Badshahi Mosque

The Badshahi Mosque (Punjabi, Urdu: بادشاھی مسجد), or the 'Emperor's Mosque', in Lahore is the second largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fifth largest mosque in the world. It is Lahore's most famous landmark and a major tourist attraction epitomising the beauty, passion and grandeur of the Mughal era.

Capable of accommodating 10,000 worshippers in its main prayer hall and 100,000 in its courtyard and porticoes, it remained the largest mosque in the world from 1673 to 1986 (a period of 313 years), when overtaken in size by the completion of the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. Today, it remains the second largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fifth largest mosque in the world after the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca, the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina, the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca and the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad.

To appreciate its large size, the four minarets of the Badshahi Mosque are 13.9 ft (4.2 m) taller than those of the Taj Mahal and the main platform of the Taj Mahal can fit inside the 278,784 sq ft (25,899.9 m²) courtyard of the Badshahi Mosque, which is the largest mosque courtyard in the world.

Data Durbar Complex

Data Durbar is the tomb of Hazrat Syed Abul Hassan Bin Usman Bin Ali Al-Hajweri, the famous Sufi saint of Iran, where hundreds of thousands of people come each year to pay their respects and to say their prayers. It is located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The large complex also includes Jamia Hajveria, or Hajveri Mosque.

Masjid al-Qiblatain

Masjid al-Qiblatain (المسجد القبلتین) (Mosque of the two Qiblas) is a mosque in Medina that is historically important for Muslims as the place where a companion leading the prayer was told of the change of Qibla and did 180 turn he is said to have been commanded to change the direction of prayer (qibla) from Jerusalem to Mecca. Thus it uniquely contained two prayer niches (mihrabs). Recently the mosque was renovated, removing the old prayer niche facing Jerusalem and leaving the one facing Mecca.

Masjid e Tooba

Masjid e Tooba or Tooba Mosque is located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Locally, it is also known as the Gol Masjid. Masjid e Tooba was built in 1969 in Defense Housing Society, Karachi. It is located just off main Korangi Road. Masjid e Tooba is often claimed to be the largest single dome mosque in the world. It is also major tourist attraction in Karachi. Masjid e Tooba is built with pure white marble. The dome of the Masjid e Tooba is 72 meters (236 feet) in diameter, and is balanced on a low surrounding wall with no central pillars. Masjid e Tooba has a single minaret standing 70 meters high. The central prayer hall has a capacity of 5,000 people. It has been built keeping acoustics in mind. A person speaking inside one end of the dome can be heard at the other end. This mosque was designed by Pakistani architect Dr Babar Hamid Chauhan.

Grozny Central Dome Mosque

Akhmad Kadyrov Grozny Central Dome Mosque is located in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, and bears the name of Akhmad Kadyrov.

On October 16, 2008, the mosque was officially opened in a ceremony in which Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov spoke and was Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. This mosque is one of the biggest in Europe. In this mosque ten thousand Muslims can pray at a time.^[1]

Faisal Mosque

The Faisal Mosque in Islamabad is the largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fourth largest mosque in the world. It was the largest mosque in the world from 1986 to 1993 when overtaken in size by the completion of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. Subsequent expansions of the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca and the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina, Saudi Arabia during the 1990s relegated Faisal Mosque to fourth place in terms of size.

Faisal Mosque is the National Mosque of Pakistan. It has a covered area of 5,000 m² (54,000 sq ft) and has a capacity to accommodate approximately 300,000 worshippers (100,000 in its main prayer hall, courtyard and porticoes and another 200,000 in its adjoining grounds). Although its covered main prayer hall is smaller than that of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca (the world's third largest mosque), Faisal Mosque has the third largest capacity of accommodating worshippers in its adjoining grounds after the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca, the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina.^[2]. Each of the Mosque's four minarets are 80 m (260 ft) high (the tallest minarets in South Asia) and measure 10 x 10 m in circumference.

