FOREWORD

FOREWORD H ajj is a congregational act of worship. Muslims from around the world gather at Makkah to perform the pilgrimage. The Hajj rite begins on the 7th day of Dhul Hijjah and ends on the 12th day. Every year, approximately two million individuals take part in this worship. The pilgrimage serves as a unifying platform that brings Muslims from different nations together in a religious gathering, fostering a profound sense of unity within the Islamic community. Their God is one and their Prophet is one. Hajj is a profound demonstration of unity and solidarity. The pilgrimage of Hajj is a sacred journey towards God. It represents the highest level of closeness to one’s Lord in this worldly life. While other forms of worship serve as a means of remembering God, however, Hajj is a means of attaining proximity to God. If other forms of worship are the worship of God at the level of the unseen, then Hajj is the worship of God at the level of the Seen (shuhood). Hajj is a divine encounter: It is a meeting with the Almighty. When a person embarks on the pilgrimage and reaches the sacred destinations of Hajj, he experiences extraordinary divine feelings.