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Hajj - Significant Practice in Islam 2

Brief Glossary of Hajj Terms


Brief GlossaryMaking the intention to enter a spiritual status (religious purity with some restrictions). This is required to perform the rites of Hajj. For men it is required to dress or put on a white uniform composed of two towels similar to the shroud and clean the body (look for details in this context).

Ihraam

Pilgrimage to Mecca and performing other related rites. This is required once in a lifetime.

Hajj

Circling or walking around the Ka’bah in 7 circles counter clockwise (circumambulation).

Tawaf

Walking for 7 laps between two locations known as Safa and Marwa (450m apart).

Sa’y

The sacred water which sprang forth miraculously under Ishmael's tiny feet during his mother's frantic search between Safa and Marwah. Zamzam is now enclosed in a marble chamber in the Ka'bah.

Zamzam

4Hajj - Significant Practice in Islam

This is important to get out of the Ihraam status to normal life. Halq means shaving the head by removing all hair (strongly recommended for men only) but Taqseer is cutting the hair short from all sides for men and only about an inch from one side for women.

Halq or Taqseer

A mount close to Mecca (25km) where all pilgrims gather on the 9th of Zoul Hijjah (Islamic Calendar) in order to repent to God and supplicate to Him.

Arafat

A small valley close to Arafat. When pilgrims finish from Arafat, they stop in Muzdalifa to stay overnight or pray Maghrib (sunset prayer) and Ishaa’ (night prayer) and stay for a short time before heading to Mina.

Muzdalifa

The plural of Jamarah which means a hot bead in Arabic. Also the word Jamarat indicates the area where stoning takes place. Pilgrims stone a wall in basin as a symbolic act of challenging the Satan and the evil desires.

Jamarat

Brief Glossary


Hajj in the Qur’an

قام إبراهيم ومن دخله كان آ على الناس م منا وللهه سبيال حج البيت من استطاع إلي

“[It is] the place whereon Abraham once stood; and whoever enters it finds inner peace. Hence, pilgrimage

unto the Temple is a duty owed to God by all people who are able to undertake it.”

The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 3, Verse 97



يأت ن في الناس بالحجه وك رجال وعلى كله وأذه ع ضامر يأتين من كله فجه مي

"And proclaim to mankind Al-Hajj (Pilgrimage).

They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep valley and distant

place to perform Hajj”




يس عليكم جناح أن تبتغوا فض بهكم فإذا أفض ن ر ن ال مه تم مه عند المشعر ا م لحرام واذكروه كما هداك عرفات فاذكروا الله

آلهين ن قبله لمن الض وإن كنتم مه

“[However,] you will be committing no sin if [during the pilgrimage] you seek to obtain any bounty from your Sustainer. And when you surge downward in multitudes from `Arafat, remember God at the holy place, and remember Him as the One who guided you after you had indeed been lost on your way.”



Hajj in the Hadith

Prophet Muhammad said: “Whoever performs Hajj to this house — Ka’bah — and does not commit any obscenity and wrongdoing, he, or she, will come out as the day he, or she, was born — pure and free from sins.”


Meaning of Hajj

The Arabic word Hajj literally means "to continuously strive to reach one's goal."

In Islamic terminology, Hajj refers to the annual pilgrimage that Muslims embark on, to Mecca, with the intention of visiting holy places and performing certain religious rites in accordance with the way prescribed by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).


A Pillar of Islam

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam that must be performed once in lifetime for those who are financially and health wise able to do it.

Hajj, or the Pilgrimage, consists of visiting a number of sacred places such as Ka’bah, Mt Arafat and performing specific rites during the period from the 8th to 13th Zoul-Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Islamic Calendar.


The Spiritual Meaning of Hajj

Hajj is more than just a matter of connecting with the historical legacy of Islam, but is rather a form of collective worship, and a way of establishing a connection with the monotheism and its human legacy symbolised by Abraham and the first human, Adam, respectively.


Rituals of Hajj

Hajj has a number of important rituals associated withit, including:

Putting on ihram, the two pieced clothCircumambulating the Ka’bah seven timesA fast walk between Safa and Marwa near Ka’bahVisiting and staying at Mina, Arafat and MuzdalifaThrowing pebbles at three fixed places in MinaShaving or trimming hairSacrifice of an animal which is distributed to the poor


Hajj is Abrahamic

Abraham was an exemplar model for monotheism and a mentor for all believers in One God. His faith and submission to One God was equal to the faith of a whole nation as described in the Holy Qur’an.


