Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims are required to make once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able to do so. It represents the coming together of Muslims from all over the world in a spirit of unity and equality. During Hajj, pilgrims engage in rituals of worship and reflection intended to deepen their spiritual connection with God and experience humility and submission. Sociologically, Hajj breaks down social and cultural divides as pilgrims from many nations interact and see their shared identity as Muslims as more important than differences. Functionally, Hajj reinforces Islamic principles of equality of all people and avoidance of sins through rituals like wearing the plain white ihram garment and

1. Assignment
Sociology of Religion
Sociological perspectives of Hajj and Eid ul Azha
Topics
1. Introduction to Hajj
2. Virtues about Hajj
3. Spiritual perspective
4. Sociological perspective
5. Functionalist perspective
6. Conflict perspective
7. Personal argument
8. Eid ul Azha
9. Conclusion
10. Reference
By
Muhammad Qasi
Bs 4th
Sociology department
International Islamic university Islamabad

2. 1. Introduction
For the Muslim pilgrim the significance of the Hajj is entrenched in its multiple layers covering
the personal spiritual elevation experienced to the unity of togetherness of the Islamic
community. This is qualified by the fact that the Hajj pilgrimage, one of the largest spiritual
gatherings on the planet, unites nations and all races as a single brotherhood in spite of
political, economic and social differences.
The significance of the Hajj journey begins simply with an intention on the part of the aspirant
pilgrim. This intention begins the physical, spiritual and mental preparation process which
underlies the success of the pilgrimage. The importance of the intention ensures that the
individual has the mental capacity to undertake the journey. This is in addition to an awareness
of the magnanimity of the experience.
2. Virtues of Hajj
"And pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah upon everyone who
is able to undertake the journey to it – 3:96 Quran
“And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every
lean camel (means of transport); they will come from every distant pass -That they may witness
benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah…” [Al-Hajj 22: 27, 28]
And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find
there to a way. But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.”
(Qur’an 3:97)
Hajj is one of the pillars in Islam and was commanded in 9A.H. It is the perfection of faith and
true surrender to the Almighty. It is a stage in which man can develop himself spiritually. It is a
time when the pilgrim forgets his own hearth and home, his comforts and amenities of life, his
dear wives and children, his hard-earned wealth, his friends, relatives and everything he
possesses, therefore leading to the conclusion that Hajj is the best training ground for absolute
and complete surrender to the divine command.
Hajj teaches us complete submission to divine will, because one without sufficiently
understanding the inner meaning of going round the kabaah kissing the black stone, running
between safa and marwa and the throwing of stones at jamrat does these things in blind
submission to divine order. Therefore, God becomes pleased with his servant saying:

3. 3. Spiritual perspective
 Worship is the journey of the soul and a continued spiritual life in divine light. A true
Hajj is the evolution of one's soul.
 The Hajj has deep and wonderful influences on the spiritual life of Hajjis.
 It gives them a new life and a new direction; most of the Hajjis, after returning back
after completing the Hajj, are full of determination.
 We must take care that after returning from Hajj, we should not go back to committing
sins.
 The purpose of the Hajj is purification of soul and refinement of faith.
 The rites of Hajj are particularly unappealing to human mood – staying in the open,
walking bare-foot, throwing of stones at Satan, facing sun and cold of night, and many
other such rites which would not appeal so much to us in other situations.
 But the purpose behind all such rites is to make man humble and submissive in entirety
before His Lord.
4. Sociological perspective
Every year, more than two million Muslim men and women from over a hundred countries
gather in Mecca to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage. Although the Hajj takes place on five
specified days each year, pilgrims often spend a month engaged in prayer and ritual in Mecca
and Medina. Pilgrims mix across the lines of ethnicity, nationality, sect, and gender that divide
them in everyday life and affirm a common identity by performing the same rituals and
dressing in similar garments that emphasize their equality.
Understanding the impact on pilgrims of participation in the Hajj sheds light not only on Islam
and its institutions, but also on the shaping of beliefs and identity more generally. Of particular
interest is how this experience affects views towards others – not only fellow Muslims with
whom the pilgrim interacts but also with non-Muslims. Theories of social interaction suggest
that exposure to other groups may promote empathy or antipathy towards them depending on
the nature of the interaction. In addition, the literature on social identity suggests that
strengthened attachment to a group through interaction may be accompanied by negative
feelings toward those outside the group.
Numerous pilgrim accounts suggest that the Hajj inspires feelings of unity with the worldwide
Muslim community. There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world… they all
participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that bring more
unity brotherhood and sympathy among people from different countries.
All Muslims, whatever sect they belong to, consider it obligatory to perform Hajj once in life. It
is interesting to note that it is obligatory both on men as well as women. Women too have been
performing Hajj coming from all over the world, from far and near, journeying through land and
ocean. There is complete equality between men and women in all-religious obligations be it

