Hadj

It's Hadj time again. Millions of pilgrims are travelling to Saudi Arabia to perform roughly 5 days of rituals in and close to Mecca. A very special occasion, a life time experience, for which some people depending on the number of pilgrims allowed for their country have to wait many, many years. Then again, the Muslims from the Gulf are luckier. Some perform the Hadj every year or many years in a row, because they do not need a visa in order to go to Hadj.

I also went some years ago for Hadj. And although I already had performed the Umra, a simple visit to Mecca with only a few rituals to follow, it was a very big event for me too. Unforgetable, leaving a great impact on my life. But what makes people yearn to go again and again despite certain health risks and physical strains involved? And what do all these rituals mean?

Well, it is obvious that this cannot be explained in a few words or even paragraphs, but there is a book I read before I went to Hadj and it put a meaning into every step I had to take. The book is written by the late Dr. Ali Shariati (Doctorate of Sociology & Islamic History, Sorbonne University, France, and Professor of Mashad University, Iran). The book is simlpy called "Pilgrimage" and can be read online in English under Books, Hajj (Pilgrimage) here: http://shariati.com/

Although it is quite detailed, it is worth reading for everyone who wants to know what Muslims go through during Hadj or understand for him or herself what he or she is doing there.