The Hajj is not a single event. It is a process that changes shape over many days. It is by turns:

· A donning of simple clothes marking unity among all pilgrims;
· a rite of arrival to a sacred land;
· a circular, then a linear ceremony of mobile prayer;
· an exodus from an urban to a desert existence;
· a spiritual camping trip among the dunes;
· a daylong collective gathering;
· an all-night vigil;
· a casting out of temptation;
· a symbolic sacrifice;
· a three-day feast;
· and a final circular round of farewell prayer.

In addition, with such large numbers of people representing more than 100 nations, it is a kind of unofficial United Nations general assembly, a chance for each pilgrim to represent his homeland, become part of a unique unity, and take the pulse of Islam throughout the world.

Pilgrims travel toward Mecca from every corner of the earth. Their routes converge a few miles short of Mecca, at the checkpoints marking the borders of the Sacred Territory. It is here at these special rendezvous points that the actual Hajj begins. Over the course of a handful of days, the pilgrims will perform (and re-perform) several rites, each with its own special meaning and significance.