Study of Religion Unit 2 exam - calendrical rituals

what is a calendrical ritual?

Calendrical rituals are recurrent ritual events marking particular times of year, or a fixed period since an important event. They can occur daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or follow any other cycle. They are group orientated rituals enacted by the religious community, and provide ‘exits’ and ‘entrances’ for social and economic activities.

What is the Hajj?

The Hajj is an annual sacred, 5 day pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia that is required of every Muslim at least once in their lifetime as it is one of the five pillars of Islam, making it obligatory to those who are able to participate.

What is the Way of Sorrows?

A christian pilgrimage set in the Holy land of Jerusalem which represents the path that Jesus took on his way to his crucifixion, commemorating his suffering and death.

How is the Hajj considered a calendrical ritual?

The Hajj is considered a calendrical ritual because it is a reoccurring ritual that happens at a certain time each year, with a specific sequence of events and dates. It is a community based ritual and provides an ‘exit’ and ‘re entrance’ back into social economic life.

How is the Way of Sorrows considered a calendrical ritual?

The Way of Sorrows is considered a calendrical ritual as it is recurrent, happening at any point in the year, but specifically around Easter and the date of Jesus’ crucifixion. It is a community based ritual, open to the society, which provided an ‘exit’ and ‘re-entrance’ back into social and economic life.

What religious tradition does Hajj belong to?

Islam - all sects

What religious tradition does Way of Sorrows belong to?

Christianity

What happens during the Hajj? Describe distinguishing features

• Five day pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia

• one of the 5 pillars - mandatory calendrical ritual to be undertaken at least once in their lifetime for those financially and physically capable

• Exclusive to only Muslims

• visit several sites between the Grand Mosque in Mecca, tent city in Mina, and the Arafat Valley with a total walking distance is over 40km

• Follows the rituals and instructions of Muhammad, after he had freed the long-recognised sacred site from polytheistic clans. He re-established the Kaaba as a Muslim place of worship, first established by Abraham

• Muslims enter the state of Ihram - purified state, where muslims refrain from sex, swearing, anger, cosmetics and all dress in the same simple dress

• The pilgrimage offers Muslims a chance to wipe clean past sins and start anew before Allah. Pilgrims seek to deepen their faith on the hajj by undertaking various stages.

• They first undertake the tawaf, circumambulating the Kaaba seven times anticlockwise as a welcoming tawaf, an expression of faith in Allah at the place reserved to worship him

• after they perform Sa’y walking between the two hills Marwah and Safa as Hagar did in search for water for her son Ishmael and visit the Spring of Zamzam, the well Allah granted her through Angel Gabriel

• They travel to the tent city of Mina for prayer and remembering Muhammad

• Day 2 is the most important, know as the Day of Hajj, where the travel to Mt Mercy at Arafat where Muhammad gave his last sermon

• head to Muzdalifah to collect 49 stones for Rami al-Jamarat

• Stone the devil (Rami al-Jamarat) 7 times at the site where he tried to dissuade Abraham from sacrificing his son Ishmael to God

• Sacrifice a sheep during Eid al-Adha, and feed the meat to the poor - Abraham obedience in sacrificing a sheep in place of his son like Allah had ordered

• trim/shave heads as a sign of penance

• another tawaf at Mecca

• More stoning of the devil to relinquish past sins

• Farewell Tawaf at Mecca

What happens during the Way of Sorrows? Describe distinguishing features

• Also called the Via Dolorosa, Way of the Cross

• 500/600m track that can be walked in a few hours

• Follows the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem

• Open to both Christians and Non-Christians

• runs through the urban streets of Old Jerusalem where shops and commercial businesses are

• starts at what was the Antonia Fortress where Pontius Pilate condemned him to death and proceeds through 14 'stages of the cross' corresponding to experiences that he had as he progressed toward 'Golgotha' where the Roman occupiers conducted their crucifixions, just outside the Western Gate.

• now beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

• start where he was condemned to death by the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate; the site where he falls the first of three times; the site where Simon of Cyrene helps him carry his cross; the site where Veronica wipes his face; and then the last five 'stations' all located with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre were he is stripped of his clothes, nailed to the cross, dies on the cross, and is taken down from the cross and is buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.

• actual path debated over, but this current one was established around the 14th century and allows christians to create a personal connection to Jesus by 'following in his footsteps', whether literally or figuratively by commemorating his suffering and sacrifice for humanity and acting as a reminder of his teachings

What time of year does the Hajj occur?

When is it referenced in scripture?

Directly informed

Muslims can undertake parts of the Hajj at anytime of year when it is known as Umrah, or the ‘lesser pilgrimage’ but for it to be Hajj it must occur between the 8th and 13th days of Dhul Hijjah, the last month in the Islamic calendar which follows a lunar cycle.

Referenced in the Qur’an specifically in Surah 2, stating that the Hajj is to be done during the "well-known" months, more specifically during one of the three consecutive sacred months (1st, 7th, 11th, 12th months).

And Surah 22, "remember (or celebrate) Allah during the appointed days". These 'appointed days' are regarded as referring to the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah for Hajj.

What time of year does the Way of Sorrows occur?

When is it referenced in scripture?

Indirectly informed

The way of Sorrows can be taken at any time of year, with Franciscan priests holding a procession at 3pm every Friday. However, it is most poignant to Christians on Good Friday during the spring Festival of Easter which occurs on the first sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox. It is celebrated then as it is believed to be the anniversary of Jesus’ death according to scripture.