Hajj is AbrahamicHence, it is not a surprise that most of the Hajj rites are Abrahamic.

Ka’bah signifies oneness of God, the creator of the universe and every living creature.


What is the Ka’bah?

Muslims believe that the Ka’bahwas the first place of worship built by the first human and the first prophet, Adam. It was later rebuilt on the same foundations by Abraham and his son Ishmael and declared as a shrine dedicated to monotheism. Abraham called on people to make pilgrimage to the site.


Personal Reflection of a Pilgrim

The experience of seeing the Ka’bah for the first time...

“I walked through the crowd with anticipation of seeing the Ka'bah for the first time. When I saw it finally standing tall in the main courtyard with thousands of people circling it, I felt tears flowing...”



Experience of seeing the Ka’bah for the first time...

“As I saw the blessed Ka'bah I froze remembering to make a prayer but also its majesty and beauty overtook me. It brought me to tears. I didn't want to move and I just wanted to look at it while it was looking at me.”


The Story of Abraham

Abraham had two wives, Sarah, the mother of Isaac and Hagar the mother of Ishmael.

When Ishmael was a baby, Abraham took his wife Hagar with Ishmael to Mecca at a time when it was an arid place. This was a command from God for which he acted without hesitation because he had trust in his Lord. His wife Hagar fully submitted to God’s command due to her strong faith and agreed to migrate to Mecca and live there alone with her son.



Initially, it was very difficult for Hagar in Mecca; at the time Mecca as a city did not exist. It was part of a valley called Bekka. When Hagar ran out of water and her son cried because of thirst, she walked and ran scanning the whole area searching for water.




The sa’y commemorates Hagar's frantic search for water to quench Ishmael's thirst. She ran back and forth seven times between two rocky hillocks, Safa and Marwa.

Hagar kept searching until she found the sacred water known as zamzam.

This water sprang forth miraculously under Ishmael's tiny feet.

Important Places and Ritualsfor Hajj


The Sacred Mosque


The Sacred Mosque is located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the holiest mosque in the world. It is the primary destination of the Hajj pilgrimage.

The Sacred Mosque


The Sacred Mosque is the only mosque that has no qibla direction, since Muslims pray facing the Ka'bah in the central courtyard.

The Sacred Mosque at night


Ka’bah

Door of Ka’bah

The Ka’bah

The Black Stone


Maqam Abraham


In order to erect the walls of the Ka’bah, Abraham stood upon a large black stone which he moved along when each section was completed.

This stone is kept in an enclosure called Maqam(Station of) Abraham

The Black Stone

The Black Stone set on the outside of one corner of Ka’bah.

The Black Stone was put there by Prophet Abraham and Ishmael by the order of God, and the purpose of it was to indicate the beginning of circling the Ka’bah.


The Black Stone

According to a hadith (saying of Prophet Muhammad), “The Black Stone came down from Paradise”.

Muslims find it offensive when it is suggested that the black stone is a meteorite. At the same time, Muslims do not attach divine powers to the stone.

The stone is symbolic of the great milestone Prophet Abraham achieved through building the Ka’bah; setting the foundation for monotheism.


IhraamMaking the intention to enter a spiritual status (religious purity with

some restrictions). This is the first compulsory act to start performing the rites of Hajj.

Through the ihraam and other practices of Hajj, a pilgrim develops an acute sense of equality of human beings in practice rather than just theory. It simulates the Day of Judgment when masses gather in one place wearing only a two-pieced white garment without any stiches. In addition, this uniform dressing is an expression of the absolute equality of human beings.

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The Practice of Tawaf


Pilgrims glorify God by going around the Ka’bah, as though saying ‘just as we are circling the one and only Ka’bah, the oldest place of worship on earth, we only obey you the Absolute One worthy of worship.’

The Practice of Tawaf


A common act in the universe is that all entities orbit around a central point. While electrons orbit the nucleus in an atom, the earth and planets orbit the sun. The solar system orbits the centre of the Milky Way and so on. Muslims join in this cosmic mode of worship and synchronise with the universe and all existence by circling the Ka’bah.



