The Haji is the second largest annual gathering of Muslims in the world. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people and their submission to God (Allah). The word Hajj means "to intend a journey", which connotes both the external act of a journey and the internal act of intentions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay The pilgrimage takes place from the 8th to the 12th (or in some cases the 13th) of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the calendar Islamic. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar and the Islamic year is approximately eleven days shorter than the Gregorian year, the Gregorian date of the Hajj changes from year to year. Ihram is the name given to the special spiritual state in which pilgrims wear two white sheets of seamless cloth and refrain from certain actions. The Hajj is associated with the life of the 7th century Islamic prophet Muhammad, but the ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca is considered by Muslims to date back thousands of years to the time of Abraham. During the Hajj, pilgrims join processions of hundreds of thousands of people, who converge simultaneously on Mecca for the week of Hajj, and perform a series of rituals: each person circles the Kaaba (the building) seven times in the shape of a cube and the direction of prayer for Muslims), goes back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah, drinks from the well of Zamzam, goes to the plains of Mount Arafat to keep watch, spends a night in the plain of Muzdalifa and performs symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing stones at three pillars. Pilgrims then shave their heads, perform an animal sacrifice ritual and celebrate the three-day global festival of Eid al-Adha. However, even if they choose to perform Umrah, they are still obliged to perform Hajj at another point in the journey. their lives if they have the means, because Umrah does not replace Hajj. The person I asked about al haji and her experience was my mother. My mother went to Al Haji a few years ago, she went there with my aunt, my sister and her friends. His experience was good, but like everyone else, it was difficult, difficult but rewarding. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay When mom decided to go to Makah she has to make sure her family will be okay and we won't need her while she's gone, she also started going for walks to get herself ensure she is able to do Al-haji. After a Muslim has made Al-haji, he will be called Hajji for men and Hajjah for women (one who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca). What makes my mother, Hajjah.