Referenced in the New Testament, specifically all four of the gospels. These all state that Jesus died at 3pm on the second day of passover, preparation day, several hours before Sabbath.

What is the motivation for the Hajj?

• fulfill a religious obligation as commanded in the Qur’an as one of the five pillars of Islam.

• To be done as soon as the Muslim and family are financially and physically capable - don’t wait till later in life but perform the Hajj as soon as possible, then go again and again

• To atone for all of one’s accumulated sins, so that one returns to everyday life like a newborn, free of sin

• to spend the rest of one’s life serving the needy and those who struggle, caring for the rest of humanity

• to live a clean and pious life as a Haji

• to connect with the heart of Islamic tradition that traces its lineage all the way back to Islam's second greatest prophet, Ibrahim, who was called by Allah to build a house of worship at this location

• to connect to the worldwide Ummah - brothers and sisters

• to gain the title of a Hajji

• to emulate the example of the Prophet Muhammad, who undertook four Umrahs and one Hajj during his life and restore the legacy of Ibrahim.

• gain a new perspective of life each time, building up in increments for judgement day

• remind Muslims of Judgement day

What is the motivation for the Way of Sorrows?

• draw closer to God through prayer, deepening one’s connection to God and the scripture

• build faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Saviour of humanity through his love and sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins

• connects the pilgrim with the heart of the Christian tradition that traces its lineage back to Jesus Christ

• bring the bible to life and make more vivid in the mind of the pilgrim Jesus’ suffering and death

• makes the scripture more tangible

• experience the richness and diversity of the Christian tradition at the epicentre of the religion

• appreciate the political climate of Jesus’ time through the political climate of current day Jerusalem

Differentiate between them

• Seeking salvation of past sins vs seeking to know the person and the suffering of their saviour, Jesus Christ

• Obedience to command in Qur'an (fifth pillar) at least once in lifetime vs no compulsion to undertake any pilgrimage; not a command recorded in the Bible

• specifically cleansing or healing rite vs pilgrimage Christians might take for differing reasons

• To connect with the wider ummah and the great prophets of Islam vs to connect with the person of Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death and resurrection

• The promise of a place in Paradise with Allah vs the search for greater faith and belief in Jesus Christ, which can lead to a place in Heaven (with good works)

• To prepare for the Final Judgement before Allah vs to more deeply connect with the Christian mass and the eucharistic celebration that is central to Christainity.

evaluate and draw conclusions about the influence of these two pilgrimages in a religiously plural society

Hajj

• number of Muslims in Australia grown over the past 20 years, meaning increased number of Australian Muslim pilgrims undertaking the Hajj

• culture exchange - going and coming back new perspectives and parts of the culture that they are able to express

• make an effort not to tarnish the pure soul they have returned with

• strive to live a more pious and moral life

• be granted the respectable title of a Haji or Hijah

• quotas - limited number granted Hajj visas

• only around 4,000 Australians this year, compared to the 800,000 muslims in Australia

• increase in Muslim engagement in community affairs through charity work and endeavours that promote greater peace, justice and acceptance of diversity

• Australian society – not the sense of community as much as in an Islamic country. Can feel very isolated, misinterpreted as a holiday or vacation

• Muslim countries – it was a big deal, pray for them, pay their respect, people would give you something to take for them. Engaging in a spiritual journey ie Islamic studies a year before. Especially in Asia the Imam would recreate the Hajj ritual and help practice them. Does not happen in Australia. Not the celebration. You’re elevated in the community almost like a scholar. In some communities, there would be a big feast. People would come and listen to the stories of your journey. Acquire the title of ‘Hajj’ for man or ‘Hajji’ woman – prefix added to your title. Sign of respect in some parts of the world

• Australia gives them an opportunity to experience and express their beliefs unlike places like France where they forbid muslims from wearing head coverings, or in Saudi Arabia where they are exposed to a stricter control of their religion - travelling to a place where they are more at risk of danger

• Number of incidents that happen during Hajj due to the overcrowded, hot environments, where women get groped and people die due to crowd crushes, even though this goes against every teaching in the religion and the purpose of the hajj

Way of the Sorrows

• not as community based - misinterpreted

• travelling to Jerusalem which is in a more hostile environment as it is a place of conflict between the three major abrahamic religions

• fewer christians living in Australia over the past 20 years, number of pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem might be declining

• bring more faith and resilience to overcome difficulties in everyday life

• a more open heart and optimistic view on life

• have a renewed perspective of God and the scripture in their lives that is shared with others

they live a more compassionate, forgiving, patient, tolerant, less-selfish and more generous life. It can be concluded that their spiritual transformation might be manifest, at least for a time, in actively or passively promoting the common good of all Australians within their local communities. In these ways, these pilgrims are invited to promote a more positive influence on others in Australia's pluralist society through their increased open-heartedness, compassion and wisdom, although acceptance of this invitation is not guaranteed, nor may it last for long.

What is a pilgrimage?

A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral significance, which can lead to a personal transformation. Sometimes it is a journey to a shrine of importance to a person’s beliefs and faith.

How to use Stimulus

• refer to in the evidence, reference by (Stimulus n)

• ideas expressed in the stimulus

  - map - the track the pilgrimage follows, total length

  - scripture, timing - origin

  - pictures - parts of the pilgrimage, distinguishing features, ways the religion influences

  - excerpts - motivation and purpose