Hajj

The Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca
Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, is one of the largest annual pilgrimages in the world, that every Muslim must make in order to fulfill their obligations towards his religion. Read on to know about its significance and how it is performed...

Hajj in contemporary times
The largest concentrations of believers of any faith on earth on the occasion of Hajj provides tremendous opportunity to Muslims to exploit its political, social, ideological, economic and intellectual potentialities along with realizing its religious, spiritual and divine realities.

Orderly Stoning for Satan
December 22, Hajj diary: Security officials were on high alert yesterday as millions of Muslims rushed to complete the last rituals of hajj. In previous years there have been stampedes in Mina, leaving hundreds dead, when pilgrims took all their belongings from their tents to Jamaraat to stone the devil for the third and final time

From Preston to Mecca
Hajj diary: Riazat Butt joins the 25,000-strong British camp at the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia

First the Sheep or Goat is Sacrificed, Then It is the Hair
Hajj diary: The slaughter of an animal - qurbani - is carried out in remembrance of the prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael at Allah's command. As in the Old Testament, a ram or sheep was substituted for the boy

Stoning the Devil
The ritual of stoning the devil is one of the most cathartic and vigorous of the hajj, allowing Muslims to vent their anger and disgust at Satan

In the City of 1m Tents
The Guardian's religious affairs correspondent travels to the Hajj to offer a unique insight into the rituals and mood at the world's largest pilgrimage

Inside the Hajj, With 1m Believers
The Guardian's religious affairs correspondent travels to the Hajj to offer a unique insight into the rituals and mood at the world's largest pilgrimage

Luxury Timeshares on Offer at Islam's Holiest Pilgrimage Site
Opponents say ZamZam moneyspinner makes mockery of spirit of hajj.

A History of Hajj Tragedies
The annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, known as the hajj, has been plagued by disaster in recent years, leaving thousands of pilgrims killed, many in stampedes.

Timeline: Hajj Disasters
The annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, known as the hajj, has been plagued by disaster in recent years, leaving thousands of pilgrims killed, many in stampedes.

Hundreds Killed in Hajj Stampede
At least 345 people were killed and 1,000 injured in a stampede on the last day of a symbolic stoning ritual at the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca today.

110 Reported Dead in Hajj Stampede
More than 110 people were reported to have been killed in a stampede today on the last day of a symbolic stoning ritual at the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

At Least 50 Dead in Hajj Stampede
At least 50 people were reported to have been killed in a stampede today on the last day of a symbolic stoning ritual at the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

Mecca Hotel Collapse Kills Hajj Pilgrims
A five-storey hotel in Mecca collapsed today, reportedly killing at least 23 Muslims gathering in Islam's holiest city for the hajj pilgrimage.

Saudis Use Hajj to Call on Muslims to Shun Militants
With more than 2 million pilgrims from around the world gathered for the annual hajj in Mecca, Saudi leaders seized the opportunity yesterday to claim that militants were using "misguided and void" interpretations of Islam to justify violence.

Saudi Security Braced for Hajj
Watched by 9,000 security cameras, more than two million Muslim pilgrims have gathered in Mecca for the annual hajj amid assurances from the Saudi authorities that they have done everything possible to guard against terrorist attacks or deadly stampedes among the crowds.

244 Hajj Pilgrims Killed in Stampede
A stampede during the ritual stoning of pillars symbolising the devil left 244 worshippers trampled to death, Saudi officials coordinating the hajj pilgrimage said yesterday. The death toll, if confirmed, is one of the highest in recent years for the annual ceremony, in which millions of...

Death of Pilgrims Casts Cloud Over Hajj
Fourteen Muslims were trampled to death in Mecca yesterday, the latest tragedy to sadden the annual pilgrimage to the holy city. The accident occurred during the "stoning the devil" ritual, in which pilgrims throw pebbles at three pillars marking the places where Satan is believed to have...

14 Trampled to Death at Hajj
Fourteen Muslim pilgrims were trampled to death today in Saudi Arabia while performing a stone-throwing ritual during the Hajj. The ritual involves large crowds of people throwing pebbles at three stone pillars, commemorating the place where Muslims believe the devil tempted Abraham. The...