ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the main rites of the Hajj before focusing on particular health risks associated with the Hajj and measures that may be taken to minimise such risks. Hajj commemorates the Patriarch Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son Ishmael in biblical times. Performing Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is therefore obligatory for all adult Muslims who can afford to undertake the journey and are in good health. Although only incumbent on a Muslim once in a lifetime, many, and in particular those residing in the West, will journey far more frequently. According to Muslim tradition, The Sacred Mosque was the first temple erected for the worship of Allah. Many of the rites of the Hajj date back to the Prophet Abraham, one of the outstanding figures in Muslim history. More serious injuries, some of which prove to be fatal, occur each year during stampedes in Mina as pilgrims undertake the stoning rite.
