Rites of the Hajj

The first requirement of the Hajj is that men wear two pieces of unsewn white cloth, called the ihram, which means garment of consecration. Women's ihram is their ordinary clothes. While wearing these garments, a pilgrim may not kill any animal or insect, remove any hair from his or her body, or engage in any sexual act. The second requirement is that pilgrims walk around the Kaaba - the first house of worship to God - seven times in a counterclockwise direction. Most pilgrims perform three additional rites, though they are not official parts of the Hajj.

The third part of the Hajj involves standing at Arafat, a plain outside Mecca, on the ninth day of the pilgrimage month. During the afternoon prayer, pilgrims listen to an imam deliver a sermon from the heights of Mount Arafat at the edge of the plain. This act commemorates the final pilgrimage of Muhammad, who delivered his farewell sermon from this site. Most pilgrims perform three additional rites, though they are not official parts of the Hajj.

To finish the pilgrimage, Muslims next spend the night at Muzdalifah, an encampment near a place called Mina, on the way back to Mecca. The next day, they throw stones at the three pillars where, according to tradition, the Prophet Abraham drove away Satan's temptations. Many pilgrims also sacrifice an animal, usually a sheep or goat, at Mina. This action commemorates the Prophet Abraham's vow to sacrifice his son. The Hajj pilgrimage is completed after the pilgrim returns to Mecca and walks around the Kaaba seven more times.

Excerpt adapted from the "Islam" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999