The Haj pilgrimage and Haj festival

The Haj festival will be celebrated by Muslims around the world on the tenth day of the month of Zul Haj. It is the culmination of the Haj pilgrimage in Mecca. Still responding to that original call of Ibrahim and following in the footsteps of prophet Muhammad, over two million people from every corner of the globe gather in Mecca to perform Haj every year.

Along with the profession (declaration) of faith, daily prayers, a month-long annual fast and charity to the poor, Haj is one of the five tenets of Islam. Haj is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for every Muslim, male or female, provided he/she is healthy enough to travel and has the means to undertake the pilgrimage .

One important obligation during Haj is wearing unstitched clothing comprising two sheets (women wear normal clothes with a scarf to cover the head). All men, rich or poor, black or white, are dressed this way, so that all men of all countries look alike in identical simple garments, and no pilgrim may feel tempted to take pride of place over another.

The sacred mosque in Mecca due to continuous expansion, can accommodate about one million pilgrims in one go. Pilgrims encircle the Kabah seven times. Near the Kabah, are two small hills called Safa and Marwah - "Signs of Gold" as they are described in the Quran and pilgrims have to trek between the two hillocks as a ritual in memory of Lady hajara who ran between the two hillocks looking for water when her son was crying out in thirst.

The hills, which were previously outside the precincts of the sacred mosque, have now been enclosed within its boundaries. The pilgrims walk briskly back and forth seven times between these hills, a distance of about 394 metres. This rite is performed in memory of Abraham's wife, Hajara, who ran helplessly between the two hills seven times in search of water for her baby, Ishmael, who was crying from thirst. God was pleased and a miracle took place - a spring gushed forth from which the baby could drink water. The well, known as Zamzam, still quenches pilgrims' thirst.

On the first day of Haj, the pilgrims set out for Mina, a small town about three miles from Mecca. Here the pilgrims stay three nights and three days.

As one of the rites of Haj, the pilgrims throw small pebbles at stone pillars, which symbolise the devil within people. From Mina, the pilgrims go on to Arafat, where the climax of the pilgrimage - "the standing of Arafat" takes place. The centre of attention is the 200 feet high Mount of Mercy, Mount Arafa from which Prophet Muhammad preached his last sermon in 632 AD.

Compiled by Ruzaik Farook