THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM AND THE HAJJ: A PRIMER The e Ha H jj jj pil p gri grimag age e is one one e of o five ma ajor or re r spo p nsi ponsi s bil si biliti ities iti ties ffor or ob o ser se van vantt M Musl uslims usl im ims mss. In In orde r r of of prio riorit iiorit r ty rity, rity y,, tthe hese s “ lla “pi llars ars rs off Isla Isl Is sa sl am am” m arre: m” e
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T ST TE TIFYI IF FYI YING NG G THA AT TH THER ER RE IS S NO GO GOD BU UT GO GOD D. D. Fo low Fo Fol ow wing in ng the the foot oo o ste stteps eps of o Abr Ab A b aha br aham m (Ibr (Ibr Ibrahi bra ahi ahim ah h m in in Arab bic) c), Musl Musl usslims ims ar ims are e unco c mpr mp om omi m sin ing in g on the the Uni U ity t of the th he Alm lmigh ghty. ty Th his is com ommit mittmentt to Unit mitmen mit Unit ity y (taw whee he d ) is refl flec cted e in i th the he rema rema e em ining ini ng pil pillar pi arss and ar and rei re e nfo n rce ed in prac ac ctic tic ce.
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PRA PR RAY A NG FI AYIN F VE VE TIIM MES E DAILY AILY AI LY.. R tual Rit ua a pr praye aye yerr o occu ccurs ccu r at rs a app appoin ointed ted ted d ti times mes e th es thro rou ougho o ugho ghout houtt the t ed da ay, ay, y fro r m befo ro rom ef re e dawn da n unti daw un nti till be ti efo fo ore re bed. be . bed
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GIVI GI VING ING G TO CH C AR RIT TY. Y A in man As m y othe therr rel eli ligio ous u tra r diti dit ition ion io onss,, p pri r ori o ty y iss pla placed ced d on o takin ta akin king care king care e of of th those se le se less less s for fortun tunate th tunate han n you yo y o ou are. arre. e. Cha C ha arit rity also rity rit lso in i clu cludes de des e gi givin ving g tto o orga orga rg gani aniz nizati niz ni ati at tiio ons ns th that at ben be efi efit societ soc ciet iety. y.. y
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FAST FA AST STIN STIN NG DU DURI URI R NG RAMAD AMAD AM ADAN ADAN AN. N. Th The T he e ni ninth ntth m mo month onth th of th o tthe Issla amic mic ca calen len lendar endarr is i designat na ed e a time time to o fa fast, st da dawn wn n un unt u ntill dus du usk, k, to k, to dem de demon em mons on ttra on rate e s lf-d se sel f-d f-di discipl isc isc scipl ipl ip pli line in ne e an and to and to rela rela ellate elate te vis vis i cer cerrall ce ally to peo all ople op le who wh ar wh aeh hung ung un ngry ry ry. y Un Unles les esss they they a are ar e ill, lll, tr ll trav ave a velin elin ing, ing, g, p pre re egna e gna gn g na ant, t or o nur nur ursin sing sin sing, g,, peo pe eople p e fo f rg rg rgo go the tth he ing nge ge esti stion on off fo fo foo oo od o orr wat ate t r. r. Th The hey do do not ot smo sm mo oke. ke k e Th They ey fo ffor orgo go b bad d be b hav havior avio ior iors— orss— o — no oq qu qua uarre rrrre elin liin ing, g, co com om o m mpla plain plaini pla iini ning ning nin ni ng g,, go g ssi ssip. ss sip p.. E Eve ve v eni nin n i gs ings gs bec be be eco ome me m e a tim time o off gath theri erings er ngs gss an a d grat grat ratitu ra itu it ttude. d de
