Hajji

Hajji (sometimes spelled Hadji, Haji, Alhaji, Al hage, Al hag or El-Hajj) is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca. In its traditional context, it is often used to refer to an elder, since it can take time to accumulate the wealth to fund the travel. The title is placed before a person's name (for instance, Saif Gani becomes Hajji Saif Gani). It is derived from the Arabic , which is the active participle of the verb 'to make the pilgrimage [to Mecca]'. The alternative form is derived from the name of the Hajj with the adjectival suffix -i, and this was the form adopted by non-Arabic languages. In some areas, the title has been handed down the generations, and has become a family name. Such usage can be seen, for example, in the Bosniak surname Hadžiosmanovic, which means 'son of Hajji Osman'.