What Does the Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca’s Holy City Mean for Muslims?

This week’s Hajj pilgrimage to the Saudi Arabian holy city of Mecca will draw over 2 million Muslims, making it one of the biggest religious gatherings in history to resume at full capacity after years of coronavirus restrictions.

All Muslims are obligated to do the Hajj at least once in their lifetimes, provided they have the financial means to do so. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is a profoundly spiritual experience for the pilgrims that atones for sins, draws them nearer to God, and emphasizes Muslim oneness.

A key source of pride and legitimacy for the Saudi royal family, who took control of Mecca in the 1920s, is overseeing the pilgrimage. Despite the government’s massive investments in contemporary infrastructure, tragedies like the stampede that claimed over 2,400 pilgrim lives in 2015 have periodically overshadowed the Hajj.

Here is a glimpse at the trip and its significance, which starts on Monday.

WHAT IS THE ISLAMIC HAJJ PILGRIMAGE’S HISTORY?

Muslims from all over the globe go to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the pilgrimage, where they follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad and retrace the steps of Ibrahim and Ismail, also known as Abraham and Ishmael in the Christian and Jewish faiths.

Ibrahim is asked to sacrifice his son Ismail as a test of faith, according to the Quran, but God withholds his hand at the last second. It has been said that Ibrahim and Ismail worked together to construct the Kaaba. According to Jewish and Christian stories, Abraham almost sacrifices Isaac on Mount Moriah, which is connected to a significant holy place in Jerusalem.

Before the advent of Islam in the 7th century, when the Prophet Muhammad dedicated the site and started the Hajj, the Kaaba was a place of polytheistic devotion among Arab pagans.

The Kaaba, a cube-shaped building draped in a black fabric embroidered with gold, is not worshipped by Muslims; rather, they see it as their holiest location and a potent symbol of monotheistic and unity. Muslims face the Kaaba during daily prayers, no matter where they are in the globe.

Even through wars, famines, and other upheaval, the Hajj has continued to be performed every year since the time of the Prophet.

Massive caravans with armed escorts were arranged by Muslim monarchs in the Middle Ages and left from Cairo, Damascus, and other towns. Traveling across deserts where Bedouin tribes conducted attacks and demanded tribute was difficult. Thousands of pilgrims perished in an infamous Bedouin attack that destroyed an entire Hajj caravan in 1757.

2020 saw Saudi Arabia restrict the pilgrimage to a small number of its own nationals and local inhabitants due to global coronavirus lockdowns. It resumes operating at capacity this year for the first time.

WHAT PREPARATIONS DO MUSLIMS MAKE FOR THE HAJJ?

Some pilgrims wait years or perhaps their whole lives to get a permission, which Saudi officials allocate to nations according to a quota system. Travel agencies provide packages for every budget, while charity help pilgrims in need.

The first step for pilgrims is to reach the “ihram,” or condition of spiritual purity. Men wear seamless terrycloth robes, while women forego make-up, perfume, and hair coverings. The prohibition on embroidery is meant to foster harmony between the wealthy and the less fortunate.

While in the condition of ihram, pilgrims are not permitted to cut their hair, trim their nails, or have sexual relations. While it is forbidden for them to dispute or fight, the heat, the throng, and the challenging nature of the trek often make individuals less patient.

Before traveling to Mecca, many Muslims stop at Medina, the city where the Prophet Muhammad is buried and where he also constructed the first mosque.

WHAT TAKES PLACE WHILE THE HAJJ?

Muslims begin the Hajj by making seven counterclockwise circles around the Kaaba in Mecca while chanting prayers. Then they perform a tale that is told in many ways in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions about Hagar’s quest for water for her son Ismail as they go between two hills.

All of this occurs within the Kaaba and the two hills of Mecca’s Grand Mosque, the biggest mosque in the whole world.

The next day, pilgrims go to Mount Arafat, which is located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Mecca and is the site of the Prophet Muhammad’s last speech. Many consider this to be the spiritual zenith of the journey as they stand here all day in prayer begging God to forgive them of their sins.

Around dusk, pilgrims go by foot or bus to Muzdalifa, a location 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) west of Arafat. In the valley of Mina, where Muslims believe Ibrahim was tempted to disobey God’s order to sacrifice his son, they gather stones to be used the next day in a symbolic stoning of the devil. One of the biggest tent cities in the world, Mina is where the pilgrims spend many nights.

A last lap around the Kaaba and more stone-throwing at Mina mark the completion of the journey. In order to signify regeneration, males often shave their heads and women cut a lock of hair. Many would adopt the title of “hajj” or “hajja,” which is highly esteemed, especially in more conservative societies. To remember the voyage, some people paint murals of ships, aircraft, and the Kaaba on their houses.

The last few days of Hajj fall on the same weekend as Eid al-Adha, also known as the festival of sacrifice and a festive Muslim holiday honoring Ibrahim’s test of faith. Muslims kill cattle and give the meat to the needy throughout the course of the three-day Eid festival.