Hajj as a significant practice in Islam: HSC Studies of Religion
“Significant practices in the life of adherents: describe ONE significant practice within Islam drawn from Friday prayer at the mosque, funeral ceremony, Hajj; demonstrate how this practice expresses the beliefs of Islam; analyse the significance of this practice for both the individual and the Muslim community”
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Makkah (8 to 12 or 13 Dhul Hijjah), the fifth pillar, obligatory once in a lifetime "for whoever is able" (Qur'an 3:97). Pilgrims enter ihram (plain white garments for men; a state in which "no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing", 2:197) and chant the talbiyah ("I respond to Your call O Allah ... You have no partner", Bukhari 1549). They perform tawaf (seven circuits of the Ka'bah, whose foundations Ibrahim and Isma'il raised, 2:127) and sa'y between Safa and Marwah (Hajar's search for water, 2:158); go to Mina; stand at Arafat on 9 Dhul Hijjah ("The Hajj is Arafah", Tirmidhi 889); spend the night at Muzdalifah; stone the jamarat; offer a sacrifice ("what reaches Him is piety from you", 22:37) on Eid al-Adha; shave or cut the hair; and make a final tawaf. It expresses tawhid, belief in the prophets (Ibrahim, Hajar, Isma'il, Muhammad), akhirah (ihram like the shroud; Arafat like the Day of Judgement), the Qur'an and the ummah. For the individual it completes the pillars and brings forgiveness ("as if he were born anew", Bukhari 1521); for the community it unites the ummah as equals and is shared worldwide through Eid al-Adha.
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
The Islam depth study asks you to choose ONE significant practice from Friday prayer at the mosque, funeral ceremony, Hajj and to:
- Describe the practice.
- Demonstrate how it expresses the beliefs of Islam.
- Analyse its significance for both the individual and the Muslim community.
This page covers the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah and the fifth pillar of Islam. NESA's 2020 sample answers used the Hajj. The significant practice has been examined every year from 2019 to 2025. Top answers describe the rites in their correct order, link each to a belief with Qur'an and Hadith evidence, and analyse significance at both levels.
Qur'an (Sahih International): 3:97 (duty "for whoever is able"); 22:27 ("they will come ... from every distant pass"); 2:127 (Ibrahim and Isma'il raise the House); 2:125 (standing place of Abraham); 2:158 (Safa and Marwah "among the symbols of Allah"); 2:196 ("complete the Hajj and 'umrah for Allah"); 2:197 (no sexual relations, disobedience or disputing); 22:28 (feed the poor); 22:37 (piety, not meat or blood, reaches Allah). Hadith: Bukhari 1549 (talbiyah); Bukhari 1521 ("born anew"); Bukhari 1773 (Hajj mabrur rewarded with Paradise); Tirmidhi 889 ("The Hajj is Arafah"). Sequence: ihram (miqat) ; tawaf ; sa'y ; Mina (8th) ; Arafat (9th) ; Muzdalifah ; jamarat, sacrifice, halq (10th, Eid al-Adha) ; tawaf al-ifadah ; days of tashriq at Mina ; farewell tawaf. Words: Hajji, Hajjah; Umrah; Zamzam; Farewell Sermon (632 CE).
The answer
The Hajj in Islam
- Command. "[Due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House, for whoever is able to find thereto a way" (3:97); "proclaim to the people the Hajj; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass" (22:27).
- Who. Every adult Muslim who is physically, mentally and financially able, once in a lifetime; women traditionally travelled with a mahram (male relative), a requirement Saudi rules have relaxed in recent years.
- When. 8 to 12 or 13 Dhul Hijjah, the twelfth lunar month, so its date moves about 11 days earlier each solar year.
- Origins. The Ka'bah was raised by Ibrahim and Isma'il (2:127); the Prophet Muhammad performed his only Hajj, the Farewell Hajj, in 632 CE, establishing the pattern pilgrims follow.
