The Hajj to Mecca
History: KS3, topic 4.3.1
The Hajj to Mecca
Mansa Musa went on a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324. This religious journey was known as a Hajj and Musa's journey was pilgrimage was a particularly important one.
Cause for the Hajj
- The Hajj to Mecca, the holiest city in Islam, is a journey taken by Muslims.
- It's the fifth most important practice of Muslims. Islam states that every Muslim should take part in at least once in their lifetime.
- Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim and wanted to take part in the hajj. He was determined to make the journey to the faraway holy city.
The journey
- Musa took 60,000 men (including 12,000 slaves), horses, and at least 80 camels.
- The men carried gold bars and the camels carried sacks of gold dust. It is suggested that 18 tonnes of gold were brought on the journey.
- Musa fed and clothed the entire group. He displayed the enormous wealth of the Mali Empire in his support of the grand nature of his hajj.
Musa's actions
- Musa gave out gold to the poor along the way.
- He stopped at cities such as Gao and Timbuktu on his journey.
- It is rumoured that Musa had a mosque, an Islamic building of worship, built every Friday during his hajj. This showed just how devoted he was to spreading Islam.
- Musa met the sultan of Egypt during his journey.
Meeting the sultan
- According to al-Umari, Musa was reportedly unhappy about meeting the sultan of Egypt. He wanted his journey to only be a pilgrimage.
- al-Umari suggests that Musa disliked the idea of kissing the ground and the sultan's hand. When he did meet the sultan, he refused to kiss the ground to respect God.
- The sultan and Musa appeared to get along well. Musa would continue his journey carrying valuable gifts from the sultan.
What did the hajj show?
- At Mecca, Musa would have been focused on his religious duties.
- The events of the hajj itself revealed a lot:
- Musa's interactions with the sultan show his loyalty to God.
- The hajj was a chance to show the rest of the world the splendour of the Mali Empire.
- It also highlighted Musa's ambitions and his desire for success.
Test yourself on The Hajj to Mecca
How many men did Mansa Musa take with him on his hajj?