Hajj is an annual act of worship that Muslims are obliged to perform once in a lifetime. There are certain days of the year for Hajj. It is important in Islam because it is considered the fifth pillar of Islam. During this worship, Muslims move from one place to another in the city of Mecca. Therefore, we will only focus on those places where a pilgrim will go during Hajj. During the study, you will be known “Which places are visited during Hajj?”
Mecca is the most famous and holy city for Muslims in the world. A Muslim does not know the name of his neighbouring city where he lives but he knows about Mecca. This is because of the birthplace of Islam. The birthplace of Islam means that the last Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in this city. And he started preaching from this city. This is another discussion on “Hijrah to Madinah”. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) spent most of his life in this city. There is no place or city in the world other than Mecca that renews your faith.
So when booking Hajj packages, make sure that the list of holy places is included in your travel bucket list.
These places are visited during Hajj:
- Masjid Al Haram
- City of Mina
- Mount Arafat
- Muzdalifah
- Jannat al Mualla
- Masjid e Aisha
- MaktabaMakkah al Mukarramah
- Cave of Hira
Masjid Al Haram:
This is the beginning of the ritual of Hajj, except for the dress of ihram. According to a hadith, the purpose of visiting this mosque is to get more rewards: Performing one prayer in Masjid-ul-Haram is equal to one hundred thousand prayers. This magnificent mosque has holy places like Kaaba, Safa and Marwah, Zamzam well and Maqam e Ibrahim.
Here the pilgrims perform their Tawaf Hajj and then Sa’i. While visiting the Ka’bah and Maqam Ibrahim, you can see with your naked eyes the two stones of heaven. Today, scientists have accepted that there is no pure water in the world except Zamzam water. The water came out of the ground when Hagar Bibi, a mother and wife of the Prophet, was trying to find a source of water for her son.
City of Mina:
This is the next place for you which is located about 8 kilometres away from Mecca. It is also known as the city of tents because thousands of tents have been set up here. They are fully equipped with all the basic necessities. Staying here is the Sunnah of Allah’s Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Stone-throwing site – Jamrat is also located in the city of Mina where Ibrahim (AS) stoned the devil.
Mount Arafat:
This mountain is famous for its history. This is where Adam and Eve met again on earth after falling from the sky. Another name for this mountain is “Mountain of Mercy”. And this is the place where our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered his last sermon while performing Hajj. This last sermon is known as the Farewell Sermon. Muslims spend their entire day in two joint prayers (Zuhrand Asr) and ask for different duas (prayers). It is believed that all human beings will gather here on the Day of Judgment.
The Second Islamic War took place at the site where the graves of 70 martyrs are today. Hamza, the uncle of the Prophet (peace be upon him), was one of the 70 martyrs.
Muzdalifah:
It is a plain place that is located between Arafat and the Mina Valley. Here a pilgrim spends his night and performs two joint prayers (Maghrib and Isha). Some pilgrims collect stones from Arafat for the Rami ritual of Hajj but they should collect from Muzdalifah only.
Jannat al Mualla
Jannat al Mualla is the name of the cemetery. It is the oldest and most sacred place where many holy personalities are resting. It is located just 1 km from the Masjid al-Haram. The grave of Amina, the mother of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Khadijah, the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the grave of Abu Talib, the uncle of the Prophet (peace be upon him) are also part of this great cemetery.
Masjid e Aisha:
It is the second-largest mosque in Makkah after the Masjid al-Haram. If we talk about the distance from Masjid-ul-Haram, then it is about 10 kilometres. This is the place of Meeqat which is very close to Masjid Al Haram. Muslims start their Hajj after entering the ihram in this mosque. Generally, Muslims use this mosque to repeat their Umrah. Another name of this mosque is Tanim.
MaktabaMakkah al Mukarramah:
Can we go to Muhammad’s house in Saudi Arabia where he was born? Yes, this is the MaktabaMakkah al Mukarramah. Today the place has been moved to a library where you can find all kinds of Islamic books.
Cave of Hira:
This cave is located on Jabal Al Noor Mountain. Another name for this mountain is Mountain of Light. Its distance from Masjid-ul-Haram is 5 km. This is the first place in Islamic history where the first verses of the Holy Quran were revealed to the Holy Prophet. These were the first verses revealed in Surah Al-Alaq. Even before any verse of the Qur’an was revealed, Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to spend his time in this cave meditating.
Apart from MaktabMakkah Al-Mukarramah, Cave of Hira and Janat Al Mualla, you can visit all the above-mentioned places during Hajj. These places are not part of Hajj rituals but you can visit these places after completing Hajj. The whole of Mecca is a holy city because we know when the Holy Prophet (PBUH) started his preaching and what he did on different occasions.
May Allah accept Hajj and give a chance to those who have not performed Hajj in the past. Ameen
