Hajj Reflection

Mount Arafat in Mecca

In this module, you learned about the rich history of the Islamic religion, as well as the beliefs of Muslims. Today, there are more than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, and Muslims comprise about a quarter of the world's population. Many Muslims adhere to the Five Pillars of Islam, which include making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime, if they are physically and financially able. For this assignment, you will view a series of video segments that follow an American man on his pilgrimage to Mecca, and then you will compose a reflection that includes your thoughts and reactions to his journey.

Using the questions below as a helpful guide, compose a three-to-five paragraph reflection based on the video segments. Your reflection must focus on a historical context that summarizes and analyzes the information you learned in this module. It should also provide personal insights you may have about Islam and the pilgrimage to Mecca. Make sure you include an introduction and a conclusion paragraph.

You do not need to fully answer the following questions, but they might assist you in brainstorming for your reflection:

1. What is the goal of hajj and why did Abdul Alim Mubarak feel he needed to make this journey? Have you had similar feelings about another kind of trip?
2. What connections do the rituals of the hajj have with the historical events you studied in this module?
3. What were some of the general comments Abdul Alim Mubarak made about his experience at the hajj? Do you agree or disagree with his comments?

Before you begin, access the Hajj Reflection Rubric to be sure you include all items required for full credit. You may need to use resources outside of the course to complete this assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Student Resources section for information on citing any resources that you use.

After completing this assignment, please submit your work to the dropbox.