What is "hajj"

haj \haj\, hajj \hajj\n. A pilgrimage to Mecca; every Muslim must make this journey at least once. [Also spelled hadj.]

Syn: hadj, haj.

Hadj \Hadj\ (h[a^]j), n. [Ar. hajj, fr. hajja to set out, walk, go on a pilgrimage.] The pilgrimage to Mecca, performed by Mohammedans. It is the duty of Moslems to make a journey to Mecca at least once ina lifetime, or if that is not possible, three journeys to one of the alternate sacred sites. [Also spelled haj and hajj.]

"pilgrimage to Mecca," from Arabic hajj "pilgrimage," from hajja "he went on a pilgrimage." Related to Hebrew haghagh "he made a pilgrimage, celebrated a feast," hagh "a gathering." One who has made it is a hajji.

n. (context Islam English) The pilgrimage to Mecca made by pious Muslims; one of the five pillars

1. n. the fifth pillar of Islam is a pilgrimage to Mecca during the month of Dhu al-Qadah; at least once in a lifetime a Muslim is expected to make a religious journey to Mecca and the Kaaba; "for a Muslim the hajj is the ultimate act of worship" [syn: haj, hadj]

2. [also: hajjes (pl)]

The term Hajj (also transliterated as Haj, Hage and Hadj) may refer to:

• The Hajj, the greater of the two pilgrimages to Mecca in Islam
  • The Umrah, the lesser of the two pilgrimages
• Al-Hajj, the 22nd Sura (chapter) of the Qur'an
• Hajj, or el-Hajj, at times also the variant Haji, an honorary title given to an individual who is engaging in Hajj pilgrimage. The honoric title "Hajj" stays with him, even after his return from pilgrimage until his death, quite often as a permanent title and part of his name with friends and public, e.g., a person called Mahmoud or Hassan will usually, after pilgrimage, be addressed to as "Hajj Mahmoud" or "Hajj Hassan" out of respect and tradition, though Hajj will not be part of his legal name. The female equivalent is "Hajja", such that a person called Fatima or Khadija would be honored by being addressed to as "Hajja Fatima" or "Hajja Khadija" upon her return from pilgrimage.

Hajj is an album by Muslimgauze. The release was on 12" vinyl only. The album is dedicated to Yasser Arafat and the P.L.O..1

"Under Black Light" was later released on the CD compilation Chapter of Purity.

The Hajj (; "pilgrimage") is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, and a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and can support their family during their absence. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, alongside Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, and Sawm. The Hajj is the largest annual gatherings of people in the world. The state of being physically and financially capable of performing the Hajj is called istita'ah, and a Muslim who fulfills this condition is called a mustati. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God ( Allah). The word Hajj means "to intend a journey", which connotes both the outward act of a journey and the inward act of intentions.

The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th (or in some cases 13th) of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar and the Islamic year is about eleven days shorter than the Gregorian year, the Gregorian date of Hajj changes from year to year. Ihram is the name given to the special spiritual state in which pilgrims wear two white sheets of seamless cloth and abstain from certain actions.

The Hajj is associated with the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad from the 7th century, but the ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca is considered by Muslims to stretch back thousands of years to the time of Abraham. During Hajj, pilgrims join processions of hundreds of thousands of people, who simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of the Hajj, and perform a series of rituals: each person walks counter-clockwise seven times around the Ka'aba (the cube-shaped building and the direction of prayer for the Muslims), runs back and forth between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, drinks from the Zamzam Well, goes to the plains of Mount Arafat to stand in vigil, spends a night in the plain of Muzdalifa, and performs symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing stones at three pillars. The pilgrims then shave their heads, perform a ritual of animal sacrifice, and celebrate the three-day global festival of Eid al-Adha.

Pilgrims can also go to Mecca to perform the rituals at other times of the year. This is sometimes called the "lesser pilgrimage", or Umrah. However, even if they choose to perform the Umrah, they are still obligated to perform the Hajj at some other point in their lifetime if they have the means to do so.

Hajj is a 2013 Indian Kannada language directed by and starring Nikhil Manjoo in the lead role, alongside Manasa Joshi and Geethamani who appear in pivotal roles.

At the 2013 Karnataka State Film Awards, the film won three awards – Best Film, Best Actor (Nikhil Manjoo) and Best Story (Srilalithe). In December 2014, at the 7th Bengaluru International Film Festival, the film was awarded the Best Kannada Film.