What is Hajj?
Hajj (Arabic: الحَجّ) is an obligatory act of worship in Islam, which entails embarking on a pilgrimage journey to Mecca to perform special rituals at designated sites. Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“And pilgrimage to the House is a duty upon mankind for Allah, who can afford the journey to it; and anyone who disbelieves, then verily Allah is Self-sufficiently independent of the worlds (3:97).”
Undertaking the hajj at least once is a duty for Muslims who are physically and financially able to make the journey. There is a designated time allocated for the Hajj pilgrimage that occurs once a year. From the eighth to the twelfth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic Calendar.
Performing the Hajj requires the pilgrim to carry out particular activities known as rites of hajj (manasik al-hajj). The Hajj starts with the pilgrim putting on a special white garment in designated places called “miqat” (Arabic: ميقات). At this point, the pilgrim has entered the state of Ihram, whereby certain actions become impermissible, such as looking into a mirror, smelling perfume, and more. Then, the pilgrim continues through the list of rites needed to be performed at specific places and times.
For more information on the Hajj Rites, click here.