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MAKI MA KIN NG G TH HE E PILGR IL IL LG GR G RIMA IM MA AGE D DU URING RING RI NG THE HE LAS A T MO M NT TH OF O THE ISL SLAM AMIC AM IC CC CAL ALE EN NDAR DAR. DA R. Eve Eve very ry ab ry abl a ble-b b e bodi ebodi od o diied d ed Mus Mu M usslim uslim liim im wh w who ho c can an aff an affffford rd th tthe he jour ourney ourney ne ey y wi with thout tho ho outt cau ca ausin sing i g pain o orr in i con conve on o nve ven v enien en ience ence e tto o fam fa a ily ily il y or or emp mp m ploy lo oy oyers ye errrss is ers is recom re recom co omme om men men ended de ed e d to to ma make ke thi th hiis o h once nce ce-in ce ce-in iin n-an-a-a a--lif a lif li ifet ifeti ettiime eti me pil p g pi grrrimag gri rimag ma m mage ag age e.. Alt Althou Al ho ough gh p pil pi iilg grr mag gri mag ge to Mecc Mecc cc c ca occu oc ccu curss curs ev e eve ve v ry ry day, day da day y, tthe he gre he gre reat at p piillgri pil grri g rim ma mag ag age a eo orr Hajj ajjj ha aj happ ppe p pe ens ns onl o y duri on duri uring r ng ng th tthe he 12 he 1 th th mon mo onth on ho off the t e ye y year arr. T ar ar. Th he rit iitu tuals t al al of als of the th he Hajj ajjj a arre are e as as fo follo llo lows ws ws: Fiirrst, Fi Fir stt, p st pe eopl op op plle p prep rep rre ep e pa pare are re e th the he h hemse emse mse ms selve llv ve v ess,, bod body bo ody an and nd sou sou so oul, l, by c by com oming om oming in ng in ng into to a sta tat atte ate of spirit of sspi sp pi piri rrit itua it ual ual al sa sanct nc nc cttiity ty ca ty calle lled ll lled ih iihr hrram am. No No perf pe erf rffume umess.. No um No ma ma mak ak keup eu e up u p. For or m me men en en, tw wo o siim si sim mple ple e wh white hite te c te cllo oth ot tth hss— s—t — —tth he e Issl IIsl slam am ami miic deat ea ath shr a hrrou hro ud ud— d d— —wra wrra w rap the the th he b body. bo ody dy. d y Th T The he hen en peop eo e ople op le c co com ome in om intto o Me M Mec ec cca a and an a n nd d pe perf rfo ffo orm rm ri riittua ua ual alls at th the he e Great Gre Gr ea eat at Mo at Mosqu osqu sq que tha qu que hat h att ca a can be don be done e any ny day day da y of of th the e year earr: ea circ cir ci cli lliing ng the th he h e Ka Ka’ab Ka’ab ’a ’a ab ba seve ven ve tim tti im me esss— es— —taw taw waf af—a —an and hu an urr rryin yin yin yi ing ing bet be bet etw wee we ee e en tw wo o hil hiil h ills ls c ca a allle led ed d Sa Saffa a and an and dM Ma arwa arwa rw wa—ssay ay a yee ee—r —re —re reca cal c a li lin in ng Ha Ha Hag ag gar’ gar’ arrr’’s sear ea e arc ar ch h for fo fo or wa w ter tte e err in n the h de he d ser se ert. ert t.
The Th he fo he forma rmal rm rma ma al Ha ajjj ajj jj be begin g ns gin whe whe wh en pilg ilg lgrim riim ri ms dep ep epa pa art rt Mec ecc ca, ca a, a sp spe pe p end ndi ndi ding ng the tth he h ee eight gh g hth day ht ay o the of h mo month nth h in th t e Va Vall a ey alley off M o Min Mina, ina, a, five v mi miles le es ou e utsi tsi side ide de Mec Mec ecca ca ca. a. Th There errre e e th th hey ey pre ey pre pr repa pare p par are a fo ffor or or th the most osstt im os imp por po orrta o tan ant da ay y of Haj of Ha Ha ajjj, jj, j, the th he Da he Day of Araf ra afat. att a On the On the he ni ninth ntth nth h da day, y, p pe peo eople eo op ple lle e ma mak m ak king ng n g th the Haj ajj ajj jj mu m must ust st st ssta ta tan nd d tog tog to ogeth ether ther th er at at th the Va the Valle llle lley l y of Arafa Ar Ara fa fat attt,, in p pray rray ay yer, err,, re eflec ecttio tiion n,, rep