Beginning of the Hajj (The Pilgrimage to Mecca)

The pilgrimage to Mecca and the performance of certain religious rites there constitute the fifth pillar of Islam. The faithful are obliged to undertake the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime, provided they have the necessary health and financial means. The Hajj rituals begin on the 8th of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, during which the pilgrims must enter the state of Ihram. Characteristic of the state of consecration is the wearing of the consecration garments, which for men consist of two long white cotton cloths. Women, on the other hand, are not bound by any special clothing regulations during the Hajj; only their faces and hands must not be covered. The Hajj ritual begins with the sevenfold circumambulation of the Kaaba (ṭawāf) in the Sacred Mosque of Mecca (masjid al-ḥarām). Subsequently, the pilgrims go to the hills of Ṣafā and Marwa, between which they must walk back and forth seven times (saʿy). Afterward, the pilgrims gather in the Valley of Minā, where they stay until the next sunrise, before heading to Mount ʿArafāt. The stay at Mount ʿArafāt on the 9th of Ḏū l-Ḥiğğa constitutes the actual zenith of the Hajj. The Prophet Muhammad is said to have stated: "The Hajj is ʿArafāt." [reported by Tirmidhi]. Until sunset, the faithful on ʿArafāt are urged to ask for forgiveness and dedicate themselves to worship. After sunset, the pilgrims set off to the Muzdalifa plain to spend the night there. Shortly before sunrise, the pilgrims then return to the Valley of Minā to perform the symbolic stoning of the devil (ramy al-ğamarāt). Initially, only the largest pillar (ğamrat al-ʿaqaba) is stoned, which is to be hit with seven pebbles. After the first stoning, the pilgrims slaughter a specific sacrificial animal (or arrange for its slaughter), and its meat is distributed to the poor and needy. Afterward, the men usually shave off all their head hair, while the women only cut off a lock of hair. The shortening of the hair is intended to mark the beginning of a new chapter in life. The pilgrims then return to the Holy Mosque for the circumambulation of the Kaaba and the running between the hills of Ṣafā and Marwa. Finally, the symbolic stoning of the devil is repeated once each for the next two days, but this time all three pillars are pelted with seven pebbles each. Before the pilgrims leave Mecca, they usually perform one last circumambulation of the Kaaba, known as the farewell circumambulation (ṭawāf al-wadāʿ).