IslamHajjholy places

Important Hajj Sites That You Need To Visit

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. An Obligatory pilgrimage is considered a Fardh for the ones who can afford to do it. However, the ones who can’t, can perform Umrah, or make Niyyat for hajj, thinking and praying that one day they get to perform it. Each year, millions of Muslims from around the world gather near the Mount of Arafah to perform Hajj. This pilgrimage is reminiscent of the actions set by Prophet Muhammad, which Muslims follow and abide by, considering it an obligation.

Hajj takes place during the last month, which is also the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. In the following written piece, we are going to shed some light on the important hajj sites that one needs to visit while performing hajj.

Mina

mina in hajj

After entering the state of ihram, which is a sacred state and in this state, Muslims refrain from all sorts of worldly activities. Ehraam consists of a plain white cotton cloth, which is unstitched. The cloth is wrapped around the body and only men have to adorn it. Wearing a stitched piece of cloth in the state of ehraam is impermissible. Pertaining to getting in the state of ehraam, Muslim men and women refrain from getting into troubling activities, and fights, alongside other sins.

After entering Mina, pilgrims stay here for a day till the dawn of the next day. Here they pray and spend most of their time making dhikr.

Mount of Arafat

Mount of Arafat

The day that holds significance during the entire phase of the hajj, is a day of Arafah. To become a Muslim, one of the beliefs is on the day of Arafah, when all Muslims will gather and will be held accountable for their deeds, also known as the Day of Judgment.

On the Mount of Arafah, pilgrims will pray to seek forgiveness from Allah.

Muzdalifah

Muzdalifah in hajj

Subsequent to the sunset, pilgrims head to Muzdalifah, where they spend the night, getting ready for the next day. Pilgrims collect stones over here, and after sunrise, they head for the ritual of the third day. Which is where Muslims perform the stoning rituals.

After throwing stones at all three devils at Rami Jamaraat, the Pilgrims head over to perform another ritual. Where they sacrifice, sheep, camel, or a goat in the name of Allah. Subsequent to this, the male pilgrims trim or shave their hair and remove their ihram. Then pilgrims head back to Makkah, where they perform Tawaaf and Sa’ee between Safa and Marwa.

During the final days, pilgrims have to stay in Mina. Here, they will continue stoning the devil again. After finishing this ritual, pilgrims will return back to Makkah and perform a final Tawaaf. Many pilgrims, after finishing the hajj rituals, head to Madina Munawwara. Considered as second of the holiest cities, this is where pilgrims visit the site where Prophet Muhammad PBUH is buried and near him are buried his closest sahaba. Visiting the Madina is not a part of the Hajj rituals.

The ritual of Hajj is derived from the era of Hazrat Ibrahim AS. All the rituals or Manasik-e-Hajj performed were a tradition set by Hazrat Ibrahim.

Show More
Back to top button