Muslims are called to undertake two journeys of faith at least once in their lives. The first, Hajj, is required for all Muslims with the financial and physical means to do so. Umrah, meanwhile, is considered a recommendation, not an obligation, by some branches of Islam. Muslims can do Umrah at any time of year, while Hajj takes place over five days during the last month of the Islamic lunar year, called Dhul Hijjah. 

Both Hajj and Umrah involve special rites and practices dictated by the Quran. The goal of these journeys and rituals is to unite under Allah (God) and grow in one’s faith. Many pilgrims also use this time to reflect on their place in the world.

Adam Muhammad, who spent 11 months walking to Makkah from his home in Britain, says performing the rituals of Hajj fulfilled his life’s dream. “I am at the highest peaks of spirituality, and those feelings will remain with me forever,” he says. “My message is love and peace for all.

Both journeys involve performing religious rites in sacred places, including the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The Grand Mosque houses the Holy Kaaba, a cubic structure that is known as the house of God and is the most sacred place in Islam. During both Hajj and Umrah, pilgrims walk in a circle around the Holy Kaaba seven times. They then travel seven times between Safa and Marwa, two small hills located 450 meters apart within the mosque, just as the prophet Ismail’s mother, Hajar, did when looking for water for her son. Finally, pilgrims drink water from the sacred Zamzam Well, which represents the spring Allah brought forth for Hajar and Ismail.

Mina is a tent city that houses pilgrims during Hajj.

For pilgrims doing Umrah, their journey is considered complete once they have performed these three rites. For those doing Hajj, there are four more days of rituals. While completing the remaining rituals for Hajj, pilgrims spend most of their nights in Mina, a tent city erected near Makkah each year.

On the second day of Hajj, pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat, 20 kilometers east of the Grand Mosque, where the Prophet Muhammad gave his final sermon. They stay here from midday until sunset, praying, repenting and listening to sermons.

Pilgrims reflect and pray on Mount Arafat on the second day of Hajj.

The next day, the pilgrims return to Mina, where they stay for the final three days of Hajj. Here, they throw pebbles at a stone pillar, a reenactment of the story of Ibraham rebuffing Satan’s temptation to disobey Allah’s orders to sacrifice his son Ismail.

The attire associated with Hajj and Umrah is called ihram. Men wear two pieces of new, unstitched white cloth, which they wrap around themselves, and they cannot cover their faces or hair. Women can wear normal attire and cover their hair, but they may not cover their faces or hands.

Ihram attire is a reminder of death. The white cloth men wear is a reference to the white shroud Muslims are buried in. It also signifies equality: All people wearing ihram look the same, regardless of their status or wealth.

With millions of pilgrims visiting Makkah each year — 2 million are expected to do Hajj in 2023 — organization is vital for a smooth experience. Mobile apps make it easy for pilgrims to plan and book transportation to and from Makkah, and taxi and ride-sharing apps can get them from place to place within the city. 

In 2021, Saudi’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah launched Hajj smart cards, which use near-field communication technology, similar to what’s used in tap-to-pay checkout transactions. Each pilgrim receives a card for Hajj, which they scan at kiosks to access holy sites. The cards also provide housing details and store the user’s personal and medical information for emergencies. The ministry also created the Smart Pilgrim app to connect pilgrims with operators who can answer questions, give directions and resolve issues quickly. 

With Islam growing worldwide — a Pew Research report predicted 70 percent growth from 2015 to 2060 — more pilgrims are likely to do Hajj each year. Because of this, Saudi’s Vision 2030 plan includes technological advances and infrastructure improvements that will enable up to 30 million pilgrims to do Hajj and Umrah annually by 2030.