Experience of collective circling of the Ka’bah...

“It felt like a smooth micro orbit, thousands of voices in spiritual chants perfectly orchestrated and soft.”

“Circling Ka'bah was more spiritual than I thought it would be. I felt connected with the people and the universe. Everything was moving, atoms, earth, people. The only thing that seemed to stay constant was Ka'bah."

Circumambulating the Ka’bah (Tawaf ) 7 times

Maqam Abraham


Sa’y


At Hajj, pilgrims walk the same distance Hagar did thousands of years ago. This Hajj rite is called Sa’y.

Sa’y consists of 7 laps (with a total distance of 2.76km). It starts from Safa and finishes at Marwa.



Experience of performing Sa’y...

“Appreciation of a woman’s, Hagar’s, struggle in zeal and determination grew on me”

“The sa'y was the most difficult part of Hajj. All I could imagine was the difficulty that Hagar went through.”

394.5 meters

7 laps , total 2.76 Km

Gallery Level

Roof

SafaMarwa

Sa’y Area


Sa’y

Sa’y Area

Sa’y


Pilgrimage Routes and

Dates



Pilgrimage Routes and Dates

Mecca Mina Muzdalifa Arafat

9th8th

9th “night” - 10th “Fajr”10th -13th

Coming from Mecca or Madinah


ARAFAT

Umrah Stay in Mina

Before going to Arafat

Stay in Muzdalifa

Mina

9th 10th8th

Dates of Zoul Hijjah lunar month / not to scale

11th 12th 13th

Eid Days

Nahr Day

Tashreeq Days

Mecca –

Sacred Mosque

Farewell Tawaf

Ifadha Tawaf

4th

Last day to enter Saudi for the purpose of Hajj

ARAFAT is the heart of Hajj rites

The common way to do Hajj:

Start by Umrah


Starting the Hajj Journey


Entering Mecca for Hajj

Mecca → Mina → Arafat → Muzdalifa → Mina → Mecca 44

It is customary for pilgrims to do tawaf when they first arrive at Mecca.

Hajj has not yet started but many of the Hajjrituals can be done such as tawaf and sa’y.


Going to Mina and staying there overnight before heading to Arafat has special importance because pilgrims prepare for the most important event in Hajj(Arafat), which needs a high spiritual level.

8 Zoul Hijjah


Arafat has a very significant place in the history of humanity. According toIslam, this is the place where the first man, Adam and his partner Evesincerely repented and received forgiveness for their mistake committedin Paradise.

Similarly, the plea and petition of millions of people at the same time is a compelling spiritual force that begs forgiveness.

9 Zoul Hijjah


Spending the day in Arafat from sunrise until the sun sets is the most important pillar of Hajj. Prophet Muhammad said “Hajj is Arafat”. If Arafat was missed, the whole Hajj is missed.

9 Zoul Hijjah




The experience of praying on Mt Arafat...

“There was a desert, I was alone amidst millions and 6 hours of time to ask for forgiveness!”

“The glow of the sun so captivating, I couldn’t take my eyes of it, literally, and I didn’t. There was a sense of grandeur; the day, the sun.”

ARAFAT The climatic event of Hajj

Venue : Mount of Arafat,

Address : 22.4Km from Mecca in Saudi

Date : 9th Zoul Hijjah / Lunar Month –Islamic Calendar

Time : 12:00pm to sunset

Dress Code : Men - two pieces of white cloth

Women – simple white gown

Tickets : Attendance is Free. However, you need to pay for your travel arrangements and transportation

Note : Please confirm you booking ASAP50

9 Zoul Hijjah - Morning

In Arafat all pilgrims gather in one place. They come from all over the world, in order to converse with God, supplicate to Him, praise Him and ask for His forgiveness. The above mentioned actions can be done anywhere; one does not need to be in ARAFAT to do them. However, the positive energy generated by the presence of millions of pilgrims makes this experience special and very spiritual.



A Muslim believes that the key for a successful presence in Arafat is to be honest with God, honest in their repentance, honest in making a change within themself.




Experience of praying on Mt Arafat...

