SAUDI ARABIA POST in 1986 issued a set of postage stamps on the rituals of pilgrimage (Hajj). In this set, each stamp was dedicated to the rituals of Hajj, such as: standing at Arafah, stoning the Jamarat, and performing the circumambulation around the Kaaba.
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and it is obligatory for every Muslim if he/she is physically and financially able. Hajj has a specific season in the last month of the lunar Hijri year named Dhu al-Hijjah. In it, Muslims make a pilgrimage to the city of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and perform a series of rituals according to a specific order within a few days. The stamps below display these rituals.
Ihram...
is the intention to enter into Hajj. One replaces normal clothes with the Ihram garments. The ihram clothing for men consists of two pure white pieces of cloth that is not stitched. As for women, they may wear any covering dress they want without being restricted to a specific color. For pilgrims coming from outside Makkah, they must perform the ihram in specific locations outside the city. Ihram is the first pillar of Hajj.
Standing at Arafat...
begins on the eighth day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, called the day of al-Tarwiyah. On that day, pilgrims must pray in the Mina area and sleep there until dawn. The ninth day of the month is called the day of Arafah. On that day the pilgrims go from Mina to the area of Arafah where they stay from noon until sunset. Standing at Arafah is the most important pillar of the Hajj, as pilgrims spend their day in supplication and worship.
Overnight in Muzdalifah...
begins after sunset on the day of Arafah. Pilgrims leave Arafat and head to Muzdalifah, where the pilgrims pray Maghrib and Isha (two evening prayers, usually sn hour apart). Pilgrims spend the night in Muzdalifah and pray Fajr there. And the pilgrims collect pebbles in preparation for stoning the Jamarat the next day.
Throwing pebbles...
on the first day of Eid al-Adha, which is the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah. At the dawn of this day, pilgrims perform the Fajr prayer in Muzdalifah, and before sunrise they leave in the direction of Mina, where they throw the pebbles (Jamarat). In this ritual seven pebbles are thrown at three stellae in the Mina area, symbolising Satan. After throwing the Jamarat, the pilgrims slaughter the sacrificial animals (either a goat, cow or camel) to be shared with those in need, shave their hair or cut it, and then they leave the state of Ihram.
Tawaf al-Ifadah...
occurs after pilgrims leave the state of Ihram. The pilgrim returns to Makkah Al-Mukarramah, and performs the circumambulation of Ifaadah, which is one of the pillars of the Hajj. In this ritual, pilgrims make seven counter-clockwise turns around the Kaaba. The Kaaba is a cubic building located at the centre of the holy mosque. For Muslims the Kaaba is an ancient house of worship built by the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismael.
Walking between Safa and Marwah...
takes place after the circumambulation. Pilgrims perform seven rounds of walking between Safa and Marwah, then return to Mina. This represents the number of times Prophet Ibrahim's wife Hajar walked in search for water.
Tashriq days...
are three days from the eleventh to the thirteenth of the month of Dhul-Hijjah. On the days of al-Tashreeq, pilgrims remain in Mina and throw stones at the Jamarat.
The farewell tawaf...
marks the end of the days of Tashreeq. Pilgrims go to Mecca, where they perform the farewell circumambulation of the Kaaba, before returning to their respective countries. It is permissible for the pilgrim to perform the farewell circumambulation after stoning the Jamarat on the second day of Tashreeq. The farewell circumambulation is the last ritual of Hajj.
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