Modern Religious Experience: Personal Commemoration- Reflection #7

Modern Religious Experience: Personal Commemoration- Reflection #7: "Think of an event in your life- past, present or future. You are going to create a commemorative ritual for this event. First, describe the ..."

The event I have picked is called Hajj. It is a future event as I have not performed Hajj as yet. Hajj is an Islamic practice in which a muslim makes pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is an obligation on every able-bodied Muslim to do Hajj at least once in their lifetime if they have the financial means to do so. It is the fifth pillar of Islam.

The Hajj occurs from the 8th to the 12th day of the Islamic calendar. The dress code for Hajj is the Ihram for men and hijab and modest dress for women. The Ihram consists of two sheets of white cloth, with the top draped over the torso and the bottom securedd by a white belt or sash. The perpose of Ihram is so that no one is able to differentiate between the rich and the poor in God's house, everyone is equal. For women, the clothing is to cover their entire body and to wear the hijab and to reveal only the hands and the face. When a Muslim wears the Ihram, he/she enters Masjid Al-Haram in the state of Ihram. While in the state of Ihram, a Muslim is not allowed to shave, clip their nails, wear perfume, wear shoes which cover their ankles, swear or quarrel, have sexual relations, uproot or damage plants or any living thing and perform any dishonest acts or carry weapons. Muslim men should not cover their heads and the women should not cover their faces or thier hands.

The Hajj ritual consists of each person walking counter clockwise arround the Kaba seven times, running back and forth between the hills of Al- Safa and Al-Marwah seven times, drinking from the Zamzam well, going to the plains of Mount Arafat to stand in vigil, and throwing stones on a rtual called Stoing of the Devil. The pilgrim then shaves their head(men only), perfrom a ritual of animal sacrifice, and celebrate the three day global festival of Eid Al-Adha. There are many prayers and suplications that a Muslim performs during the Hajj. But the most commen one is the Talbiyah:

Labbaika Allahumma Labbaik,
Labbaik La Shareeka Laka Labbaik,
Innal-Hamda,
Wan-Nematah,
Laka Wal Mulk,
La Shareeka Laka.

Which translates as the following: ''Here I am at thy service O Lord, here I am. Here I am at thy service and tou hast no partners. Thine alone is All praise and All bounty, and Thine alone is the Sovereignty. Thou hast no partners.''

This supplication is recited by Muslims as a conviction of their intention to perform Hajj only for the Glory of God and it is repeatedly invoked during the Hajj so that Muslims can purify themselves and rid themselves of worldly concerns.

After performing Hajj and celebrating Eid Al-Adha, pilgrims before leaving Mecca, perform a farewell tawaf, called the Tawaf-Al-Wida, which means to ''bid farewell''