The hadith report above equates the challenges and rewards of a woman's Hajj with that of jihad, a struggle in the way of God which may entail a spiritual struggle or the taking up of arms. The metaphor explicitly highlights the rigors of the Hajj, one of the most perilous journeys a believer is obliged to take at least once in a lifetime. The challenges women face in fulfilling this ritual are arguably greater than those that men encounter. In spite of the hurdles, women's participation in the annual Hajj has persisted since the rise of Islam and is increasing significantly in the modern period. This chapter provides a legal and historical overview of women's Hajj and explores the ways in which this ritual creates a unique space for the expression of women's spirituality in the arenas of religious education and charity. The chapter also considers the genre of women's Hajj memoirs, a relatively recent development, and how historical and local contexts shape the ways women record their Hajj experiences for posterity. This topic is taken up also in Chapter 13 in this volume.

LEGAL DISCOURSE

According to the Qurʾan (notably Q Āl ʿImrān 3:97), Hajj is obligatory for men and women when certain minimal conditions are met. Jurists elaborated on Qurʾanic dictates and specified the five conditions that apply to both sexes: being Muslim, being sane, reaching the age of legal majority (bulūgh), being free from bondage, and possessing the financial means and physical ability to travel. A majority of classical Sunni jurists stipulated additional conditions, as detailed in the following paragraphs, with respect to women. These gender-based preconditions and other women-specific rules and norms have significantly shaped how women fulfill this obligation and the opportunities that the Hajj has presented for their religious participation.