What is hajj ?
It is one of the five core pillars of Islam, and it is a religious duty to be fulfilled at least once in its lifetime, the duty of every Muslim, whether a woman or a man. Muslim from around the world are converging on Mecca ,Saudi Arabia, to fullfill the last of the five pillars of Islam. Millions embark on this five day spiritual journey annualy, making it one of the largest gatherings in the world. Unlike mosque gathering where women and men are separated.both genders stand side by side at the grand mosque. Physically and financially capable muslims must perform hajj once during their lifetime. Pilgrims retrace and re-enact the experiences and rituals of the prophets during the five days of hajj. Mecca is the holiest city in islam because its believed to be the birth place of the prophet Mohammed and the site of his first revelation of the Quraan. That's why muslims pray
At the direction of the kaaba. When the pilgrim is about 6 miles (10 km) from Mecca, he or she enters the state of holiness and purity known as ihram and dons the ihram garments; for men they consist of two white seamless sheets that are wrapped around the body, while women may wear sewn clothes. The pilgrims cut neither their hair nor their nails until the pilgrimage rite is over. They enter Mecca and walk seven times around the sacred shrine called the Kaʿbah, in the Great Mosque, kiss or touch the Black Stone (al-Ḥajar al-Aswad) in the Kaʿbah, pray twice in the direction of the Maqām Ibrāhīm and the Kaʿbah , and run seven times between the minor prominences of Mount Ṣafā and Mount Marwah. On the 7th day of Dhū al-Ḥijjah the pilgrims are reminded of their duties. At the second stage of the ritual, which takes place between the 8th and the 12th days of the month, the pilgrim visits the holy places outside Mecca — Jabal al-Raḥmah, Muzdalifah, and Minā — and sacrifices an animal in commemoration of Abraham's sacrifice. Male pilgrims' heads are then usually shaved, and female pilgrims remove a lock of hair. After throwing seven stones at each of the three pillars at Minā on three successive days (the pillars exemplify various devils), the pilgrim returns to Mecca to perform the farewell ṭawāf, or circling, of the Kaʿbah before leaving the city.
No comments:
Post a Comment