What is the Hajj?
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Hajj is performed according to the example of the Prophet's own pilgrimage, and its commandment is there in the Holy Quran.
Hajj is the only pillar that is not obligatory, but Muslims should perform it once in their lives if they are healthy and wealthy and capable to do it.

Preparation for Hajj
• First of all pilgrims must have enough money to pay not only for themselves but also to provide for their families during their absence. Therefore, the hajj pilgrimage is not obligatory.
• Pilgrims must be healthy.
• Pilgrims have the special pilgrim dress which consists of two simple clothes (known as ihram). Pilgrims have to give up sex, perfume, jewelry, etc. and can not go into legal agreements during the state of Ihraam.
• Men and women can not also cut their hair or nails during the state of Ihraam because all these things are not allowed.

Ihram
Ihmraam consists of two pieces of white fabric, worn around the waist and the other around the shoulders. The ihram is important because it means that everyone is equal under the hajj. Disparities in wealth, class and race are destined to disappear during Hajj for Muslims to strengthen unity and brotherhood of Islam.

When pilgrims enter into the state of ihram, they must be especially aware of the laws of Allah, and therefore should avoid all forms of violence. They must abstain from sex and fully dedicate to Allah and his worship.

The rituals of Hajj

Tawaaf
During Tawaaf Muslims circle around Kaaba in a counterclockwise direction seven times. If it is possible for them to touch or kiss the black stone then they must do it.

Why Ka'ba so important?

Kaaba is located in the courtyard of the holy mosque in Mecca. Kaabs is believed to have been built by Adam as a house of prayer for the first time and then afterwards by Prophet Abraham (PBUH).

Sa'i:
Pilgrims walk between the hills Marwa and Sa'fa to copy what Hagar did with his young son, Ismail, when they sought water to survive in the desert. It is also remembrance of Ibrahim fir his fight with the devil. The pilgrims collect water from the well of Zamzam, which was discovered by the young Ismail. This is considered the holiest of water in the world and the Muslims carry back home bottles filled with this water.

Standing on Arafat:

The pilgrims listen to a sermon by the imam where they get a couple of hours and confess their sins before God. It is said that Arafat is the place where Adam and Eve landed on earth when they were thrown from Eden. It is a place where Adam and Eve confessed their sins and were forgiven. Muslims believe that the final judgment will take place in the filed of Arafat on the Day of Judgment. So, they confess their sins in the place of Arafat, and they are forgiven by God (as Islam teaches them will), so these sins do not count against them on judgment day.

Stoning of the devil in Mina:

At Mina pilgrims throw stones at the stone pillars representing the devil trying to lure the command of Abraham when he was ready to sacrifice his son Ishmael for the sake of Allah’s pleasure. So, hajj pilgrims also sacrifice animals by Muslims in Mina in completing the Hajj. But today, most pilgrims pay officers appointed to slaughter those animals and the meat of those animals is immediately put into refrigerated trucks for distribution to the poor people. After completion of these rituals, pilgrims can remove Ihram and wear regular clothes.

In the end Muslim men shave their heads whereas women cut their hair to show that they have entered into the new life free of any sins of their previous lives after making true repentance in front of Allah (S.W.T).

Source: Hajj Packages 2012

What is Hajj Obligation?

Hajj is the largest Muslim pilgrimage and described as "the greatest journey in the world" and is a pilgrimage that all Muslims must fulfill if they are solvent and healthy in their lives. For this reason, the Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam known as the structure behind the Muslim faith.

As the birthplace of Mohammed, where the Qur'an was compiled and holiest city, Mecca is the destination of hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims in the 12^th month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Dhu al-Hijjah.

Hajj is generally believed to be linked to the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) but Muslims claim that the origin of the pilgrimage and its rituals to return well before the seventh century until the time of Ibrahim.

These rituals include walking seven times counterclockwise around the Kaaba, known as Tawaf. Sai, which includes walking between the two hills of Safa and Marwa, drink the holy water from Zamzam well, waking up in the wilderness of Mount Arafat, and stoning the devil which is known as Rami.

Once these are completed, the Hajj pilgrims shave their heads.

This three day pilgrimage is also related to the Prophet Ibrahim because it commemorates the ultimate sacrifice Prophet Ibrahim was ready to commit for their love of God by sacrificing his firstborn son Ishmael.

The reasons why Muslims go on pilgrimage can be divided into two main reasons. More importantly, by performing the pilgrimage Muslims show their final devotion and submission to God. The second element to display on your Hajj is solidarity with all other followers of Islam.

This union is a demonstration of equality and harmony among the pilgrims. For this reason, no signs of wealth such as jewelry allowed on the occasion of Hajj. Also pilgrims have to wear white clothes which show humility of salves of Allah in front of their lord.

A state of devotion is held in Hajj, which means no vulgarity or program of vanity during hajj. Pilgrims must also take care of themselves and other pilgrims to see that there is no chaos, no fighting and violence against animals.

These conditions are essential for the proper performance of the Hajj which all pilgrims must abide by during performance of holy obligation of umrah.