The rites in order
| Day | Rite | What pilgrims do |
|---|---|---|
| Before arrival | Ihram at the miqat | Wash, make the intention (niyyah), men put on two white unstitched cloths; begin the talbiyah; many actions (sexual relations, disputes, cutting hair or nails, perfume, hunting) become forbidden (2:197) |
| Arrival | Tawaf | Seven anticlockwise circuits of the Ka'bah, touching or pointing to the Black Stone |
| Sa'y | Seven walks between Safa and Marwah, recalling Hajar; drink Zamzam | |
| 8th | Mina | Travel to the tent city at Mina; prayer and reflection |
| 9th | Wuquf at Arafat | Stand from midday to sunset in prayer and repentance near Jabal al-Rahmah, where the Prophet gave his Farewell Sermon |
| Night of 9th | Muzdalifah | Night under the open sky; combine prayers; collect pebbles |
| 10th | Ramy | Stone the largest pillar (Jamrat al-Aqabah) with seven pebbles |
| 10th | Sacrifice (qurbani) | Sacrifice a sheep, goat or share of a camel or cow; meat shared with the poor (22:28) |
| 10th | Halq or taqsir | Men shave or cut the hair, women cut a lock; most ihram restrictions end |
| 10th | Tawaf al-ifadah and sa'y | The essential tawaf of the Hajj |
| 11th to 12th or 13th | Days of tashriq | Stay at Mina and stone all three jamarat each day |
| Departure | Tawaf al-wada | Farewell circuits of the Ka'bah |
Many pilgrims also visit the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, though this is not part of the Hajj.
How the Hajj expresses the beliefs of Islam
| Belief | How the Hajj expresses it | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Tawhid (oneness of Allah) | The talbiyah declares Allah has "no partner"; all pilgrims turn around the one House of worship | Bukhari 1549; 2:127 |
| Risalah (prophethood) | Rites re-enact Ibrahim, Hajar and Isma'il; pilgrims follow Muhammad's Farewell Hajj | 2:125 to 2:127; 2:158 |
| Akhirah (the afterlife and Day of Judgement) | Ihram resembles the burial shroud; Arafat rehearses standing before Allah; the Hajj brings forgiveness | Tirmidhi 889; Bukhari 1521, 1773 |
| Submission (islam) | Pilgrims obey detailed commands without questioning; stoning the jamarat rejects Shaytan as Ibrahim did | 2:196 to 2:197 |
| Divine revelation (the Qur'an) | The Hajj is commanded in the Qur'an and performed as prescribed | 3:97; 22:27 |
| The ummah | Believers of every nation, race and class wear the same garments and perform the same rites | 22:27 |
| Charity and piety | The sacrifice feeds the poor; only piety reaches Allah | 22:28; 22:37 |
Significance for the individual
- Fulfilling a pillar. Completing the Hajj fulfils a lifelong obligation and completes the Five Pillars.
- Forgiveness and renewal. "Whoever performs Hajj for Allah's pleasure and does not have sexual relations with his wife, and does not do evil or sins then he will return ... as if he were born anew" (Bukhari 1521).
- Experience of tawhid and submission. The demanding rites, heat, crowds and discipline of ihram teach patience and reliance on Allah.
- Preparation for death. Wearing ihram and standing at Arafat focus the pilgrim on akhirah (NESA 2020: pilgrims are "prepared for Akhira").
- Identity. Returning pilgrims are honoured as Hajji or Hajjah, and many describe a lasting change in their faith and conduct.
- Intention for those who cannot go. The condition "for whoever is able" (3:97) means those without means are not at fault; many save for years, and many Australian Muslims have not yet been able to go.
Significance for the Muslim community
- Unity of the ummah. Muslims from every country, Sunni and Shi'a, rich and poor, stand side by side in identical dress, a powerful image of equality before Allah (NESA 2020: "a sense of pride in the global umma ... considered as equal through recognition of tawhid").
- Eid al-Adha. Muslims everywhere celebrate the Festival of Sacrifice on 10 Dhul Hijjah, joining the pilgrims through prayer and sacrifice and sharing meat with family, neighbours and the poor; in Australia, Eid prayers draw large congregations.
- Local community. Returning pilgrims are welcomed and often share their experience, strengthening faith in families and mosques.
- Charity. Qurbani meat is distributed to the poor, including through international organisations that deliver it to people in need.
- Continuity. The Hajj links today's ummah to Ibrahim and to the Prophet's Farewell Hajj.
Evaluating the practice
- Strength. No other practice gathers the whole ummah in one place, so it is uniquely powerful for unity and renewal.
- Access. Cost, Saudi quotas and health limit who can go; the Qur'anic condition "for whoever is able" recognises this.
- Challenges. Crowding, heat and safety are serious concerns, and past crowd disasters have led to major infrastructure changes; environmental impacts and commercialisation are debated.
- Diversity. Sunni and Shi'a Muslims perform the same core rites, with some differences in detail.
Step 1: Name ONE belief with terminology
"Muslims believe in akhirah, the afterlife, when every person will stand before Allah on the Day of Judgement."
Step 2: Describe a specific rite
"On 9 Dhul Hijjah, pilgrims in plain white ihram stand on the plain of Arafat from midday to sunset, praying and seeking forgiveness; the Prophet said, 'The Hajj is Arafah' (Tirmidhi 889)."
