May 26, 2026 - Opinion: The Spirit of Hajj and Eid Al-Adha

By Asad Pervez, Center for Peace & Spirituality USA

BOSTON— Around two million people from around the world are currently in Mecca participating in the annual pilgrimage of Hajj. Each year, an estimated 20,000 Americans travel from the United States to Mecca to take part.

As one of the five pillars of Islam, every Muslim who is of sound mind and has the means is obliged to make the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. Hajj is a pilgrimage, when undertaken with the right intent and spirit can transform a person entirely, offering what is described as a ‘spiritual rebirth.’ Those who attend the Hajj with sincerity do not return the same.

A well-known historical example is Malcolm X’s 1964 pilgrimage to Mecca, which profoundly shattered his previous beliefs about race and catalyzed a shift from Black separatism toward universal human rights and multi-ethnic unity. The experience of Hajj compelled him to radically re-evaluate his worldview, and he subsequently abandoned the Nation of Islam’s teaching that white people were inherently evil.

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