Hajj or pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam. For many reasons, Mecca has always been an important pilgrimage site, even before Islam. At the heart of Mecca lies the magical cubicle that Prophet Ibrahim built with the help of his dear son, Prophet Isma’il, Al-Ka’ba; the holiest and most spiritual place on earth. Muslims all across the world should visit it at least once if they are physically & financially able to. Visiting Al-Ka’ba to perform Hajj has very sacred and unique rituals. As Muslims, we ought to know these rituals and deliver them to our kids in a lovable manner. This article is a great way to tell them about these rituals and what each one is about.
1- Ihram garments
Pilgrims put on special Ihram garments before they arrive to Mecca. For males, these garments consist of two white sheets wrapped around the body, while females are required to wear sewn white clothes.
2- No hair trimming or nail clipping
In the state of Ihram or consecration, Muslims shouldn’t trim their hair or clip their nails. This must be taken care of before Ihram. Imam Nawawi reports that according to Muslim scholars, the reason for this is that when Allah subhanah wa ta’ala grants us salvation from Hellfire, every part of our body is included [Sharh Saheeh Muslim].
3- Tawaf around Al-Ka’aba
For seven successive times, Muslims do tawaf around Al-Ka’aba in a counterclockwise direction. Subhan Allah, the number seven has always been so special; Allah created this Dunya in 7 days, we have 7 skies, 7 layers of ground, 7 wonders of the world, and the list goes on and on.
Moreover, we do tawaf in a counter-clockwise direction as the earth circulates around the sun in a counter-clockwise direction, and the moon also circulates the earth in that exact direction, subhanAllah!
4- Witnessing the Blackstone
The Blackstone was sent down to earth by Allah subhanahu-wa-ta’ala. It is also the last remnant of the original building by Prophets Ibrahim and Isma’il (as). During Tawaf, pilgrims get to see, touch and kiss the Blackstone, also known as “Al-Hajar Al-Aswad”.
5- Prayer
After that, pilgrims pray twice facing Al-Ka’aba.
6- Sa’i between Al-Safa and Al-Marwa
Later, they perform “Al-Sa’i” between Al-Safa and Al-Marwa mounts. Muslims were ordered to do this in commemoration of Assayeda Hajar’s journey between these exact mountains, searching for her son Prophet Isma’il (as).
7- Visiting holy places outside Mecca
Jabal al-Raḥmah, Muzdalifah, and Mina are of the most popular destinations outside of Mecca for Pilgrims.
8- Sacrificing
This is when Muslims commemorate the story of Prophets Ibrahim and Isma’il (as) by sacrificing rams.
9- Head shaving for males / Removing a lock of hair for females
After the sacrifice, males usually shave their heads, and females cut a lock of their hair.
10- Rajm Al-Shaytan
For three successive days, pilgrims mount Jabal Mina to perform Rajm. Rajm is performed by throwing seven stones at three walls that symbolize Al-Shaytan. We do this to follow Prophet Muhammad’s sunnah, and also to punish Al-Shaytan for trying to deceive Prophet Ibrahim (as) and deviate him from performing Allah’s order.
11- The Farewell Tawaf
At the end, pilgrims return to Mecca for the final farewell Tawaf before heading back home.
