Virtual Hajj

Second Life's virtual Mecca.  

See if you can recognise the different parts of hajj.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNNqd2AxxyM

Day Two. Wuquf

Day two of hajj is considered to be the most important.  Pilgrims go to the Plain of Arafat and from midday until sunset they will pray asking Allah for forgiveness.  The Plain of Arafat was the site of Muhammad's last sermon and is a significant place for Muslims.  They believe it will be the site of the final Judgement.

What does it mean?

1. Hajj is not a holiday.  You go for religious or spiritual reasons.  Muslims on hajj want to feel closer to Allah.  They want the pilgrimage to change them.

2. Ihram.  On the plane Muslim men change into ihram, two pieces of white cloth, that they will wear on the pilgrimage.  Inwardly ihram symbolises purity, once they are wearing it a Muslim should keep their thoughts and intentions clean.  

3. Ihram also reminds Muslims that everyone is part of the ummah, the worldwide family of Islam and that they are all equal before Allah whatever background they are from.

4. The Ka'bah.  Muslims face the ka'bah everyday when they pray so seeing it for the first time is very significant.  Muslims believe that it was first built by Adam as a place of worship.  It was then rebuilt by Ibrahim and finally Muhammad removed tribal idols from it a returned it to a place of worship.

5. Sa'y.  When performing sa'y Muslims are remembering a story from the Qur'an that is an important part of their religious history.  Ibrahim's wife ran between the two hills looking for water to give to her son Isma'il who was dying of thirst.  An angel guided her to a spring, called the well of Zamzam.  When pilgrims drink from the spring they identify with Ibrahim's wife and how Allah provided for her.

Hajj. Day One

Hajj is the fifth pillar of islam and as such it is a duty that every Muslim should perform if they are healthy and have the finances.  In short hajj is a pilgrimage (religious journey) to Makkah, the birth place of the prophet Muhammad.  On the pilgrimage Muslims are following in the steps of Muhammad who himself  performed hajj and they participate in a number of rituals or activities that have special spiritual significance.

Day one of hajj begins in the Great Mosque of Makkah, home of the ka'bah and the hills of Marwa and Sa'fa.  The ka'bah is a cubic building and pilgrims begin by walking round it seven times.  This is called tawaf. As they walk around the ka'bah they pray "here I am" and present themselves to Allah.  They reach out to the black stone in the corner of the ka'bah as they pass. Those who are close enough may kiss it, just as the prophet Muhammad did on his hajj.  Following this pilgrims run between the hills of Marwa and Sa'fa.  The hills are connected to the mosque by a covered walkway.  This ritual is called sa'y.  Pilgrims then drink from the spring of Zamzam.  The water is believed to be holy and it is bottled and taken home.

A lot happens on day one and this can make it difficult to remember.  Read through the above and check you understand each part of the day.  To help order what you have learnt remember,

1.Tawaf (ka'bah)

2.Sa'y (Mawr, Sa'fa, Zamzam)

Try a virtual tour of hajj or read about it on the BBC website.

http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/H/hajj/virtual_hajj.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/practices/hajj_1.shtml

Understanding Hajj

Do you find Hajj confusing?

Over the next three days I will cover everything you need to know about the pilgrimage on the blog.

To make it extra easy, today is day one of hajj, Thursday will be day two of hajj and Friday will be day three.  In the morning I will be describing what pilgrims do.  In the evenings I will be explaining some of the meaning behind hajj practices.

Let me know if you have found this helpful!

Id-ul-Fitr

Imagine how you would feel at the end of a thirty day fast?  

Id-ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and it is a huge celebration in the Muslim community.  Everyone has new clothes and the day begins with prays at the mosque.  After prayers the imam gives a sermon and there is an opportunity to give the yearly zakah.  The day is spent with family and their is plenty of eating and gifts for the children.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/holydays/eidulfitr.shtml

Any year 11 reading this?  Send me a comment and let me know you're there!

Why fast?

