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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

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

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'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

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?

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.
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