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

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.