Sacred Journeys: The Hajj

The pilgrimage to Mecca, called the Hajj, is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, something all able-bodied persons are expected to do at least once in their lives.  With more than 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, that makes the pilgrimage to Mecca a pilgrimage undertaken in the midst of a vast crowd.

The crowds are a theme here again and again: even at 2 a.m., the sacred sites are a sea of humanity. A bus journey from Mecca to Medina that might take 3 or 4 hours without traffic takes 10 hours or more. The pilgrims find themselves calculating how to approach the Stone of Heaven without being crushed by the crowds. Religious officials talk about redesigning the pillars where pilgrims symbolically throw stones at Satan so that those on the other side will not be struck by flying stones.

That vast crowd is undeniably a critical part of the experience of the pilgrimage. All males wear the same clothing, a simple wrap of white cotton, which symbolizes their equality before God. Women choose simple clothing, abandoning jewelry and make up. They all walk together, side by side, around the Kaaba. Only Muslims are allowed into the sacred cities of Mecca and Medina, so they are united in their faith and practice.  "You feel the oneness, and how small you are, just one part of the whole," says one pilgrim.

With such a vast press of people everywhere, the only way the Hajj can happen is if people cooperate, if they open themselves up to God and to one another. Community is a central discovery of the pilgrimage.  "The Hajj is human beings on their best human behavior," says one scholar. "If they can do this year after year, millennia after millennia, there is hope for humanity."

How is community and dependence on others part of your spiritual experience? Have you ever, as one pilgrim describes, been alone with God in a sea of millions (or what seemed like millions)? How is community formed and sustained in your faith tradition?

Please add your own thoughts, reflections, and questions in the comments below: we look forward to a lively discussion!

A few guidelines for respectful dialogue:

•       Speak out of your own experience: in other words, talk about what you believe, not what others believe, and share what *you* think. Don't put words in others' mouths. 

•       Try to see from another's point of view. "Try on" new ways of thinking! 

•       If something makes you angry, take a few minutes before you respond, until you can write without anger. Write about your own reaction, not someone else's presumed intentions. 

•       Above all, honor the dignity of all persons, and treat everyone as you would like to be treated. Speak respectfully towards the views of others, even if they are at odds with your own. 

If you didn't have an opportunity to view the episodes during this episode's premier on Tuesday, Dec. 23, you can find additional broadcasts here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/sacredjourneys/content/schedule/

If you missed last week’s episodes, you can view them on demand here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/sacredjourneys/content/video/