Step 3: Link them explicitly
"Standing together in shroud-like garments, stripped of status, rehearses standing before Allah on the Day of Judgement, so the rite expresses belief in akhirah and the need for Allah's forgiveness."
- Rites in the wrong order
- Learn the sequence: ihram, tawaf, sa'y, Mina, Arafat, Muzdalifah, jamarat, sacrifice, halq, tawaf al-ifadah.
- Confusing Hajj and Umrah
- Umrah can be done at any time and is not obligatory; only the Hajj includes Arafat.
- Saying the sacrifice feeds Allah
- "Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you" (22:37).
- Listing rites without beliefs
- Link each rite to tawhid, the prophets, akhirah or the ummah.
- Ignoring those who cannot go
- The duty applies only to those "able" (3:97); Eid al-Adha connects every Muslim to the Hajj.
In one sentence
The Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah required once of every Muslim who is able, leads pilgrims in ihram through tawaf, sa'y, Arafat, Muzdalifah, the jamarat and the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha, expressing tawhid, the faith of Ibrahim and Muhammad, akhirah and submission, bringing the individual forgiveness and renewal and uniting the worldwide ummah as equals before Allah.
Try this
Q1. Outline the significance of ihram. (3 marks)
- What the marker wants. The garments and restrictions (2:197), equality, purity and the link to death and akhirah.
Q2. Explain how the Hajj expresses the belief in tawhid. (4 marks)
- What the marker wants. The talbiyah, tawaf around the one House, rejecting Shaytan, and a link to shirk as the gravest sin.
Q3. Analyse the significance of the Hajj for the Muslim community in Australia. (5 marks)
- What the marker wants. Returning pilgrims, Eid al-Adha, qurbani and charity, unity and identity, and the limits of access.
Exam-style questions
Questions in the style of NESA exam questions on this dot point, each with a worked answer. They are written by ExamExplained unless tagged "Past paper"; the year shows the paper a question is modelled on.
2025 HSC SoR II Q26 (a)Past paper3 marksDescribe how ONE significant practice expresses ONE belief of Islam.Show worked answer →
Criteria (NESA 2025 marking guidelines, SoR I Q15(a), SoR II Q26(a)). 3: describes how ONE significant practice expresses ONE belief of Islam, integrating relevant terminology. 2: outlines. 1: statements about Islam.
A 3-mark answer using the Hajj.
- Belief. Tawhid: Allah is absolutely one, with no partner.
- Practice. Throughout the Hajj pilgrims repeat the talbiyah, "Labbaika Allahumma labbaik, labbaika la sharika laka labbaik" ("I respond to Your call O Allah ... You have no partner", Sahih al-Bukhari 1549), and circle the Ka'bah seven times in tawaf.
- Link. Declaring that Allah has "no partner" while millions of believers turn around the one House built for His worship (Qur'an 2:127) expresses tawhid in word and action.
Source: NESA, 2025 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
2024 HSC SoR II Q26 (b)Past paper8 marksReligious practices are the sacred threads that weave together adherents' beliefs and connect them to the divine. With reference to this statement, explain how ONE of the following practices expresses the beliefs of Islam: • Friday prayer at the mosque • Funeral ceremony • Hajj.Show worked answer →
Criteria (NESA 2024 marking guidelines, SoR I Q15(b), SoR II Q26(b)). 8: a detailed and accurate explanation of how ONE significant practice expresses the beliefs of Islam, integrating the statement effectively throughout, clear and relevant evidence, integrated terminology. 6 to 7: accurate explanation, statement integrated. 4 to 5: some explanation. 2 to 3: an outline. 1: general statements.
Plan (each rite as a thread).
- Ihram and the talbiyah: tawhid and equality. Identical white garments; "You have no partner" (Bukhari 1549).
- Tawaf: tawhid and the prophets. The Ka'bah raised by Ibrahim and Isma'il (2:127).
- Sa'y: trust in Allah. Hajar's search for water; Safa and Marwah "among the symbols of Allah" (2:158).
- Arafat: akhirah and forgiveness. "The Hajj is Arafah" (Tirmidhi 889); a rehearsal of the Day of Judgement.
- Jamarat and sacrifice: submission and charity. Ibrahim's obedience; "what reaches Him is piety from you" (22:37).
- The ummah. One community "from every distant pass" (22:27): the thread that connects believers to each other and to Allah.
