The richest person in history makes a trip across the Sahara for his Hajj, was it solely for religion or was there another reason? It has been debated why Mansa Musa made his hajj. An extremely powerful sultan, Mansa Musa, decided to make his Hajj to Mecca only for religion. During the months before Musa reached Mecca, he had to be charitable, according to the third pillar of Islam, Zakat. When Mansa Musa reached certain towns/cities, “he left no court emir nor holder of a royal office without the gift of a load of gold” (Doc. E). This supports the statement that he made the pilgrimage only for religious reasons, knowing that he was contributing to one of the 5 pillars of his religion. Even in situations when the king could become