| Hajj
Intro for non-Muslims (and Muslims)
Islam has two
major religious celebrations. The first occurs after the completion of Ramadan,
the Islamic month during which Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset as part
of an effort towards self-purification and betterment. This holiday is known as
Eid ul-Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast).
The second major Islamic celebration takes place during the time
of the Hajj, or annual pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca). This week-long
event occurs two months and ten days after Ramadan ends, during
the Islamic month of DhulHijjah, and its culmination is a holiday
known as Eid ul-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice). The Hajj consists
of several ceremonies, meant to symbolize the essential concepts
of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of prophet Abraham
and his family.
Over two million Muslims perform the pilgrimage annually, and the
rest of the over one billion (total
Muslim Population in 2009 is 1.82 billion) Muslims world-wide
celebrate the Eid holiday in conjunction with the Hajj.
Abraham
Abraham
is a figure revered by Muslims, Jews, and Christians alike as a righteous person
who lived over four thousand years ago. His story can be found in the Bible as
well as the Qur'an.
Abraham is considered to be the patriach of monotheism,
or "belief in the One God," who sought a personal relationship with
his Creator. He left his native city of Ur in Mesopotamia after voicing opposition
to his people's polytheistic practices, and eventually settled in Egypt with his
family. Later, he escorted one of his wives, Hajar, and their infant son Ishmail,
to a desolate valley in Arabia and left them there, trusting in God's promise
to care for them.
Hajar, concerned about feeding her young baby, began searching
the surroundings for food and water. According the the Qur'an, in response to
Hajar's prayers, a spring miraculously gushed forth at Ishma'il's feet to quench
their thirst. Hajar climbed nearby hills searching for food and looking for caravans
on the horizon. Eventually, some passing traders stopped in the valley, and asked
Hajar's permission to water their camels. In time, the traders decided to settle
in the little valley, and eventually the settlement grew into the city of Makkah.
Abraham returned from time to time to visit, and when Ishma'il was about thirteen
years old, he and Ishma'il constructed the Katbah, an empty cube-shaped building,
as a place dedicated for the worship of the One God. Eventually, Makkah became
an important trading post by the time of Prophet Muhammad, twenty- five hundred
years later. The Hajj
In commemoration of the trials of Abraham
and his family in Makkah, which included Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his
son in response to God's command, Muslims make a pilgrimage to the sacred city
at least once in their lifetime. The Hajj is one of the "five pillars"
of Islam, and thus an essential part of Muslims' faith and practice.
Muslims
from all over the world, including the United States, travel to Makkah (in modern-
day Saudi Arabia). Before arriving in the holy city, Muslims enter a state of
consecration (dedication) known as ihram, by removing their worldly dothes and
donning the humble attire of pilgrims, two seamless white sheets for men, and
simple white dresses and scarves for women. The white garments are symbolic of
human equality and unity before God, since all the pilgrims are dressed similarly.
Money and status no longer are a factor for the pilgrims - the equality of each
person in the eyes of God becomes paramount. Upon arriving in Makkah, pilgrims
perform the initial tawaf, which is a circular, counter- clockwise procession
around the Ka'bah. All the while, they state "Labbayka Allahumma Labbayk,"
which means "Here I am at your service, O God, Here I am!" The tawaf
is meant to awaken each Muslim's consciousness that God is the center of their
reality and the source of all meaning in life, and that each person's higher self-identity
derives from being part of the community of Muslim believers, known as the ummah.
Pilgrims also perform the sa'i, which is hurrying seven times between the small
hills named Safa and Marwah, reenacting the Biblical and Qurtanic story of Hajar's
desperate search for lifegiving water and food. Next, on the first official
day of Hajj (8th of Dhul-Hijjah), the two million pilgrims travel a few miles
to the plain of Mina and camp there. From Mina, pilgrims travel the following
morning to the plain of Arafat where they spend the entire day in earnest supplication
and devotion. That evening, the pilgrims move and camp at Muzdalifa, which is
a site between Mina and Arafat. Muslims stay overnight and offer various prayers
there. Then the pilgrims return to Mina on the 10th, and throw seven pebbles
at a stone pillar that represents the devil. This symbolizes Abraham's throwing
stones at Satan when he tried to dissuade Abraham from sacrificing his son. Then
the pilgrims sacrifice a sheep, reenacting the story of Abraham,who, in place
of his son, sacrificed a sheep that God had provided as a substitute. The meat
from the slaughtered sheep is distributed for consumption to family, friends,
and poor and needy people in the community. After the sacrifice, the pilgrims
return to Makkah to end the formal rites of Hajj by performing a final tawaf and
sa'i. Muslims believe the rites of the Hajj were designed by God and taught
through prophet Muhammad. Muslims believe that since the time of Adam, there have
been thousands of prophets, including such well-known figures as Noah, Abraham,
Moses, Jesus, and David, and that Muhammad was the final prophet of God. The
Hajj is designed to develop God consciousness and a sense of spiritual upliftment.
It is also believed to be an opportunity to seek forgiveness of sins accumulated
thoughout life. Prophet Muhammad had said that a person who performs Hajj properly
"will return as a newly born baby [free of all sins]." The pilgrimage
also enables Muslims from all around the world, of different colors, languages,
races, and ethnicities, to come together in a spirit of universal brotherhood
and sisterhood to worship the One God together. Eid-ul-Adha
Although only the pilgrims in Makkah can participate in the Hajj fully, all the
other Muslims in the world join with them by celebrating the Eid ul Adha [eed
ul ud-ha], or Festival of Sacrifice. On the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, Muslims around
the world wear their nicest clothing and attend a special prayer gathering in
the morning. This is followed by a short sermon, after which everyone stands up
to hug and greet one another. The traditional Eid greeting is "Eid Mubarak,"
which means "Holiday Blessings."
Next, people visit each other's
homes and partake in festive meals with special dishes, beverages, and desserts.
Children receive gifts and sweets on this joyous occasion.
In addition, like
the pilgrims in Makkah, those Muslims who can afford to do so offer domestic animals,
usually sheep, as a symbol of Abraham's sacrifice. The meat is distributed for
consumption to family, friends, and to the poor and needy. The Eid ul-Adha
is a major religious event in the lives of Muslims. Usually, communities celebrate
tnis occasion over a period of several days.
Excerpted, from: www.islamicity.com 
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