The Collective Importance Of Hajj

THE COLLECTIVE IMPORTANCE OF HAJJ H ajj is one of the most important annual acts of worship in Islam. It is performed in the last month of the lunar calendar, Dhul-Hijjah. The rituals of Hajj are performed in and around the Kaaba (Baytullah) and the surrounding regions of Makkah. This worship is called the most comprehensive of all acts of worship, as it includes every type of devotional aspect. One of those aspects is collectiveness and unity. The aspect of collectiveness and unity is very prominent in the worship of Hajj. In the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1984), while describing Hajj, this sentence is written: “About 2,000,000 persons perform the Hajj each year, and the rite serves as a unifying force in Islam by bringing followers of diverse backgrounds together in religious celebration.” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1985, Vol.4, p. 844) The Quran, when giving the command for Hajj, mentions: “And We made the House [the Kaaba] a place of assembly