What does haji mean?
Haji most commonly identifies a Muslim who has completed the hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, and it is also used as an honorific before or after such a person's name. In South Asian English it appears in combinations such as Haji Ahmed, while the related English spellings hajj and hajji refer respectively to the pilgrimage and, traditionally, the person who has made it. These forms are not interchangeable in every context, although usage and spelling vary. As a religious title, haji acknowledges participation in a journey central to Islamic identity and, for Muslims able to undertake it, a once-in-a-lifetime obligation. The word comes from Arabic and entered English through forms associated with Islamic pilgrimage. Recognizing the distinctions is especially useful in news reports, documents, and personal addresses, where a reference to the journey itself can easily be confused with a reference to the person who completed it. Haji is also established in Indonesian and Malay usage with the same general religious association.
nounA Muslim who has completed the pilgrimage to Mecca, or an honorific used for such a person. In some usages, "haji" is also an alternative spelling of "hajj," the pilgrimage itself.
- An honorific used for a Muslim who has completed the pilgrimage to Mecca, especially in South Asian English and Indonesian and Malay usage.
- A Muslim who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca.
- Less commonly, an alternative spelling of hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca.
"Haji Rahman welcomed the returning pilgrims."
"Haji Rahman welcomed the returning pilgrims."
"She was described as a haji after completing the pilgrimage in 2012."
Used for a plural number of people who have made the pilgrimage; it is not normally used as a plural of the honorific or the pilgrimage.
"The two hajis greeted one another after the journey."
A Muslim able to make the hajj is required to undertake it once in a lifetime; afterward, the title Haji may follow the pilgrim for life.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does haji come from?
The English forms derive ultimately from Arabic ḥajj, meaning "pilgrimage to Mecca," and the related Arabic ḥājjī, meaning "one who has made the pilgrimage." English borrowed both the name of the pilgrimage and forms for the person who had completed it, with hajj, hajji, and haji reflecting different usage traditions. Turkish hacı and the forms used in Indonesian, Malay, and South Asian languages also derive from the same Arabic source.
Related word forms
How haji is actually used
In careful English, hajj usually names the pilgrimage, hajji names a person who has made it, and haji functions mainly as an honorific or an alternative form. Haji is especially associated with South Asian usage and with Indonesian and Malay-speaking communities. Capitalization and placement before or after a person's name vary by region and context.
Easily confused with haji
Hajj names the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, whereas haji commonly identifies a person who has made it or serves as an honorific.
Hajji is the more specific traditional spelling for a Muslim who has performed the hajj, although haji is also used for that person and as a title.