Must know facts about Hajj "Islamic Pilgrimage"

Hajj is no doubt an amazing spiritual journey that every Muslim aspires to embark on. There is an enormous amount of information associated with Hajj; most is critical to ensure that Hajj is performed not only in the best intentions but also in the correct manner.
With that being said there is a ton of information related to Hajj including important Hajj facts that all Muslims should be aware of. Here we will outline a few very important details for our readers in order to get them further acquainted with this immensely important and complex ritual.

The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th (or in some cases 13th  of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar and the Islamic year is about eleven days shorter than the Gregorianyear, the Gregorian date of 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 ofIslamic prophet Muhammad from the 7th century, but the ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca is considered by Muslims to stretch back thousands of years to the time of Abraham. During Hajj, pilgrims join processions of hundreds of thousands of people, who simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of the Hajj, and perform a series of rituals: each person walks counter-clockwise seven times around the Ka'aba (the cube-shaped building and the direction of prayer for the Muslims), runs back and forth between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, drinks from the Zamzam Well, goes to the plains of Mount Arafat to stand in vigil, spends a night in the plain ofMuzdalifa, and performs symbolicstoning of the devil by throwing stones at three pillars. The pilgrims then shave their heads, perform a ritual of animal sacrifice, and celebrate the three-day global festival of Eid al-Adha.

Pilgrims can also go to Mecca to perform the rituals at other times of the year. This is sometimes called the "lesser pilgrimage", or Umrah. However, even if they choose to perform the Umrah, they are still obligated to perform the Hajj at some other point in their lifetime if they have the means to do so.

Here are some basic facts:

• There are 5 pillars of Islam. Hajj is the 5th.
• Performing Hajj is compulsory on every Muslim at least once in their life time.
• Hajj occurs on the 8th to 12th of Dhul Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar
• Muslims who have performed Hajj are called Hajjis. Some even add the title in front of their name to denote their accomplishment.
• During Hajj, men are required to dress in Ehraam which is basically two pieces of white sheets they wrap themselves up with. Women are required to dress normal stay in Hijab.
• Pilgrims stay at Mount Arafat then move to Muzdalfah and Mina where they perform the stoning ritual at the Jamaraat.
• Mount Arafat is where Prophet Muhammad PBUH delivered his final sermon in which he preached on how men should treat women; that all Muslims are brothers and should stay united.
• Jamaraat are three walls located in close vicinity to each other that donate the exact spot where the devil, in human form, tried to mislead Prophet Ibrahim against following Allah's instructions. Prophet Ibrahim rebuked him by throwing stones at him and he went away.
• Millions of Muslims today follow in the same ritual and stone the 3 walls at the Jamaraat.
• After the stoning ritual, Muslims perform Udhiya, also known as Qurbani in which they sacrifice a goat, sheep, cow or camel. The meat is distributed to the poor and the needy as well as neighbours and relatives. Many people donate their Qurbani to the poor.
• Pilgrims perform the Tawaf Al-Wida after Hajj before heading home. Tawaf-al-Wida entails walking around the Holy Kabaa inside Masjid Al-Haram in circle 7 times.
• Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) performed Umrah 4 times and Hajj once
• Over 3 million pilgrims performed Hajj last year. This number is expected to grow even further this year.

The above mentioned Hajj facts outline some of the most noteworthy and important aspects of the pilgrimage. May Allah SWT give all Muslims the opportunity to perform Hajj and all those who are embarking on Hajj this year have a safe stay and swift journey home. 

Sources:Wikipedia & Muslimaid.org