what does this term in quotes mean?
It is a sacred state which a Muslim must enter in order to perform the major pilgrimage or the minor pilgrimage
Ihram
Ihram (, from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-R-M) is, in Islam, a sacred state which a Muslim must enter in order to perform the major pilgrimage ("Ḥajj") or the minor pilgrimage ("ʿUmrah"). A pilgrim must enter into this state before crossing the pilgrimage boundary, known as "Mīqāt", by performing the cleansing rituals and wearing the prescribed attire.
the hajj was a turning point in muslim history The qibla  is the direction towards the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, which is used by Muslims in various religious contexts, particularly the direction of prayer for the salah and hajj pilgrimage why is this direction given importance? It  is also the direction for entering the "ihram"
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Ihram [SEP] Introduction
Ihram (, from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-R-M) is, in Islam, a sacred state which a Muslim must enter in order to perform the major pilgrimage ("Ḥajj") or the minor pilgrimage ("ʿUmrah"). A pilgrim must enter into this state before crossing the pilgrimage boundary, known as "Mīqāt", by performing the cleansing rituals and wearing the prescribed attire.