The first records of the word hajj in English come from the late 1600s. It comes from the Arabic word ḥajj, which means “pilgrimage.” The name of the month in which it takes place, Dhul-Hijjah, can be translated as “the month of the pilgrimage.”

In Islam, the hajj is traced to a pilgrimage made by Muhammad to a site known as the Kaaba. The Kaaba is a cube-shaped building that holds a black stone believed to have been given to Ibrahim by the angel Gabriel. The Qur’an (the Muslim scripture) tells the story of how Ibrahim and his son Ishmael were commanded by Allah to build it as a shrine on the spot of a miraculous well that allowed Ishmael and his mother, Ibrahim’s wife Hagar, to survive in the desert. Muslims believe Mecca was built around the Kaaba (and this is what Muslims face toward when saying their daily prayers).

Those participating in the pilgrimage take part in different rituals during each of its five days, including walking around the Kaaba. They also follow certain rules of behavior and dress, including wearing white clothes (called ihram) that symbolize the state of purity that Muslims must be in when undertaking the hajj.

The last three days of hajj coincide with the Muslim celebration of Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice.

What are some terms that often get used in discussing hajj?

Did you mean hadj?