Monday 26 March 2012

Journey to Mecca


What is Hajj?

Hajj is a sacred duty for Muslims, they must at least once in their lives go to Mecca. Hajj is one of the 5 pillars of Islam, it is also the only one that non-Muslims can neither observe nor take part in.
It should not be done on debt and the pilgrim’s family should not be left without support.
I found this all out in the book Hajj journey to the heart of Islam which recently landed on my desk. The British Museum has produced this book as a companion to their exhibition.
The book explains about the Hajj, the origins so steeped in time. It describes the history of the journey to Mecca, the importance of Hajj through text, pictures, maps and amazing photographs. As I leafed through it I was immediately transported to another world.
It is a fascinating book that delves into this amazing aspect of pilgrimage to Mecca with antidotes from pilgrims.
(photo taken from sacredsites.com)