Why do Hajj pilgrims all dress in the same plain white cloth?

The plain white clothing is meant to erase the differences between people. The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca that Islam asks of every Muslim once in a lifetime, if they are physically and financially able, and before arriving pilgrims enter ihram, a sacred state with its own dress. For men that means two white, unstitched cloths, one wrapped around the waist and one over the shoulder; women wear ordinary modest dress, which varies by region, with face and hands uncovered. The stated aim is that everyone should look the same, to signify that before God there is no difference between a prince and a pauper. Muslims also see the cloths as a reminder of the shroud worn after death.

The dress comes with a code of restraint. A man in ihram may not tie knots or wear stitched clothes, and all pilgrims refrain from cutting their nails, using perfume, damaging plants or harming animals. Because ihram must begin before a boundary called the Miqat, some airports have ihram rooms, and airlines from Muslim-majority countries announce when to change.

The effect on pilgrims can be powerful. In April 1964 the American civil rights activist Malcolm X described pilgrims 'of all colors, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans' sharing the same ritual, in a spirit of unity his life in America had led him to believe could never exist. In a typical year, more than two million people take part.