rituals and traditions of world religions
The Hajj: Journey to Mecca

by Vicki Merbler

The Islamic faith has many traditions and rituals which naturally accompany them. One of the more outstanding and well known of these is that of the Hajj, or the journey that people make to Mecca. Every year millions of followers take the trip, otherwise known as pilgrimages.

From an historical perspective, the prophet Muhammad encouraged travel as a tradition to encourage trade but also to spread wealth. In 1324, Mansa Musa is documented as having traveled extensively and spent much gold on his journey. The wealthy emperor is said to have put Mali “on the map” due to spreading his fortune in Cairo. Another man, Ibn Battuta, is famous for assisting in the Catalan Atlas of 1375, having traveled 75,000 miles in 29 years. The National Geographic magazine of December 1991 documented his work.

The Hajj is very significant for one major reason. A devout Muslim is required to make the pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime. People from around the world travel to Mecca, a city in Saudi Arabia located fifty miles from the Red Sea. Four million Hajjis (men) and Hajjas (women), otherwise known as pilgrims, travel every year to fulfill the rituals. Women must travel with a man or a group of women. If she wants to travel alone, permission must be given in writing from the Saudi government. All pilgrims must have proper documentation or will be turned away.

Although there are several rituals upon the journey, the reasoning in Islamic faith has to do with rebirth. Upon completion of the Hajj, one has conducted very explicit directions to meet the goal of devotion to Allah. Through acts of faith, the goal of self-improvement is accomplished. They are symbolic of both Ibrahim (Abraham) Hagar or Hajar, and the prophet Muhammad. Allah has also been said in the Qur’an and the Hadith by the prophet that angels come down from heaven to help followers. Should a pilgrim die before entering Mecca, it is believed the soul enters in a state of limbo where Allah will judge the person by the purity of the soul and lifetime devotion to Islam, and the words put forth by Muhammad.

Within Mecca is the holy shrine (Kaaba) shaped like a cube. From a distance in many photographs it has the predominant colors of gold and black. Pilgrims must wear simple two sheets of white cloth (ihram cloth) and sandals. Female pilgrims wear white or black dress with a head covering. Ihrams symbolize equality of the pilgrims in the eyes of Allah.

There is a lesser Hajj or Umrah, and the greater Hajj which is required. The acts of faith are referred as tawaf, or walking around the Ka’bah three times in a quick pace. Followers are then required to walk in a soft pace four times counter-clockwise. A frantic walk is then performed as a re-enactment of Hagar’s frantic search for water before the well was revealed by an angel sent by Allah. Pilgrims then drink water from the well in following what the prophet Muhammad did. After this pilgrims trim an inch of hair and change into regular clothes.

The greater Hajj begins on the eighth day of the month. Again the ihram is the appropriate dress. They leave Mecca for a nearby town called Mina. Pilgrims must leave Mina after the stoning ritual of the devil with shaven heads on the twelfth day. If they have not, they must perform the stoning before entering Mecca.

Vicki Merbler is a practicing spiritual medium, psychic, Master Reiki Healer, and intuition development teacher. She reads on the phone and in person by appointment. (910) 619-1084 or visit www.seebeauty.com to learn more.

Printed in the April/May 2007 issue of Innerchange.