"Verily, the first house (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Mekkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for His creatures. In it, are manifest signs, the Station of Abraham; whoever enters it attains security. And Pilgrimage to the house (Ka'bah) is a duty mankind owes to God, those who can afford the journey; but if any deny faith, Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures." (Qur'an, 3:96-97)

Once in a lifetime, pilgrimage to the holy lands is the fifth pillar of Islam obligatory for all Muslims who are rich and healthy enough to make the journey. Pilgrimage consists of visiting a number of sacred places, circling Ka'bah and being present in the plains of Mt Arafat at a specific time in the lunar year.

As indicated in the verse, "All that is in the heavens and on the earth extols and glorifies God, for He is the Tremendous, the Wise," (Qur'an, 57:1) all creatures of God worship and praise Him in the language of their natural disposition. Just as this occurs individually when creatures display the wonders of the Creator and live in accordance with the purposes of their creation, they also worship collectively by obeying the call of God in large numbers. All great animal migrations numbering in millions and synchronised blossoming of all plants in springtime are examples of collective acts of worship seen in nature.

Believers also obey to the call of God by turning up in millions at the time of pilgrimage. The central aims of worship exalting, glorifying and praising God occur individually and collectively. Muslims exalt God by being present en masse, as though saying 'You are greater than my self and above the whole of humanity; here we are ready to worship you in masses.' They glorify God by going around the Ka'bah, as though saying 'just as we are circling the one and only Ka'bah, the oldest place of worship on earth, we only obey you the Absolute One worthy of worship.' They praise God through remembrance at Mt Arafat.

Mt Arafat has a very significant place in the history of humanity. According to Islam, this is the place where the first man, Adam and his partner Eve sincerely repented and received forgiveness for their mistake. Similarly, Muslims turn up in millions at the same place and time, as Adam and Eve did, to repent for their sins and ask forgiveness. The plea and petition of millions of people at the same time is compelling. According to Prophet Muhammad, sincere pilgrims will rid themselves of their sins and attain the sinless state of a newborn.

Another common act of worship observed in the universe is that certain entities orbit a central point. For example, electrons orbit the nucleus in an atom. The earth and planets orbit the sun. Solar system orbits the centre of Milky Way and so on. Muslims join in this mode of worship and synchronise with the universe and all existence by circling the Ka'bah, which is the pivotal point for Muslims because it is the first temple built for the purpose of worshipping the One God.

Pilgrimage is a total human experience and has great outcomes for a Muslim. It simulates the Day of Judgment when masses gather in one place wearing only a two-pieced white garment without any stiches. In addition, this uniform dressing is an expression of the absolute equality of human beings. Muslims also realise the universality of Islam when they witness Muslims from all races and nationalities worshipping the One God. It is this manifestation that transformed Malcolm

X. After witnessing the equal and peaceful stance of all races and all nationalities before God, he denounced his extreme ideas towards 'white man'. Pilgrimage has many other benefits for a Muslim.

• The certainty of the faith of a Muslim increases through Hajj. Seeing millions of people worship one God is powerful testimony for the existence of God. Visiting places where Muslim history was shaped and Mt Hira where the Qur'an was first revealed increases his/her attachment to the Holy Book and the Prophet.
• Hajj is the greatest social annual event in the world. It brings together millions of Muslims all around the world.
• Many spiritual and mental faculties such as determination, perseverance, patience and control of human will are exercised and developed in trying conditions.
• Inner peace and contentment reach their peak.
• Leaving everything behind for a long period of time provides the effect of true recreation for the mind and spirit.
• Hajj is very much a physical event. Going around the Ka'bah seven times and the fast walk between S a f a and M a r w a h remind Muslims of the need to be physically fit and also of the value of good health.