Kindergarten through fifth-grade students from Noor-Ul-Iman school participated in a mock pilgrimage last week to celebrate annual ritual of hajj.
By: Amanda Bok
Students from Noor-Ul-Iman School in Monmouth Junction recently took a trip in observance of hajj the pilgrimage to Mecca every Muslim is required to make once in a lifetime.
It’s Zul-hijjah, the month of the lunar calendar when millions of Muslims travel to Saudi Arabia to visit the holy sites of Mecca, Mina and the plain of Arafat.
Mecca is one of two Saudi Arabian cities Muslims consider holy. The other is Medina. During hajj, Muslims travel to Mecca to pray before the Kaaba, a sacred Muslim shrine which contains a black stone holy to Muslims. They also congregate on the plain of Arafat, where they hope to have their sins forgiven, and visit Mina, where they throw pebbles at three pillars that represent the devil.
On March 1, South Brunswick, students took a similar journey.
Kindergarten through fifth-grade students from Noor-Ul-Iman boarded mock-airplanes classrooms decorated as airplane cabins with chairs aligned in rows of twos along the walls and white, oval windows offering a clear view of the clouds.
When the students "landed," they exited onto the school’s parking lot, where sixth- through ninth-graders had already prepared a mock hajj course of holy sites for their younger peers to visit.
"The hajj is very different," said eighth-grader Luqman Abdullah. "It’s like a walk in the past, like walking through time to see what all the prophets went through.
"That’s what this mock hajj is supposed to represent. It’s a good experience for them," said Luqman, referring to his younger peers.
"It’s a good opportunity for the kids to learn about the hajj," said ninth-grader Nermeen Shehab. "We should all know about this because it’s something we have to do in our lives."
During the course, the older students led their younger peers from one site to the other, explaining the historical significance and the traditional rituals associated with each.
"We are teaching the rituals (of hajj) in class," said Vice Principal Abir Catovic. "Now they can experience it as a real-life activity."
In preparation for this activity, which the school also offered last year, sixth- through ninth-graders had to research the history, significance and rituals associated with each holy site.
"The kids are excited to do this, maybe because they want to learn about it," said eighth-grader Noreen Mahwood. "And we get to see how it is too, because on our parts, we had to do the research."
The simulation began on-board the mock airplane, where kindergarten through fifth-grade students recited prayers in Arabic telling God they were at his service.
All students participating in the mock pilgrimage wore "ihram" gowns, or pilgrim’s clothing, as Muslims completing their hajj are expected to wear. For men this means wrapping an un-sewn, white cloth around their waist and draping another white cloth over their right shoulder. For women, this means covering their hair, hands and waists.
"The symbolism of this is that, no matter what part of the world we’re from, we’re all equal. We’re all here to perform the same duty," said Ms. Catovic.
Once the plane "landed," the young students walked out the school’s back door and entered Mecca, where they would visit the Kaaba.
Represented by a large, imposing box draped in black cloth, the Kaaba crowned the middle of the parking lot. Several pilgrims circled it almost continuously, reciting words in Arabic, some under their breath, others in loud, proud voices.
Ms. Catovic said the pilgrims would walk around the Kaaba seven times while reciting prayers and supplications.
Next the pilgrims visited the Zamzam well, which Muslims believe has the best water on earth. Located between the Sufa and Marna mountains, represented by a hill behind the parking lot and marked by a wooden sign, the well is believed to have been dug by the angel Gabriel for Hagar, wife of Abraham.
While stranded in the desert, Hagar ran the quarter mile between the mountains seven times before finding water for her son Ismael, said Ms. Catovic. Likewise, the pilgrims run the same distance seven times, repeating their supplications to God while they run.
Ms. Catovic explained that the journeys from one holy site to another take several days, but the school’s young pilgrim’s finished their time at each site in a matter of minutes.
Next on the course, or on the ninth day of month in reality, the pilgrims travel to the plain of Arafat, where they congregate in prayer. In reality, pilgrims stay there an entire day and are rewarded by God for their exhausting trip, she said.
"This is the most important ritual of the hajj because this is the day when God forgives all our sins," Ms. Catovic said.
"What we understand is that God looks down upon all these people and sees that they are tired, that they are dusty. They have come a long way and so, he forgives them for all their sins," she said.
Muslims not able to complete the hajj gather in prayer and fast during the ninth day of the month, which also relieves them of their sins, she said.
Next, the pilgrims travel to Mina, located in the valley below the plain of Arafat, and rest in a series of tents for a few days.
Two tents stood on the school’s parking lot, along with three white, wooden pillars of three sizes and several white pebbles lying on the ground around them.
The pillars symbolize the devil, or, jamarat. On the 10th day of the month, the pilgrims throw 49 to 70 pebbles at the real pillars, following the tradition of Abraham, who allegedly threw seven stones, seven times, at the devil when he tried to stop Abraham’s pilgrimage, said Ms. Catovic.
After this ritual is completed, the pilgrims celebrate the Festival of the Sacrifice, Eid-Ul-Adha, in accordance to the story of Abraham who intended to sacrifice his only son before God replaced the boy with a lamb. This festival also takes place on the 10th day of the month.
"Muslims all over the world will sacrifice something and share it with the poor on this day," said Ms. Catovic.
In the parking lot, the sacrifice was simulated by slaying a fluffy, stuffed-lamb made of wool and cloth.
From Mina both the students and the real pilgrims return to Mecca, where they again circle the Kaaba seven times as a farewell.
Before returning from the hajj, men shave their heads and women cut off a strand of hair to signify that they have made the pilgrimage.
Eighth-grader Sumiye Ahmed said the mock hajj was a good learning opportunity for young children who haven’t done their hajj yet.
Sumiye, who traveled to Mecca and visited the Kaaba four years ago with her parents, described the hajj as hard but worthwhile.
"It’s really crowded, but that doesn’t matter because everyone is one," she said.
From the parking lot it was back to the classroom. But the students weren’t tired.
"They are very excited," said Ms. Catovic. "They know about the Kaaba and all the stories associated with it. So this was a way for them to see what the real thing is like, and what their families are doing right now."