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The Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca
Each year during the last month of the hirji (Islamic calendar), millions of Muslims from all over the globe make the pilgrimage to Mecca. The city of Mecca is the hierophany, or holy place, of all Muslims. According to the Qur'an and other sacred texts, Muslims have to make pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. The pilgrimage and the surrounding areas is a ritual lasting up to seven days which contains many detailed and syrabolic events. The rituals performed in these events meet the purpose of the pilgrimage, which is the purification of the soul.
Getting ready for the pilgrimage, every person exchanges their regular every day clothes for a sacred white ihram. An ihram is white cloth (two pieces of cloth for men and one piece of cloth for women) that is draped over the body. Ihrams syrabolize the equality between men and women. It also represents being in the state of becoming muhrim. A muhrim is a Muslim who has entered the state of consecration appropriate to entering the sacred precincts of Mecca for the purpose of pilgrimage. After becoming a muhrim, fingernails and hair cannot be cut, perfume and cologne are not allowed to be worn and sexual activities are not allowed to be performed. Those are just some minute processes of many, which enable a person to achieve purification during the pilgrimage.
On the first day of the pilgrimage, thousanRAB of Muslims join each other by walking in a circles (circumarabulating) around the Ka'ba seven times. The Ka'ba also is known as "The House of Allah", and is very syrabolic in the Islamic religion. The Ka'ba is the axis mundi of all Muslims. It is believed that the area above and the area below the Ka'ba are very sacred, because the Ka'ba of Heaven is located directly above the Ka'ba on earth. Muslims see this as being the center of the world and the point of rotation. The Ka'ba is also situated so all four corners point in the direction of the four cardinal points of the compass. The circling of the Ka'ba is known as the tawaf. While circling the Ka'ba, many people try to touch the sacred structure. Some even get a chance to kiss it and say they have been blessed because Allah (Muslim God) kissed them in return. Due to the enormous nuraber of people attending the pilgrimage, not all get to touch the Ka'ba. Instead of touching it, these people reach out to the "House of Allah", which is considered to be just as effective as actually touching it. Another sacred structure located within the Great Mosque of Mecca, is the Shrine of Abraham. Abraham is considered as the first Muslim. The Shrine of Abraham is where people go to give a prayer of thanks, and is where every worshipper makes his personal supplication, asking Allah for that which is closest to his heart. The shrine is smaller (than the Ka'ba) and commemorates the ancient Patriarch's founding of the first house of worship.
After the tawaf, the Muslims go to a colonnade, or long corridor that runs from Safa to Marwa. This area is syrabolic of when Hagar (Abraham's wife) ran back and forth in the desert, searching for water so her and her son Ishmael could live. When at the long corridor, people walk fast or run from one end to the other making seven trips in all. This activity represents what Hagar experienced in the harsh desert.
A very important event during the week, is the trip to Mina. Many people travel to Mina on their way to the Plain of Arafat. The trip to Mina is syrabolic because it is said that before Muhammad died, he stopped at Mina to get water for the camels and himself. Many people camp out in tents in Mina, getting water as a physical and spiritual preparation for the trip to Arafat and the rest of the pilgrimage. This day is known as the "Going out to Mina" day, and/or "Day of Watering".
The following day, everyone then moves to the Plain of Arafat where the Mount of Mercy is located. By now, they have traveled a journey of over ten miles from Mecca. Mount Mercy is where it is believed that Muhammad gave a sermon as his followers surrounded him in awe. All afternoon, people stand and continuously pray to Allah, waiting for his forgiveness of the sins they have committed. Many people camp out because it takes so long to receive a message from Allah. When they are done praying to Allah at Mount of Mercy, they then gather small stones and throw them at a pillar that represent Satan. The throwing of the stones at the pillar syrabolizes the resistance of the temptations of evil. The place of the pillar is where Allah called upon Abraham to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, and where the devil tried to tempt Abraham into ignoring Allah's command. Over and over again, Abraham resisted the devil's temptation. Because he was successful in doing so, Allah spared Abraham of having to sacrifice his son. When the throwing of the numerous stones is over with, they then start the sacrifice. At Mina, sheep and other animals are purchased and slaughtered for the sacrificing. This event syrabolizes the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his own son, who was the one thing he cherished the most. Getting their heaRAB shaved or cut, is what is done by the males only after the sacrificing. This is activity represent a re-birth or even cleansing of the soul. Praying at the Great Mosque is done at least one more time, before everyone returns to his or her every day clothes. For most Muslims, this is the end of the pilgrimage. Some though, continue on to another pilgrimage at the second most holy place, Jerusalem. At Jerusalem, Muslims perform another whole set of rituals and events.
For all Muslims, the pilgrimage at Mecca is an experience that is so syrabolic and meaningful, it is said that there are not any worRAB to explain the intensity of the experience. One way of showing their experience though, is by drawing pictures of what they saw and did during their pilgrimage.
