Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, a pilgrimage in and around Mecca to be performed at least once in a lifetime by every able Muslim [AFP]
Published On 6 Dec 20086 Dec 2008
Pilgrims commonly spend six days in and around Mecca, but the obligatory rituals can be completed in three days [AFP]
Advertisement
The annual pilgrimmage begins on the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Muslim lunar year [AFP]
Saudi Arabia has mobilised a force of 100,000 men to protect an estimated three million Muslim pilgrims flocking to Mecca amid fears of deadly stampedes [AFP]
A person who has performed the Hajj is often referred to as 'hajji' as a term of respect [AFP]
Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims perform the Tawaf ritual around the Kaaba at Mecca''s Grand Mosque on December 4, 2008 as Muslims from all over the world are flocking to Mecca to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The Kaaba (C), covered with a black drape, is Islam''s holiest site. It stands in the centre of the Grand Mosque and contains the holy Black Stone which is believed to be the only piece remaining from an altar built by Abraham. AFP PHOTO/KHALED DESOUKI
Muslim pilgrims then gather at Jabal Al Rahma (Mountain of Forgiveness) located on the plain of Arafa outside Mecca, where they join in prayers seeking God's forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a preview of the Last Judgment [AFP]
Advertisement
Pilgrims wear simple garments called ihram, which strip away distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand equal before God [AP]
A 650kg black cloth, known as the Kiswa, covers the Kaaba at the centre of Mecca's Grand Mosque [AFP]
Many Muslims save for years in order to perform the pilgrimage and often have to travel thousands of miles [AFP]
The close of the Hajj is marked by a festival, Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers and the exchange of gifts in Muslim communities everywhere [AFP]