2964) Hajj Coin 1444 (the Islamic Calendar year which corresponds to the Gregorian Year 2023): A 4.00 Oz Gold plated Silver Coin issued by Qatar Post: Date of Coin issue: 15.08.2023:
Muslims around the world use the Islamic Calendar (also known as the Lunar or Hijri calendar) to determine the dates of religious events and observances. This Hijri calendar is based on 12 lunar months – a new month begins when a new moon is sighted.
The current year 2023 corresponds to the year 1444 in the Islamic Calendar.
About the Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca Saudi Arabia:
Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims.
Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and of supporting their family during their absence from home.
In Islamic terminology, Hajj is a pilgrimage made to the "Kaaba" - the "House of Allah", in the sacred city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, alongside "Shahadah" (oath that one believes there is no God but "Allah" (God), "salat" (prayer), "zakat" (almsgiving) and "sawm" (fasting of Ramadan).
The Hajj is an annual practice when Muslim brotherhood is on display and their solidarity with fellow Muslim people, and submission to God (Allah) is fulfilled.
The word Hajj means "pilgrimage made to the Kaaba", a long pious journey taken by Muslims to cleanse their souls of all worldly sins, which connotes both the outward act of a journey after death and the inward act of good intentions.
The rites of pilgrimage are performed over five to six days, extending from the 8th to the 12th or 13th of "Dhu al-Hijjah", the last month of the Islamic calendar.
Hajj is associated with the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad from the 7th century AD, but the ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca stated in Muslim sources stretches back to the time of Abraham.
The Ritual:
During Hajj, pilgrims join processions of millions of Muslim people, who simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of the Hajj, and perform a series of pre-Islamic rituals (reformed by Muhammad) - each person wears a single piece of unstitched white clothing (Ihram), walks counter-clockwise seven times around the Kaaba (a cube-shaped building and the direction of prayer for Muslims), kisses the black stone mounted on the corner wall of Kaaba, walks briskly back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah seven times, then drinks from the Zamzam Well, goes to the plains of Mount Arafat to stand in vigil, spends a night in the plain of Muzdalifa, and performs symbolic Stoning of the Devil by throwing stones at three pillars.
After the sacrifice of cattle (which can be accomplished by using a voucher), the pilgrims then are required to either shave or trim their heads (if male) or trim the ends of their hair (if female). A celebration of the four-day global festival of Eid al-Adha proceeds afterwards.
Muslims may also undertake an "Umrah" (or "lesser pilgrimage") to Mecca at other times of the year.
However, the Umrah is not a substitute for the Hajj and Muslims are still obligated to perform the Hajj at some other point in their lifetime if they have the means to do so.
The 4 Oz Gold Plated Silver Stamp issued by Qatar Post:
The "Hajj Coin 1444" is a stunning masterpiece crafted from pure 4.00 Oz Silver, plated with luxurious 24k Gold which is a limited-edition item with a unique serial number, ranging from 1 to 1444. Only 800 units are available for sale.
Inspired by the sacred Hajj pilgrimage, the "Hajj Coin 1444" symbolises unity and devotion. It is the perfect souvenir among Muslim families and friends, capturing the essence of this spiritual journey.
Technical details:
Issue Date: 15.08.2023
Metal Composition: Ag 999 plated with 24k gold
Weight: 4oz (124.4 grams)
Size: 90.00 mm x 50.00 mm
Value: 50,000 CFA Francs
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Raj Kumar Srivastava has commented:
ReplyDelete"Informative."
Thanks, Raj.
DeleteSantosh Khanna has commented:
ReplyDelete"Thanks for sharing this interesting and informative post."
Thank you so much, Khanna sahab.
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