Carpe Diem #1742 Hajj ... the muslim trail to Mecca

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new "act of devotion", all different pilgrimages around the world. Today I have chosen for the once in a lifetime pilgrimage of our muslim citizens ... the Hajj. As I was preparing this episode something strange happened. As I read Hajj ... I thought immediately to the first word of my salutation ... Hajin. Both words look very similar and even the sound of the both words is almost the same. The next thought I had ... "Is there a connection between Islam and Haiku?" Isn't it a strange idea? Our beloved haiku, originaly from Japan, and Islam. So I thought maybe there are haiku themed "Islam".

Mosque

I found a few haiku on Islam created by Ken Gaertner:

Sun glares on white sand.
Abayas flow with the wind,
Prayers float into thin clouds.

© Ken Gaertner

Or this one, also by Ken Gaertner:

Apple blossoms fall,
Sunlight in an empty cup.
Morning prayers chanted.


The ultimate goal of the Hajj is to walk around the Kaaba at Mecca in honor of Allah and as a tribute to The Prophet.

Kaaba Mecca

The Hajj ("pilgrimage") is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims, and a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and can support their family during their absence.

The literal meaning of the word Hajj is heading to a place for the sake of visiting. In Islamic terminology, Hajj is a pilgrimage made to Kaaba, the "House of Allah", in the sacred city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The rites of Hajj are performed over five or six days, beginning on the eighth and ending on the thirteenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, alongside Shahadah, Salat, Zakat and Sawm. The Hajj is the second largest annual gathering of Muslims in the world, after the Arba'een Pilgrimage in Karbala, Iraq.The state of being physically and financially capable of performing the Hajj is called istita'ah, and a Muslim who fulfils this condition is called a mustati. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God (Allah).The word Hajj means "to attend a journey", which connotes both the outward act of a journey and the inward act of intentions.

walking around
the house of the Creator
once in a lifetime

© Chèvrefeuille

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until September 16th at noon (CEST). I will try to publish our new episode later on. For now ... be inspired and have fun!