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Essay about the hajj
What is the significance of Hajj in Muslim experience
What is the significance of Hajj in Muslim experience
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The Hajj
Just about every religion has one thing that a person must do in their lifetime in order to go on after death and Islam is one of those religions. It is required of a Muslim to make the pilgrimage to Mecca and perform the given tasks at least once in their lifetime.
It is said that the Prophet Muhammad had rid the Ka'ba of its idols and re-established it as a shrine dedicated to the one God (Hofe 96). Now it is the duty of every Muslim to make a trip to that very place. About 2 million Muslims from just over 70 different countries will journey to the holy city of Mecca each year. The pilgrimage begins during an important month in the Muslim calendar called the Dhu al-Hijah. At this time Muslims will travel from all over to make the trip to the sacred land of Mecca. Many will die young and old, but there couldn't be a better way of dieing for a devout Muslim. On the journey they must walk and wear only a roab type outfit so that you can not distinguish between the rich and the poor. During the Hajj, pilgrims must abstain from intercourse and eating and drinking during the day light hours.
During the journey, pilgrims will visit the Well of Zamzam, which was established by Hager and Ishmael (Shariat 99). They will take seven trips around the Ka'ba and kiss the black stone. A sacrifice is offered on the tenth day to celebrate Abraham's unselfishness to sacrifice his son to God. Then they must visit Medina to pay respect to the Prophet Muhammad. Then they will all make their way home and put the word Hajj on their name to show they have made the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Before a Muslim arrives at the holy city, they will go into a state of consecration known as Ihram. In preparation for Ihram, but not after, t...
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...s, which have accumulated throughout their lives. The Prophet Muhammad once said, "A person who performs the Hajj properly will return as a newly born baby free from all sins"(Shariat 178). The Hajj also brings together Muslims from all around the world, of different races, languages, and ethic groups, to come together as one to worship God.
Bibliography:
1. Hopfe, Lewis and Woodward, Mark. Religions of the World Eighth Edition.
New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc, 2001, 1998, 1991, 1983.
2. Peters, F.E. The Hajj. New Jersey: Princeton Universit Press, 1996
3. Shariat, Ali. Hajj: Reflections On Its Rituals.
New York: Abjad Book Designers And Builders, 1992
4. The Hajj, Islam's Journey of Faith.Oct. 1997. CNN. 14 April 2001
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/hajj/
The first is, testifying to God's One-ness: The declaration "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet. " The second is, Prayer. Prayer must happen at least five times a day, and must be done by bowing and facing towards the Mecca. Also, everyone must stand in straight lines and if women do come, however not required, must stand behind the men. The third is, giving to charity.
The Hajj or pilgrimage to Makkah is one of the five pillars of Islam "arkan-al-Islam”- Its purpose is essentially to facilitate the act of submission to Allah which is pinnacle to all followers of Islam. "Perform the pilgrimage and the visit [to Mecca] for Allah" Surah 2:196. It has enormous significance, not only for the pilgrim undertaking the Hajj but also for the wider Muslim community, the Umma, as it allows for all individuals to gain unification of faith. Such purpose can be examined through considering various rituals; the stand before Allah "wuquf", the stoning of the pillars at Mina, the commemoration of the festival of sacrifice "Id-ul-Adha", the circling of the Ka'bah and drawing water from the well of Zamzam. Such rituals give example to a profound meaning of the Islamic faith and upon completion, the individual is fulfilling to the ultimate goal of Islam, a more perfect submission to Allah.
...l Muhammad’s Islamic forces finally took Mecca in an almost bloodless war. Throughout that time, Muhammad had established the Five Pillars of Islam, a creed and code which is considered obligatory for all followers of the Islamic faith consisting of rules varying from required prayer to mandatory pilgrimage. Eventually by Muhammad’s death, he had united the entirety of Arabian tribes under Islam. In Islamic tradition there are only two official holidays. The first is called Eid-al Fitr, which is celebrated at the end of a month of fasting. Generally this day Muslims around the world give Zakat, or charity in good faith. The second, Eid-al Adha, is celebrated from the tenth to the fourteenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, which is the month of pilgrimage to Mecca. Traditionally on these days an animal is killed, it’s meat distributed between friends, family, and the poor.
Islam the complete ‘surrender to Allah’ is a living religious tradition with the principal belief in one God – Allah. Islam has remained the same in its principle beliefs of Allah, His Angels, His Prophets, His Books, The Last Day and his complete authority over destiny and has also changed over time to ensure that Islam remains a living religious tradition. Over its history Islam has had many significant people including Al Ghazali and Aisha Bint Abu Bakr who have ensured that Islam remains living in the hearts and minds of its adherents. In addition to significant individuals participation in the Five Pillars e.g. the Hajj ensure that Islam will continue to be the living religious tradition that it is.
In the article, "Blue-Collar Brilliance," author Mike Rose emphasizes his belief that blue collar jobs should not be seen as mindless tasks, but rather should be recognized for the amount of skills and intelligence these tasks truly require. It also challenges the statement that intelligence and ability is measured by the amount of education one completes through his personal experiences, perceptions, and beliefs. Mike Rose's main idea is that blue-collar jobs require a significant amount of skill and intelligence, even in spite of the fact that they're often underestimated. Rose also says that blue collar workers are competent in learning a job or task without the need of going to college or university but through learning the job hands-on
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...e by having a feast. Finally the last pillar requires a pilgrimage to Mecca. This pilgrimage is called a Hajj and each Muslim is required to make this journey once in a life time. Each year two million people make this trip. (Molloy 443) Like Buddhism Islam has broken into branches, the two major branches are Sunni and the Shiites Although all Muslims are supposed to get along Sunnis and Shiites often disagree on weather a leadership of Islam should be political or religious.
They believe the purpose of life is to submit to G-d, and obtain paradise after death. They way to achieve salvation is to follow the Qur'an, and Five Pillars of Islam.
In the Islamic religion, human beings will be judged in accordance to their deeds. Therefore, people are prompted to observe due diligence and uphold life while acting in a manner that indicates virtuous behaviour. The punishment of evil deeds is succumbing to hell and joining Satan, who refused to kneel before Adam and was cursed to an eternity of fire.