Essay The Significance of the Hajj on the Community and Individual

Central to the Muslim belief is the importance of devotion and total submission to Allah. This is put into practice through the Five Pillars of Islam –the five obligatory duties that must be performed by all practising Muslims. These are the acts of faith, prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage. Carrying out these duties creates structure in a Muslim’s life, teaching them to devote their time to Allah and not get caught up in their own secular lives. The effect the Five Pillars of Islam has on not only the individual but the community as a whole is substantial. Constantly

Furthermore, the following of Muhammad 's steps as an integral part of the Hajj acts as a guide for adherents to base their future lives upon. The Hajj traces around the Saudi Arabia region, highlighting key components of the Prophet 's life. This life is one that evidently reflects all core Islamic values and teachings, and serves as the materialism of Allah 's will on Earth. Prayer, such as rak 'ah, Zakat, seen in the shaving of the head, and Jihad, present in the physical struggle required, are all key values reflected in Muhammad 's life, while Umma, given through the unity of the

What was the purpose of Mansa Musa’s hajj? The ancient kingdom of Mali was located in West Africa, and Mansa Musa ruled there from 1312-1337. Mansa Musa was an intelligent ruler. In order to organize and protect his empire, he divided the empire into provinces that had a governor, and maintained a large army to ensure safety. The purpose of the hajj was that, “…Mecca was an important duty of Islam,” (Background).

The Five Pillars of Islam are lifelong acts of worship, which includes faith, prayer, almsgiving (charity), fasting, and a pilgrimage to Mecca.

The five pillars of Islam are the things the Muslims have to do to live a good and responsible life according to Islam. The Shahada is the pillar where every Muslim sincerely recites their faith. When a Muslim recites their faith, they claim that Allah is the only god, Muhammad is the prophet, and that they will obey all the commitments of Islam. Salat is the prayers that are to be performed five times a day. Muslims are to pray before sunrise, midday, late afternoon, after sunset, and between sunset and midnight. They believe that prayers set the rhythm of the day. Children are encouraged to start praying at age seven. Zakat is paying taxes that will benefit the poor or those who are less fortunate. Zakat as seen as a type of worship and self-purification. Sawm is the fasting during the month of Ramadan (ninth month if the Islamic calendar). During the Ramadan Muslims are to give up during the day; any food or drink, smoking, and any type of sexual activity. Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca. Once a year Muslims gather together at Mecca and praise to the Allah together. Mecca is the place that is holy for every Muslim, a non-Muslim cannot

Mansa Musa is going on the hajj for religion because of how he was giving out gold for everyone. God is watching over them “they have nothing to fear or to regret.” It is also for religion because it is one of the rules in the 5 pillers. Mansa Musa went on a 4 month journey across Mali.

The Five Pillars of Islam are acts of worship which Muslims are expected to follow. The first pillar Shahadah consists of Muslims reciting the vocation of faith. Then comes Salat which requires them to perform their ceremonial prayers five times a day. Zakat is the third pillar, where Muslims give charity to the poor and those in need. Another pillar which Muslims follow is Sawn, in which Muslims are required to fast during the month of Ramadan. The fifth and final pillar is Hajj, followers of Islam are obligated to take a journey to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if they are physically able and have enough money. Along with this Muslims have six major believes, Muslims believe that Allah is the one and only God, they also believe in angels, in holy books, and in the prophets like Moses, David, Jesus, etc… The final two beliefs include Judgement Day in which every single human will be judged based on how they lived and will either be sent to heaven or hell, and in destiny in which Allah knows everything that has and will

One of the Five Pillars keep the people from sinning and actually enforce that you do good for society. Other Pillars include rules such as fasting or praying. One of the Five Pillars is Shahadah, sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith. It is the same as how Christians get baptized. The person going through Shahadah will recite the profession of faith, which, in english, is, “There is no god but God and Muhammad is his messenger” (Muslim 1). When one says the Shahadah, he or she is stating that he or she believes the Allah is the only god, Allah never had a son, and that he is indivisible. Then there is the Hajj, another Pillar of Islam. Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca. The Hajj is an event held from the 8th to the 12th of the last month on the Islamic calendar which is Dhu al-Hijjah. It is considered mandatory for any Islamic adult who is financially stable to participate in the Hajj. If one fulfills those circumstances they are considered mustati. “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 such as: each person walks counter-clockwise seven times around

Throughout time, many aspects of life have changed in drastic ways. One common thing around the world, no matter where you are, that has evolved is over time is religion. One religion that has changed has been Islam. Something that unites all Muslims is a common belief they have; The Five Pillars. These Pillars allow the Muslim community to become one regardless of their social statue. One of the most changed of these would be the Pilgrimage to Mecca. Also known as the Hajj, “ Every adult Muslim who if physically and financially able is expected to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once in his or her lifetime.” (Wired.com) In the pre modern time, it was a very dangerous journey to perform the Hajj. Many thought

Hajj – a journey to Mecca made by a Muslim as an adult done at least once within their life (Dictionary)

These five pillars are Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj. A life of a Muslim revolves around these five pillars of Islam. Islamic culture represents different aspects of Islamic life, which includes wedding traditions, clothing, foods, arts and crafts etc. (Kirabaev, 2000).There are many sources of a well-defined Muslim culture. Three of them are: Local tradition , The Hadith and , The Quran.

Performing the Hajj at least one time during a Muslims life is another pillar of Islam. Hajj is the pilgrimage from Medina to Mecca that occurs every year in the last month of the Islamic calendar. Hajj is to be made during the specified months, and while on the hajj a man should not have sexual intercourse, should not swear, or get into disputes while on the pilgrimage (2: 197). If someone is ill or too weak to perform hajj, someone else can make the pilgrimage on their behalf, with the ill person receiving the reward (HB 2: 589). Muhammad also tells women that instead of participating in Jihad, a women’s Jihad is performing the hajj (HB 4: 43, 127).

Hajj is not a single event, it takes place over many days and has many

The five pillars of Islam are the basics of the Muslim life. The first pillar is called the Shahada or Witness. It is a profession of faith that states simply that “there is no god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” Someone becomes a Muslim by stating this declaration of faith. It is also used daily in prayers. The second pillar of Islam is called Salat or Prayer. It describes the ritual prayers muslims are called to pray five times throughout the day. The prayers are made in position facing Mecca. The third pillar is called Zakat or Giving. It is the act of charity Muslims do by setting aside about 2.5 percent of their total income and give to the poor. The fourth pillar of Islam is called Swam or Fasting. Every year in the month of Ramadan, (the ninth month of

Hajj is one of the five pillars of God gave Muhammed and so it is very