The Hajj is an annual worldwide pilgrimage to the Ka'ba, the holiest site in all of the Islamic faith. Unlike some other pillars of Islam, the Hajj must be performed only once in a person's life, only if it can be performed without difficulty (Ali-Karamali 24). The Hajj is an extremely powerful spiritual experience that employs many traditions and rituals to help bring Muslims closer to God. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The traditions and rituals of the Hajj have been performed by all who undertake the journey for centuries. The Quran says in sura 2:197: “There will be [for him] no sexual intercourse, no disobedience and no disputes during the Hajj. And whatever good you do, Allah knows it", (Al-Qur'an Al-Kareem). When performing the pilgrimage, Muslims should be extremely careful about their actions and words because Allah watches them even more closely than normal Even married Muslims should abstain from sexual intercourse because this would defeat the purpose of the Hajj, to get closer to God. Furthermore, Ari-Karamali reveals that men wear two sheets of white cloth wrapped and unstitched and women wear anything as long as only the hands and face are uncovered (24-25). Again, the modesty and simplicity promoted through their clothing ensures that the focus of the pilgrimage remains on God and not on any earthly possessions which are performed upon arrival at the Ka'ba For example, Muslims throw stones at a pillar representing Satan to recreate "Abraham's throwing of stones at the devil in rejection of his insinuating whispers" (Ari-Karamali 25). ). Rituals like these have been performed for centuries and help bring Muslims closer to God and the Muslim community as a whole. Hajj is a very powerful experience because all external worldly distractions are left behind and the complete and total concentration during Hajj pilgrimage is on God. The rituals and traditions of Hajj help bring Muslims closer to God and to their ancestors who have been carrying out these same actions for centuries.