Understanding The Hajj Pilgrimage - One Of The 5 Pillars Of Islam

Over a million Muslims from across the world will arrive in the sacred city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia this week and head to the Kaaba - the 'House of Allah' - to fulfill a crucial part of their pilgrimage - the Hajj, considered essential in Islam.

Hajj, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, is a pilgrimage that every Muslim is expected to complete at least once in their lifetime. Non-Muslims are not allowed from taking part in it and are banned in Mecca. The pilgrimage is usually performed over five or six days each year, from the 8th to 12th or 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah or Dhul Hijjah. When the new crescent moon is sighted, Eid al-Adha begins, which lasts for four days.

Dhu al-Hijjah is the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar, and is considered one of the four sacred months in the Islamic calendar, which is known as Hijri and follows the lunar cycle.

HAJJ 2025 DETAILS

This year's Hajj pilgrimage will take place between June 4 and June 9 according to the solar or Gregorian calendar, depending on the sighting of the moon. Because of the limited space and millions who try to visit each year, Saudi Arabia has regulated the process and pilgrims must get clearances or a permit each year. All pilgrims visiting Saudi Arabia for Hajj must leave the country after the completion of Hajj or after their visits to Medina and Jeddah, if those are part of their authorised Hajj package.

Hajj is performed by Muslims at Saudi Arabia's holy mosque - Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. Once here, every pilgrim must perform a series of rites and rituals, some in an orderly manner. The pilgrimage can be quite demanding physically, especially for senior citizens, since it involves walking between 10 and 15 kilometres each day, visiting sacred locations.

SACRED LOCATIONS OF HAJJ

These sacred locations include the city of Makkah, the hills of Safa and Marwa, the tent settlement of Mina, Mount Arafat, and Muzdalifah. According to the Holy Quran, Allah commands all Muslims to take this sacred journey. A verse in the Quran states: "You will enter the Sacred Masjid, God willing, perfectly secure, and you will cut your hair or shorten it during rituals there. You will not have any fear. Since He knew what you did not know, He has coupled this with an immediate victory."

In Islam, performing the Hajj is considered a test of patience, temperament, and devotion to Allah.

Here is a look at the history, ceremonies, and rituals performed during the Hajj pilgrimage:

HISTORY OF HAJJ: In 628 CE, Prophet Muhammad and his followers embarked on the Islamic Pilgrimage (Hajj), re-establishing the traditions started by Prophet Ibrahim, who first began the tradition of Hajj millennia before. Hajj begins with the story of Prophet Ibrahim and the commandment of Allah to travel to the barren desert of Makkah and leave his wife Hajar and infant son Ismail. They followed the commandment of Allah.

WHITE GARMENTS: Pilgrims must first enter a state of purity, called ihram, which requires special dress and behaviour. Men wear a seamless shroud-like white garment that emphasises unity among believers regardless of their social status or nationality. Women must wear loose dresses, also white, exposing only their faces and hands. Pilgrims are not allowed to argue, bicker or engage in sexual activity and are prohibited from wearing perfume, cutting their nails, or trimming their hair or beards.

THE RITUALS: The first ritual requires walking seven times around the Kaaba, the large black cubic structure at the centre of Mecca's Grand Mosque. Made from granite and draped in a heavily embroidered cloth featuring verses of the Quran, the Kaaba stands nearly 15 metres (50 feet) tall. Muslims, no matter where they are in the world, turn towards the Kaaba to pray. The structure is believed to have been first erected by Adam, the first man, and then rebuilt successively, including by Abraham around 4,000 years ago. Pilgrims next walk seven times between the two hills of Safa and Marwa. They then move on to Mina, around five kilometres away, ahead of the main rite of the pilgrimage at Mount Arafat.

MOUNT ARAFAT: The climax of the hajj is the gathering on Mount Arafat, about 10 kilometres from Mina, where it is believed the Prophet Mohammed delivered his final sermon after taking his final journey. Pilgrims assemble on the 230-feet high hill and its surrounding plain for hours of prayers and Quran recitals, staying there until evening. After sunset they head to Muzdalifah, halfway between Arafat and Mina, where they each gather dozens of pebbles so they can perform the symbolic "stoning of the devil".

'STONING OF THE DEVIL': The last major ritual of the Hajj is back at Mina, where pilgrims throw seven stones at each of three concrete walls representing the devil. The ritual is an emulation of Abraham's stoning of the devil at the three spots where it is said Satan tried to dissuade him from obeying God's order to sacrifice his son, Ishmael. After the first stoning, the Eid al-Adha feast of sacrifice begins. Sheep are slaughtered, in reference to the lamb that God provided for sacrifice instead of Ishmael, in a ceremony held at the same time around the world. Men then shave their heads or trim their hair while women cut a fingertip-length portion of their locks. The pilgrims can then change back into normal clothing, returning to circumambulate the Kaaba and complete their stone-throwing rituals before heading home.

THE FOUR OTHER PILLARS OF ISLAM: The hajj is the last pillar of Islam. The other four are: profession of the faith, daily prayers, alms-giving, and fasting from dawn to dusk during the holy month of Ramadan.