MAKKAH, SAUDI ARABIA (AP) – Over 1.8 million Muslims are taking part in this week’s haj pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia, as one of the world’s largest religious gatherings returns to capacity following years of
coronavirus restrictions.
The haj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and Muslims are required to undertake it at least once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to do so. For the pilgrims, it is a profound spiritual experience that wipes away sins, brings them closer to Allah the Almighty and highlights Muslim unity.
Pilgrims this week braved temperatures in excess of 45 degrees Celsius to perform their rituals in the open air.
For the Saudi royal family, organising the pilgrimage is a major source of pride and legitimacy. Authorities have invested billions of dollars in modern infrastructure, but the haj has occasionally been marred by tragedy, as in 2015, when over 2,400 pilgrims died in a stampede.
Saudi authorities expected some two million pilgrims, but official figures released on Tuesday put attendance at around 1.8 million, considerably fewer than the nearly 2.5 million who came in 2019. The cost of the pilgrimage, combined with widespread economic woes, may have been a factor.
Here’s a look at the pilgrimage and its meaning.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE HAJ PILGRIMAGE IN ISLAM?
The pilgrimage draws Muslims from around the world to Makkah, in Saudi Arabia, where they walk in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and retrace the journey of Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) and Prophet Ismail (pbuh).
As related in Al-Quran, Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) is called upon to sacrifice his son Prophet Ismail (pbuh) as a test of faith, but Allah the Almighty stays his hand at the last moment. Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) and Prophet Ismail (pbuh) later are said to have built the Kaabah together.
The Kaabah was a centre for polytheistic worship until the arrival of Islam in the 7th Century, when the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) consecrated the site and inaugurated the haj.
Muslims do not worship the Kaabah, a cube-shaped structure covered in a black, gold-embroidered cloth, but view it as their most sacred place and a powerful symbol of unity and monotheism. No matter where they are in the world, Muslims face toward the Kaabah during their daily prayers.
The haj has been held every year since the time of the prophet, even through wars, plagues and other turmoil.
In the Middle Ages, Muslim rulers organised massive caravans with armed escorts that would depart from Cairo, Damascus and other cities. It was an arduous journey through deserts where Bedouin tribes carried out raids and demanded tribute. A notorious Bedouin raid in 1757 wiped out an entire haj caravan, killing thousands of pilgrims.
In 2020, amid worldwide coronavirus lockdowns, Saudi Arabia limited the pilgrimage to a few thousand citizens and local residents. This is the first year it is being held without COVID restrictions.
HOW DO MUSLIMS PREPARE FOR THE HAJ?
Some pilgrims spend their whole lives saving up for the journey or wait years before getting a permit, which Saudi authorities distribute to countries based on a quota system. Travel agents offer packages catering to all income levels, and charities assist needy pilgrims.
Pilgrims begin by entering a state of spiritual purity known as ihram. Women forgo makeup and perfume and cover their hair, while men change into seamless terry-
cloth robes.
The garments cannot contain any stitching, a rule intended to promote unity among rich and poor.
Pilgrims are forbidden from cutting their hair, trimming their nails or engaging in sexual intercourse while in the state of ihram. They are not supposed to argue or fight, but the heat, crowds and difficulty of the journey inevitably test people’s patience.
Many Muslims visit Madinah, where Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is buried and where he built the first mosque, before heading to Makkah.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE HAJ?
The haj begins with Muslims circling the Kaabah in Makkah counter-clockwise seven times while reciting prayers. Then they walk between two hills in a reenactment of Hagar’s search for water for her son, Prophet Ismail (pbuh).
All of this takes place inside Makkah’s Grand Mosque – the world’s largest – which encompasses the Kaabah and the two hills.
On Tuesday, pilgrims headed to Mount Arafah, some 20 kilometres (km) east of Makkah, where Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) delivered his final sermon. There, they stood in prayer throughout the day asking Allah the Almighty for forgiveness of their sins in what many view as the spiritual high point of the pilgrimage.
Around sunset, pilgrims walked or took buses to an area called Muzdalifa, 9km west of Arafah. They picked up pebbles to use in a symbolic stoning of the devil in the valley of Mina, where Muslims believe Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) was tempted to ignore Allah the Almighty’s command to sacrifice his son. The pilgrims stay for several nights in Mina in one of the largest tent camps in the world.
The pilgrimage ends with a final circling of the Kaabah and further casting of stones at Mina. Men often shave their heads and women clip a lock of hair, signalling renewal. Many will assume the title of haj or haja – a great honour, particularly in more traditional communities. Some paint murals on their homes with images of airplanes, ships and the Kaabah to commemorate the journey.
The final days of haj coincide with Aidiladha, or the festival of sacrifice, a joyous occasion celebrated by Muslims around the world to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s (pbuh) test of faith. During the three-day Aidiladha, Muslims slaughter livestock and distribute the meat to the poor.