4. praying, fasting, giving zakat or performing Hajj. Women have not been exempted from any of
these obligations.
On all roads leading to Bait al-Haram in Mecca one sees thousands and thousands of men and
women praying on the roads. It is quite an experience to see hundreds of thousands of Muslims
from all over the world gathered there.
 One sees bewildering diversity of the Muslim world in Mecca during the time of Hajj.
 There are Muslims practically from all countries of the world. There were Muslims from
158 countries.
 There are dark black Muslims there are Muslims with light black color, whitish color and
with white skin too.
 There are Muslims speaking numerous languages, European, African and Asian. Even in
announcements several languages are used officially English, French, Persian, Urdu,
Hindi, Indonesian, And Bengali and others.
 And there is great sense of unity among this rich diversity. Allah creates all and hence
they are all equal.
The Qur’an says “We have honored the children of Adam” (17:70). This is clear and ringing
declaration of dignity of human beings and this declaration was made more than fourteen
hundred years ago when all sorts of discrimination were practiced.
5. Functionalist perspective of Hajj
We practice these discriminations even today despite our tremendous scientific, technological
and social progress. Of course there are people belonging to different racial, ethnic, national,
tribal and linguistic groups but that should not be a basis of any discrimination whatsoever.
These differences are for identification, nothing more.
We see during Hajj as many women as men all dressed in white, a unique sight. It is also
important to note for those who oppose entry of women to mosques that here in the two most
sacred mosques of Islam i.e. Baitullah and Masjidun Nabi in Medina, men and women not only
pray together in these Mosques but stand shoulder to shoulder and in one line. Not only that
thousands of women pray, along with men, on the roadside as even in these two largest
Mosques of the world there is no sufficient space for all pilgrims to pray.
And significantly enough the Quran describes different colors and languages as signs of Allah. It
says, “And of His signs are the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your
tongues and colors. Surely there are signs in this for the learned” (30:22). Thus color of the skin
or ones language should not be the basis of any discrimination between human beings.
One actually sees this during the Hajj. All are equal there whatever color or language group
they belong to or whatever country they come from. They are all creatures of Allah and His
servants. It is very heartening to see a sea of humanity of all dressed in white unstitched sheet

5. of cloth as if as innocent as just born. The white is indicative of complete innocence.
One who comes for Hajj rids himself/herself of all sins and resolves not to commit sins any
more. All clad in white rich or poor have same status. All clad in white is also indicative of
asceticism. Today many of our sins are committed as we are in race for consuming more and
more.
Thus ihram (the white unstitched cloth is a symbol of purity, of restraint in consumption, of
consuming what is (permissible and pure), non accumulation and avoidance of greed. The word
ihram itself is indicative of restraint, prohibition and taboo. It is not merely wearing a plain
sheet of white cloth; it amounts to refraining from all that is forbidden. While wearing ihram
one cannot even kill a fly.
One has to strictly observe non-violence and this is not merely in symbolical but in substantial
sense. In the state of ihram one cannot kill even a fly and even after shedding ihram one cannot
kill any one unjustly and one who as performed Hajj must strictly refrain from killing anyone
unjustly. Thus wearing of ihram is a matter of great responsibility. If this responsibility is
discharged there will be no conflict and bloodshed in the world.
Thus wearing ihram must make a Muslim just and non-violent in his/her actions. He/she must
restrain himself/herself from all that is not halal. The word halal comes from hall, which means
opening a knot. If we do only what is halal all our knots will open and the life will be smooth.
It is true white is symbol of purity and innocence but it in no way is indicative of superiority
over black. Lest one mistakes superiority of white over black let me stress here that main part
of Hajj consists of circumambulating around Hajar al-aswad - a black stone and sa`ay i.e.
running seven times between Safa and Marwa which is in commemoration of running of a black
Ethiopian slave woman.
Thus white goes round the black, a black stone and a black woman. Neither white is superior to
black nor black over white; neither man is superior over woman nor woman over man in the
eyes of Allah. All are His creation and hence equally honorable.
It is again in Mina that a sacrificial animal is slaughtered. Not that Allah needs our sacrifice, not
that blood and flesh of animal reaches Allah. Thus it is very clear that Allah does not need
sacrifice of animal but it is the spirit of sacrifice, righteousness and observance of duty which is
important. It is symbolic of the fact that one cannot get rid of evil without sacrifice. Thus it is
significant that both - stoning the Satan and sacrifice of animal - is done at Mina.
One must sacrifice in order to accept the Greatness of Allah. And it is no easy thing to do.
One has to kill one’s own ego, has to control ones desires, has to give up what is in excess of
one’s personal needs, one has to accept in its true spirit.
That is real sacrifice. Thus Hajj comes to an end at Mina with sacrifice of an animal and stoning
of three Satins as far as the rituals are concerned. The sacrificing of animals in mina is another

