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In plain terms
Hajj
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Use one syllable and hold the final j a little longer. The opening h is formed in the throat.
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Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, performed during a set period in the Islamic calendar. It is obligatory once in a lifetime for those who are able, and is one of the five pillars of Islam. It follows a fixed sequence of rites at specific sites over several days.
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Related terms
Umrah
Umrah is a pilgrimage to Mecca that can be performed at any time of year, with fewer rites than hajj. It is not obligatory in the way hajj is, though its exact status is…
Ihram
Ihram is the sacred state a pilgrim enters before performing hajj or umrah. It is marked by specific clothing for men, a set intention, and restrictions such as not cutting hair…
Tawaf
Tawaf is circling the Kaaba seven times, performed as part of hajj and umrah, and also as a voluntary act at other times. Certain conditions of ritual purity apply to some of its…
Mahram
A mahram is a close relative a person cannot marry — a parent, sibling, or child, by blood, marriage, or nursing. The term matters in fatwas on travel, hajj, and mixing between…