Haj is the fourth duty
of Islam. It is a duty on those who can make it, financially or otherwise.
Haj is a special visit
to Mecca, at a certain time of the year, with special procedures. Mecca is our
holy city, and it is located in Arabia.
DO WE ALL HAVE TO DO HAJ?
No, not everyone can or
should perform Haj. Many times there are circumstances that make it
impractical. Let us give some examples for those who may not go:
-
Those who cannot afford it.
-
Those who are sick or too old.
-
If going puts the life of the person in
danger.
If on the other hand you are healthy,
strong enough, and can afford the trip, then you are obliged to go.
HOW MANY TIMES SHOULD WE
PERFORM HAJ?
Usually you perform Haj
once in your lifetime, even though you are encouraged to do it more often. If
you want to go more often, it will be your privilege to do so. Actually, much
depends on how easy it is for you to go for Haj (Pilgrimage), and how eager and
willing you are
. Haj is done in the month
of Dhul‑Hijjah.
This is a lunar month. Like the month of Ramadhan, the month of Dhul‑Hijjah
keeps moving forward eleven days a year. Therefore, Dhul‑Hijjah can fall during
winter or summer, spring or fall.
HOW MANY PEOPLE USUALLY GO
FOR PILGRIMAGE?
In most cases hundreds
of thousands of people perform their Haj every year. Sometimes their number
reaches the one or two million mark. Their number, however, varies from year to
year.
For Pilgrimage Muslims
come from just about every corner in the world. Wherever there are Muslims,
there will be someone who is anxious to perform the Haj. They come from Africa,
Asia, America, Europe, and other far away places.
WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE ARE THEY?
They are all Muslims, some are rich and
some are poor, some are white and some are black. They can be of any
nationality or rank. It is this mixture that makes a person feel and practice
equality in a meaningful manner, a true equality.
People at Pilgrimage go
through the same routine. All will say the same words. All will be dressed the
same way. All will look alike from a distance. It will look like a sea of
humanity, an unbelievably beautiful, awe inspiring scene.
HOW WILL THEY DRESS?
At Pilgrimage people put
on a piece of white cloth, in a special manner, covering themselves in a certain
way. Thus all will look the same. You stand equal to others around you, even
in the manner of dress.
In such a way, we
practice genuine equality, thus confirming the equality of mankind just the way
Allah (swt) sees us.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM HAJ?
During Haj you practice
and learn better about the brotherhood of man. You gain a high sense of
equality, a high sense of purity. You glorify the Almighty at the sacred
place. Your heart will awaken to a deep spiritual call in you. You see history
in action. The biggest international meeting ever gathers for this Duty of Haj.
Thousands of people of different languages, races and nationalities will be
praying the same way, performing pilgrimage the same way, all dedicated for the
same call.
You see the Muslims,
million or more, united in action, in spirit of dedication and in their call for
the Almighty. You see everyone practicing this great Duty of Islam. It makes
you very close to other Muslims. It has a good educational value.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
Pilgrimage teaches a
practical sense of sacrifice. You leave home, your business and your family
because you want to be in Mecca. You will have sacrificed your comfort, money
and sense of security for the sake of Allah, to perform Haj.
You are in Mecca, and
you meet many new people. They have different habits and customs, and they have
different nationalities and languages. You make friends, you will understand
them better, and you will learn about them better.
You will learn history. You will be in Mecca, the place where Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) struggled exceptionally hard and for so long to deliver the message of
Islam.
You will see the
different and famous hills around, you will visit Medina, and you will see the
tomb of the Holy Prophet, and you will enjoy the local people a great deal.
Above all, you share a
great sense of being a member of an "Islamic Body," the Islamic Ummah.
CAN I GO TO MECCA AT OTHER
TIMES?
Certainly you can. You
can do almost the same Haj procedure too, at any time of the year, but it is not
called Haj. It is called "Omrah".
In Omrah, not as many people are there to share with you the experience as
during the Haj.
WHAT DO I REALLY DO DURING
HAJ?
In certain places before
reaching Mecca, you start your Ihraam.
Ihraam means declaring your intention that you are making the Haj.
