For Muslims all over the world, these first ten days of the month (1/12 - 1/21) of Dhu al-Hijjah are the days of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, commemorating the journey of the Prophet Mohammed, his family and supporters from Mecca to Medina, to establish a new faith based on the revealed word of the Qu'ran. This solemn rite of pilgrimage, which every Muslim must make once during his or her life, emphasizes the central Muslim tenets of submission to divine will, brotherhood, and unity, and also commemorates the trials of the Prophet Abraham and his family in making their arduous, perilous God-directed journey into Egypt. The ten days of the Hajj are followed and climaxed by the holy days of Eid al-Adha. ~ From the Universal Festival Calendar by Dan Furst.