 |
|
 |
|
|
 The Hajj, or
pilgrimage to Mecca, the birthplace of Islam, is one of the
central religious duties of Muslims and is enshrined in the
Qur'an.
The pilgrimage is also inspired by the
earlier example of obedience to God set by the Prophet
Abraham.
The Hajj to Mecca is a once-in-a-lifetime
obligation upon male and female adults whose health and means
permit it, or, in the words of the Qur'an, upon "those who can
make their way there."
The rites accompanying the Hajj
are elaborate and varied, partly because the Prophet Muhammad
himself introduced a beneficial element of
flexibility.
Before setting out, a pilgrim is expected
to redress all wrongs, pay all debts, plan to have enough
funds for his own journey and for the maintenance of his
family while he is away, and prepare himself for good conduct
throughout the Hajj.
In recent times the number of
pilgrims making the journey to Mecca has risen dramatically
and upwards of two million pilgrims are expected this year
from as many as 70 nations. For the Saudi Arabian government
this creates enormous logistical difficulties. To help cope
many governments now play an active role in ensuring the
welfare of their citizens who make the pilgrimage to Saudi
Arabia.
Hajj takes place each year between the 8th
and the 13th days of Dhul al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the
Muslim lunar calendar. The corresponding Gregorian dates this
year are January 30 to February 4.
The BBC Asian
Network will be following a group of British pilgrims as they
fulfill this 5th pillar of Islam. There will be live
reports from Saudi Arabia each evening on the Drive
show, Hajj items on our Breakfast
programme and regular news-updates. Eid-ul Adha will be
celebrated across our weekend programmes and there will be a
special evening programme reflecting Hajj on Monday 2nd
February.
On this page you will be able to listen
again to Hajj interviews and reports. If you have already made
the pilgrimage to Mecca you can share your memories with other
people on the Message
Board.
|
| |
|
|
