The Haji is the second largest annual gathering of Muslims in the world. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people and their submission to God (Allah). The word Hajj means “to intend a journey,” which connotes both the external act of a journey and the internal act of intentions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to the 12th (or in some cases the 13th) of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar. Since the Islamic calendar is lunar and the Islamic year is approximately eleven days shorter than the Gregorian year, the Gregorian date of the Hajj changes from year to year. Ihram is the name given to the special spiritual state in which pilgrims wear two white sheets of seamless cloth and abstain from certain actions. The Hajj is associated with the life of the 7th century Islamic prophet Muhammad, but the ritual pilgrimage to Mecca is considered by Muslims to date back thousands of years, to the time of Abraham. During the Hajj, pilgrims join processions of hundreds of thousands of people, who converge simultaneously on Mecca for the week of Hajj, and perform a series of rituals: each person walks counterclockwise seven times around the Kaaba (l 'cube-shaped building and the direction of prayer for Muslims), runs back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah, drinks from the Zamzam well, goes to the plains of Mount Arafat to keep vigil, spends a night in the plain of Muzdalifa and recites symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing stones at three pillars. Pilgrims then shave their heads, perform an animal sacrifice ritual and celebrate the three-day global holiday of Eid al-Adha. However, even if they choose to perform Umrah, they are still obligated to perform Hajj at some other time of the day. their entire lives if they have the means to do so, because Umrah is not a substitute for the Hajj. The person I asked about the al haji and their experience was my mother. My mother went to Al Haji a few years ago, she went with my aunt, my sister and her friends. His experience was positive, but as it is for everyone, it was tough, difficult but rewarding. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay When mom decided to go to Makah, she has to make sure that her family is okay and that we won't need her in the time that she will be gone, she also started taking walks to make sure that she is able to do Al-haji. After a Muslim does Al-haji, he will be called Hajji for males and Hajjah for females (one who made the pilgrimage to Mecca). Which means my mother, Hajjah.