Summary: A Muslim is required to complete Hajj at least once in his or her lifetime, if physically and financially able. About 2.5 million pilgrims complete the journey each year. The experience is one of the five pillars of Islam, and according to some researchers, dates back to the time of the prophet Muhammad, who they say completed Hajj after the defeat of Mecca. On Hajj, Muslims circle the Karsquo;bah, a house rebuilt 4000 years ago, according to Muslim tradition. Rounding the Karsquo;bah seven times is done to re-enact the search for water by Hagar, Ishmaelrsquo;s mother. The pilgrims also throw rocks at stone pillars representing the devil. Muslims who have completed Hajj are known as Hajji. Having completed Hajj twice, once in the mid-1990s and again in 2001, Saleb D. shares his experience. ldquo;My wife and I went to Hajj. It was very hard to describe. I thought I was prepared for what to expect,rdquo; says D. When D. went on the pilgrimage, he explains that he became aware of what an overwhelming experience it was, especially the sense of accomplishment of having completed Hajj. ldquo;When you are circling the Karsquo;bah, or walking to Mina or Muzdalifah,rdquo; said D., ldquo;you cannot really distinguish people from each other, because everyone is wearing exactly the same kind of clothes. You completely lose the distinction between either races or stature. You just move among human beings.rdquo; Ihram is the traditional dress of the Hajj experience. It is made of two white pieces of cloth, designed to remove distinctions of class between the pilgrims. Lelah Debah is another Hajji and has been on Hajj three times, most recently in 1986. She says Hajj is not just about performing rituals, the pilgrimage is also about connecting with other people. ldquo;You get to meet people from other countries, so it becomes a cultural exchange of information and knowledge,rdquo; states Debah. She enjoys the cultural socialization and that is why she has gone on Hajj three times. ldquo;When I was older, it was more emotional. I had already been there three times and was more mature,rdquo; Debah says. She explains that the sheer magnitude of the crowd was not as distracting to her upon the third visit. She was better able to focus inwardly. Debahrsquo;s most recent Hajj was undertaken with her father. She says the opportunity provided them with a chance to connect. ldquo;He took care of me,rdquo; she states. ldquo;I was still an adult, but he gave me guidance. I think thatrsquo;s my favorite memory.rdquo; Katrine J. is a doctoral candidate at Indiana University. She went on Umrah in 2007. Umrah is a pilgrimage that is smaller than Hajj, is not obligatory, has fewer rituals and can be completed any time of the year. According to J., Umrah can be accomplished in either one, two or three days. Umrah is very physical, but the real benefit is spiritual, said J, adding that it was a very emotional experience. ldquo;When I was there, I cried so much,rdquo; J. says, ldquo;I felt that religion is much more serious than what I thought it to be.rdquo; J. explains that before going on Umrah, she did not always take religion or life seriously. ldquo;We just read it. We just go over it,rdquo; she states. J. explains, ldquo;When you experience those things [Umrah activities], itrsquo;s physically exhausting, but at the same time, it shows you that therersquo;s something much more than what we really think. The religious experience becomes more of a real thing.rdquo;
