Hajj in Mecca

Nearly two million people have gathered in mecca. It is a great feeling to see all these pictures.

Muslims from all around the world are in Saudi Arabia to make the pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca. This journey is one of the five pillars of islam and is mandatory for every muslim, if they are physically and financialy able. It always amazes me and all other people around the world, Muslims or Non-Muslims to see millions of people in one place for the same purpose. People of every color and from every country come together in harmony to pray. Inshallah some day I hope to be in the same place.Hajj is the highest of all Muslim practices, even if less than 10% of all Muslims ever manage to perform it. In modern times about 2 million Muslims perform the hajj every year, and this number seems to be fairly close to the maximum. The hajj is important because it lets us as a Muslims, (the believers) come to the place that is both the center of the world, as well as the place where the divine revelations collected in the Holly Quran started, and continued for about 12 years. But most important, the hajj is a continuation of what according to Islam is one of the oldest true and pure religious rituals .What the believer does during hajj is to recall what happened to important persons in Muslim history. The rituals performed around the Ka'ba recalls the acts of Abraham and Isma'il when they turned the ka’ba into the sacred place of worship and peace (Koran sura 2 Verse119). The next act recalls the running of Hajar, when she(abraham's Wife) ran for water for her son.But following this, and we as Muslims have now arrived at the core of hajj (the acts above are also performed in the smaller pilgrimage, umra.) These are the ones that are not obliged to perform hajj at least once during their lifetime: Mad people, slaves, women that are without traveling company (close relative or husband), people without the necessary funds.Most Hajjis arrive in Mecca a few days before the hajj proper begins, while some see the opportunity of arriving in Ramadan, an act which is seen as especially merited. While it is recommended that the hajjis should robe themselves in the ihram already at the beginning of the journey, the clear majority puts this on towards the end of the journey to Mecca.The first that the hajjiyy does is to perform the umra, while the hajj proper starts on Dhu l-hijja. 7. But the umra is by all means understood as a part of the hajj, and many of the symbols connected to hajj are as a matter of fact happenings during the umra.