Hajj Rituals

Religious Studies: KS3, topic 2.1.9

There are many Hajj rituals that need a fuller explanation.

Tawaf is the important ritual of walking counterclockwise around the Kaaba seven times.
Also, either kissing or touching the black stone.
The idea behind this action is that the pilgrims are focused only on Tawhid - their belief that Allah is the one true God.
Nothing else should distract them from this belief.

Pilgrims run between the Safa and Marwah hills seven times and visit the Zamzam spring.
According to tradition Hagar, Abraham’s wife, ran looking for water to give to their son Ismail.
Ismail eventually struck his foot on the ground and a spring of water, Zamzam, gushed forth.
Pilgrims try to recreate this story.

Wukuf means silence or stillness before God.
Pilgrims stand from noon until sunset in the desert at Arafat. They pray to Allah and seek his mercy for their sins.
This part of the ritual is essential to fulfill Hajj.
Pilgrims then spend the night camping at Mina.
They collect pebbles from Muzdalafah, which they throw at a pillar called Jamrat al-Aqabah and later at two other pillars.
This ritual represents stoning the devil or rejecting the power of the devil in their lives.

The pilgrims then sacrifice animals to remember that Allah asked Abraham to sacrifice his son as a test of obedience.
But, at the last moment, Abraham was allowed to sacrifice a ram instead.
Muslims all over the world share in this celebration, with their festival of Eid ul-Adha.

Muslim men then shave or trim their hair, and female pilgrims cut the tips of their hair.
Muhammad once asked Allah to show forgiveness to those who shave their heads.
After this pilgrims return to Mecca and repeat Tawaf.
This is also an essential part of the Hajj and shows that the pilgrim is anxious to obey and show his love for Allah.

Test yourself on Hajj Rituals

What is the ritual of wearing white clothes and bathing without scented soap called?
What does Wukuf mean?