The Haj: The Annual Pilgrimage of Islam

Description

When Eidil Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) or Hari Raya Haji is being celebrated around the world by Muslims, at least two million pilgrims are in Mina near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, performing the final rites of the Haj, the annual pilgrimage of Islam.

The number of Muslims from all over the world undertaking the Haj is increasing year by year. It has swelled from 200,000 in the 1960s to more than two million in the mid-1990s, a staggering number for an event that requires its multi-racial, multi-lingual participants to comply with precise rules and regulations.

Those who have been on the Haj say that the Ka’aba, that famous cubical structure in the middle of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, has a special attraction on them. They say that the visit to the Ka’aba alone is worth more than any visit to any part of the world. Many indeed have performed the Haj more than once, although it is obligatory on Muslims only once in their lifetime and that too if they are mentally, physically and financially fit.

Those who do not have the opportunity to perform the Haj yet but wish to get a general feeling of this great event as well as others who just wish to know about the history and significance of the Haj and the goings-on during the Haj season, would find this book meeting such a need.

About the author

Shaik A. Kadir, who holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Sheffield, UK, received training in teaching and journalism both locally and overseas, and has years of experience as a teacher and publications editor.

Over 80 of his writings, including a few on Islam, have been published in many magazines in Singapore and other countries. He is also the author of several books, including two earlier books on Islam: “Read!” (Iqra’) and “The Straight Way” (Siratal Mustakim).