Analysis of significance of Hajj

Point to assist analysis Hajj Muslims believe the Quran is the word of Allah and therefore undertaking the Hajj is Gods command Wearing of Ihram - arrival and change of clothes symbolising leaving self behind and equality of all Mecca - several rites including Tawaf and sipping water from Zamzam Well as a sign of spiritual submission. Submission is the only proper response to Tawhid Stoning of Satan rejection of all that leads away from God; return to Mecca and final seven turns around Kaba, which symbolizes belief in one God (Tawhid). Also belief in Satan is part of Islamic belief in Angels

Briefly describe the devotion and its links to principal beliefs

Three-day feast concurrently celebrated by Muslims all over the world brother/sisterhood of Ummah. Islamic belief in Ummah (one Community) comes from the belief in one God (Tawhid) i.e. ONE GOD demands that his people remain as one)

Explain how the devotion assists the individual to connect with the key beliefs

Connects adherents with the sacrifices of Prophets Ibrahim and Ishmael, who built the Ka'ba and prayed there. The Prophet Ibrahim first gives to Muslims the example of following and total submission to God. Pilgrims experience the places where Prophet Muhammad lived and preached message of Islam, particularly his final journey/sermon. The Hajj reminds Muslims of those important models of their faith the Prophets. It is the Prophet

Muhammad (through the Sunna) who gives to Muslims the way they are to live in order to fully submit to God.

Standing at Arafat asking for forgiveness is linked to belief in the Day of Judgement and Islamic belief in the Afterlife Adherents take the spirit of Hajj home with them to live in faithful submission to the will of Allah Hajj represents the supreme prayer for forgiveness of sins and is seen as the best preparation for life in eternity. The ultimate symbol of Ummah unity against all forms of racial, financial and ethnic division All are equal in Hajj and proclaim unto mankind the Hajj ... That they may witness things that are of benefit to them (Surah 22:27-8) Muslims who cannot attend Hajj do so in spirit thus emphasising the universality and sister/brotherhood of Islam As a pillar of Islam Hajj is a duty and as such assists the individual in their personal jihad - through this both the local and the universal Ummah are enriched

Clarify the relationship between the devotion and the support it gives to the life of the individual and the community