In a part (c) question you will be asked to explain the reasons behind and the benefits of fasting.  Try to think beyond upbringing, tradition and rules of the religion to the spritual or inner benefits of the practice.  Follow the link below to read about one young person's experience of fasting.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wear/content/articles/2005/10/10/ramadan_diary_1_feature.shtml

• It is the month of the Qur'an. Muslims remember the Night of Power when the angel Jibril first revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad.  In Ramadan Muslims thank Allah for the Qur'an
  
• It shows devotion to Allah and brings a Muslim closer to Allah
  
• It helps a Muslim gain Allah's forgiveness
  
• It helps a Muslim develop self discipline and self control which is helpful in living a good Muslim life
  
• During Ramadan a Muslim will suffer and suffering develops good character
  
• Fasting in Ramadan encourages a sense of being part of the ummah because all Muslims worldwide are fasting at the some time
  
• It helps Muslims identify with the poor around the world who do not have enough to eat
  
• It reminds Muslims that everything they have comes form Allah and it makes them thankful
  
• It helps Muslims give zakah more sincerely because they recognise the reality of hunger and poverty in the world and that all they have is from Allah 
  

Sawm - fasting

Religious people have always used fasting as means of getting closer to God.  In Christianity fasting is not as widely practiced as it used to be but their are Christians who fast to make their prayers more effective and in some places of the world fasting in lent is an important Christian tradition.

The Qur'an teaches Muslims to fast as a sign of their devotion to God.  Sawm or fasting is the fourth pillar of Islam and it is therefore a must for every true Muslim.  Most Muslims practice fasting during the month of Ramadan.

What do Muslims do when they fast in Ramadan?

• Give up food and drink during daylight hours
  
• Give up sex during daylight hours
  
• Give up smoking during daylight hours
  
• Eat at night when the sun has set
  
• Rise before sunrise if they wish to eat breakfast
  
• Read the whole Qur'an over the thirty days of Ramadan
  
• Go to mosque at night for special prayers (called tarawih)
  
• Towards the end of ramadan celebrate the Night of Power (lailat al Qadr) at the mosque
  
• Try to live the best possible Muslim life

During Ramadan the meal at the end of the day takes on a special significance for Muslms.  For many it is a special family time when they join with other to remember how good Allah has been to them in providing them with homes, families, food and water.

The picture above shows a date seller.  Many Muslims break their fast with dates, because this is what the prophet Muhammad did.

Zakah - paying 2.5% of your money to the poor

Zakah is the third pillar of Islam and like all the pillars it is compulsory for Muslims.  Zakah is paid once a year.  Shariah law teaches that a Muslim should pay zakah on their income and on their savings.  Zakah is paid to the mosque.  This is what it should be used on,

• To help the poor
  
• To help orphans and widows
  
• To pay for mosques and mosque school (madrasahs)
  
• To pay for the cost of speading the message of Islam
  

If you are asked to explain beliefs about zakah you need to consider why Muslims give. A variety of reasons are given in the bullet points below, 

• Muslims believe that zakah contributes towards equality.  The rich become a little poorer and the poor become a little richer
  
• Muslims believe zakah purifies their money.  Through giving they are reminded to worship Allah, not money
  
• The Qur'an commands giving zakah
  
• Allah is concerned for the poor and needy
• Being part of the ummah means helping one another in practical ways

A second type of Muslim giving is called sadaqah.  Zakah is compulsory (you have to do it) but sadaqah is voluntary.  Muslims believe that Allah wants them to be generous and give what they can spare. This supports Muslims beliefs in the ummah and in the equality of everyone.

Ju'mah Prayers

A Muslim believe that he can come into the presence of Allah through prayer in any place at any time.  The midday prayers on Friday however are of special significance.  They are called ju'mah prayers.

The midday prayers on Friday should be said in the mosque (though women are allowed to say them at home).  On this occasion the imam will say a sermon, or khutba.  This will be a teaching from the Qur'an preached from the minbar, a raised platform at the front of the mosque. The imam will try to make his sermon relevant to his listeners. In Britain this means that the sermon must address issues that affect Muslims living in this country.

Though these prayers are very important they do not make Fridays into an especially holy day as Sunday is for Christians or Saturday is for Jews.  After ju'mah prayers Muslims can return to work and continue their day as normal.

The Life of Muhammad

• Born in Makkah in 570 CE
  
• Orphaned as a child and raised by his grandfather, followed by his uncle
  
• Worked as trader, worked for wealthy widow Khadijah
  
• Married Khadijah in 595 CE
  
• 610 CE Night of Power
  
• Began to preach in Makkah, and gained many followers
  
• A small community of followers grew and began to pray together, but Muhammad also attracted enemies.
  
• Muhammad and his followers moved to Madinah (called the hijrah) in 622 CE
  
• Muhammad attracted more followers and people of Madinah invited him to be their leader
  
• Makkah attacked Madinah, Battles of Bad'r, Uhud and the Trench
  
• 628  Muhammad tried to return to Makkah and make hajj but was refused entry
  
• The following year returned and a treaty was made allowing Muslims to do hajj
  
• But Makkans did not keep treaty so Muhammad surrounded the city and they eventually surrendered and converted
  
• Muhammad died in 632 CE