Source: NESA, 2024 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
2023 HSC SoR II Q26 (b)Past paper5 marksAnalyse the importance of ONE significant practice to the adherents of Islam. In your answer, refer to ONE of the following: • Friday prayer at the mosque • funeral ceremony • Hajj.Show worked answer →
Criteria (NESA 2023 marking guidelines, SoR I Q15(b), SoR II Q26(b)). 5: an accurate and detailed analysis of the importance of ONE practice, clear and relevant examples and terminology. 4: accurate analysis. 3: an explanation. 2: general statements about the practice. 1: general statements about Islam.
Plan (Hajj).
- A pillar. Obligatory once in a lifetime "for whoever is able" (3:97): fulfilling it completes the Five Pillars.
- Forgiveness. A pilgrim who avoids sin "will return ... as if he were born anew" (Bukhari 1521).
- Identity. Pilgrims return with the title Hajji or Hajjah and renewed commitment.
- Unity. The ummah gathered as equals.
- Analysis. Its importance is intense but occasional, since many Muslims (including many Australians) cannot afford it; the requirement "for whoever is able" makes intention and daily practice central for those who cannot go.
Source: NESA, 2023 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
2022 HSC SoR II Q26 (b)Past paper6 marksExplain how ONE significant practice expresses the beliefs of Islam. In your answer, refer to ONE of the following. • Friday prayer at the mosque • Funeral ceremony • HajjShow worked answer →
Criteria (NESA 2022 marking guidelines, SoR I Q15(b), SoR II Q26(b)). 6: a clear and detailed explanation of how ONE practice expresses the beliefs of Islam, integrated terminology. 4 to 5: clear explanation with relevant evidence. 2 to 3: some explanation. 1: a general statement.
Model (Hajj). Tawhid (talbiyah; tawaf); belief in the prophets (Ibrahim, Isma'il and Hajar in tawaf, sa'y and sacrifice); belief in akhirah (Arafat rehearses standing before Allah on the Day of Judgement; ihram resembles the burial shroud); the Qur'an as revelation (Hajj is commanded in 3:97 and 22:27); and the ummah (equality in ihram).
Source: NESA, 2022 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
2021 HSC SoR II Q26 (a)Past paper3 marksOutline ONE action or ritual in Islam that is drawn from ONE of the following significant practices. • Friday prayer at the mosque • Funeral ceremony • HajjShow worked answer →
What earns 3 marks (NESA 2021 marking guidelines, SoR I Q15(a), SoR II Q26(a)): an accurate outline of one action or ritual with relevant detail.
Model. Wuquf (standing) at Arafat: on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah pilgrims stand on the plain of Arafat from after midday until sunset, praying and seeking Allah's forgiveness. The Prophet said, "The Hajj is Arafah" (Jami at-Tirmidhi 889), so without it the Hajj is not valid.
Source: NESA, 2021 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
2020 HSC SoR II Q26 (a)Past paper7 marks(i) Outline ONE significant practice within Islam from the following. • Friday prayer at the mosque • Funeral ceremony • Hajj (3 marks) (ii) What is the significance for the Islamic community of the practice outlined in part (a) (i)? (4 marks)Show worked answer →
Criteria (NESA 2020 marking guidelines, SoR I Q15(a), SoR II Q26(a)). (i) 3: accurately outlines ONE practice. (ii) 4: a clear understanding of the significance for the Islamic community, integrating terminology.
NESA's sample answers used the Hajj. (i) It described the Hajj as one of the Five Pillars that "re-enacts important events and beliefs in Islam", a "spiritual, mental and physical journey to Mecca" including tawaf of the Ka'bah and the sa'y, with forgiveness "most evident when pilgrims participate in the Waquf of Arafat", preparing pilgrims for akhira. (ii) It said the Hajj "instils a sense of pride in the global umma as adherents pray together and are considered as equal through recognition of tawhid", and that returning pilgrims influence others at home.
Source: NESA, 2020 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
2019 HSC SoR II Q26 (b)Past paper8 marksMy prayers and my actions, my life and my death, are for Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. (Qur'an 6:162) How does ONE significant practice within Islam assist adherents to live their lives for Allah? In your response, refer to ONE of the following. • Friday prayer at the mosque • Funeral ceremony • HajjShow worked answer →
What earns 7 to 8 marks (NESA 2019 marking guidelines, SoR I Q15(b), SoR II Q26(b)): a detailed and accurate explanation of how the practice assists adherents to live for Allah, integrating the stimulus with clear evidence and terminology.
Plan (Hajj). "My prayers": prayer at the Ka'bah, Arafat and Muzdalifah. "My actions": the rites in obedience, avoiding "disobedience and ... disputing" (2:197). "My life": the Hajj renews life as a returning pilgrim "born anew" (Bukhari 1521). "My death": ihram resembles the kafan, and Arafat anticipates the Day of Judgement. Sacrifice shows that "what reaches Him is piety" (22:37).
