Lesson 14
Ḥajj and ʿUmrah
الحج والعمرة
The pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the five pillars of Islam. This unit's vocabulary will be deeply meaningful you may use it yourself one day at the most sacred sites in the world.
Ḥajj and ʿUmrah Vocabulary
ArabicTransliterationMeaning
الْكَعْبَةal-Kaʿbathe Kaaba (House of Allah)
طَوَافṭawāfcircumambulation of the Kaaba
سَعْيsaʿywalking between Ṣafā and Marwa
إِحْرَامiḥrāmstate of consecration / pilgrim garment
عَرَفَةʿArafaMount Arafah
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكLabbayk Allāhumma labbaykHere I am, O Allah, here I am (Talbiyah)
حَجَجْتُ إِلَى مَكَّةَ الْمُكَرَّمَةِ الْعَامَ الْمَاضِي
Ḥajajtu ilā Makkata l-mukarramati l-ʿāma l-māḍī
I performed Ḥajj to the Noble Mecca last year.
الطَّوَافُ حَوْلَ الْكَعْبَةِ سَبْعَةُ أَشْوَاط
Aṭ-ṭawāfu ḥawla l-Kaʿbati sabʿatu ashwāṭ
The ṭawāf around the Kaaba is seven circuits.
- مَكَّةُ الْمُكَرَّمَة: "Mecca the Ennobled" الْمُكَرَّمَة is a passive participle (Form II) meaning honoured/ennobled.
- حَوْل: "Around" a preposition governing the genitive, paired with circular motion.
- Past tense review: حَجَجْتُ, طُفْتُ, سَعَيْتُ Ḥajj rituals naturally lend themselves to narrating in the past tense.
- Spiritual motivation: Understanding the Arabic of the Ḥajj rites transforms the experience from ritual to conscious worship.