Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca

What it is: Hajj is the major pilgrimage to Mecca, performed during a specific period of the Islamic calendar, with rites linked to the memory of Abraham, Ishmael, and Hagar.

How the religion understands it: The pilgrimage expresses submission to God, unity of the Muslim community, and the believer's insertion into a shared sacred history. For those who have the physical and economic means, it is a duty at least once in life.

Textual basis and context: The Qur'an commands the pilgrimage and the tradition details its rites. Hajj is one of the best-known images of Islam in the global public sphere.

Supportive

Qur'an 22:27

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Call to pilgrimage among the peoples.

Reference: Qur'an, surah 22, verse 27.
Content: The verse calls people to the pilgrimage, coming from distant paths.
Use in debate: It is associated with the universality and public character of hajj.

Qur'an 3:97

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Verse about the duty of pilgrimage.

Reference: Qur'an, surah 3, verse 97.
Content: The text declares that pilgrimage to the House is a duty for those who are able to undertake it.
Use in debate: It is the most direct basis for the obligation of hajj.