Source: NESA, 2019 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
Practice questions
Original practice questions graded from foundation to exam level, each with a full worked solution. Try them before revealing the solution.
foundation3 marksOutline the rites of the Day of Arafah. (Original)Show worked solution →
On 9 Dhul Hijjah pilgrims travel from Mina to the plain of Arafat. From after midday until sunset they perform wuquf, standing (or sitting) in prayer, reciting the Qur'an and seeking forgiveness, near the Mount of Mercy where the Prophet gave his Farewell Sermon. The Prophet said, "The Hajj is Arafah" (Tirmidhi 889), so this is the essential rite of the Hajj. After sunset they move to Muzdalifah.
Marking: 1 for date and place, 1 for the actions, 1 for its importance with evidence.
core5 marksDemonstrate how the Hajj expresses Islamic belief in the prophets. (Original)Show worked solution →
- Ibrahim and Isma'il
- Tawaf circles the Ka'bah whose foundations Ibrahim and Isma'il raised (2:127); pilgrims pray at the "standing place of Abraham" (2:125; 3:97).
- Hajar
- Sa'y re-enacts Hajar's search for water between Safa and Marwah (2:158), and pilgrims drink from Zamzam.
- Ibrahim's obedience
- The stoning of the jamarat recalls Ibrahim's rejection of Shaytan's temptation to disobey Allah's command to sacrifice his son; the animal sacrifice recalls Allah's provision of a ram.
- Muhammad
- Pilgrims follow the pattern of the Prophet's Farewell Hajj (632 CE) and many visit his mosque in Madinah.
- Belief expressed
- Islam is the religion of all the prophets, from Ibrahim to Muhammad, and the Hajj renews their monotheism.
Marking (Original): 5 for several rites linked to prophets with Qur'anic evidence.
core5 marksExplain how the Hajj expresses the belief in akhirah (the afterlife). (Original)Show worked solution →
- Ihram
- The two plain white cloths resemble the kafan (burial shroud), reminding pilgrims that they will stand before Allah with nothing but their deeds.
- Arafat
- Millions standing on a plain under the sun, equal before Allah, is widely seen as a rehearsal of the Day of Judgement; pilgrims seek forgiveness to prepare for it (NESA's 2020 sample: pilgrims are "prepared for Akhira").
- Forgiveness
- A pilgrim who avoids sin returns "as if he were born anew" (Bukhari 1521); "the reward of Hajj Mabrur ... is nothing except Paradise" (Bukhari 1773).
- Sacrifice and piety
- "What reaches Him is piety from you" (22:37): only deeds and intentions count on the Last Day.
Marking (Original): 5 for three or more rites linked to akhirah with evidence.
exam8 marksAnalyse the significance of the Hajj for both the individual and the Muslim community. (Original)Show worked solution →
- Individual
- Completes the Five Pillars (3:97); forgiveness and renewal (Bukhari 1521); a profound experience of tawhid and submission; discipline in ihram (2:197); new identity as Hajji or Hajjah; lifelong spiritual memory.
- Community
- The ummah gathered from "every distant pass" (22:27), equal in ihram regardless of race or wealth; Eid al-Adha celebrated worldwide at the same time, with meat shared with the poor (22:28); returning pilgrims strengthen their local mosques and families, including in Australia; a visible sign of unity across Sunni and Shi'a Muslims.
- Analysis
- Significance is intense but depends on ability; cost and Saudi quotas limit access; crowding and safety risks have caused tragedies. The requirement "for whoever is able" means sincere intention and Eid al-Adha link every Muslim to the Hajj even if they cannot travel.
Marking (Original): 8 for individual and community both analysed with evidence and a judgement.
Practise this
Sources & how we know this
- Studies of Religion Stage 6 Syllabus (Islam depth study) — NESA
- 2025 HSC Studies of Religion marking guidelines — NESA (2025)
- 2020 HSC Studies of Religion marking guidelines — NESA (2020)
- 2019 HSC Studies of Religion II examination — NESA (2019)
- The Qur'an, Sahih International translation (2:125 to 2:127, 2:158, 2:196 to 2:197, 3:97, 22:27 to 22:37) — Quran.com
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1521, 1549, 1773 (Hajj) — Sunnah.com
- Jami at-Tirmidhi 889 ('The Hajj is Arafah') — Sunnah.com
- Studies of Religion I Stage 6 Syllabus (2009) — NESA
- Studies of Religion HSC exam papers — NESA