What it means
حج (hajj) is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, and it is one of the five pillars of Islam. The word is borrowed directly from Arabic, where it comes from a root meaning to intend a journey or to set out toward a sacred destination. In Persian, حج is used without modification: رفتن به حج (raftan be hajj) means to go on pilgrimage. The related term عمره (omre) refers to the minor, non-mandatory pilgrimage, while حج specifically denotes the major pilgrimage performed during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijja.
How to use it
- امسال میری حج؟ (emsâl miri hajj?) “Are you going to Hajj this year?”
- پدرم سال پیش حج رفت. (pedaram sâl-e pish hajj raft.) “My father went to Hajj last year.”
- انجام حج برای هر مسلمانی که توانایی داره واجبه. (anjâm-e hajj barâye har mosalmâni ke tavânâyi dâre vâjebé.) “Performing Hajj is obligatory for every Muslim who is able.”
- بعد از حج بهش میگن حاجی. (ba’d az hajj behesh migan hâji.) “After Hajj they call him Haji.”
Cultural note
In Iran, completing حج carries significant social and religious prestige. A man who has performed the pilgrimage is addressed as حاجی (hâji) and a woman as حاجیه خانم (hâjiyye khânom), titles used respectfully for the rest of their lives. The Iranian government manages an annual quota system for pilgrims, as demand far exceeds available spots. Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have at times disrupted Iranian access to Hajj, most notably after the 1987 Mecca incidents, making the pilgrimage a point of both religious devotion and geopolitical tension.