Hajji
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Hajji (Template:Langx; sometimes spelled Hajjeh, Hadji, Haji, Alhaji, Al-Haj, El-Hajj, or Al-Hadj Audio file "LL-Q56475 (hau)-Eunice Ameh-Alhaji.wav" not found) is an honorific title given to a Muslim who has completed the Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.
Etymology
Hajji is derived from the Arabic Script error: No such module "lang". (Script error: No such module "Lang".), which is the active participle of the verb Script error: No such module "lang". ('to make the pilgrimage'; Script error: No such module "Lang".). The alternative form Script error: No such module "lang". is derived from the name of the Hajj with the adjectival suffix -ī (Script error: No such module "Lang".), and this was the form adopted by non-Arabic languages.[citation needed]
Use
Hajji and its variant spellings are used as honorific titles for Muslims who have successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca.[1]
In Arab countries, Script error: No such module "lang". and Script error: No such module "lang". (pronunciation varies by Arabic dialect) is a commonly used manner of addressing any older person respectfully if they have performed the pilgrimage. It is often used to refer to an elder, since it can take years to accumulate the wealth to fund the travel (particularly before commercial air travel), and in many Muslim societies to a respected man as an honorific title. The title is prefixed to a person's name; for example, Saif Gani becomes "Hajji Saif Gani".[citation needed]
In sub-Saharan Africa, especially Nigeria, the titles Alhaji (male) and Alhaja (female) are given to those who have performed the pilgrimage. Civil rights activist Aisha Yesufu, for instance, has often been referred to as "Alhaja Aisha Yesufu".[2]
In Malay-speaking countries, Script error: No such module "Lang". and Script error: No such module "Lang". are titles given to Muslim males and females respectively who have performed the pilgrimage. These are abbreviated as Hj. and Hjh. (in Indonesian, it is H. and Hj.)[citation needed]
In Iran, the honorific title Hāj (Script error: No such module "Lang".) is sometimes used for IRGC commanders, instead of the title Sardar ('General'), such as for Qasem Soleimani.[citation needed]
Other religions
The term was borrowed in Balkan Christian countries formerly under Ottoman rule (Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Romania), and are used for Christians who have travelled to Jerusalem and the Holy Land.[3] In some areas the title has been fossilised as a family name, for example in the surnames common among Bosniaks such as Hadžić, Hadžiosmanović ('son of Hajji Osman') etc.[citation needed]
In Cyprus, the title is so prevalent that it has also been permanently integrated into some Greek Christian surnames, such as Template:Translit. This is due to Cyprus's long history of Christian and Muslim influence.[citation needed]
The title has also been used in some Jewish communities to honor those who made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem or other holy sites in Israel.[4][failed verification]
Ethnic slur
In the 21st century, American soldiers began using the term Haji as slang for Afghans and Arabs (Iraqis in particular). It is used in the way "gook" or "Charlie" was used by U.S military personnel during the Vietnam War.[5][6][7][8]
See also
- Hatzi, a Greek surname prefix, stemming from the same origin
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Malise Ruthven (1997). Islam: A very short introduction. Oxford University Press. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-19-285389-9.
- ^ Onokpasa, J. FeaturedUNMASKING PRESIDENT TINUBU’S TRIP TO FRANCE. First Weekly Magazine. [online] Available at: https://www.firstweeklymagazine.com/unmasking-president-tinubus-trip-to-france/ (Accessed: October 5th 2025).
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Jerusalem and Ancient Temples" (in Ελληνικά). apologitis.com. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."ISRAEL ii. JEWISH PERSIAN COMMUNITY – Encyclopaedia Iranica". iranicaonline.org.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Put 'Haji' to Rest | Marine Corps Gazette". Archived from the original on 2011-02-16. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
- ^ Learning to 'embrace the suck' in Iraq Los Angeles Times, 28 January 2007
- ^ Slang from Operation Iraqi Freedom globalsecurity.org
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Herbert, Bob (May 2, 2005). "From 'Gook' to 'Raghead'". The New York Times.
