The holy journey to the Two Holy Mosques

Hajj and Umrah are Islamic pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina. Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage required of all Muslims who are physically and financially able to perform it. Umrah is a minor pilgrimage that can be performed at any time of year.

Both Hajj and Umrah involve a series of rituals, including:
* **Entering a state of ihram** by wearing simple white garments and abstaining from certain activities.
* **Circumambulating the Kaaba** seven times in an anticlockwise direction.
* **Walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah.**
* **Standing on Mount Arafat** on the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah during Hajj.
* **Performing the stoning ritual at Jamarat** during Hajj.
* **Slaughtering an animal** during Hajj.
* **Shaving or shortening one's hair** to mark the end of Hajj or Umrah.

Hajj and Umrah are profound spiritual experiences that unite Muslims from all walks of life in a shared act of devotion to God.