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, an Imprint of National Highlights
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UND E RS TAND I NG
I S L AM
The religion known as Islam emerged on the Arabian
Peninsula during the seventh century and spread
quickly. Today, the Muslim population is estimated
at 1.6 billion, making it the world’s second-largest
religion. The new series UNDERSTANDING ISLAM
provides a comprehensive overview of the religion
and its teachings; individual volumes discuss such
important issues as the relationship of Islam to
other major world faiths, the growth of Islam in
North America, and the socio-economic conditions of
countries in the Muslim world.
THE EIGHT VOLUMES IN THIS SERIES ARE SUPPLEMENTED WITH A VARIETY OF
USEFUL RESOURCES, INCLUDING A CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS RELATED TO THE
COUNTRY, RECIPES AND IDEAS FOR PROJECTS AND REPORTS, A GLOSSARY OF
TERMS, SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION, AND A DETAILED INDEX.
permitted to make the journey, the
hajj
marks a high point of
their lives.
The pilgrims’ ultimate destination is the shrine known as the
Kaaba, an ancientplaceofworship that isbelievedbyMuslims to
have been the site of Allah’s covenant with Abraham’s son
Ishmael. Muhammad cleansed the Kaaba of tribal idols, reclaim-
ing it for Allah and restoring it to its rightful place, according to
Qur’an 22: 26–27:
Behold! We gave the site to Abraham, of the (Sacred) House, (saying),
“Associate not anything (in worship) with Me, and sanctify My House for
thosewho compass it round, or stand up, or bow, or prostrate themselves
(therein in prayer).And proclaim the Pilgrimage among people.”
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The Kaaba can be seen at the far end of theGreatMosque inMecca. Each year, approximately 2millionMuslims par-
ticipate in the pilgrimage toMecca, one of the five pillars of Islam.
Someof the
hajj
ritualsare rooted inpre-Islamicpilgrimageprac-
tices. Among the rituals are walking counter-clockwise around the
Kaaba seven times, kissing or touching the black stone located in a
wallof theKaaba,and sacrificingananimal inMina, tenmilesaway
from Mecca. By including certain tribal practices, Muhammad cre-
ated a linkwith thepast thathelpeduniteArabMuslims from vari-
ous backgrounds into a coherent Islamic community. Pilgrims also
reenact Ishmael and his mother Hagar’s desperate search for water
in the desert, running between Safa and Marwah seven times.
Other rituals symbolize the unity of the global Muslim com-
munity. The central ritual of the
hajj
involves praying and medi-
tating for an entiredayon thePlainofArafat, about12miles from
Mecca, where Muhammad gave his last message. This is followed
by a trip to Mina for the animal sacrifice, where pilgrims first
crowd onto Jamarat Bridge and throw pebbles at pillars that rep-
resent the devil.
Pilgrims to Mecca symbolize their purification for the journey
in theirappearance.Menwear sandalsandwrap themselves in two
pieces of unsewn white cloth; some shave their heads. Women
wear a simple version of their normal clothing or a long white
dress, with only their hands and faces showing. These plain gar-
ments symbolize the equality of all before Allah—during the pil-
grimage, no class or cultural differences are to exist.
The
hajj
period ends with a three-day festival called Eid al-
Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice. The Eid al-Adha is celebrated by all
Muslims around the world at the end of the hajj period, not just
by those actually able to make the journey. It is a time of prayer
and celebrationwith family and friends.Whenpilgrimshave com-
pleted the
hajj
, many travel north to Medina, where they visit
Muhammad’s tomb.
The Muslim Community
Muslims throughout the world see themselves as a unified com-
munity; the ties of faith are stronger than family, tribal, or nation-
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dress, with only their hands and faces showing. These plain gar-
ments symbolize the equality of all before Allah—during the pil-
grimage, no class or cultural differences are to exist.
The
hajj
period ends with a three-day festival called Eid al-
Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice. The Eid al-Adha is celebrated by all
Muslims around the world at the end of the hajj period, not just
by those actually able to make the journey. It is a time of prayer
and celebration with family and friends. When pilgrims have com-
plet d the
hajj
, m ny travel north to Medina, where they visit
Muhammad’s tomb.