The Faisal Mosque is named after the late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, who supported and financed the project.

It is located in Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan. It is situated at the north end of Faisal Avenue, putting it at the northernmost end of the city and in front of a magnificent backdrop provided by the Margalla Hills, the westernmost foothills of the Himalayas. It is a focal point of Islamabad, and a famous and recognized icon of the city.

New Mosque (Istanbul)

The Yeni Mosque, New Mosque or Mosque of the Valide Sultan (Turkish: 'Yeni Cami, Yeni Valide Camii') is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the Eminönü district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is situated on the Golden Horn at the southern end of the Galata Bridge. It is one of the best-known sights of Istanbul

The first stage in construction of the mosque started in 1597. It was ordered by Safiye Sultan, who was the wife of Sultan Murad III. The original architect was Davut Aga, an apprentice to the great Mimar Sinan. However, Davut Aga died in 1599 and was replaced by Dalgic Ahmed Cavus.

The project was hampered by political disconnect, and its location and monetary implications created dissent in the court. The Eminönü neighborhood was the city's foremost commercial center, and home to a predominantly Jewish population. In situating the mosque there, Safiye Sultan hoped to extend the sphere of Islamic influence within the city, capitalizing on the growing discontent of local and foreign merchants with the growing power and influence of their Jewish counterparts, which gave the Sultan an easy justification for confiscating their property. However, the vast monetary outlay drew sharp criticism. In particular, the Janissaries resented the growing political power of the Valide Sultan, and believed the mosque to be an unnecessary expenditure. Safiye Sultan was forced to abandon the project upon Mehmet III's death. The new Sultan Ahmed I had no interest in pursuing the project after Safiye Sultan was relegated to the harem and the construction was abandoned.

The partially constructed structure fell into ruins, and was largely destroyed by a fire in 1660. Later that year, the imperial architect Mustafa Aga suggested that Valide Turhan Hadice, mother of Sultan Mehmet IV, complete the project as a work of piety. The mosque was finally finished in 1663, and inaugurated in 1665

Sultan Ahmed Mosque

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii) is the national mosque of Turkey, and is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is one of several mosques known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.

It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul.

Construction of the mosque started in August 1609 when the sultan himself came to break the first sod. It was his intention that this would become the first mosque of his empire. He appointed his royal architect Sedefhar Mehmet Ağa, a pupil and senior assistant of the famous architect Sinan as the architect in charge of the construction. The organization of the work was described in meticulous detail in eight volumes, now in the library of the Topkapı Palace. The opening ceremonies were held in 1617 (although the gate of the mosque records 1616) and the sultan was able to pray in the royal box (hünkâr mahfil). The building was not yet finished in this last year of his reign, as the last accounts were signed by his successor Mustafa I. Known as the Blue Mosque, Sultan Ahmet Mosque is one of the most impressive monuments in the world. It is one of the elements included in the complex built by Ahmed I to compete with Ayasofya.^[3]

Does Islam tolerate other beliefs?

The Quran says: God forbids you not, with regards to those who fight you not for [your] faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them; for God loveth those who are just. (Quran, 60:8)

It is one function of Islamic law to protect the privileged status of minorities, and this is why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic world. History provides many examples of Muslim tolerance towards other faiths: when the caliph Omar entered Jerusalem in the year 634, Islam granted freedom of worship to all religious communities in the city.

Islamic law also permits non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts, which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities themselves.

ABOVE: Mosque of Omar and Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem. When the caliph Omar took Jerusalem from the Byzantines, he insisted on entering the city with only a small number of his companions. Proclaiming to the inhabitants that their lives and property were safe, and that their places of worship would never be taken from them, he asked the Christian patriarch Sophronius to accompany him on a visit to all the holy places.

The Patriarch invited him to pray in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but he preferred to pray outside its gates, saying that if he accepted, later generations of Muslims might use his action as an excuse to turn it into a mosque. Above is the mosque built on the spot where Omar did pray.

