The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, and a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and can support their family during their absence.
The gathering during Hajj is considered the largest annual gathering of people in the world.
Collected here are photographs of the hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia which takes you to back to 1953. Though this was only just over 60 years ago, a lot has changed mainly due to the increase in the number of pilgrims going to perform Hajj.
It is one of the five pillars of Islam, alongside Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, and Sawm.
The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th (or in some cases 13th) of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar.
Pilgrims at the Masjid al-Haram on Hajj in 1953
During Hajj, pilgrims join processions of hundreds of thousands of people, who simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of the Hajj, and perform a series of rituals.
Pilgrims can also go to Mecca to perform the rituals at other times of the year. This is sometimes called the “lesser pilgrimage”, or Umrah.
Tawaf means walking seven times counterclockwise around the Kaaba. Upon arriving at Masjid al-Haram, pilgrims perform an arrival tawaf either as part of Umrah or as a welcome tawaf.
Tawaf is followed by sa’ay, running or walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah, located near Kaaba.
Pilgrims must leave Arafat for Muzdalifah after sunset without praying maghrib (evening) prayer at Arafat.
Back at Mina, the pilgrims perform symbolic stoning of the devil (Ramy al-Jamarat) by throwing seven stones at only the largest of the three pillars, known as Jamrat al-Aqabah.
After the casting of stones, animals are slaughtered to commemorate the story of Abraham and Ishmael.
After sacrificing animal, another important rite of Hajj is shaving head or trimming hair (known as Halak). All male pilgrims shave their head or trim their hair on the day of Eid al Adha and women pilgrims cut the tips of their hair.
On the same or the following day, the pilgrims re-visit the Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca for another tawaf, known as Tawaf al-Ifadah, an essential part of Hajj.
At noon on the 11 Dhu al-Hijjah (and again the following day), the pilgrims again throw seven pebbles at each of the three pillars in Mina. This is commonly known as the “Stoning of the Devil”.
On 12 Dhu al-Hijjah, the same process of stoning of the pillars as of 11 Dhu al-Hijjah takes place. Pilgrims must leave Mina for Mecca before sunset on the 12th.
If unable to leave on the 12th, they must perform the stoning ritual again on the 13th before returning to Mecca.
Finally, before leaving Mecca, pilgrims perform a farewell tawaf called the Tawaf al-Wida. ‘Wida’ means ‘to bid farewell’. The pilgrims circle the ka’ba seven times counter-clockwise, and if they can, attempt to touch or kiss the ka’ba.
Worshippers outside the Mosque’s entrance.
Pilgrims pray near their camels.
Photos courtesy of the National Geographic Magazine & Wikipedia
