🙏 Obedience and forgiveness
Making the Hajj obeys a command of Allah. Many Muslims believe a pilgrim whose Hajj is accepted (a Hajj mabrur) returns free of sin, like a newborn child, and starts a new life.
Islam: Celebration and Pilgrimage » Hajj and Umrah
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 2 Islam (4RS1/2D), 2.2
- The nature, history and purpose of pilgrimage in Islam
- The Hajj step by step: ihram, tawaf, Safa and Marwah, Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina
- Umrah, the minor pilgrimage, and how it differs from the Hajj
- Why the Hajj is important to Muslims today
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Unlock This CourseWhat is pilgrimage in Islam?
A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place for religious reasons. The Muslim pilgrimage to Makkah, in Saudi Arabia, is called the Hajj. It is the fifth of the Five Pillars of Islam. Every Muslim who is healthy and can afford the journey must make the Hajj at least once in their life. The Qur'an says it is a duty owed to Allah by those who are able to make the journey (3:97). Muslims who are ill or too poor are not expected to go.
The Hajj happens once a year, in the last month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul-Hijjah, and lasts about five or six days (from the 8th day). Millions of Muslims from every country gather in and around Makkah at the same time.
Key terms:
- Makkah: the holy city in Saudi Arabia where the Hajj begins and where the Ka'ba stands.
- Ihram: the sacred state a pilgrim enters for the Hajj or Umrah. It is also the name of the simple white clothes worn by men.
- Tawaf: walking round the Ka'ba seven times.
- Sa'i: the walk between the hills of Safa and Marwah.
- Arafat: a wide plain outside Makkah where pilgrims stand in prayer.
- Umrah: the shorter, minor pilgrimage that can be made at any time of year.
The history and purpose of the Hajj
Muslims believe the Hajj goes back to the prophet Ibrahim. You met Ibrahim and his family in the lesson on Eid-ul-Adha. Muslims believe that Ibrahim and his son Isma'il built the Ka'ba, the cube-shaped house in Makkah, as a place to worship the One God. The Qur'an says Ibrahim was told to call people to the pilgrimage (22:27). Muslims believe that over time the Ka'ba was filled with idols. When Muhammad and his followers took Makkah in 630 CE, he cleared the Ka'ba of its idols and restored the pilgrimage to the worship of Allah alone. In 632 CE he led his own Hajj, called the Farewell Pilgrimage, and Muslims copy the way he performed it.
🤝 Unity and equality
Everyone wears the same simple clothes and does the same actions together. Rich and poor, kings and workers, all stand as equals before Allah. This shows the unity of the ummah, the worldwide Muslim community.
The Hajj step by step
1. Bathing and entering the state of ihram
Before reaching Makkah, pilgrims stop at a boundary point and prepare. They wash completely, make their intention (niyyah) to perform the Hajj, and put on ihram. Men wear two plain white cloths with no stitching, one wrapped round the waist and one over the shoulder. Women wear plain, modest clothes and leave the face and hands uncovered. The white clothes remove all signs of wealth or nationality. While in ihram, pilgrims must not cut their hair or nails, wear perfume, argue or quarrel, or harm living things. They keep saying a prayer called the Talbiyah, which begins "Labbayk Allahumma labbayk" ("Here I am, O Allah, here I am").
2. Tawaf: circling the Ka'ba
On reaching Makkah, pilgrims walk round the Ka'ba seven times, anticlockwise. They pray, praise Allah and, if they can reach it, touch or point to the Black Stone set in one corner. Muslims see the circling as a sign that Allah is at the centre of their lives.
3. Sa'i: between Safa and Marwah
Pilgrims then walk seven times between the two small hills of Safa and Marwah, now inside a covered walkway. This place recalls Hajar searching for water for her baby Isma'il (see the Eid-ul-Adha lesson). Walking it again recalls her trust in Allah.
