The Hajj pilgrimage takes place once a year, in the month of Dhu’l-Hijjah, whereas ‘umrah (the minor pilgrimage) may be performed at any time. Be it Hajj or ‘umrah, any worship, when performed purely for God, is valuable in the eyes of God. When the true worshipper of God undertakes a religious duty like Hajj, he spiritually experiences in its rites worship a surrender to a Being whom he loves and fears more than anything else. The greatest concern of such a worshipper is to escape God’s punishment in the Hereafter. Thus a believer is one who lives not for the satisfaction of his desires, but for a worthy goal. His goal is to completely abstain from all that God has forbidden. He must refrain from all kinds of misdeeds and quarrels with his fellow men. The Hajj pilgrimage successfully serves the purpose of this moral training. That is why the believers are especially enjoined to undertake it. The pilgrims take provisions with them to meet their requirements during the journey. However, we are reminded that the best provision for a believer is to live in fear of God. Going in fear of God (taqwa) relates to the intellect. It has nothing to do with the observance of certain outward forms. It is, in fact, a state of heightened consciousness. When man finds his Lord at the level of the keenest awareness, his mind is filled with God’s greatness and beauty. Then at the spiritual level, that state which may be described as God-fearing (taqwa, or God consciousness) is produced.