2011 with his
family.
2. Down to earth
Ameer Hassoun, an Iraqi-born doctor who lives in New Jersey, said a key part of the
Hajj is learning from other pilgrims.
“It taught me how to be very down to earth, to treat everything with humility, that there is
no difference between us - no matter where we are," he said.
“People around the world share their own experiences from their home countries and so
it’s a very fertile land for learning.”
For Hira Hasnain, a student in North Carolina who spent three weeks undertaking the
Hajj, one of the most rewarding experiences was uncovering new aspects of her faith by
meeting new people.
“It brings you closer, it provides a sense of unity.,” she says. “You realize that everyone
around the world is striving to … achieve closeness to God and everyone has different
ways of doing it.”
“Try to understand where everyone is coming from and your enjoyment of Hajj will be
that much more meaningful,” Hasnain says.
3. Everywhere was white
iReporter Rafiu Olasunkanmi Yusuf, a Nigerian who works in Malaysia, said his 2003
pilgrimage revealed a “need to move closer to God.”
“Everywhere was white, that symbol of purity,” he said. “There was no distinction on the
basis of race, country or color of the skin. One can feel the presence of the Almighty
God as we perform the religious rites.”
Since then Yusuf, has tried to “devote more time to spiritual uplift and less time to
worldly pursuits."
Haq, meanwhile, says his pilgrimage taught him to acknowledge God in “everything I do.”
“I pay close attention to my obligations as a Muslim,” he says. “My prayers, obedience to
parents, fasting, zakat [gifts to charity -- another of the five pillars of Islam] - I repent
more often, and make more dhikr [prayers reciting the names of God].
“I also try to educate my Muslim and non-Muslim friends, co-workers and peers on
Islam,” he says.
4. The hajj is hard
iReporter Amaan Haq from Woodbridge, Virginia, undertook his first Hajj in 2011 with his
wife and said preparation was essential.
“Read and understand before embarking what acts are required from you,” he said.
“The Hajj is hard even if you're young.”
The Hajj can be a physical and mental endurance test, with pilgrims sometimes walking
miles each day. Haq advises pilgrims to take drinks or electrolyte salts to stay hydrated
in the 90-degree Arabian sun.
Other iReporters recommended that first time pilgrims obtain a guide if possible, saying
the complex sequence of rituals to be performed and the sheer size of the gathering can
be overwhelming.
5. Just do it
Latip from Brunei said his final advice for those wishing to undertake the journey was to
get going.
“Just do it,” he said.
“Don’t wait until you’re too old and frail,” he says. “And with costs rising year after year,
it’s better to do it sooner if you can.”
That advice can apply to journeys other than Hajj, too.
The Editors - CNN Belief Blog
Source: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/14/ireporters-5-life-lessons-from-the-hajj/
How to Make the Best of the Hajj
CNN iReporter Hira Hasnain gives some tips on how to make the best of the pilgrimage to Mecca.
http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/ireports/2012/10/22/irpt-hajj-advice.cnn.html
Source: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/116530709080143585/
Visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Hajj website:
http://www.hajinformation.com/main/f.htm
5 facts about the hajj
BY FATIMA GHANI AND MICHAEL LIPKA
The annual Muslim hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca is underway, and more than a million
pilgrims already have entered Saudi Arabia from abroad. Some of the key rituals involved
in the pilgrimage are performed on the ninth day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah,
which this year falls on Oct. 14. All Muslim adults are expected to participate in the hajj,
which is among the Five Pillars (core practices) of Islam, at least once in their lifetime
unless they are physically or financially incapable of making the trip to Mecca.
Here’s a look at some of the numbers associated with the hajj:
More than 3 million people performed the hajj in 2012, according to the government of
Saudi Arabia. More than six-in-ten (64%) were men, and more than half (55%) came from
outside Saudi Arabia. The overall annual number has been rising in recent decades, and
is up by more than a million from a decade ago. This year’s number, however, is
expected to be lower than last year’s total because the Saudi government issued
significantly fewer visas due to concerns about a deadly respiratory virus.
A recent Pew Research Center
survey of Muslims around the world found that, across the 39 countries and territories
surveyed, a median of 9% say they have made the pilgrimage to Mecca. Those living closer
to Mecca are more likely to have performed the hajj. For example, 20% of Egyptian
Muslims say they have done so, while just 3% of Indonesian Muslims say they have.
The Saudi government issues a set number of hajj visas annually. Although those
are free, the trip carries considerable costs, especially for transportation and lodging,
and pilgrims must use an approved travel agent. Hajj packages from the United States may
exceed $5,000. More than 14,500 American Muslims are expected to perform the hajj this
year, according to the Religion News Service.
Several of the primary rituals of the hajj involve the number seven. One of them,
known as performing tawaf, involves circling the Kaaba (the holiest site in Islam) seven
times. Pilgrims also typically travel back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwa
seven times.
The hajj coincides with Eid al-Adha, a major holiday for Muslims – including those
not performing the pilgrimage – which begins on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah. Muslims
around the world with the financial means to do so traditionally slaughter a large animal,
such as a cow, goat or sheep, on Eid al-Adha and distribute portions of the meat to the
poor. (Many American Muslims donate to organizations that slaughter animals and give
meat to the poor overseas.) The ritual sacrifice evokes the Quranic story of Abraham’s
willingness to sacrifice his son for God.
Source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/10/11/5-facts-about-the-hajj/
Virtual Hajj
Click this link to follow the steps of the Hajj.
http://www.pbs.org/muhammad/vh_step1.shtml
Click this link to see a National Geographic video on the Hajj:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/places/culture-places/beliefs-andtraditions/saudiarabia_mecca/
Click this link to see a slideshow on the Hajj:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/slideshow/hajj-draws-hundreds-thousands-pilgrimsmecca-20561729