RIGHT: According to Islam, man is not born in 'original sin'. He is God's vicegerent on earth. Every child is born with the fitra, an innate disposition towards virtue, knowledge, and beauty. Islam considers itself to be the 'primordial religion', din al-hanif, it seeks to return man to his original, true nature in which he is in harmony with creation, inspired to do good, and confirming the Oneness of God.

About ALLAH:

It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word God which can be made plural, Gods, or feminine, Goddess. It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.

The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Allah. The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his contemporaries about Allah; the answer came directly from Allah Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Quran, which is considered the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter 112 which reads:

"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Say (O Muhammad) Allah is God the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone."

Some non-Muslims allege that God in Islam is a stern and cruel God who demands to be obeyed fully. He is not loving and kind. Nothing can be farther from truth than this allegation. It is enough to know that, with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the Quran begins with the verse: "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate." In one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) we are told that "God is more loving and kinder than a mother to her dear child."

Islam in the United States

It is almost impossible to generalize about American Muslims: converts, immigrants, factory workers, doctors; all are making their own contribution to America's future. This complex community is unified by a common faith, underpinned by a countrywide network of a thousand mosques.

Muslims were early arrivals in North America. By the eighteenth century there were many thousands of them, working as slaves on plantations. These early communities, cut off from their heritage and families, inevitably lost their Islamic identity as time went by. Today many Afro-American Muslims play an important role in the Islamic community.

The nineteenth century, however, saw the beginnings of an influx of Arab Muslims, most of whom settled in the major industrial centers where they worshipped in hired rooms. The early twentieth century witnessed the arrival of several hundred thousand Muslims from Eastern Europe: the first Albanian mosque was opened in Maine in 1915; others soon followed, and a group of Polish Muslims opened a mosque in Brooklyn in 1928.

In 1947 the Washington Islamic Center was founded during the term of President Truman, and several nationwide organizations were set up in the fifties. The same period saw the establishment of other communities whose lives were in many ways modeled after Islam. More recently, numerous members of these groups have entered the fold of Muslim orthodoxy. Today there are about five million Muslims in America.

GAR-E-HIRA

At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for twenty-three years, is known as the Quran

As soon as he began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel, and to preach the truth which God had revealed to him, he and his small group of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in the year 622 God gave them the command to emigrate. This event, the Hijra, 'migration', in which they left Makkah for the city of Madinah some 260 miles to the north, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.

After several years, the Prophet and his followers were able to return to Makkah, where they forgave their enemies and established Islam definitively. Before the Prophet died at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a century of his death Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as far East as China.

The Prophet's Mosque View

Masjid al Nabawi in daylightThe Mosque of the Prophet (Masjid al Nabawi) is the second holiest mosque, after the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. It is the second mosque to be founded by the Prophet Muhammed (saws), the first was Masjid Al-Quba. It was originally built by the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) and his companions and has later been extended several times by his followers.

The Mosque of the Prophet (pbuh) became his resting place after his death. The last Prophet's (pbuh) resting place is beneath the green dome. The first caliph, hadrath Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra), and the second caliph, hadrath Umar ibn Al Khattab (ra) are both also resting here. It contains a fourth grave as well, which is reserved for hadrat Isa / Jesus (as), when his time is up after his return to the earth.

The Prophet's Mosque in Medina Hajj 07

Masjid al Nabawi in daylightThe Mosque of the Prophet (Masjid al Nabawi) is the second holiest mosque, after the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. It is the second mosque to be founded by the Prophet Muhammed (saws), the first was Masjid Al-Quba. It was originally built by the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) and his companions and has later been extended several times by his followers.

The Mosque of the Prophet (pbuh) became his resting place after his death. The last Prophet's (pbuh) resting place is beneath the green dome. The first caliph, hadrath Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra), and the second caliph, hadrath Umar ibn Al Khattab (ra) are both also resting here. It contains a fourth grave as well, which is reserved for hadrat Isa / Jesus (as), when his time is up after his return to the earth.

