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Haj: Significance of the fifth pillar of Islam

Dubai - The Haj provides a lesson one quality and brotherhood. A sea of pilgrims descends upon the holy city of Makkah.

Haj is the most powerful unifying force in Islam. There is no greater display of Muslim unity than the Haj. It is a grand manifestation of Muslim brotherhood without social and national boundaries.
It provides once-in-a-life time opportunity to all Muslims who can afford it wherever he maybe to assemble at the holy city of Makkah where the holy Kaaba is located, for a five-day rituals of worship.
Muslims regardless of nationality, colour and creed get a unique opportunity to meet and exchange views. There is a will to forge the much-needed unity within the Ummah. We do perform all the rituals with religious devotion and spend most of the time in the worship of Allah.

At a time when the Ummah is facing challenges-mostly from within, particularly because of the communication gap - learning of the Arabic language could help enhance the unity among the Muslims. Muslims should take it as their important duty to be able to read, write and speak Arabic. There is no alternative to it. In Muslim-majority countries, it should be the state's responsibility, while in non-Muslim-majority countries, welfare associations should step forward and do it for the larger good.  The Haj provides a lesson one quality and brotherhood. A sea of pilgrims descends upon the holy city of Makkah. All the men are dressed in two pieces of white cloth; the idea being that one should not be able to tell a prince from a pauper.
It shows we are one nation bound by religion. It provides us with a universalist view of mankind. Allah wants us to think and behave in universal terms and the Haj is one of most potent signs of Allah's will. In short, the Divine Law which prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought with him is so comprehensive and practical that it covers all temporal and spiritual affairs. Its each and every word abounds with wisdom and reasons which is evident from the fact that the worldly and spiritual benefits and objectives of Islamic commands and worships are before thewhole world.
Although not a legally-essential part of the Haj, the spiritual trip is not complete without a visit to the
holy city of Madina where Al Masjid Al Nabawi (the Holy Prophet's Mosque) is located, giving the pilgrims the wonderful

The significance of Haj

It is the fifth pillar of Islam.
It erases the past sins of a pilgrim.
It is a supreme effort by the weak and women.
The reward of Haj (accepted by Allah Almighty) is paradise.
Allah the Almighty forgives a Haj pilgrim and those too for whom he prays.
The pilgrims are delegates, guests of Allah. Allah summoned them and they presented themselves to his service. They supplicated him and he granted them.
A Haj pilgrim Is In the protection of Allah. If he passes away In the process, he will be entered Into the paradise.
If he returns home after completion of the haj, may be then he will carry with him forgiveness and divine favors. Haj Is the best means to strengthen religious communication and coordination among Muslims hailing from different countries with their separate nationality, race, language and colour, and to gather them on a single platform.

Haj: Journey of a lifetime
1.The Haj takes place from the 8th through the 12th days of Zul Hijja, the last month of the Islamic year.
2.More than 1.5 million Muslims from 183 countries will perform Haj this year.
3.Most international pilgrims fly into Jeddah and take a bus to the holy city of Makkah
4.By foot or by bus, the pilgrims then travel 8km to the massive tent city of Mina, where most pilgrims are housed in tents.
5.At dawn on the 9th day of Zul Hijja, pilgrims begin a 14.4km walk to the plain of Arafat.
6.The Haj culminates on the Plain of Arafat, a few miles east of the holy city of Makkah, where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)delivered his last sermon.
7.Pilgrims spend the day in supplication, praying and reading the Holy Quran. After sunset, they begin the 9-kmwalk back to Muzdalifah, where they sleep in the open air.
8.At sunrise on the 10th day of Zul Hijja, pilgrims collect small pebbles at Muzdalifah and carry them to Mina.
9.This day's ritual is called the Stoning of the Devil at Jamaraat. During this ritual, pilgrims throw 7 tiny pebbles at each of 3 white pillars.
10.After Jamaraat, pilgrims sacrifice an animal to symbolise the ram that Prophet Ibrahim(peacebe upon him) sacrificed instead of his son.
11.Pilgrims are required to purchase a 'sacrifice voucher'. Centralised, licensed abattoirs perform the sacrifice on behalf of the pilgrim.
12.After returning to Makkah, pilgrims go immediately to the Grand Mosque, which contains the Holy Kaaba, and perform a tawaf, circling the Kaaba 7 times counterclockwise.
13.In addition to tawaf, pilgrims may perform sa'i, walking or running 7 times between the hills of Safa and Marwah and then drinking water from the Well of Zamzam.
14.Previously performed in open air, this route is now enclosed by the Grand Mosque and can be traversed via air-conditioned tunnels, with separate sections for walkers, runners, and disabled pilgrims.