The Pilgrimage Of Islam

he rite of pilgrimage has played a central role in spiritual traditions since earliest times. For fourteen centuries, Muslims have undertaken the pilgrimage and today it is the world's largest annual spiritual gathering.

is a lucid exposition of the Hajj, the journey to the House of God, the Ka`bah, which is situated in the heart of the sacred city of Mecca. One of the five pillars of the Islamic faith, the Hajj is obligatory on all Muslims who are able to undertake the journey at least once in a lifetime. The Prophet Muhammad's original Hajj is described, upon which the present-day pilgrimage is based, and a step by step account offers the reader a rare insight into the inner meaning of the outer rites of the Hajj, for ultimately, the physical journey to Mecca is also a spiritual pilgrimage to the knowledge of God.