6. ritual of Muslims community which also performs in all over the world by Muslims which also
called Eid ul azha.
6. Conflict perspective of Hajj
The climax of the hajj is the massive procession to the plain of Arafat just outside Mecca on the
ninth day of Dhū al-Hijjah. Two million pilgrims from more than one hundred countries gather
in tents that cover the valley and surrounding mountains as far as the eye can see. From just
after noon until shortly after sunset they are absorbed in continuous prayer and conversation.
Many believe that at this spot and time God's spirit descends closest to earth, making it easier
for human prayers to attract his attention.
Many governments have tried to use the hajj for political and economic gain, particularly by
increasing pilgrimage services during election campaigns and by awarding lucrative contracts to
selected businesses. These practices simultaneously reflect and aggravate the growing
politicization of the hajj, both nationally and internationally. Entrenched elites manipulate the
pilgrimage at their own peril. Government sponsorship and control frequently swell into a
virtual state monopoly over a lucrative hajj enterprise. Such monopolies commonly breed
favoritism, resentment, and heightened conflict among parties, regions, classes, and ethnic
groups. This sort of pilgrimage policy not only threatens to undermine the political elites who
wield it, but also ultimately contradicts the ideals of the hajj.
7. Personal arguments on conflict perspective
 Millions of people gather in one place it creates a great disturbance for those people
who are not believers of the rituals and may be a chance of conflict among them.
 A lot of people gather in one place had made a lot of pollution air pollution Sound
pollution and environment pollution.
 A lot of people suffer from different problems.
 Health problem millions of people comes from all over the world a great chance of
transformation of different disease from people to people.
 The shortage of hospitals medicines and food for the people.
 More than two million people and a hundred thousand vehicles break camp and rush
out of the valley, creating the world's largest traffic jam.
8. Eid-ul-Azha sociological perspective
With the passage of time, Eid-ul-Azha has become a cultural celebration for many people as
they slowly forget the essence and significance of this Eid. The true highlight of this month is
the Hajj, as it is the fifth pillar of Islam and compulsory for every able-bodied and financially
capable Muslim. The rituals of the Hajj and the festivities of Eid-ul-Azha are in fact related.
These two events together serve as the epitome of unity; the Hajj unites strangers from the
remotest corners of the world to the Holy city of Makah and climaxes with the sacrifice of

7. animals. The wave of this sacrifice spreads to the rest of the world as financially solvent
Muslims everywhere in the world also do the same.
It is not uncommon for people living abroad to return to their country to celebrate Eid with
their families. A large number of people leave the capital for villages as well to celebrate the
festival with their near and dear ones. Cattle traders wait for customers at many makeshift
markets to sell their sacrificial animals. Everyone tries to buy a sacrificial animal with his own
budget. The animals permissible for sacrifice are goat, sheep, cow, bull, buffalo and camels.
Eid means recurring happiness or festivities. According to Hadith, it is described as a day of
remembrance, gratitude and forgiveness. It is encouraged to wear ones best clothes on the Eid
day. So, men and children are usually seen flocking to Eidgahs wearing colorful clothes.
Sacrificing animals in the name of Allah. The meat is usually divided into three portions. One-
third of the meat needs to be given to the poor and the needy as unity is an important theme of
the festival and the poor have the right to enjoy the feast. One-third of the meat is given out to
friends and family, while one-third is kept with the family offering the sacrifice. The portion
kept with the family is the one that forms part of the feast and family, friends, relatives,
neighbors and other guests are entertained with this.
9. Conclusion
Hajj is the most evident and effective lesson of equality and brotherhood to mankind. Hajj is
the foundation stone of unity in one belief and faith in One God. Hajj destroys racism murders
casteism eradicates regionalism, eliminates nationalism, and systematically annihilates
polytheism from the minds of worshipers gathered in His house under His watch to submit
before His will. Our findings show that, despite pilgrims being past the age at which belief and
identity are considered most malleable, the Hajj has quite a remarkable effect in shaping the
views of world Muslims pilgrims. It induces a shift from localized beliefs and practices towards
global Islamic practice, increases tolerance, and leads to more favorable attitudes toward
women. We find no evidence that by raising cohesion within the Muslim community, the Hajj
threatens non-Muslims. On the contrary, the Hajj makes pilgrims more peacefully inclined, and
increased tolerance extends to adherents of other religions. We conclude with some tentative
implications of our results on how social institutions help shape individual beliefs and identity
and, at a macro-level, how they may foster unity within belief systems.
10. Reference/Bibliography;
 Oxford Islamic studies press Venetia Porter's The Art of Hajj, F. E. Peters';
 From Spiritual living article published on October 28-2012 by Zulfah Abraham’s writer at hilum network.
 From Daily sun magazine Muhammad Eusha.
 Estimating the Impact of the Hajj, Religion and Tolerance in Islam’s Global Gathering David Clinging
smith