Eid ul Adha 2024: The meaning of the Hajj and its importance to Muslims

One of the cornerstones of Islam, the Hajj, brings together millions of Muslims who go to Saudi Arabia once a year to participate in a series of religious rites and acts of worship. They immerse themselves in what can be a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual experience as they fulfil a religious obligation, giving them the opportunity to ask for God’s pardon and the erasure of past sins. This is an examination of the pilgrimage and its importance to Muslims.

HAJJ: WHAT IS IT?
The Hajj is the yearly Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which every Muslim who has the financial means and physical capacity to complete must do at least once in their lives. A number of Muslims travel there more than once. Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, in addition to the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving and fasting.

HAJJ IS WHEN?
Every year, in the month of Dhul-Hijja, the Islamic lunar calendar’s 12th and last month, the Hajj takes place. This month is when Hajj will occur this year.

WHAT IS THE HAJJ’S IMPORTANCE TO MUSLIMS?
In addition to fulfilling a pilgrim’s religious duty, the Hajj is, for many, a once-in-a-lifetime, profoundly spiritual event. It is viewed as an opportunity to become closer to God, ask for forgiveness for past transgressions, and follow in the prophets’ footsteps. In a communal sense, the Hajj brings Muslims from all walks of life together to perform religious rites and acts of worship at the same time and location. These Muslims come from a variety of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. That leaves many feeling a sense of unity, connection, humility and equality. Pilgrims also show up with their own personal appeals, wishes and experiences.

Many pilgrims carry requests for prayers to be offered on their behalf from friends and family. Some people save money and wait for permission to travel, while others spend years praying and hoping to do the Hajj. Before the coronavirus pandemic interrupted religious and other gatherings worldwide and negatively impacted the Islamic pilgrimage, around 2.5 million Muslims completed the Hajj in 2019. The Hajj that took place last year was the first since the pandemic’s beginning in 2020 to be conducted without COVID-19 limitations.

Preparations for the journey can involve gathering information from those who have previously completed the pilgrimage, carrying different necessities for the physically taxing journey, attending lectures or consuming other educational materials on how to properly perform a series of Hajj rituals as well as spiritually readying oneself. At times, pilgrims brave intense heat or other challenging conditions during the pilgrimage.

WHAT ARE A FEW OF THE RITUALS PERFORMED BY PILGRIMS?
When pilgrims decide to perform the Hajj, they go into a state known as “ihram.” Following specific guidelines and restrictions is part of wearing ihram. For example, during ihram, men are supposed to wear simple ihram fabric garments rather than ordinary sewed or stitched items that encircle the body, like shirts. According to scholars, the goal is to rid oneself of worldly status symbols, luxury, and vanity, and to fully immerse the pilgrim in humility and devotion to God.

Standing on the plain of Arafat, where travellers worship God, ask for pardon, and make supplications, is a spiritual high point for many throughout the Hajj. Other customs involve “tawaf,” or circumambulating, or making seven anticlockwise circles around the Kaaba in Mecca. The Kaaba is a cube-shaped edifice that Muslims regard as the symbolic house of God, but they do not worship it. Instead, pious Muslims face the Kaaba during their daily prayers, regardless of where they are in the globe.

Pilgrims also follow the footsteps of Hagar, also known as Hajar, the Prophet Abraham’s wife, who is said by Muslims to have sprinted seven times between two hills in quest of water for her son. In addition to other customs, pilgrims stone the devil in a symbolic fashion.

Describe EID Al-Adha.
The Islamic holiday known as Eid al-Adha, or the “Feast of Sacrifice,” falls on the tenth day of the Islamic lunar month of Dhul-Hijja, which falls during the Hajj. Eid al-Adha is a global Muslim holiday that commemorates the prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to offer his son as a sacrifice as a sign of devotion to God. Muslims slaughter sheep or cattle and give some of the meat to the underprivileged on the joyous occasion.

General News Platform – https://ihtlive.com/
Entertainment News Platforms – anyflix.in 
Construction Infrastructure and Mining News Platform – https://cimreviews.com/
Podcast Platforms – https://anyfm.in/