every corner of the globe. Although Makkah is always filled with visitors, the annual Hajj is performed in the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. Male pilgrims wear special simple clothes which strip away distinctions of class and culture so that all stand equal before God. The rites of the Hajj include circling the Kaaba seven times and going seven times between the hillocks of Safa and Marwa, as Hagar did during her search for water. Then the pilgrims stand together in Arafa1 and ask God for what they wish and for His forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a preview of the Day of Judgment. The end of theHajj is marked by a festival, Eid Al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers. This, and Eid al-Fitr, a feast-day commemorating the end of Ramadan, are the two annual festivals of the Muslim calendar. (Please visit www.islam-guide.com/pillars for more information on the Five Pillars of Islam.) Islam in the United States It is difficult to generalize about American Muslims. They are converts, immigrants, factory workers, and doctors. This varied community is unified by a common faith, underpinned by a nationwide network of a large number of mosques. Muslims arrived early in North America. By the eighteenth century, there were many Muslims in North America. Great numbers of Americans have entered the fold of Islam. They are from different classes: the rich, the poor, the educated, and the illiterate. Today, there are about five and a half million Muslims in the United States.2 Chapter 3 General Information on Islam A Brief Illustrated Guide To Understanding Islam Islam in the United States 68 (1) An area about 15 miles from Makkah. (2) The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1996, Famighetti, p. 644.
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