Information on Hajj

Vocabulary List

Lunar Calendar

• Ramadan - the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar, during which Muslims fast from dawn to sunset.
• Eid ul-Fitr - Festival at the end of Ramadan, in celebration of ending the month of fasting.
• Dhul-Hijjah - the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar, during which the Hajj takes place, from the 8th through 13th.
• Eid ul-Adha - Festival that takes place during the Hajj, on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, in commemoration of the sacrifices of Abraham and his family.

People

• Abraham - a prophet and righteous person revered by Muslims, Jews, and Christians alike as the patriarch (father figure) of monotheism.
• Hajar - one of Abraham's wives, who, along with her infant son Ishma'il, was settled in Arabia by Abraham.
• Ishma'il - the elder son of Abraham, who helped Abraham build the Ka'bah when he was thirteen years old.

Places

• Arafat - a place where pilgrims travel to as part of the Hajj. There pilgrims offer prayers throughout the day.
• Makkah (Mecca) - the sacred city of Muslims, in modernday Saudi Arabia, where the Ka'bah is located.
• Mina - a place where pilgrims camp, located on the outskirts of Makkah.
• Muzdalifa - a place where pilgrims stay overnight and pray during the Hajj.
• Safa and Marwah - two hills near the Ka'bah.

Hajj

• Hajj - the annual pilgrimage (spiritual journey) to Makkah, performed by two million Muslims every year.
• Ihram - a state of consecration (dedication) in which Muslims remove their worldly clothing and don the simple, white attire of pilgrims. This symbolizes a state of purity and human equality.
• Ka'bah - an empty cube-shaped structure built as a house of worship by Abraham and Ishma'il, for the worship of the One God.
• Labbayka Allakumma Labbayk" - a statement which pilgrims call out while performing the Hajj, which means "Here I am at your service, O God, Here I am!"
• Sa'i - one of the rites of the Hajj, in which pilgrims hurry between two hills, Safa and Marwah, reennacting Hajar's desperate search for food and water.
• Tawaf - one of the rites of the Hajj, in which pilgrims move in a circular, counter-clockwise procession around the Ka'bah.
• Ummah - the entire Muslim community around the world, which comprises over one billion people of every race, color, and ethnicity.

Miscellaneous

• Eid Mubarak" - a greeting used by Muslims during the Eid holidays. It means "Holiday Blessings!"
• Monotheism - belief in One God.
• Polytheism - belief in many gods.
• Qur'an (Koran) - the holy book of Muslims