Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, is an expression of pure monotheistic faith, of obedience, total submission and jihad. Leaving home, family, business, possessions and friends behind, the pilgrim joins thousands of others from all corners of the earth for days of intensive worship at the Kaaba, on the plain of Arafah and in the valley of Mina. It is a reminder of the resurrection when all people will gather in one place with no distinctions between them.