The Fifth Pillar

Jul 08 2022 24 ep. 55 mins 7
The Fifth Pillar Podcast artwork

A podcast series from Cambridge Muslim College on the fifth pillar of Islam: the religious pilgrimage to Mecca – Hajj.

  Religion & Spirituality
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Conscientious Pilgrim

Jul 08 2022 37 mins  
Like so many aspects of modern life, the Hajj is unfortunately another instance where human activity causes detrimental impacts upon our environment. In this episode, Abdal Hakim Murad explores ways we can imagine the Hajj of the present and future which enables conscientious commitment to safeguarding our natural world and our holy cities, as he recalls the changes that have taken

Ka'ba of Earth & Heaven

Jul 07 2022 35 mins  
Our testimony acknowledging the divinity of Allah was during the first of gatherings. In this episode, Rasul Miller and Sumaiyya Ayub explore the physical space of the earthly ka’ba and the heavenly, angelic realms, to understand the ka’ba in time and space.

Hajj & the Hashr

Jul 06 2022 52 mins  
Qiyama, the day of recknoning, is the final gathering. In this episode, Marcia Hermansen and Jörg Imran Schröter talk about the Hajj as ‘pen-ultimate’ gathering.

Shelter in the Desert

Jul 05 2022 64 mins  
Part of the Hajj involves the practical necessities of travelling and living with millions of other persons. In this episode, Besnik Sinani, Haris Farqui and Amira Rizk explore how people ‘lived together’ during hajj and what can we learn about the nature of gathering in Islam through this experience.

Sa'iy: Moving Through Time

Jul 04 2022 67 mins  
"One of the key elements of the Hajj is the interplay of time between past (Adam and Abraham, Hajar, Muhammad) and present. The Sa’iy is one of the most poignant communal enactments of this time and space bending that takes place in Hajj. In this episode, Hadia Mubarak, Hamida Moalim and Djermana Kuric talk about what the walk between the two hills reveal about the nature of time

Tawaf & Other Orbits

Jul 03 2022 60 mins  
The circumambulation of the Ka’ba is one of the most famous rituals of the Hajj. Why do Muslims perform the walk in counter-clockwise circles around the ka’ba and what significance does this have? In this episode, Francesco Chiabotti, Shazuan Sidek and Khadijah-Ali Campbell talk about the significance of spheres and circles in Islamic cosmology and how this can expand our under

Ihram: One Among Many

Jul 02 2022 45 mins  
The ‘entering into the sacred’ or the donning of the ‘ihram’, removes worldly distinctions from pilgrims. Each person leaves part of their individuality behind, and becomes a body in the crowd. In this episode Mariam Sheibani and Shahid Hanif refelect on the symbolism of the ihram and what it tells us about the individual and communal aspects of the Hajj.

The Caravan: Past & Present

Jul 01 2022 55 mins  
The gathering of the Hajj begins with the movement towards the Holy City of Mecca, as throngs of people travel, mostly in groups, to undertake the pilgrimage rites. In this episode we hear from Yahya Nurgat and Zakiyah Gangat on movement and the caravan, and what we gain or lose over time.

Hajj as Pillar

Jun 30 2022 50 mins  
Hajj is unique among the pillars as the one which is entirely part of a gathering. In this episode we hear Adeyinka Mendes reflect on the individual and communal elements of this pillar and the spiritual consequences of this intentionally communal practice and what this meant for him during his hajj experience.

Trailer: The Great Gathering

Jun 29 2022 1 mins  
An introduction to the third season of The Fifth Pillar with host Dr Amina Nawaz.