But performing the Hajj is more than answering a call to duty. Mecca, where the Ka'bah--or symbolic House of Allah (SWT) is located--marks the direction in which all Muslims pray. It is also the birthplace of The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), who defined Islam, and is strongly associated with the lives of Hagar, Abraham, and Ishmael, figures known to every Muslim child. For all these reasons, when the yearly time comes to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, Muslims yearn to go. Where the Hajj is concerned, duty and desire beautifully converge.

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