In Islam, the ḥajj is the traditional pilgrimage to the Holy Mosque in Mecca; it constitutes the fifth pillar of Islam. The pilgrimage is performed during the Dhū l-Ḥijja which is, in the Islamic calendar, the twelfth month of the year, of 29 or 30 days. In 2023, the pilgrimage is performed in the last days of June (Western calendar).
It is a pilgrimage that every Muslim is obliged to make on a compulsory basis, provided he or she has the means, first of all financial, and then physical. To date, hundreds of thousands of faithful have already celebrated the 'Tawaf of Advent', seven walks around the Kaaba, the black stone cube covered by the kiswa, an Italian silk cloth, embroidered in gold by Saudi artisans.
The significance, for followers of Islam, is to retrace the journey of Ibrahim and Ismail, i.e. Abraham and his son Ishmael in Christian and Jewish traditions.