4. The plains of Arafat
On the 9th day pilgrims travel to the plain of Arafat. From noon until sunset they stand in prayer, ask Allah for forgiveness and think about their lives. This is the heart of the Hajj, and the Hajj does not count without it. Many Muslims link it to the Last Sermon of the Prophet and to the Day of Judgement, when everyone will stand before Allah.
5. Muzdalifah
After sunset pilgrims move to Muzdalifah, where they pray, rest in the open air and collect small pebbles for the next day.
6. Mina: the pillars
At Mina, pilgrims throw the pebbles at stone pillars: the largest on the first day, then all three on the days after. This is often called "stoning the devil". It recalls Ibrahim rejecting Shaytan's temptations, and it shows that the pilgrim rejects evil too. Pilgrims also sacrifice an animal, in memory of Ibrahim, and have their hair cut or shaved, which ends most of the ihram rules. They then return to the Ka'ba for another tawaf, and the Hajj is complete after the last days at Mina.
Umrah: the minor pilgrimage
Umrah is a shorter pilgrimage to Makkah. A Muslim can make it at any time of the year. It has four parts: entering ihram, tawaf round the Ka'ba, sa'i between Safa and Marwah, and then cutting the hair. There is no Arafat, Muzdalifah or Mina. Muslims do not all agree on its status. Most say Umrah is strongly recommended but not compulsory, while some scholars teach that a Muslim who can afford it should make it once. Many Muslims make Umrah at other times of year, or as a way to feel closer to Allah.
Why the Hajj matters today
- Worship and forgiveness: it is an act of worship that many believe wipes the slate clean.
- Unity: it shows the ummah as one family, whatever their race, language or wealth.
- A life goal: many Muslims save for years. Those who have been may be called Hajji (or Hajjah) and are respected in their communities.
- Different views: some Muslims say the inner meaning, such as obeying Allah and being kind, matters more than the details of the actions. Others stress that the rituals must be copied exactly from the Prophet.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up the Hajj and Umrah. Only the Hajj has Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina, and it only happens on set days.
- Saying ihram is only clothing. It is also a state of mind with rules about behaviour.
- Saying pilgrims worship the Ka'ba. Muslims face it in prayer, but worship Allah alone.
- Listing the rituals without saying why they matter to Muslims.
Exam-style question
(a) Outline two activities that pilgrims carry out during the Hajj. [4 marks]
(b) Explain why the plains of Arafat are important to Muslims. [6 marks]
(c) "Making the Hajj is the most important thing a Muslim can do." Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. [10 marks]
Model answer
(a) Pilgrims walk round the Ka'ba seven times (tawaf) (1), which shows that Allah is at the centre of their lives (1). Pilgrims stand on the plain of Arafat from noon to sunset (1), praying and asking Allah to forgive their sins (1).
(b) Standing at Arafat is the heart of the Hajj, and the Hajj does not count without it (1). Pilgrims stand in prayer from noon to sunset (1) and ask for forgiveness, so many Muslims believe they can leave with their sins forgiven (1). It also reminds Muslims of the Day of Judgement, when everyone will stand before Allah (1). Because everyone is in ihram, Arafat shows equality and the unity of the ummah (1). Many Muslims link it to the Last Sermon, where the Prophet taught that all believers are equal (1).
(c) Plan: Agree: the Hajj is one of the Five Pillars and a duty for those who are able (Qur'an 3:97); it may bring forgiveness; it shows unity and equality; it follows the example of Ibrahim and Muhammad. Disagree: it is required only once, and only for those who can afford it, while prayer must be done every day; some Muslims say the inner meaning (kindness, honesty, caring for the poor) matters more than one journey; a Muslim who is ill or poor can still be a very good Muslim. Divergent view: some say Umrah is also a duty, others that only the Hajj is. Possible conclusion: the Hajj is one of the greatest acts of worship, but daily faith and good actions are needed too, so it is not the only thing that matters.
Exam tip
In a 6-mark "Explain why ... is important" question, do not just describe what pilgrims do. Add "which shows" or "so Muslims believe" after each action to say why it matters.