repent epen ep ent e nta nt an anc n nc ce, e,, and e nd a nd ap pp pre rec cia ci atio atio tiion iio on fo for fo orr th the eir i li ir liv ve ves es, for es or on one o ne n e an ano notthe no th he h her, er, r, ffo for orr th o the Crea re re ea atto tor orr ’ss o cre c reati re eat ati a ttio on on. n n. Li Lik ke e a Chri hrist hr s an sti an bap bap baptis apttis tism, m, tth thi his day ay off off of ffers errss th e the the ind ind in ndivi ivi iv vid du dua ua al a c clean ean ea a sl slate ate ate te. If you ou u ar are not ot at at Ara Arafat Ar fa att, a t, you you ou hav av ve not ot mad ma m ad a de the the he Haj Ha H ajjjj.. aj
Ne Nex ex xt, p pe peo eo ople ple le go o ba b ck ck to Miiin M Min na, a, ga gather gat herin he ing ng sstto n one on ne ne ess alon lo on o ng th th the he e wa way in in an arrea re e ea a ca calle llled lle ed Muzdal Muzdal Muz dalifa fa. T fa fa. They he he hey ey a ar are re “arm arm min in ing ng g the th the em mss lve mse ves” ve s tto s” o cas ca ast ston stton one o ess a Sat at Sa a an an an. n. Th Th he e ja jama jamar mar m ar arat arat at rriitua tu ual re ual e-e -e ena nac actss Ab a Ab Abr aha ah ha h am m’s ’s d de efian ance nce ce of of the he e de d vil, devil vil vi i , wh hen he en h en he e th threw rew ew sto sto tones e a att Sa Satan Satan ta ta an to to fend fend fe nd offff te of off ttempt em mpt mp pt ptati atttion. a on o n n. P Piillgr gr grims im im ms th th hrrow w sse sev even ev ve en n sto sto st ones ne at ne at piillla pi lar lar a s to symb ym m oli mb oli ol lize ze the th heir he heir ir de d ete et errm erm rmin ina natio ttiion to fend fe end en nd of nd off te tem te em mp pta ta attio iio on in dai ail aily ily life fe. fe All ll go go b ba ac ack ck k to to M Me Mec e ec cca ca and nd nd pe p erfor er ffo o m the or th he e rit ritess o off taw ta awaff aw an an nd d say sayee ee.
Allll re All A retur tu urn to Mina ur Min iina na na’s ’s ja jamar ama ma mar arat at an and a nd n d th throw hrrow ow o w sse ev ven en st en sttone one one nes ag aga ag gain in and and ag an again ain ai i at at th thre ree ee ee piil pil p illar lar a s repr epr ep p ese essse ent nti n ting ng Sat Sata an an. n. n. The Th T he hey hey re etu tu turn rn to to M Me Mec ec e cca, ca c a a, make mak ke a fa farrew re ewe ellll taw ell taw ta awaf af, an nd d head hea e dh hom om om me e e. Hu Hu Hun un ndre nd dre rre eds o off Mu Muha Muh amm mm m ma ad’ ad ds ea e ear a ly ar ly fol fol fo ollow lowe ow we errrss w ers we ere e wit wiitth wi hiim h him im a att th the fi firs rrsst Haj ajj wh ajj when en he la he lai aid out a u tthe h rriitua tuals ls. ss.. Now No Now owada ada da d ayss upw up u pwa pw arrd ard ds of 3 mill iillio on pe on peop ople opl e is ttypi yp c ypi cal ca a all. Sc S Sco core co ores rre es o es off na natio atio tio ons ns are arre a e rep re epre ep essent ntted; ed hu hund hundr ndr n dreds d dss of d of lang lan ang gua gu ua u ages ge g ess sp poke oke ken. n. Thi Th his is his hi is the th the e most mo ost st d div iv ivers ers e rse an rs rse nn nnu n al al ga gat g atth a he her er ering ing n of of pe p op peopl op opl ples es on n the he h ep plane ane an ett.. —A —A. A.M. M.
SUEB SU SUEBS S UEB U UEBS EBS EB BSA AK CH C H IEOCH IEO IE IEOC E O CH EOCH C ARNYO A RNYO AR ARN RN R NYO Y NT T/E E+ + / GETTY G ETTY GETT ET I MAG IMAG A G ES AG ES