Explore the roots of this Islamic ritual and the origins of Islam as a world faith. Travel back to the astonishing events that took place 1,400 years ago on the Arabian Peninsula in the vicinity of Mecca. Examine the history of the Umrah and Hajj pilgrimages and consider what makes the ritual of the pilgrimage so distinctive to Islam, and learn what it has in common with other religious pilgrimages and religious traditions around the globe.
Pilot Lecture: Hajj and Umrah - Pilgrimage to Mecca

01: Hajj and Umrah: Pilgrimage to Mecca
Discover how Islam ostensibly has done more than any other faith tradition to cultivate a ritual of pilgrimage, placing it in the foreground of the faith. Along the way, consider what makes the Umrah and Hajj pilgrimages unique—and what they share with other religious traditions.
Overview Course No. 90145