Hajj – being one of the five pillars of Islam – is an obligation upon every Muslim. It is mandatory for every able Muslim to perform Hajj at least once in his or her whole lifetime. The time is not specified as to what age is best to perform Hajj thus; you can perform it in a physically and mentally sound condition whenever it is feasible for you to do so. There are certain places you must visit when you go on Hajj; these have been mentioned down below:

1. Jabal-e-Hira

The cave of Hira in Makkah is where the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) received his first revelation from Prophet Jibrael. Even before he got his first revelation, he would spend a lot of time in the cave to consider and reflect back on himself. It is known as the Mountain of Light and holds great importance in Islam. It takes 2 hours to climb the mountain on average and requires a lot of strength. You can view the Kaa’bah from the top of the mountain summit.

2. Jamarat Makkah

The visit to the 3 stone pillars is known to be a compulsory ritual for the acceptance of Hajj. The importance of these 3 pillars dates back to Prophet Ibrahim AS’s time (PBUH). The 3 pillars mark the 3 locations where Prophet Ibrahim pelted the Shaitaan when he tried to distract and deter Ibrahim from sacrificing his son; as per Allah’s command.

When Shaitaan failed to persuade Hajra – the mother of Ismail – he went to Ibrahim himself to dissuade him and every time he tried, Ibrahim pelted him with stones and Shaan would disappear.

The names of the 3 pillars are:

• Jamarat-al-Ula
• Jamarat-al-Wusta
• Jamarat-al-Aqaba

3. Hajr al-Aswad

Placed in the eastern end of the Kaa’bah, the black stone – Hajar-al-Aswad – is the beginning and ending spot for the Tawaf. Through centuries and thousands of years, many pious people, Prophets, and people from all over the world have been blessed to place their lips on the stone.

The stone is known to have come down from Jannah and it was white as milk when it was brought to the world. Over time, as people blessed their lips with it, the stone would suck their sins and keep getting darker and darker every time.

Du’as is known to be accepted at the sight of Hajar-al-Aswad and on the Day of Judgment, the stone will testify for everyone who had gotten a chance to kiss it.

4. The site of the Battle of Badr

The Battle of Badr was the first battle that took place in Islam where an army of 313 Muslims defeated 1000 Quraish army men. It is one of the places that are to be visited when you go on Hajj. The event taught Muslims to remain steadfast in their religion in times of hardships because Allah is always with the one who believes in Him. Thus, peace comes to those who believe in Allah.