The Prophet's (pbuh) lived where the dome is today after the Hijrah. The Rawdah - the area between his house and the original mihrab is a part of Jannah - paradise, according to a saying (hadith) of the Prophet (pbuh). He said: "What is between my house and my minbar is a garden from the gardens of Paradise". It is extremely crowded here - often hours before the prayer time, as it is every worshipper's desire to pray here. The area holds only a few hundered worshippers - maybe up to a thousand.

Haram Al Sharif and the KA`BA

Worshippers doing tawaf around the Ka'ba and praying inside the Hateem areaThe hateem is a part of the Ka'ba, the walls of the Ka'ba used to be where the walls of the Hateem is now.

The first man on earth - Prophet Adam (as) - first built the Kaaba. He (as) was told by Allah to build it "benath" Allah's throne, i.e. the throne of Allah is "above" the Kaba. However, the throne is symbolic in its nature as Allah is not a physical being that needs to rule from a throne. During time, the Kaba was destroyed and it was later re-built by the Prophets Ibrahim (as) and his son Ismail (as)

BRASS TACKS MISSION

n the words of Zaid Hamid sahib, the founder of BrassTacks, "Our organization is Pakistan, our identity is Islam, and our constitution is the quran". We represent nothing other than this. Our mission is to revive our pristine religious values, and helping create awareness among the people so they can understand the finer, subtle truths of our Islamic wisdom in relation to our current situation. Specifically, some of the salient points related to our mission are as follows:

1. Strengthen the people's belief in Pakistan. Promote the study of our history and the thoughts and speeches of Allama Iqbal and Qaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Familiarize the people with the Pakistan ideology, rekindle the spirit of patriotism, and counter and dispel any false propaganda against Pakistan.

2. Publish literature and video programs to educate the general public and government officials on key issues of national security, thus empowering them with the knowledge to take correct policy decisions.

3. Expose and suggest counter measures against the conspiracies of foreign agencies which are actively working to destabilize and divide us.

4. Free Pakistan from the vicious trap of interest-based economic and banking system which has artifically and fraudulantly indebted the whole nation to billions of dollars of loan.

5. Introduce the true 100% interest-free gold-based Islamic economic system in Pakistan. Publish credible research to demonstrate its economic soundness in modern times.

6. Rekindle the spirit of patriotism and brotherhood among the people, and introduce a culture of zakat-based spending, ecounraging the provision of free food to people under the Islamic concept of "Taam-el-miskeen".

7. Restore a sense of honor and dignity in the nation by reintroducing our people to their glorious Islamic heritage and pristine cultural and moral values.

8. Create awareness against foreign threats to Pakistan's strategic water, mineral and power resources, including the saftey and continuity of our nuclear defence program.

9. Promote and lobby for legal and constitutional reforms to reflect the true spirit of the Quran and Sunnah.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Name: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Where: Abu Dhabhi (UAE)
Opened : Dec 2007
SIze: The total building area exceeds 22,412 m^², about the size of five football fields.
Capacity: 40,000 worshippers

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque is named after the United Arab Emirates' late founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan, is not off-limits to non-Muslims. The biggest mosque in the UAE and considered within the Top 10 biggest mosques in the world.

The mosque has four minarets on the four corners of the mosque with a height of about 107 metres each. The mosque consists of 57 domes covering the outside yards, main and side entrances. All the domes of the mosque are decorated with white marble and the interior decor was made of the white gypsum. The best types of the colored floral marble and mosaics have been used to pave the courtyard of the mosque which is about 17,000 square metres.

BEAUTIFUL MAKKAH PICTURE

In Saudi Arabia, Within the City Of Makkah, you will find a grand mosque called 'Al-Haram Shareef'. Within this blessed and very holy mosque is the 'Kaabah Shareef', built by Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Hazrat Ismail (Ishmael). This is the place where millions of muslims from across the globe unite annually and perform The Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage, an obligation for all able muslims who have the health and wealth to perform it atleast once in their lifetime, One of the 5 Pillars Of Islam.

