A comprehensive guide to the holy Muslim pilgrimage

Every year, millions of Muslims from all over the world gather in Mecca to perform the Hajj, the holy Muslim pilgrimage.

The Hajj became obligatory for every able-bodied Muslim adult with financial means after the “farewell pilgrimage” of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD. Typically, two to three million people participate in the pilgrimage annually.

However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the number of pilgrims dropped drastically to 10,000 in 2020. The following year saw 58,700 pilgrims and last year the numbers rose again to one million.

Hajj is a spiritual, emotional and physical challenge that tests the pilgrim’s patience and temperament. It occurs in Dhul-Hijjah, the 12th and last month of the Islamic lunar calendar, between the eighth and the 13th day of the month.

Here is a step-by-step guide to the rituals for each day of Hajj:

Day 1: Intention and Ihram

The very first rite of Hajj is to make a pure intention and enter the ihram, the sacred state of a pilgrim, when crossing the outer limits of Mecca, called Miqat.

Entering the ihram involves wearing simple clothing – two loose pieces of cloth for men or loose clothing for women – and observing certain rules, such as avoiding anger and abstaining from sexual activity.

Pilgrims then perform tawaf, circling the Kaaba counterclockwise seven times, followed by the sai, running between the hills of Safa and Marwa. After that, pilgrims travel on foot or by bus to Mina, a journey of 8 kilometers, where they spend the day in prayer and supplication.

Day 2: A day in Arafat

Arafat Day is one of the most important days of the Hajj and the Islamic calendar. Pilgrims make the 15-kilometer (nine-mile) journey from Mina to Mount Eleos, where they perform wukuf, standing before Allah from noon until sunset. This site is revered as the place where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his last sermon. Many Muslims around the world choose to fast on this day.

After sunset, pilgrims move to Muzdalifah, an 11-kilometer journey, where they spend the night under the stars and begin collecting 49 pebbles for the next day’s rites.

Day 3: Nahr and stoning the devil (Rami)

The 10th of Dhul-Hijjah is Eid al-Adha, celebrated by Muslims around the world as the greater of the two Muslim holidays. Pilgrims leave Muzdalifah for Mina before dawn to perform the first rummy, throwing seven pebbles at the largest of the three pillars, Jamarat al-Aqaba. This act symbolizes the stoning of the devil, based on the tradition where Abraham threw stones to repel Satan.

Pilgrims also sacrifice an animal, known as a nahr. Suitable camel or lamb, and the meat is distributed to the needy. Pilgrims can purchase sacrificial tokens, which state that the sacrifice has been made on their behalf, or make their own sacrifice.

Days 4 and 5: The stoning continues

The act of stoning is repeated for the next two days, pelting the three pillars (Jamarat al-Ula, Jamarat al-Wusta and Jamarat al-Aqaba) with seven pebbles each.

Day 6: Halq or Taqsir and the farewell Tawaf

On the 12th day of Dhul-Hijjah, men shave their heads (halq) or arrange their hair (taqsir), while women cut their hair to the length of a finger. After this, the pilgrims remove their ihram clothes and return to Mecca to perform tawaf and sai once more, marking the completion of the Hajj.

Many pilgrims also visit Medina, the second holiest city in Islam, before heading home. Although not part of the pilgrimage, Madinah is revered as the place where the Prophet Muhammad is buried along with his closest companions.