holds great importance in the lives of Muslims and has been made obligatory upon financially, able-bodied Muslims to perform Hajj once in their life. It is in accordance with the Sunnah of Holy Prophet (Saww) who performed the similar Hajj some 1,377 years ago! Ever since then, people have been taught on ‘How is Hajj performed?’ and had been following the procedure for hundreds of years. Millions of Muslims from all over the world come to Mecca annually in anticipation of Hajj – the Muslim Pilgrimage. Itand has been made obligatory upon financially, able-bodied Muslims to perform Hajj once in their life. It is in accordance with the Sunnah of Holy Prophet (Saww) who performed the similar Hajj some 1,377 years ago! Ever since then, people have been taught on ‘How is Hajj performed?’ and had been following the procedure for hundreds of years. Salam Planet exerts great focus on the teachings of Islam and strives for the betterment of the society through its platform. The month of Zil hajj is around the corner, Millions of Muslims are preparing for the pilgrimage which is performed between the 8th and 12th date of Zil Hajj month. Those, who will be performing Hajj for the first time would be unexceptionally happy and thrilled and will be looking for a guideline on the rites of pilgrimage, well, they do not have to look anywhere else, we created this article just for the sake of guidance to our fellow brothers and sisters.

How Is Hajj Performed? Learn The Rites Of Hajj The Easy Way!

The most common question beginners ask is ‘How many days is Hajj?’ Let’s clear this before we could begin describing the procedure one by one, Hajj is usually performed between the 8th and 12th date of the month ‘Zil Haj’, making it around five days journey! The pilgrims arrive mainly to Jeddah which is 45 miles away from the Mecca, from where they go to Mecca with their respective Pilgrim group or tour guide.

Day One Rites Of Pilgrimage (8th Zil-Hajj)

The day one begins with ‘entering the sacred state’ called Ihram, it is wearing two-piece plain white clothing for men and loose-fitting dress for women. Though they are not asked to wear white clothes but it is necessary that they are fully covered and wear modest clothing along with headscarves to cover their heads. It is essential to be in the state of Ihram outside Mecca in the area called Miqat. Once, you are in Ihram there are few rules that one has to follow, for instance, abstain yourself from worldly desires, sexual activity, backbiting, anger and all other sorts of things that may provoke oneself and divert the attention of Pilgrim, they are prohibited. After entering into Ihram, pilgrims head to Mina (a sprawling tent city), it is an 8km journey from Mecca and pilgrims usually spent the time praying and remembering Allah.

Day Two Rites Of Pilgrimage (9th Zil-Hajj)

The second day of Pilgrimage involves traveling to Arafat for performing Wakuf. Arafat is 14.4 km away from Mina and is a site of huge importance. It is the place where the Holy Prophet (Saww) gave his last sermon and it is said that on the day of judgement, people will be gathered here before their Lord for answering their deeds. Wakuf does not include specific prayers that you need to perform, however, it asks you to reconcile your self and pray to Allah with a sincere heart. Before sunset, head towards Muzdalifah, a 9 km trip, stay there under the stars and meditate, pray and ask for forgiveness from your Creator. Collect pebbles for tomorrow’s ritual and leave Muzdalifah before sunrise.

Day Three Rites Of Pilgrimage (10th Zil-Hajj)

On the 10th Zil-Hajj and third day of pilgrimage, head back to Mina to perform Ramy! Which is stoning the pillars of the devil called Jamrat al Aqabah. The Muslims stone seven consecutive pebbles on those pillars. It may get crowded, suffocated and there is a possibility of tramping, so elderly and sick individuals are discouraged from performing the ritual. However, they can later perform in the evening or ask a confidant to perform Ramy on their behalf. It is essential to know the basics of the procedure ‘How is Hajj performed’ before one begins their spiritual journey. After Ramy, sacrifice is offered. It is only after Ramy that you could sacrifice an animal. In the past, every individual had its own quota of sacrifice, but now you can see Sacrifice Vouchers. These vouchers get you to know that a lamb or camel (on the name of seven pilgrims) has been sacrificed, packed and transferred to people around the world to feed the poor. The Sacrifice could be performed on 10th, 11th or 12th of Zil-Hajj, if for any reason, Ramy gets delayed but only after Ramy, you can offer sacrifice.

Remaining Last Days’ Rites Of Pilgrimage

After Sacrifice, the pilgrims need to shave their heads, this ritual is for men whereas, women need to cut their hair a little. In the remaining days, Hajj requires you to perform Tawaf and Sa’ey around Kaabah and nearby hills. The procedure of Tawaf is somewhat similar to Umrah, however, in steps of the Hajj, Tawaf is performed after Ramy, sacrifice, and shaving. You can now come out of the state of Ihram and resume activities that had been prohibited earlier.

At the end of the third day, return to Mina and pray there. On the next days (fourth and fifth), perform Ramy again but this time on other the two pillars called Jamrat al Oolah and Jamrat al Wustah. You need to throw pebbles first at Jamrat al Oolah and then supplicate to Allah, after that throw stones at Jamrat al Wustah, but this time you do not need to pray and can return home. Repeat the same ritual on the fifth day as well. Finally, the Hajj has come to a conclusion. The only requirement is the Farewell Tawaf which needs to performed once you are done with everything. After the rituals, you can go shopping, meet friends and family and visit places, but when you think that your trip has been finished, return to your country (if foreign) after performing the last tawaf. The foreign pilgrims are instructed to leave the country by 10th of Muharram. After Hajj, some people also go to Medina to visit Holy Prophet’s mosque, Jannat ul Baqi, and other holy sites before they go back to their homes. The beautiful and memorable journey now comes to an end. During all this time, it is a wise action to contemplate and meditate over your life and find answers to never-ending questions. It also gives a great chance to communicate with other Muslims who live in every corner of the world, understand how their culture and difficulties faced by them as a community. We hope that your question ‘How is Hajj performed?’ must be completely answered, still, if you have further questions, feel free to ask us in the comments’ section.