What is

HAJJ?

Lesson Objective To understand the journey of Hajj and its importance in Islam

Hajj is the pilgrimage to Makkah which is the 5th pillar of Islam

And pilgrimage to the House is a duty upon men for the

sake of God (upon) every one who is

able to undertake the journey to it.

{Qur’an 3:97}

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” 1.What is a pilgrimage?

2.In groups, discuss what you think this quote means?

NOTE: This shows that Muslims have the right intention (niyyah) to perform hajj and humble themselves while thinking about Allah (taqwa).

Upon arrival at the boundary of Makkah (about six miles from the Ka’bah), pilgrims enter the state of ihram (purity) in which they will remain throughout the hajj.

Males wear two white, seamless sheets wrapped around the body – and sandals. Women usually dress in white with only faces and hands uncovered.

While in the state of ihram, pilgrims must not cut their nails or hair, engage in intimate relations, argue, fight or hunt.

Ihram is the state of purity everyone needs to enter for Hajj

Pilgrims circulate the Ka’bah which is the direction of prayer

The Kab’ah was originally built by the Prophet Adam and then re-built by Prophet Abraham and is a reminder of having a clear centre in life.

The pilgrim first walks around the Ka’bah seven times (the tawaf) while reciting ‘Here I am at your service O God’ and then prays towards the Station of Ibrahim and the Ka’bah.

Sa’ee is the running between the mountains of Safa and Marwa

This story is a reminder of our dependence upon God and the need to rely on him.

The pilgrim runs seven times between the small mountains of Safa and Marwa to remember the story of Hajar, the wife of Prophet Abraham, and her baby son Ismail. They had been left alone in the desert without any food or water as a test of their faith.

In a panic Hajar ran between the hills looking for water with no success. Then a miracle occurred. As baby Ismail cried and kicked at the ground, Allah (God) caused water to emerge from the ground forming the spring of Zam Zam.

Pilgrims camp at Mina and stone the Jamaraat

The stoning of the pillars is a reminder about the need to avoid evil and temptations.

The campsites at surrounding Mina are very large as they need to accommodate millions of Muslims. The jamaraat (stone pillars) are located here and later in the Hajj, pilgrims stone them in remembrance of Prophet Abraham and Ismail when they stoned the devil.

Praying on Mount Arafat On the 9th Day of the month of Dhul Hijjah, pilgrims attend the wuquf (standing) in Arafat. This is the most important part of hajj and a day where Muslims worldwide ask forgiveness for their sins. Arafat is also important because this is where Muslims believe all people will be gathered on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet Mohammed also delivered his famous last sermon from the mount of Mercy that is just above Arafat.

The gathering at Arafat is a reminder about the Day of Judgement when all of mankind will be resurrected to answer about how they lived their lives.

Spending the night below the stars in Muzdalifah

Pilgrims leave Arafat spend the night at Muzdalifah after sunset on the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah in accordance with the example of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Here they join the prayers of the evening (Marghrib) with the night prayers (Isha) and then get to sleep early in preparation for the coming day of Nahr (Sacrifice). Pilgrims typically spend this night sleeping outside with only the night as their cover.

Pilgrims sleep overnight in Muzdalifah in preparation for the coming day of Sacrifice.

Stoning the Jamaraat (pillars) as rejection of Satan

Jamaraat is a Hajj ritual that involves stoning the three pillars that represent the devil (Shaytan). As part of this Hajj ritual, the pilgrims throw small pebbles at those three structures in the city of Mina. This act of stoning is done to imitate the acts of Prophet Abraham (PBUH) when the devil attempted to divert him and Ismail from fulfilling Gods command.

Pilgrims distance themselves from evil and temptation just as they symbolically stone the devil.

The day of sacrifice and the day of Eid ul Adha

On the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, pilgrims and Muslims globally sacrifice an animal and distribute the meat to the poor. Prophet Abraham was tested to see if he can sacrifice his son, Ismail. This is also the day of Eid ul Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) which is a day of celebration for Muslims globally. Gifts and food are shared and family and friends visit one another.

Eid ul Adha is the second major festival in Islam following a period of worship

Return to Makkah The pilgrim then returns to Makkah, where he or she once again performs the tawaf (going round the Ka’bah). The head is then shaved or the hair is trimmed, which marks the end of the state of ihram.

Activity ideas

Task More detail Aim of this task Construct a timeline of the events of Hajj

Briefly explain what happens on each day of the pilgrimage. You can use photographs. It could go into a lot of detail or just provide an overview.

This is informative for the reader and shows off your subject knowledge

Write a diary entry that captures the journey of an individual during an aspect of the Hajj. e.g. Day of Arafat, Muzdalifah.

This could be a sequence of shorter diary entries for different days or one entry that looks at a specific aspect. Try to convey the different feelings and experiences a person is having during the pilgrimage.

Encourages empathy- gives insight into the mind of one person who is in the middle of the powerful experience

Create a piece of abstract or conceptual art

Drawing on what you know about Hajj and the whole experience of it, create a piece of art that expresses an idea related to the pilgrimage. Provide an explanation for the art, as if it were appearing in an exhibition. e.g. draw the Ka’bah

Demonstrate your ability to express your response to the topic in a creative way. Creative responses can demand of you that you see something factual from an unusual angle; the viewer of this display will look or read your work and see the experience in a new way that you have created. What a privilege for you and for them.