Hajj and Umrah

Hajj is a sacred pilgrimage, performed annually by Muslims, to Masjid al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque) in Mecca, home of the Kaʿba built by Prophet Abraham.

It is the fifth pillar of Islam, and every Muslim who is able must perform it once in a lifetime.

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The importance of Hajj is not limited to its being an opportunity to seek forgiveness for past sins. It also allows believers to connect to Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through the rituals of Hajj.

The Hajj pilgrimage also brings together Muslims from every corner of the world, united in a profound ritual before the One God as a single family despite their differences in race, ethnicity, and age.

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Hajj is required of all adult Muslims who are physically and financially able.

It must be performed once in a Muslim's lifetime.

Video: Pillar 5: Who Can Perform Hajj (Pilgrimage)?

Hajj takes place in and around the holy city of Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia.

Some of the Hajj rites take place at the Kaʿba, the ancient house of worship built by Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) at the center of the Sacred Mosque. Others take place at the hills of Safa and Marwa, where Hagar searched for drinking water for her child and which now lie within the mosque complex. The rest take place outside the mosque, at Mina, Muzdalifa, and the plain of ʿArafat.

Hajj takes place during Dhul Hijjah, the twelfth and last month of the Islamic lunar calendar, with its rites running from the eighth to the thirteenth day of the month.

Some scholars hold that the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the final ten of Prophet Moses' forty nights at Mount Sinai (Qur'an 7:142), when God spoke to him directly and gave him the Tablets.

In 2027, Hajj is expected to begin on Friday, May 14, with the Day of ʿArafa on Saturday, May 15. These dates are tentative until the new moon is sighted at the beginning of Dhul Hijjah.

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Hajj typically lasts five to six days, starting on the eighth or ninth day of Dhul Hijjah and ending on the twelfth or thirteenth.

Hajj is made up of six main rituals: entering ihram, standing at ʿArafat, stoning the jamarat, offering a sacrifice, tawaf, and saʿi.

Pilgrims follow these steps:

1. Enter the state of ihram (the sacred state of the pilgrim) before crossing the miqat, the boundary at which pilgrims must be in ihram, and make the intention to perform Hajj.
2. On the eighth day of Dhul Hijjah, proceed to Mina, where the day is spent in prayer and the remembrance of God.
3. On the ninth day, head to the plain of ʿArafat, where pilgrims spend the afternoon until sunset in prayer and supplication. Many Muslims who are not performing Hajj choose to fast on this day.
4. After sunset, proceed to Muzdalifa to spend the night, where many collect pebbles for the jamarat.
5. Before sunrise on the tenth day, return to Mina and throw seven pebbles at Jamrat al-ʿAqaba, the largest of the three stone pillars (jamarat). This symbolizes one's rejection of the devil.
6. After the stoning, pilgrims offer the sacrifice, the humane slaughter of an animal whose meat is mostly distributed to the poor.
7. Men shave or trim their hair, and women trim the length of a fingertip from their hair.
8. Pilgrims then proceed to the Kaʿba to perform tawaf, circling the Kaʿba seven times in devotion to God, followed by saʿi, walking between the hills of Safa and Marwa seven times, for those who have not already performed it.
9. Pilgrims return to Mina for the following two or three days, stoning all three jamarat each day, and then return to Mecca to perform the farewell tawaf.

See full infographic: Hajj: Abraham's Legacy

Umrah in Arabic means "to visit a populated place." It is a shorter version of Hajj, and is also known as the "lesser pilgrimage."

Umrah can be performed at any time of the year. Many people who are able to make the trip perform Umrah multiple times, each with the intention of connecting with God and seeking forgiveness for past sins.

Umrah is performed at Masjid al-Haram in the holy city of Mecca.

Umrah consists of four main rituals: ihram, tawaf, saʿi, and shaving or shortening the hair.

These are the steps to follow when performing these rituals during Umrah:

1. Prepare for ihram (the sacred state of the pilgrim) by bathing and putting on the ihram garments before crossing the miqat, the boundary at which pilgrims must be in the state of ihram.
2. Enter the state of ihram by making the intention to perform Umrah and reciting the talbiya, a declaration of the oneness of God and of the pilgrim's intention to perform the pilgrimage to please Him.
3. Enter Masjid al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque) and perform tawaf by circling the Kaʿba seven times counterclockwise, starting and ending at the Black Stone. Then pray two units of prayer behind Maqam Ibrahim (the Station of Abraham) and drink from the well of Zamzam. It is recommended to drink one's fill to gain the blessings of that sacred well.
4. Go to the hill of Safa to begin the saʿi, then walk between the hills of Safa and Marwa, completing seven lengths.
5. Once the saʿi is complete, pilgrims finish their Umrah by shaving their heads (men only) or shortening their hair (men and women).

While they share some of the same rituals, Hajj and Umrah are not the same.

The importance and reward of Hajj are greater than those of Umrah, as Hajj is obligatory Moreover, Hajj can only be performed during a specific time of the year, and it involves significantly more steps. Umrah is voluntary, can be performed at any time of the year, and it requires only four of the rituals performed during Hajj: ihram, tawaf, saʿi, and shaving or shortening the hair (halq or taqsir).

The Kaʿba is the original house of worship on Earth, an ancient structure built by God's command to serve as a symbol of monotheism throughout the ages.

God says:

Surely the first House [of worship] established for humanity is the one at Bakka (i.e., Mecca), a blessed sanctuary and a guide for [all] people. (Qur'an 3:96)

Today, along with serving as the center of the Hajj rites, the Kaʿba is the universal center for the global body of Muslims. It is the direction that every believer faces in their daily worship of God.

The Qur'an clearly establishes that Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) raised the foundations of this ancient house of worship, along with his son Ishmael.

God says:

And [remember] when Abraham raised the foundation of the House with Ishmael, [both praying,] "Our Lord! Accept [this] from us. You are indeed the All-Hearing, All-Knowing." (Qur'an 2:127)

Scholars debate, however, whether this verse means Abraham was the first to establish the Kaʿba, or whether raising its foundations meant restoring it at God's command. The second view opens the possibility that angels first built the Kaʿba in preparation for the arrival of humanity, or that Adam (peace be upon him) did so for the monotheists among his descendants.

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The Kaʿba is located at the center of the Sacred Mosque, Masjid al-Haram, in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The Kaʿba is important because it represents the "House of God" on Earth, although Muslims do not believe that God "lives" there.

It is also the direction that Muslims around the world face when performing the five daily prayers, which represents the unity of Muslims in the worship of the One True God, the Lord of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and all other prophets.

Prophet Ibrahim, or Abraham (peace be upon him), was a prophet and messenger of God.

He is an important figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Islam, he is known for his refusal to worship idols at a time when his people practiced idolatry, choosing instead to worship the One God, the Creator of the heavens and earth. It was Abraham who raised the foundations of the Kaʿba together with his son, Prophet Ishmael. He is known as the father of nations because of his prayer for his descendants to inherit the message of monotheism.