This chapter is divided into four parts. The first includes a description of the rites of the Muslim pilgrimage and their significance. This is followed by a brief history of the pilgrimage from Morocco to Mecca. Then, I provide an overview of the anthropological framework of pilgrimage, including some anthropological contributions to the study of Hajj in particular. Finally, I provide a methodological reflection on the ‘story’ of this research and my own position as a participant observer.

The Rites of Hajj

The Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and a duty which Muslims must perform – once in a lifetime – if they are physically and financially able. The Hajj takes place during a five-day period from the eighth to the thirteenth of Dhū l-Ḥijja, the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar, at the city of Mecca (and its surroundings) in Saudi Arabia. During the days of Hajj, pilgrims perform a series of symbolic, religious and emotional rites, following in the footsteps of the prophets Abraham and Muhammad (Bowen 2012).