From June 4-8, hundreds of thousands of Muslims can be performing the annual Hajj, a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage for all grownup Muslims who’re bodily and financially capable of undertake the journey.
However have you ever ever questioned what this journey seems to be like on the bottom?
The animated video beneath illustrates the five-day course of. Favor an in depth view? Hold scrolling for a day-by-day breakdown.
Arriving for the Hajj
Earlier than the Hajj commences, pilgrims should enter a bodily and religious situation referred to as ihram. This begins with the niyah, or intention to carry out Hajj, and consists of sporting particular clothes of two easy white cloths for males and modest apparel for ladies. These an identical white clothes strip away seen markers of sophistication, wealth or nationality, symbolising that each one pilgrims stand equal earlier than God.
Day 1 – Arrival tawaf
After getting into Mecca in ihram, many pilgrims carry out an preliminary tawaf by circling the Kaaba, a black stone construction on the coronary heart of the Nice Mosque in Mecca (Masjid al-Haram), seven instances in a counterclockwise route. This symbolises unity within the worship of the one God. Pilgrims can then carry out the sa’i, a ritual of strolling seven instances between the hills of Safa and Marwa, positioned inside the mosque.
The Kaaba, that means dice in Arabic, is Islam’s holiest web site and serves because the qibla, the route that Muslims face throughout prayer. Muslims consider Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (Ismaeel) constructed the Kaaba by God’s command, symbolising the return to pure monotheism.
The Kaaba measures 13.1 metres (43 toes) excessive, 12.8m (42ft) in size, and 11.03m (36ft) in width. The Kaaba is roofed in a black material referred to as the kiswah and is embellished with gold Arabic textual content that includes Quranic verses.
Day 1 – Mina
Pilgrims then proceed to Mina, positioned about 8km (5 miles) east of the Kaaba, the place they may spend the night time in prayer and reflection. Mina is famously referred to as the “metropolis of tents” as a result of huge expanse of 100,000 white tents to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.