Hajj 2025: The Annual Pilgrimage to Mecca
Festival guide · 2025
Hajj (الحج) is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It takes place in the month of Dhul Hijjah — the final month of the Islamic calendar — and is obligatory once in a lifetime for every Muslim who is physically and financially able.
Hajj is among the largest gatherings of people on earth, with between two and three million pilgrims assembling each year. The five-day rites retrace the actions of the Prophet Ibrahim, his wife Hajar, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
2025 Dates
| Date | Friday, June 6, 2025 |
Dates are calculated automatically and may vary by ±1 day. Always confirm with your local religious authority.
Traditions & Observance
Day 1 — Arrival and Ihram (8 Dhul Hijjah)
Pilgrims enter the state of ihram — wearing two white unsewn cloths and declaring the intention of Hajj. They travel to Mina, a tent city outside Mecca, where they spend the day and night in prayer and preparation. The white garments symbolise equality before God — no distinction of wealth or status.
Day 2 — Arafah: The Heart of Hajj (9 Dhul Hijjah)
Standing on the plain of Arafah from noon to sunset is the central pillar of Hajj — without it, Hajj is invalid. Pilgrims pray, make du'a, and seek forgiveness. After sunset they move to Muzdalifah, where they collect pebbles for the symbolic stoning of Shaitan (the devil) and sleep under the open sky.
Days 3–5 — Eid, Stoning, and Tawaf (10–13 Dhul Hijjah)
On Eid al-Adha (10 Dhul Hijjah), pilgrims stone the Jamarat pillars in Mina, sacrifice an animal, shave or cut their hair, and perform Tawaf — circling the Kaaba seven times in the Sacred Mosque. They then walk seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwa (Sa'i), commemorating Hajar's search for water.
Farewell Tawaf
Before leaving Mecca, pilgrims perform the Farewell Tawaf — a final seven circuits of the Kaaba. Many weep at this departure, uncertain whether they will return. The Hajj is considered the journey of a lifetime, and pilgrims return home with the honoured title of Hajji or Hajja.
Other Years
Hajj dates are based on the Islamic Hijri calendar and shift approximately 11 days earlier each Gregorian year. Saudi Arabia's official announcement determines the exact dates.