With around 700 students (as of November 2019), the Faculty of Theology is one of the most important training centres in Germany for the Protestant pastorate, for teaching Protestant religion in Gymnasium and for other theological degree programmes. The varieties of Chinese religion are spread across the map of China in different degrees. The last three days of the hajj are marked by three events: a final circling of the Kaaba, casting stones in Mina and removing the ihram. The final days of hajj coincide with Eid al-Adha, or the festival of sacrifice, celebrated by Muslims around the world to commemorate Ibrahim’s test of faith. And thus, no part of the world can also be a part of God, because the simple highest Essence has no parts whatsoever. The hajj traditionally begins in Mecca, with a smaller “umrah” pilgrimage that can be performed year-round. After spending the night in the massive valley of Mina, the pilgrims head to Mt. Arafat, some 12 miles east of Mecca, for the pinnacle of the pilgrimage. Over 2 million Muslims from around the world are beginning the five-day hajj pilgrimage Sunday. Observant Muslims around the world face toward the Kaaba during their five daily prayers.

Aristotle made God passively responsible for change in the world in the sense that all things seek divine perfection. Many seek to deepen their faith on the hajj, with some women taking on the Islamic hair covering known as “hijab” upon returning. A few even walk thousands of miles by foot to Saudi Arabia, taking months to arrive. To perform the umrah, Muslims circle the Kaaba counter-clockwise seven times while reciting supplications to God, then walk between the two hills traveled by Hagar. Pilgrims also trace the path of Ibrahim’s wife, Hagar, who Muslims believe ran between two hills seven times searching for water for her dying son. “We must pray to receive the Holy Spirit,” which is a gift from God who “wants to give us courage” to persevere, he added. Those who cannot afford the hajj are sometimes financed by charities or community leaders. Muslims can pray anywhere; however, they are meant to pray towards Mecca.

Some Muslims do not believe that any text other than the actual Arabic text of the Quran (even a transliteration or an Arabic text with vowels) can strictly be called ‘the Qur’an’. OK, so it’s the less-than-sexy secret no one likes to talk about, but it’s true: Cosmetics can go from super sexy to straight-up disgusting really quick if you’re not swapping out your old Sephora finds for fresh products on the regular. This event is one of the most tragic and pivotal moments in Islamic history, especially for Shia Muslims, as it symbolizes the struggle against tyranny and injustice. Discover the history, beliefs, customs, and practices of Islam, a monotheistic faith practiced by 1.5 billion people around the globe. Although the plague that bedeviled southern Europe during this time wasn’t nearly as destructive as the Black Death of the 14th century, it is estimated to have killed over a million people in Italy and surrounding areas over the course of the decade, but mostly between 1656 and 1658. No one was safe, and since the germ theory of disease wouldn’t reinvent medicine for another 200 years, the Italians figured desperate times called for desperate measures, and so they sent their physicians out in the most bonkers costume imaginable.

The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all able-bodied Muslims are required to perform it once in their lifetime. They will circle Islam’s most sacred site, the cube-shaped Kaaba in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, and take part in a series of rituals intended to bring about greater humility and unity among Muslims. It is here where Muhammad delivered his final sermon, calling for equality and for Muslim unity. While following a route the Prophet Muhammad once walked, the rites of hajj are believed to ultimately trace the footsteps of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, or Abraham and Ishmael, as they are named in the Bible. Before heading to Mecca, many pilgrims visit the city of Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad is buried and where he built his first mosque. The emperor himself coordinated fire fighting efforts on the first night. They spend the night there and pick up pebbles along the way that will be used in a symbolic stoning of the devil back in Mina, where Muslims believe the devil tried to talk Ibrahim out of submitting to God’s will. Whether lavish or low-key, these extraordinary Sweet 15 fiestas allow young girls to become fairytale princesses for a day on their way to becoming full-grown women.