by Sadaf Farooqi

Created on: November 06, 2008

Hajj is one the five pillars of Islam. It is obligatory to perform Hajj at least once in a lifetime for a Muslim who can physically and financially afford the journey. For a Muslim woman, the journey of Hajj requires her to be accompanied by a male relative who is her "mahrum" (i.e. her husband, or a man she is forbidden to marry, such as her father, brother or uncle). This is not a discriminatory ruling - it is a stipulation that makes it easier for her to travel and carry heavy belongings from one place to another during the strenuous rituals of Hajj. If any Muslim has enough financial savings to allow them to easily go for Hajj, they have to hasten in fulfilling this pivotal obligation of Islam.

The meaning of the word "Hajj" is - 'to set out to a sacred place out of devotion and seeking reward'. Every religion has always had the concept of "pilgrimage", in which followers or believers undertake a journey to a sacred geographical location that has special relevance and significance to that particular religion. The Hajj as it is today was initiated by Prophet Ibrahim [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him], when he built the sacred house in Makkah - known as "Ka'ba" - with his son, Ismail [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]. Followers of the monotheistic religion founded by Ibrahim [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] used to perform circumambulations of the Ka'ba and descended to Makkah once a year for the pilgrimage.

The following terminology will explain some of the common Islamic terms related to Hajj:

Ka'ba: the sacred house of Islam that is located at the centre of Masjid Al-Haraam in Makkah; It is empty, and kept covered with a black cloth. It specifies the direction of prayer for Muslims around the world, but it is NOT worshipped itself.

Mina: an open ground which is now known as the 'tented city' because it houses thousands of tents demarcated according to the countries of the world, where pilgrims stay. The modern tents of Mina today are airconditioned and carpeted. Makeshift bathrooms are also located near each group of tents.

Tawaaf: Seven circuits or circumambulations around the Ka'ba, starting from the Hajr Al-Aswad (black stone fixed on one of its corners) and ending with 2 units of prayer.

Sa'ee: Walking 7 times between the two mounts named Safa and Marwah that lie near the Ka'ba, within the precincts of the Masjid Al-Haram. The Sa'ee starts from Safa and ends at Marwah, where the pilgrim shaves their head (for men) or trims their

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