Hajj and obligations

Hajj and obligations

The Hajj is one of the Five  of Islam and is the religious pilgrimage to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, that every able-bodied Muslim is obligated to perform for one time at-least.

1.Wearing Ihram: 

The Ihram is a set of two white, unsewn sheets, and it's obligatory for men to wear it during Hajj. Women are required to dress modestly and avoid ostentation, usually with simple, white clothing.

2.Performing the Tawaf: 

Pilgrims must perform a counter-clockwise circumambulation of the Kaaba seven times, with the Kaaba on their left side.

3.Perform Sa’i: 

Pilgrims walk back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah seven times.

4.Arafat Day: 

This is the most important day of the Hajj. Pilgrims gather on Mount Arafat for prayers, and this is where Prophet Mohammed delivered his last sermon.

5. Eid Al Adha: 

The sacrifice is performed, an animal is slaughtered as Abraham had done in the name of Allah, the meat is distributed to the poor and the pilgrims cut their hair, marking the end of Ihram.

6.The Stoning: 

Pilgrims then throw stones at three pillars, which represent the temptations by the devil. The pilgrims throw seven pebbles at these columns.

7.The Farewell Tawaf: 

Pilgrims perform a final circumambulation of the Kaaba.

While fulfilling these obligations, pilgrims are expected to maintain a state of physical cleanliness, and engage in constant prayer and recitation of Quranic verses. Disagreements, fighting, and sexual relations are among the activities that are forbidden during the Hajj. Also, men and women are permitted to perform the Hajj together, with certain restrictions on their interactions.