Islam: Hajj
This Arabic word literally translates to "to continuously strive to reach one's goal" or "to set out for a place".
What is Hajj?
Resting at the very top of the hierarchy of Sharia sources, this literal word of God serves as the absolute, foundational authority for all Islamic bioethics.
What is the Qur'an?
Aisha established the first Islamic school for women in her own home, and she is credited with transmitting over 2,000 of these preserved prophetic sayings.
What are Hadiths?
Pope Francis directly quotes Francis of Assisi's Canticle of Creation in this encyclical on environmental care and social justice.
What is Laudato si’?
This central element used during baptism symbolizes rebirth, cleansing from original sin, and purification.
What is water?
During this essential first ritual, male pilgrims wear two unstitched white cloths, leaving their head and right shoulder uncovered to symbolize human equality.
What is Ihram?
Islamic jurists use this legal method of analogical reasoning to evaluate new medical technology—such as using the prohibition of adultery to rule that IVF is only allowed between husband and wife.
What is Qiyas?
After Aisha lost her necklace in the desert and the caravan ran out of water, divine revelation introduced tayammum, which is this alternative ritual practice.
What is dry ablution (or purification using clean earth/dust)?
Co-founded with Clare of Assisi in 1212, this religious order provided a contemplative path for women living under Franciscan ideals.
What are the Poor Clares (or Order of Saint Clare)?
Unlike most traditional churches that perform infant baptism, Baptist and Pentecostal churches practice this type of baptism for consenting adults.
What is believer's baptism (or adult baptism / full immersion)?
Considered the spiritual pinnacle of Hajj, pilgrims spend the afternoon at this location in prayer and supplication, acting as a rehearsal for the Day of Judgment (al-Akhirah).
What is Wuquf (or Standing at Arafat)?
Based on Surah 5:32 ("whoever saves a life..."), organ donation is reframed not as bodily mutilation, but as this type of ongoing voluntary charity.
What is Sadaqah Jariyah (or Continuous Charity)?
The false accusations made against Aisha in the Incident of Slander (Hadith al-Ifk) established the strict Qadhf law in Islamic jurisprudence, requiring this specific number of upright eyewitnesses to prove unchastity.
What is four?
Founded by the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, this Bethlehem school serves Christian and Muslim students affected by intergenerational trauma.
What is the Holy Child Program?
Anointing a candidate with the Oil of Chrism affirms their calling to share in Christ’s role as priest, prophet, and this third royal title.
What is king?
The Hajj ritual of Nahr (sacrificial slaughter)—where meat is distributed to the poor—expresses this other pillar of Islam.
What is Zakat (Charity)?
According to Islamic bioethics, this specific developmental milestone—traditionally set at 120 days of gestation—marks the strict transition after which an abortion is forbidden unless the mother's life is in imminent danger.
What is Ensoulment (or Nafkh ar-Ruh)?
Aisha’s narrations regarding the shortening of prayers (Qasr) during travel reflect Taysir, an Islamic legal principle focused on providing this.
What is ease (or flexibility/alleviation of hardship)?
Written in vernacular Italian, this famous work by Francis praises God through elements of nature like "Brother Sun" and "Sister Moon".
What is the Canticle of the Sun (or Canticle of Creation)?
In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul explains that when an adherent is submerged into water, they are baptized into Jesus's death, and emerging from the water represents this event.
What is the Resurrection?
Returning pilgrims who earn the honorific titles Hajji or Hajja inspire their local Ummah while the global Muslim community simultaneously celebrates this festival of sacrifice.
What is Eid al-Adha?
Derived from the legal principle Darura, this overarching Islamic bioethical teaching dictates that preserving a living human's life takes absolute precedence over the sanctity of a deceased body or standard religious prohibitions.
What is the Sanctity of Life (or Principle of Necessity / Al-Darurat Tubih Al-Mahzurat)?
Aisha’s legacy as a political figure, religious scholar, and advocate for education directly inspired the naming of this Sydney-based college that serves as a sanctuary for women pursuing mastery in sacred Islamic knowledge.
What is Daar Aisha College?
This annual liturgical event, often held on St. Francis's feast day, reflects his theology that all animals are created by God.
What is the Blessing of Animals?
Along with the Salvation Army, this Christian group refrains from practicing physical baptism, believing inward spiritual transformation should not be treated as an outward physical event.
Who are the Quakers (or The Society of Friends)?