The Fatimid Empire

The Fatimids had their origins in Ifriqiya (modern-day Tunisia and eastern Algeria). The dynasty was founded in 909 byˤAbdullāh al-Mahdī Billah, who legitimised his claim through descent from Muhammadby way of his daughter Fātima as-Zahra and her husband ˤAlī ibn-Abī-Tālib, the firstShīˤa Imām, hence the name al-Fātimiyyūn "Fatimid".

Abdullāh al-Mahdi's control soon extended over all of central Maghreb, an area consisting of the modern countries ofMorocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, which he ruled from Mahdia, his newly-built capital in Tunisia.

The Fatimids entered Egypt in the late 900s, conquering the Ikhshidid dynasty and founding a new capital at al-Qāhira(Cairo) in 969.^[12] The name was a reference to the planet Mars, "The Subduer", which was prominent in the sky at the moment that city construction started. Cairo was intended as a royal enclosure for the Fatimid caliph and his army, though the actual administrative and economic capital of Egypt was in cities such as Fustat until 1169. After Egypt, the Fatimids continued to conquer the surrounding areas until they ruled from Tunisia to Syria and even crossed over into Sicily and southernItaly.

Under the Fatimids, Egypt became the center of an empire that included at its peak North Africa, Sicily, Palestine,Lebanon, Syria, the Red Sea coast of Africa, Yemen and the Hejaz^{[citation needed]}. Egypt flourished, and the Fatimids developed an extensive trade network in both the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. Their trade and diplomatic ties extended all the way to China and its Song Dynasty, which eventually determined the economic course of Egypt during the High Middle Ages.

Unlike other governments in the area, Fatimid advancement in state offices was based more on merit than on heredity. Members of other branches of Islam, like the Sunnis, were just as likely to be appointed to government posts as Shiites. Tolerance was extended even to non-Muslims such as Christians and Jews, who occupied high levels in government based on ability.^{[citation needed]} There were, however, exceptions to this general attitude of tolerance, most notably Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah.

The Fatimid palace was two parts. it used to be in the Khan el-Khalili area at Bin El-Quasryn street[1]

BIRTH PLACE OF HOLY PROPHET (P.B.U.H)

Birth Place of The Holy Prophet
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was born on the early morning of Monday the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal (April 3rd, 571 AD) in Makkah. He was named Muhammad (the Praised one, peace be upon him) by his grand-father Abdul Muttalib. The ravages of time have destroyed the original building but the place is the same where stood Abdullah's house the father of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), who belonged to the family of Hashim the noblest tribe of the clan of Quresh.

The Ummayad Empire

The gains of the Ummayad empire were consolidated upon when the Abbasid dynasty rose to power in 750, with the conquest of the Mediterranean islands including the Balearics and Sicily.^[2] The new ruling party had been instated on the wave of dissatisfaction propagated against the Ummayads, cultured mainly by the Abbasid revolutionary, Abu Muslim.^[3][4] Under the Abbasids, Islamic civilization flourished. Most notable was the development of Arabic prose and poetry, termed by The Cambridge History of Islam as its "golden age."^[5] This was also the case for commerce and industry (considered a Muslim Agricultural Revolution), and the arts and sciences (considered a Muslim Scientific Revolution), which prospered, especially under the rule of Abbasid caliphs al-Mansur (ruled 754 — 775), Harun al-Rashid (ruled 786 — 809), al-Ma'mun (ruled 809 — 813), and their immediate successors.^[6]

jama masjid

he Masjid-i Jahān-Numā (Persian: مسجد جھان نما, the 'World-reflecting Mosque'), commonly known as the Jama Masjid of Delhi, is the principal mosque of Old Delhi in India. Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal, and completed in the year 1656 AD, it is the largest and best-known mosque in India. It lies at the origin of a very busy central street of Old Delhi, Chandni Chowk.