Source: Hajj Packages

Things to Consider While Booking Cheap Hajj Packages

Hajj is an obligation of extreme significance in Islam. That’s why lots of Muslims from around the globe have this wish to perform holy journey to the holiest cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia to perform their hajj obligation. Hajj gathering is considered to be one of the biggest international gatherings of the world where Muslims from around the world gather irrespective of any race, color, gender, language and ethnicity. Hajj obligation can be performed only during specific days of an Islamic year but as far as umrah is concerned, it can be performed any time of the year..

Nowadays, Hajj has become much easier with the introduction of hajj packages. Due to the introduction of these hajj packages, pilgrims do not need to care about their flights, accommodations and transports during the performance of their hajj obligation. Thus, such hajj packages provide foreign pilgrims an opportunity to perform their sacred obligation with quite convenience and peace of mind. Hajj Packages agents who provide such packages arrange for the schedule of flights, tickets booking, visa processing, accommodation, transport etc. and also provide lecturers who provide step-by-step guide for pilgrims through various rites for performing hajj obligation.

Hajj packages are mainly of two types which are Group packages and tailor-made packages. Group packages consist of groups of people who travel for hajj as groups and all their needs are fulfilled through hajj packages provider companies. Group packages are usually cheaper than other forms of packages because such packages involve large number of people which means that travel expenses decrease for each traveler.

Other types of hajj packages are called tailor-made packages. Tailor-made packages are for individuals. As it is obvious from its name, a tailor-made package is one which can be customized depending upon the needs and demands of their clients to help clients book a hajj package of their own choice. Every customer has his own needs and demands depending upon his budgets and tailor-made packages provide flexibility to be customized according to budget and needs of a various clients.

It is also worth mentioning that you take some time to research and choose most suitable hajj packages for you. There are lots of things which are needed to be considered to choose a best hajj package but most important factors are quality and credibility. Make sure to book your packages from only reliable travel agents. Next thing is to check out details of packages provided by each travel agent. You will have to decide that what standard of accommodation you want to enjoy during your hajj travel. Accommodations are usually offered as 3-star, 4-star and 5-star hotels. Also check out the location and distance of your accommodation from the Grand mosque of Mecca. It is crucial factor to check that the distance from your accommodation to Haram. There are several hotels in holy cities which provide luxury accommodation but they are located at a far unfurled distance from the Holy Mosque and hajj pilgrims have to spend on shuttle transport to reach the mosque everyday.

In the end; make sure to get your hajj packages for 2012 from such a company which is authorized by Saudi Arabia Ministry of Hajj so that you can enjoy services as promised during your hajj travel.

Hajj is usually performed only once in a lifetime for most of Muslims and booking most suitable hajj packages helps to get most benefits from your holy journey and also helps to make them memorable.

Source: Cheap Umrah Packages Blog

Tips to Book Cheap Hajj Packages for 2012

Performing Hajj at least once in a lifetime is obligatory on each Muslim man and woman whoever has resources to perform it. Hajj is an obligation of significant importance of Islam and it is considered to be one of the five most basic pillars of Islam. It is an important means to repent to Allah for your sins and bad deeds. It helps Muslims to begin a new life with obedience of Allah after repenting from their last sinful lives. Hajj is also probably the most significant experience of the lives of most of Muslims as it usually occurs only once in life.

Muslims from every race, color, language, age, ethnicity and geographical region travel to Makkah in Saudi Arabia to perform this obligation every year and this gathering is thought as one of the biggest international gatherings in the world.

As a Muslim, if you are interested in performing hajj then you have to book a hajj package for you as it becomes extremely complex to do your hajj travel and perform rites with peace of mind if you have to arrange for everything at your own to perform your holy obligation. Finding and booking a best and cheap hajj package for you can be a challenging task but it can be much more easier if you keep in mind some points which are mentioned below:-

Firstly, take some time to check out different hajj packages offered by various travel services providers and see what facilities and services they are offering against what prices. Compare all of these packages in details and sort out a few cheap packages for you.

While choosing cheap hajj packages, also keep in mind that such packages also compromise on some of the facilities provided. Therefore, check out all those packages in detail to make sure that you do not miss any basic or necessary services for performing your hajj and as a result you may have to suffer during performance of your hajj obligation. Some of the basic services offered for pilgrims in their hajj packages include provision of meals, accommodation, transport, visit of historical places and a lecturer who provides a step by step guide for pilgrims to help them perform Hajj according to the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).

If you find it difficult to find some cheap hajj packages providers then you can easily find such packages by searching on internet. A lot of companies are competiting on prices in this industry of cut throat competition. You can easily find a cheapest hajj package and book it for you.

In the last, do not forget to check out the reputation of a packages provider agent to make sure that you get the services of a reliable agent with good reputation in market and that you get the services as promised. This can be done by asking those people who have already performed their obligation through a travel services. If you are searching for trustworthiness of online cheap hajj packages providers then you can easily check out their ratings by searching online reviews and testimonials.

Welcome to Hajj Packages

Welcome to our hajj packages blog. We are dedicated to providing latest news and information about cheap hajj packages from UK especially cheap hajj packages 2012. We will provide latest news and information and all related updates concerning all types of hajj services, hajj travel, hajj travel agents, hajj companies, hajj services agencies and all related news about hajj packages. We also provide information about umrah and help to choose and book cheap umrah packages for 2012 from UK.