“At first I felt unprepared, short of time and a little nervous to face the Lord, but it was during a moment when I was praying on my own, bare foot, on the mountain of mercy that I felt the ease, the peace and great Mercy of God, ask , ask ask for forgiveness...Humbled by His mercy and forgiveness for the great sins of mine, I was somewhat overwhelmed and felt light...”


Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stood here to give his final sermon just two months before his death

9 Zoul Hijjah

Hill of Rahmah (Mercy) is in the area of Arafat. It is believed that this is where Adam and Eve were re-united on earth.



ARAFAT- Aerial View above the Mount of Mercy 56


Coming to Hajj is a practical confirmation of ones willingness to clear all their previous sins and start a new life in which one abides by God’s law and His Book.




The experience of praying on Mt Arafat...

"Arafat enabled me to reflect over my whole life, achievements and failures of the past as well as possibilities of the future. I felt that praying for forgiveness liberated me to shape my life in a whole new way."

9 Zoul Hijjah - Sunset

Pilgrims meeting at Arafat ends when the sun sets. After that, all pilgrims head to Muzdalifa.


9 Zoul Hijjah - NightAfter Arafat, the next destination is Mina via Muzdalifa. In Mina pilgrims take PRACTICAL STEPS to confirm their pledge with God.


9 Zoul Hijjah - Night

Muzdalifa is 3km away from Arafat. Pilgrims stay overnight in Muzdalifa until Fajr (sunrise) prayer.


• Pilgrims pray the morning prayer in Muzdalifa and get prepared to leave for Mina.

• In Mina, pilgrims perform very important practical rites.

• Mina will be the base for performing the second half of Hajj rites.

10 Zoul Hijjah-early morning


1st Day of EID

Pilgrims provide a qurban (sacrifice) on this day by organising the slaughtering of a sheep and having its meat distributed to needy people. The meat is usually canned and donated to poor people in other countries as humanitarian aid.

10 Zoul Hijjah-morning

Today is the first day of Eid-ul Adha (The Festival of Sacrifice)


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The slaughtering of sheep is significant in many ways;

-It ended the sacrificing of human beings which was a common practice during Prophet Abraham’s time.

-The slaughtering of the sheep is symbolic of the sacrifices one makes in devoting ones life to God. In the Qur’an, Abraham is referred to as the first Muslim for this reason. A Muslim is someone who submits or surrenders to God.

-The sacrifice is representative of ones God-consciousness; “[But bear in mind:] never does their (sacrificed animals) flesh reach God, and neither their blood: it is only your God-consciousness that reaches Him”. (Qur’an 22:37)


The sacrificing of sheep is a symbolic start for many other sacrifices pilgrims will make for the sake of God…


1st Day of EID

The first thing pilgrims do when they arrive at Mina is to practically challenge the evil desires and the Satan whispers by walking to a place called Jamarah (meaning pillar) to stone the Satan 7 times in a symbolic way.

10 Zoul Hijjah-morning 1st Day of EID




The experience of stoning the Satan...

“It was one of my most spiritual highs during this time, making my way to it I was remembering all my personal challenges within internal and external and identifying my inner satans ... so when I finally came to throwing my stones, it was very empowering to throw the stones each time with intention of getting rid of the devil inside...”

There are three locations for stoning the Satan each of them is a large concrete wall in the middle of a large basin that collects the thrown stones. These locations are called:

1-The Greater Jamarah

2-The Middle Jamarah

3-The Smaller Jamarah



3 locations for stoning

GreaterJamarah


On the 1st Day of Eid, pilgrims only stone the Greater Jamarah. However, on the following three days they stone all three Jamarat EVERY DAY.


The Greater Jamarah is called “Aqaba Kubra” i.e. the largest obstacle.

When pilgrims stone the Greater Jamarah 7 times, they are weakening the Satanic calls and whispers within them in order to overcome a large obstacle in their life.


10 Zoul Hijjah-morningWhen pilgrims reach the greater Jamarah (greater pillar) they tryto imagine that they are standing face to face in front of theSatan similarly when Abraham stood in front of the Satan (whocame to Abraham in the shape of an old man) trying to dissuadehim not to sacrifice his son.