Once you are in Ihram,
the period of true dedication of the Haj will have started.
HOW DO YOU PERFORM IHRAAM?
At first you take a
bath. Then, you put on a simple garb, in a special manner, thus all people will
be dressed alike as we mentioned previously.
Ihraam is a state of peace,
self‑denial, total submission to Allah the Almighty. When you are in a state of
Ihraam, you reach the pinnacle of being good:
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there will be no evil talk whatsoever,
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there will be no quarrels or disputes,
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you don't hurt or kill an animal, even an
insect,
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brotherhood and goodness are to prevail,
-
pleasures of the flesh are strictly
forbidden.
In Ihram you are completely dedicated to
Allah Almighty. So your manners and behavior should show it.
WHAT ARE THE RITUALS OF HAJ?
The rituals of Haj
mainly consist of the following:
-
Arrival in Mecca and going around the
Ka'ba seven times, this is called Tawaf.
-
Hastening between the two hills called
Safa and Marwa, this is called Sa'y.
-
Halting at Mount Arafat
on the 9th of the month of Dhul Hijjah.
-
Staying overnight at Muzdalifah.
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Staying at Mina.
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Sacrificing an animal at Mina.
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Stoning the symbol of the Devil at
Jamrat al-Aqaba.
-
Tawaf.
WHY SACRIFICE AN ANIMAL?
You sacrifice the animal
in the spirit of piety. In an indirect way, you are really sacrificing the
animal desires within you for the sake of virtue. The animal desires, such as
anger, revenge, or other beastly desires, are the ones that we have to fight and
control. Besides, the meat goes to feed the poor.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT SA'Y
Sa'y is moving fast
between two hills, Safa and Marwa,
seven times. As you do so, you say special words.
In so doing, you are
doing what Hajar (Hagar) did before for her baby with Isma'eel (Ishmael) a few
thousand years ago.
Hajar was the wife of
Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). Alone, she and her baby were in the rugged
mountainous area, Isma'eel was crying in desperation, since he was suffering
from lack of water and severe thirst. Distraught and anxious, Hajar left in a
hurry, desperately looking for water. She found the water at a well, called
ZamZam.
The well is still there and you can drink from it. ZamZam water quenched the
thirst of Isma'eel. Upon growing up and maturing Isma'eel became a Prophet.
HOW LONG DOES HAJ TAKE?
Haj doesn't take very
long. In less than two weeks you are done and finished. You go back home with
very pleasant memories, but above all you go back with a high sense of spiritual
elevation.
People will call you Hajji.
It is a big honor to be called Hajji. Upon your returning home, people will
visit you, congratulate you, and call you by that special title of "Hajji".
Even if people don't call you Hajji, Allah
recognizes and blesses your Haj.
The following are some
of the terms used often during the Haj:
|
Haj |
حج |
|
Mecca |
مكـه |
|
Ka'ba |
كعـبه |
|
Omrah |
عمـره |
|
Safa |
صفا |
|
Ihram |
إحرام |
|
Tawaf |
طـواف |
|
Sa'y |
سـعي |
|
Mina |
منى |
|
Marwa |
مروه |
QUESTIONS:
-
What is Haj?
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Is Haj a duty on every Muslim?
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How many times do we have to perform Haj?
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In which month do we have to perform the Haj?
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How many people usually perform the Haj?
-
How will people dress when they are performing the Haj?
-
What can we learn from performing the Haj?
-
Will Haj teach us history too?
-
What is Omrah?
-
What is Ihraam, and what does it mean?
-
What are the rituals of Haj?
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What is Sa'y?
-
How long does it take to do Haj?
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What will people call a man when he has performed the Haj?
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What will people call a woman when she has performed the Haj?
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What is Tawaf?
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What is Mina?
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What is
Safa and Marwa?
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What did Hajar do?
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Is Haj an obligation on every Muslim capable?
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If a person cannot afford to go to Mecca, is he or she still supposed to go to Haj?
-
If a person is too old or very sick, is he or she obliged to do Haj?
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How do we learn a sense of equality during the Haj?
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Will your heart awaken to the spiritual call during the Haj?
-
How often you have to perform Omrah?
