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Hajj explained: A sacred site for Muslims

Workers at the Grand Mosque complex in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca, mask-clad due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, work around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the centre of the complex ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage season on July 24, 2020. (AFP)
Workers at the Grand Mosque complex in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca, mask-clad due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, work around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the centre of the complex ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage season on July 24, 2020. (AFP)
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26 Jul 2020 07:07:54 GMT9
26 Jul 2020 07:07:54 GMT9

Shams El -Mutwalli, Dubai

Hajj is now taking place in Saudi Arabia but is only accepting a limited number of people due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Hajj is a ritual that takes place during the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. During this period, Muslims travel to the holy city to begin their journey around the Kaaba- believed to be the most sacred site on Earth.

The Kaaba is a shrine located in Mecca, made of both gray stone and marble, and is usually masked using a large black cloth called a kiswah.

The Qurʾān gives some clarification on the Kaaba’s origins by suggesting Abraham and Ishmael had a part to play in the rebuilding of the Kaaba.

Additionally, the Kaaba is of great importance in Islam as Muslims orient themselves in its direction when performing their daily prayers.

It is mandatory that Muslims participate in Hajj at least once during their lifetime, as it is one of the five pillars of Islam, with the other four  being: faith, prayer, fasting, and giving

On the first day of Hajj, pilgrims must circle around the Kaaba seven times, while praying and asking God for forgiveness.

On the second, Pilgrims perform ‘Wuquf’ (meaning standing in Arabic) as they venture to the mountain of Arafat and remain on their feet from sunrise to sunset.

On the last day, the “stoning ceremony” takes place, and pebbles are thrown at Jamrat Al Aqabah- a stone wall- to represent their resistance against the devil.

Women and men must dress modestly, but men are more typically seen wearing a white cloth as a symbol of equality before God.

Hajj has long been a hub where Muslims around the globe can come to gather, and more recently there has been a growing recognition of Islam in Japan.

This is made apparent through the halal food scene, and the availability of mosques for Muslims to come and worship.

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