Why The Hajj Takes Place Next Week

This year, the Hajj -- the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad, in Saudi Arabia -- will begin on Wednesday, August 30, and continue for the next five to six days. As one of the five pillars, or core ritual practices, of Islam, the Hajj is vital to the Muslim experience and must be performed at least once in every Muslim's life. In the Islamic lunar calendar, Hajj takes place in the final month before the new year, which is known as Dhul Hijjah. According to...