The later name, Jāmi' Masjid, is a reference to the weekly Friday noon congregation prayers of Muslims, which are usually done at a mosque, the "congregational mosque" or "jāmi' masjid". The courtyard of the mosque can hold up to twenty-five thousand worshippers. The mosque also houses several relics in a closet in the north gate, including a copy of the Qur'an written on deer skin.

QUBA MOSQUE

- It was the first mosque to be built in Medina. Allah, the Exalted, praised this Mosque and those who maintained it, "There is a Mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on Piety; it is more worthy of thy standing forth [for Prayer] therein. In it are men who love to be purified, and Allah loveth those who make themselves pure." Thereupon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to them, "What is the good thing you are performing in this Mosque that Allah has so highly praised you?" They said, "We use both stone and water for purification."

2.It has been narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to ride his camel and visit Quba' every Saturday and Monday. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever performs ablution at home, then comes to Quba' Mosque to perform Prayer therein, will get the reward as for `Umrah."

3.It has also been reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever prays in Quba' Mosque on Monday and Thursday is given the reward as for `Umrah."

history part 2

Photo: Crowds at the small town of Mina cast pebbles at pillars that symbolize evil.

The major rites of the hajj begin on the eighth day of Dhu al-Hijjah when, with thunderous cries of "Labbayk!" the pilgrims pour out of Mecca to Mina, where, as the Prophet did, they meditate overnight. On the next day they proceed en masse to 'Arafat, even farther outside Mecca, and pray and meditate in what is the central rite of the pilgrimage: "the standing" - a few precious hours of profound self-examination, supplication, and penance in which, many say, a Muslim comes as close to God as he can, on earth.

At 'Arafat many actually do stand - from just after noon to just before sunset - but some also visit other pilgrims or the Mount of Mercy, where Muhammad delivered his farewell sermon. The standing is not the end of the hajj, but is the culmination of a Muslim's devotional life. As the Prophet said, "The best of prayers is the prayer of the Day of 'Arafat."

After sunset the pilgrims move to a place called Muzdalifah, where they gather stones for the "throwing of the pebbles" or "stoning of the pillars," and then pray and sleep. The third day of the pilgrimage, back at Mina, they enact a repudiation of evil by throwing the pebbles at a pillar held by many to represent Satan. According to one tradition it was in this area that Satan urged Abraham to disobey God's command to sacrifice his son Ishmael. At Mina too, begins 'Id al-Adha, the great worldwide Feast of Sacrifice during which the pilgrims sacrifice animals - partly to commemorate Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son and partly to symbolize a Muslim's willingness to sacrifice what is dearest to him. As Muslims throughout the world perform identical sacrifices on the same day, the Muslims at Mina in effect share their pilgrimage with Muslims everywhere.

history part 1

Photo: Dressed in their simple ihram garments, all pilgrims are equal in the eyes of God.

The hajj proper must be made between the eighth and thirteenth days of the 12th month - Dhu al-Hijjah - of the Muslim year, but in one sense it begins when a Muslim approaches Mecca, bathes, trims his nails and hair, discards jewelry and headgear, and puts on the ihram dress. This consists of two simple white seamless garments symbolizing a state of purity; in donning it pilgrims make a declaration of pilgrimage and pronounce a devotional utterance called the talbiyah: "Here I am, O God, at Thy Service" - in Arabic the joyous cry "Labbayk!" After donning the ihram dress, the pilgrims may enter the haram, the sacred precinct surrounding Mecca, and then Mecca itself, where they perform the tawaf - the circling of the Ka'bah - and the sa'y - the running between two hills at al-Mas'a in Mecca. All this can be part of the 'umrah or "lesser pilgrimage," often a prelude to the hajj but not an integral part of it. One of the main distinctions between the hajj and the 'umrah is that the 'umrah can be done at any time of the year, while the hajj must be performed on specified dates.