Each year during the last month of the hirji (Islamic calendar), millions of Muslims from all over the globe make the pilgrimage to Mecca. The city of Mecca is the hierophany, or holy place, of all Muslims. According to the Qur'an and other sacred texts, Muslims have to make pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. The pilgrimage and the surrounding areas is a ritual lasting up to seven days which contains many detailed and syrabolic events. The rituals performed in these events meet the purpose of the pilgrimage, which is the purification of the soul.
Getting ready for the pilgrimage, every person exchanges their regular every day clothes for a sacred white ihram. An ihram is white cloth (two pieces of cloth for men and one piece of cloth for women) that is draped over the body. Ihrams syrabolize the equality between men and women. It also represents being in the state of becoming muhrim. A muhrim is a Muslim who has entered the state of consecration appropriate to entering the sacred precincts of Mecca for the purpose of pilgrimage. After becoming a muhrim, fingernails and hair cannot be cut, perfume and cologne are not allowed to be worn and sexual activities are not allowed to be performed. Those are just some minute processes of many, which enable a person to achieve purification during the pilgrimage.
On the first day of the pilgrimage, thousanRAB of Muslims join each other by walking in a circles (circumarabulating) around the Ka'ba seven times. The Ka'ba also is known as "The House of Allah", and is very syrabolic in the Islamic religion. The Ka'ba is the axis mundi of all Muslims. It is believed that the area above and the area below the Ka'ba are very sacred, because the Ka'ba of Heaven is located directly above the Ka'ba on earth. Muslims see this as being the center of the world and the point of rotation. The Ka'ba is also situated so all four corners point in the direction of the four cardinal points of the compass. The circling of the Ka'ba is known as the tawaf. While circling the Ka'ba, many people try to touch the sacred structure. Some even get a chance to kiss it and say they have been blessed because Allah (Muslim God) kissed them in return. Due to the enormous nuraber of people attending the pilgrimage, not all get to touch the Ka'ba. Instead of touching it, these people reach out to the "House of Allah", which is considered to be just as effective as actually touching it. Another sacred structure located within the Great Mosque of Mecca, is the Shrine of Abraham. Abraham is considered as the first Muslim. The Shrine of Abraham is where people go to give a prayer of thanks, and is where every worshipper makes his personal supplication, asking Allah for that which is closest to his heart. The shrine is smaller (than the Ka'ba) and commemorates the ancient Patriarch's founding of the first house of worship.
After the tawaf, the Muslims go to a colonnade, or long corridor that runs from Safa to Marwa. This area is syrabolic of when Hagar (Abraham's wife) ran back and forth in the desert, searching for water so her and her son Ishmael could live. When at the long corridor, people walk fast or run from one end to the other making seven trips in all. This activity represents what Hagar experienced in the harsh desert.
A very important event during the week, is the trip to Mina. Many people travel to Mina on their way to the Plain of Arafat. The trip to Mina is syrabolic because it is said that before Muhammad died, he stopped at Mina to get water for the camels and himself. Many people camp out in tents in Mina, getting water as a physical and spiritual preparation for the trip to Arafat and the rest of the pilgrimage. This day is known as the "Going out to Mina" day, and/or "Day of Watering".
The following day, everyone then moves to the Plain of Arafat where the Mount of Mercy is located. By now, they have traveled a journey of over ten miles from Mecca. Mount Mercy is where it is believed that Muhammad gave a sermon as his followers surrounded him in awe. All afternoon, people stand and continuously pray to Allah, waiting for his forgiveness of the sins they have committed. Many people camp out because it takes so long to receive a message from Allah. When they are done praying to Allah at Mount of Mercy, they then gather small stones and throw them at a pillar that represent Satan. The throwing of the stones at the pillar syrabolizes the resistance of the temptations of evil. The place of the pillar is where Allah called upon Abraham to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, and where the devil tried to tempt Abraham into ignoring Allah's command. Over and over again, Abraham resisted the devil's temptation. Because he was successful in doing so, Allah spared Abraham of having to sacrifice his son. When the throwing of the numerous stones is over with, they then start the sacrifice. At Mina, sheep and other animals are purchased and slaughtered for the sacrificing. This event syrabolizes the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his own son, who was the one thing he cherished the most. Getting their heaRAB shaved or cut, is what is done by the males only after the sacrificing. This is activity represent a re-birth or even cleansing of the soul. Praying at the Great Mosque is done at least one more time, before everyone returns to his or her every day clothes. For most Muslims, this is the end of the pilgrimage. Some though, continue on to another pilgrimage at the second most holy place, Jerusalem. At Jerusalem, Muslims perform another whole set of rituals and events.
For all Muslims, the pilgrimage at Mecca is an experience that is so syrabolic and meaningful, it is said that there are not any worRAB to explain the intensity of the experience. One way of showing their experience though, is by drawing pictures of what they saw and did during their pilgrimage.