PILGRIMAGE (HAJJ):The annual pilgrimage to Makkah - the Hajj - is an
obligation only for those who are physically and
financially able to perform it. Nevertheless, about
two million people go to Makkah each year from every
corner of the globe providing a unique opportunity for
those of different nations to meet one another.
Although Makkah is always filled with visitors, the
annual Hajj begins in the twelfth month of the Islamic
year (which is lunar, not solar, so that Hajj and
Ramadan fall sometimes in summer, sometimes in
winter). Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple
garments which strip away distinctions of class and
culture, so that all stand equal before God.


Pilgrims praying at the mosque in Makkah.
The rites of the Hajj, which are of Abrahamic origin,
include circling the Ka'ba seven times, and going
seven times between the mountains of Safa and Marwa as
did Hagar during her search for water. Then the
pilgrims stand together on the wide plain of Arafa and
join in prayers for God's forgiveness, in what is
often thought of as a preview of the Last Judgment.

In previous centuries the Hajj was an arduous
undertaking. Today, however, Saudi Arabia provides
millions of people with water, modern transport, and
the most up-to-date health facilities.


Pilgrim tents during Hajj.
The close of the Hajj is marked by a festival, the Eid
al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers and the
exchange of gifts in Muslim communities everywhere.
This, and the Eid al-Fitr, a feast-day commemorating
the end of Ramadan, are the main festivals of the
Muslim calendar.