Every year around two million Muslims travel to the Grand Mosque of Mecca, the Masjid al-Haram, to visit the holiest site on earth, the Kaaba . The pilgrimage to Mecca is known as Hajj. It is the fifth of the five pillars of Islam, the simple and solemn rules of Islam. Every Muslim who is physically and financially capable is expected to participate in the Hajj at least once in their lifetime. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Five Pillars of Islam, revealed by Muhammad, God's prophet and founder of the Islamic faith, explicitly tell Muslims what they must do to live a life of religious righteousness. The first pillar is a confession of faith, all a person needs to do to become a Muslim is to regularly proclaim the Shahada, confessing that “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His prophet”. A true Muslim must also participate in the Salat, the second pillar, and pray facing the Kaaba in Mecca five times a day. The third pillar, Zakat, is an annual almsgiving intended to purify wealth by giving away 2.5% of a person's total "assets" each year to be distributed to the poor. The fourth pillar, and the second annual activity, is fasting during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which took place this year between September 9 and 14. For many Muslims it is a once-in-a-lifetime journey, a pilgrimage to honor religious duty and tradition, although it is also described as an obligation, a necessary act of faith. During the Hajj, pilgrims to Mecca participate in many different religious activities. Pilgrims are required to wear plain, white clothing to promote equality among themselves and participate in ceremonies at the Great Mosque surrounding the Kaaba, one of these ceremonies includes walking seven times around the Kaaba and running seven times between two hills. Many Muslims also visit Muhammad's burial site in Medina. On the eighth day of the Hajj, pilgrims are expected to gather on Mount Arafat, outside Mecca, for the pinnacle of the Hajj: begging for divine forgiveness from Allah. On the ninth day, Muslims go to Mina to throw stones at three pillars representing the devil as a symbol of resistance to temptation. After that, to complete the Hajj, there are three days of celebration of the Feast of Sacrifice, in which Muslims from all over the world participate. These are just a few of the many rituals of the Hajj. But in this pilgrimage there are many risks, people often worry about hasty escapes. In this new age of technology, although traveling has never been easier, many pilgrims are victims of "Hajj scams". Cheap flights can be purchased in minutes online and through phone apps, and hotels have become a mere option in a long list of alternative accommodations available through useful new websites. However, with so many people looking for great deals and 1.4 million Muslims traveling to Saudi Arabia from foreign countries for the Hajj, there is ample opportunity for internet scammers and fake tourism agencies to take advantage of travellers. Many Muslims purchase Hajj travel packages that turn out to be of highly exaggerated quality or, in some cases, partially or entirely counterfeit. These scams have left Muslims stranded at Jeddah airport with falsified documents and travel itineraries. However, many families and groups travel to Mecca only to find that their accommodations are non-existent or cramped and far from what they paid for. These are known as.