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Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca
Farewell Pilgrimage 632; annual today· Belief or practice· Judaism, Christianity & Islam
Historical recordConfirmed by archaeology, outside sources or contemporary records.
The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who is physically and financially able.
See it on the World Religions map →What it is
Held in the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijja, it follows rites Muhammad performed on his Farewell Pilgrimage in 632. Pilgrims wear simple white garments, circle the Kaaba seven times, walk between the hills of Safa and Marwa, stand in prayer on the plain of Arafat, and throw pebbles at pillars representing Satan at Mina. Many rites recall Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael. It ends with Eid al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, celebrated by Muslims worldwide.
Why it matters
It gathers Muslims of every nation and class in identical dress, a powerful image of equality; Malcolm X wrote in 1964 that it transformed his view of race.
Sources and history
Hadith accounts of the Farewell Pilgrimage, centuries of pilgrims' travel writings such as Ibn Battuta's, and Saudi statistics: about 2.5 million pilgrims in 2019 and 1.8 million in 2024.
Questions and debates
Several rites predate Islam; scholars debate how older Arabian pilgrimage customs were reshaped into the Islamic Hajj.
Connections (2)
▸Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca is one of Five Pillars of IslamHistorical record
The connection
The Hajj is the fifth pillar, required once in a lifetime of adult Muslims who are healthy and can afford it without leaving their family in need. Unlike the other pillars, it can be done only in and around Mecca, and only on fixed days, 8–12 Dhu al-Hijja.
When and where
Made obligatory, by tradition, between about 628 and 631; first performed in full by Muhammad in 632.
Historical evidence
The Quran (3:97) commands pilgrimage 'for whoever is able'; hadith list it among the five pillars.
Questions and debates
Scholars debate the exact year it became obligatory; today Saudi quotas, about one pilgrim per 1,000 Muslims per country, limit who can fulfill it.
▸Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca brings millions to Mecca and the KaabaHistorical record
The connection
Each year about 2 million pilgrims converge on Mecca and the nearby sites of Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat within a few days. Saudi Arabia has spent tens of billions of dollars enlarging the Grand Mosque and building tent cities and rail lines to move the crowds, making religious travel a major industry.
When and where
Mecca and its surrounding holy sites, western Saudi Arabia; about 2.5 million pilgrims in 2019 and 1.8 million in 2024, after tight COVID limits in 2020–21.
Historical evidence
Official Saudi statistics; medieval travelers such as Ibn Jubayr and Ibn Battuta also described the vast crowds.
Questions and debates
Safety remains an open challenge: estimates of the 2015 Mina crush range from 769 official deaths to over 2,400, and extreme heat killed over 1,300 in 2024.