1. The Pilgrimmage to Mecca Hajj December 6 - December 9, 2008

2. The person on the Hajj may not: Engage in marital relations Shave or cut their nails Use cologne or scented oils Kill or hunt anything Fight or argue Women must not cover their faces, even if they would do so in their home country Men may not wear clothes with stitching Bathing is allowed but scented soaps are frowned upon

3. Thousands of buses, trucks and cars were mobilised to transport the pilgrims.

5. Day 2 - On Saturday they prayed at Mount Arafat - where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his last sermon

6. Muslims flocked to the Mount of Mercy near Mecca on Saturday, the second day of the Hajj.

7. A Saudi worker sacrifices sheep for pilgrims in the valley of Mina outside Mecca.

8. They then moved to Muzdalifah, where they collected pebbles to throw at a pillar - symbolically stoning the devil. They gather 49 or 70 stones to use the next day.

10. Day 3 - Stoning one of the three pillars

13. About 345 people were killed in a stampede on the way to stone the pillars

14. The History of the Hajj Four thousand years ago the valley of Mecca was a dry and uninhabited place. Muslims believe the Prophet Abraham was instructed to bring his wife, Hagar and their child Is'mail to Arabia from Palestine to protect them from the jealousy of Abraham’s first wife Sarah. Allah told the Prophet Ibrahim to leave them on their own, and he did so, with some supplies of food and water. However the supplies quickly ran out and within a few days Hagar and Ishmael were suffering from hunger and dehydration. In her desperation Hagar ran up and down two hills called Safa and Marwa trying to see if she could spot any help in the distance. Finally she collapsed beside Ishmael and prayed to Allah for deliverance. Ishmael struck his foot on the ground and this caused a spring of water to gush forth from the earth. Hagar and Ishmael were saved. Now they had a secure water supply they were able to trade water with passing nomads for food and supplies. After a while the Prophet Abraham returned from Palestine to check on his family and was amazed to see them running a profitable well. The Prophet Abraham was told by Allah to build a shrine dedicated to him. Abraham and Ishmael constructed a small stone structure – the Kaaba or Cube - which was to be the gathering place for all who wished to strengthen their faith in Allah.

16. 2009 CALENDAR OF IMPORTANT ISLAMIC DATES Aashura: January 7, 2009 Ramadan: August 21 - September 19, 2009 Eid ul-Fitr: September 20, 2009 Hajj: November 25 - November 28, 2009 Eid ul-Adha: November 27, 2009 Islamic New Year: December 18, 2009 (1431 A.H.) 2010 CALENDAR OF IMPORTANT ISLAMIC DATES Aashura: December 27, 2009 Ramadan: August 11 - September 8, 2010 Eid ul-Fitr: September 9, 2010 Hajj: November 14 - November 17, 2010 Eid ul-Adha: November 16, 2010 Islamic New Year: December 7, 2010 (1432 A.H.) 2011 CALENDAR OF IMPORTANT ISLAMIC DATES Aashura: December 16, 2010 Ramadan: August 1 - August 29, 2011 Eid ul-Fitr: August 30, 2011 Hajj: November 4 - November 7, 2011 Eid ul-Adha: November 6, 2011 Islamic New Year: November 26, 2011 (1433 A.H.)