This August, over two million Muslims from around the world will gather for the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. This includes up to an estimated 25,000 British Muslims.
This pilgrimage, called Hajj in Arabic, is always held over five days during the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, Dhu al-Hijjah.
In 2019, Hajj will start on Friday 9 August and end on Wednesday 14 August.
Here's everything you need to know about Hajj, including why it's important for Muslims, and what happens during the annual pilgrimage:
What is Hajj?
Among the five most important Muslim practices, known as the Five Pillars of Islam, is completing Hajj - a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Muslims should complete this at least once in their lifetime - as long as they are physically and financially able to do so.
In visiting the holy city of Mecca, the birthplace of the Muslim prophet Muhammad, and completing various religious rites, Muslim pilgrims meet this mandatory duty.
In these religious rites, Muslims wear special white garments called Ihram. This symbolises the equality of pilgrims in front of Allah, with no difference between the rich and poor, or ethnic backgrounds, among the 1.8 billion believers around the world.
To reach a state of holiness, certain things such as sex, smoking or shaving parts of the body, are also banned during Hajj.
Saudi visa rules state that women below the age of 45 should be accompanied by a male member of their immediate family during the Hajj pilgrimage.
What happens during Hajj?
Hajj pilgrims complete the sacred ritual of Tawaf, preferably on the first day of their pilgrimage. This happens in the 'Great Mosque of Mecca' which at its very centre, sits The Kaaba (The Cube in English).
The Kaaba is the holiest site in Islam, also known as The House of God. It stands approximately 13m high, with a cuboid structure, made of granite.
Muslims in Mecca must go around the Kaaba seven times in a counterclockwise direction. The first three times are done on the outside of the circle at a hurried pace; the last four are done closer to the Kaaba, but slower.
The ritual is believed to demonstrate the unity of believers in worship, as their movements are in harmony.
The second day of Hajj, known as the Day of Arafah, involve pilgrims making their way to Mount Arafat 20km east of Mecca. It is believed that the Muslim prophet Muhammad gave his last sermon here.
Arriving on a barren plain, the pilgrims complete Islamic worships. This rite is known as wuquf (‘standing before God’) and is essential to Hajj.
In the later days, other rites are completed such as the symbolic stoning of the Devil.
