Hajj 2011: Muslim Pilgrimage Dates And Customs Explained (PHOTOS)

The annual Islamic pilgrimage, or Hajj, to Mecca, Saudi Arabia draws an estimated 2.5 million visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. The 2011 pilgrimage, a religious duty performed at least once in every Muslim's life, is expected to take place Nov. 4-9.

Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam -- a religious obligation that every Muslim who is able must complete the pilgrimage at least once in his or her life. Tradition says the hajj practice goes all the way back to Abraham. Millions of pilgrims walk from Mecca to Mina to the Plain of Arafat to stand near the Mount of Mercy and ask Allah for forgiveness. Pilgrims then walk back to Mina to throw pebbles at pilars that represent the temptations of Satan. The symbolic animal slaughter of Eid al-Adha comes next, followed by a trip back to Mecca to perform tawaf, turns around the Kaaba, the most sacred site in Islam. Pilgrims drink from a holy stream, the Zamzam, before returning to Medina to finish the hajj.

Comments

[thebearclaw007]

04:33 PM on 11/07/2011

Satan doesn't have a face; Satan is a mentality against God, against goodness, against fairness, kindness, brotherhoo­d, sisterhood­, and that has many faces all over the world. Muslims and Christians and those of all other religions (atheists too) all suffer from the same malady (satan), and the problems facing the world (stemming from satan) will never go away until we all face the satan within ourselves.

[BeeJayCeee]

09:35 PM on 11/04/2011

Did you know that non-Muslims are banned from entering Mecca? Why, you ask? Because they are unclean, lesser, sub-human.

Islam - the most discriminatory and hateful religion on the planet.

[riff4u]

01:49 AM on 11/06/2011

I already answered your question. Why must you keep posting that? What is your problem?

[Shaas]

07:44 PM on 11/11/2011

Could you please repeat you answer, I don't know where to find your previous answer. Thanks.

[Joseph Schmoe]

09:37 AM on 11/02/2011

The traffic around Disneyland also gets really busy during the tourist season. And their dress code isn't as strict. But they rarely kill people who visit and dislike it or with whom they disagree politically.
I'm just sayin'.

[Yasser Yousufi]

03:08 AM on 11/04/2011

......and your point?

[Stephen G Ford]

01:02 AM on 11/02/2011

I have a question... if a muslim LIVES in the same city as the Kaaba is there ANOTHER requirement that is added? I guess what I'm saying is that if you LIVE in Mecca (Or NEAR Mecca for that matter) it is not a big DEAL to make the hajj... but someone from (Well... the US) making that trip is a PRETTY BIG financial requirement... And for the record... I LOVE world religions and mythology and have questions like this about ALL religions... not just ISLAM! *GRIN*

[The Knocker]

01:20 AM on 11/02/2011

Muslims are require to go Hajj only once in their lifetime, if he or she could afford it and their health does not prevent them from doing so.

[Yasser Yousufi]

08:21 AM on 11/02/2011

Stephen, you can just consider those living in Mecca mighty lucky~! Some of them living there are those who forefathers lived there in times of Prophet Muhammad. So yea, life during Hajj is a bit easier for them. They have no other extra requirement.

[Stephen G Ford]

01:14 PM on 11/02/2011

AHHH.... so they're only required to go on the pilgrimage ONCE... I thought they had to go several times (Like at certain periods of their life) Thanks for the info!

[The Knocker]

12:59 AM on 11/02/2011

Hajj- a Journey of Purity:

http://www.frequency.com/video/hajj-journey-of/641707?embed=true

[alkh3myst]

12:49 AM on 11/02/2011

Subhanallah.

[season555]

07:25 PM on 11/01/2011

One day Allah, please.

[Yasser Yousufi]

08:44 AM on 11/02/2011

INSHALLAH~!

[DeWain]

05:34 PM on 11/01/2011

Thank you Suroosh and HP, the film was very interesting. To say that there was a bit of a dark side, and some complications, was pure understatement; transportation, sleep, food, toilets, laundry, slaughter, blood, noise, smells, other. Unbelievable indeed, yet there it is folks.

[wowme]

04:02 PM on 11/01/2011

Beautiful