Hajj The Pilgrimage to Makkah Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hajj The Pilgrimage to Makkah - Essay Example When people from all around the world stand in silence and in a row while praying in the mosque, it shows the exhibition of equality and discipline among the Muslims. Hajj is an annual congregation of worship. 2. Lesser pilgrimage is known as the Umra and is commonly referred to as Haj-e-Asghar. Although many acts of worship performed in Umra are those performed in of Hajj, there are certain fundamental differences as Hajj is obligatory, Umra is not. Hajj can only be performed on prescribed dates, but there isn't any time and date fixed for performing Umra. It is undesirable to perform Umra between 9th and 13th of ZilHajj of the Islamic calendar. Umra can be performed individually (while Hajj is performed in groups) and is a shorter course of pilgrimage. 3. Ihram: Pilgrims put on Ihram during the Hajj ritual. They are 2 white sheets of unsown cloth. One sheet is used for covering the lower portion of the body (from the navel downwards) and the other is used for covering the upper portions of the body. Head while remaining uncovered. Ihram for women is their everyday clothes. It is compulsory for women to cover their heads, but no cloth should touch their faces. Before putting on the Ihram the pilgrim should first take a full bath and clean his body thoroughly. He may then put on Ihram and cover his head with some unsown piece of cloth and offer prayers. Ihram is the first and foremost obligation of Hajj.