The Hajj Pilgrimage: What is It, Where is It, and Why is it so Important?

Ramadan seems like it only just passed, but just around the corner, among the holiest events in Islam has just come to pass, resulting in millions of Muslims traveling from across the world to Saudi Arabia on what is known as the Hajj Pilgrimage. The pilgrimage is as old as Islam itself - though the tradition itself is actually older, some Muslims believe it actually dates back to Abraham, whom they believe is one of the chief figures of Islam, instead of Judaism.

The procession is expected to be carried out by every able bodied Muslim capable of doing so at least once in their life time - though it is encouraged for people to carry it out annually. The destination of the hajj is Mecca, currently controlled by Ibn Saud's brainchild, the the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Though the pilgrimage began on December 11th of this year, the official week of Hajj begins on the 18th, though because of the orientation of the Islamic calendar, there is no rigid time frame in which it can be applied to the primarily Western used Christian, 12 month calendar.

The exact pilgrimage itself is meant to follow Muhammad, who, according to legend, after being rejected from Mecca for his monotheistic preaching, later returned with an army with the support of nearby Medina, and overthrew the leaders of Mecca. The trade city of Mecca, which had adopted well over a hundred gods in the hopes of appeasing the international traders that came in and out of the city, had its pantheon of often times contradicting gospels condensed down into a single one, known as Islam, glorifying Muhammad as Allah's messenger on earth, and Allah to be the one true god.

The pilgrimage is based on the march by Muhammad to Mecca with his followers from Medina, symbolic of the victory of the polytheistic lords that had dominated the region. So important is this pilgrimage, that it is actually considered the Fifth Pillar of Islam, and is regarded as many as the single most Islamic unifying event on the calendar. Indeed, as the world is torn apart over the age old struggle between Sunnis and Shi'ites, figures ranging from regional Sunni superpower Saudi Arabia, to the Iranian Shi'ite vying superpower Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - though perhaps in a political slight, the Saudi government has declined granting the Persian president the additional security he requested.

Because of harsh anti-Kafir (unbeliever) laws in Saudi Arabia, and the strict law forbidding Christians from entering Mecca, there has been generations of intense curiosity about the goings on of the ritual. Though the internet and several books have provided information that may sate the intellectually inquisitive, several have been caught trying to sneak their way into the city during the sacred rites in the hopes of catching a glimpse of this seemingly mysterious Muslim event.

The first day of the Hajj involves an entering of the Sacred Mosque itself, and walking counter clockwise around what's called Kaaba, kissing its "Black Stone" on each pass. Although you are expected to carry this out on the floor level of the Sacred Mosque, you are also allowed to do so on the first floors, due to the incredible amount of pilgrims that partake in the event.

The event also carries out several other historical recreations, such as a feigned "frantic search" for water for Abraham's concubine's son, before they must drink of the Zamzam Well, and later a projected standing on Mount Arafat to contemplate their lives in vigil, and to speak with Allah. To miss this key part of the hajj is unlike missing any other - for if a Muslim misses this single part, their entire pilgrimage is considered invalid.

Other events involve the stoning of the devil in effigy, and the sacrificial slaughter of an animal, based on the Islamic version of the Jewish story of Abraham's attempted sacrifice of Isaac. Although Christians and Jews believe that God ordered Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Muslims decided that the other son, Ishmael, who went on to form a clan of Ishmaelites, was the true victim. Nevertheless, according to both stories, God did not force Abraham to go through with it, and instead rewarded him - though obviously the two religions disagree on the outcome.

The hajj is not entirely without its dangers however - as last year, 362 pilgrims were killed during the event. The most dangerous times are regarded as the Stoning of the Devil, and this should come as no surprise considering millions of people are lobbing solid, rock objects in an enclosed space, and the Sa'i, which involves running across narrow catwalks, which usually results in trampling and stampedes. Another 300 people were injured in 2006 during these events.