Haji Is a Title Earned by a Journey
A haji is someone who has completed the pilgrimage to Mecca. The word is an honorific, not a name.
A haji is a Muslim who has completed the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. The word functions as an honorific placed before or after a name, marking an achievement rather than an office — anyone who completes the journey holds it for life. In many countries it became a surname, which is why the word appears in family names across the Islamic world. The root is Arabic *hajj*, a pilgrimage, from a verb meaning to set out for a definite purpose.
- One who has made the hajj. *Haji.*
- An honorific title. *Haji Ahmet.*
- Hajj — the pilgrimage itself. *The hajj.*
- Also spelled — hajji, hadji. *Variants.*
- Arabic — *hajj*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | haji | A haji. |
| Plural | hajis | Hajis. |
| Variant | hajji | Hajji. |
| Related | hajj | The hajj. |
| Arabic | hajj | A pilgrimage. |
- He returned as a haji.Title.
- The hajj falls in Dhu al-Hijjah.Calendar.
- It became a common surname.Fact.
About the hajj
- It takes place in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah
- It is one of the five pillars of Islam
- It is required once of those able to undertake it
- Around two million people attend in a typical year
- The lunar calendar means it moves through the seasons
Arabic *hajji*, one who has made the *hajj*, from a verb meaning to set out with purpose.
What does haji mean?
Someone who has completed the pilgrimage to Mecca. It is an honorific used before or after a name and held for life.
Why is Haji a surname?
Because the title passed into family names in many countries, marking an ancestor who had completed the pilgrimage.