Although Abraham loved his son, he had strong faith and so fullysubmitted to what he felt was the command of God. He pickedstones from the ground and through them at the Satan. He didthat 7 times in order to get rid of him. The Satan gave up andAbraham’s will remained unshaken..


• There is an important meaning behind the process of stoning the wall.

• Pilgrims say to the Satan: “from now on, you won’t be able to seduce me”.



Summary3 rites have been completed on the first day of Eid:

1. Stoning2. Qurban3. Shaving



11th Zoul Hijjah

Sa’y: Walk between Safa & Marwa




The experience of performing Sa’y...

“As I walked fast between the two hills, I remembered my own struggles on the path to God, and walked faster in wanting to rid of them, in search for answers to my own problems and looking for light from Him. It was a walk of hope and despair, feeling of humbleness and gratefulness....it’s a most hopeful experience, where you physically manifest your great inner struggles...”

After finishing Ifadha Tawaf (Tawaf for Hajj) pilgrims take a bus or a taxi back to Mina.

They stay in Mina for two or three nights is similar to an incubation period.

2nd Day of EID11th Zoul Hijjah-morning


Tashreeq days are the 3 days after the first day of Eid. The Prophet (pbuh) stayed in Mina during these days. During these days pilgrims need to complete the Hajj rites.

The main Hajj rite during these days is stoning the Satan in three locations

11th Zoul Hijjah

Signs for camp number


Stoning Satan

11th Zoul Hijjah


11th Zoul Hijjah Pilgrims return to the camp in Mina after a successful trip to stone the Jamarat.

They need to have a good rest and keep their spiritual level on a high as they need to be prepared to stone again in the following two days.


Hajj is also about“challenging Satan” ina practical way.Pilgrims dedicatethemself to thischallenge, travelling tothe challenge field,staying in a humbletent, waiting for hoursand hours until thestoning time comes…

Pilgrims make the effortto walk to the stoningplace…stand up infront of a physicalsymbolic wall…

12,13th Zoul Hijjah


Muslims not only stone the wall once or twice …but several times until they feel that they have achieved victory over Satan’s seduction and evil desires within them self.

12,13th Zoul Hijjah




The experience of stoning the Satan.

“As each pebble was thrown, there was this sense of strength that came with it. With each pebble thrown, a sense of self awareness of the many shortcomings and weaknesses one has surfaced, each pebble then became that physical manifestation of those weaknesses and its throw a relief and determination to the mind.”

Staying in Mina during Tashreeq days is similar to an incubation period to maintain the spiritual proximity to God and fix the spiritual ‘charge’ the pilgrim got during Hajj. Stoning a total of 70 pebbles is similar to a vaccine that will strengthen their will and immune system against Satan and evil calls.

12,13th Zoul Hijjah


By finishing stoning in Tashreeq days, pilgrims go to Mecca to perform the last rite of Hajj, “The Farewell Tawaf”.

Before leaving Mecca


Pilgrims do the farewell tawaf, circling the Ka’bah 7 times thanking God for enabling them to visit this holy place…

They thank Him for giving them time in Arafat to repent to Him and for forgiving their past sins…

Farewell Tawaf / The last TawafBefore leaving Mecca



Pilgrims commit to always be on the straight path and stay away from things that will divert them

from the straight path


In the farewell Tawaf, pilgrims undertake that they respect their oath and will try to resist the worldly temptations…



Pilgrims pack their bags and get ready for departure


The Hajj journey is over…


Acknowledgements

AuthorsMehmet OzalpZuleyha KeskinHussam Deeb

© Affinity Intercultural Foundation 2009


Copyright

Affinity Intercultural Foundation claims copyright ownership

of all information on this presentation, unless expressly stated otherwise. No information on this presentation may be used for commercial or other purposes unless Affinity Intercultural Foundation gives its prior written consent to the intended use.

Disclaimer

Though Affinity Intercultural Foundation believes reasonable efforts

have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this presentation, it may include inaccuracies or typographical errors. Affinity Intercultural Foundation takes no responsibility for such errors.


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Hajj - Significant Practice in Islamstaugustinesreligion.weebly.com/uploads/4/7/4/5/47455571/12_sor_1_and... · Hajj - Significant Practice in Islam 32 A common act in the universe