Global Courant
Muslim pilgrims in Mecca circled the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, then converged on a huge tent camp in the nearby desert, officially opening the annual hajj pilgrimage, which returned to its maximum capacity for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic .
So far, more than 1.8 million pilgrims from around the world have gathered in and around Mecca for the Hajj, and the number is still growing as more pilgrims from Saudi Arabia join, a spokesman for the country said. Saudi Hajj Ministry, Ayedh al. -Ghweinim.
Authorities say they expect to approach the pre-COVID level of more than two million this year.
Egyptian businessman Yehya Al-Ghanam said he had no words to describe his feelings when he arrived at Mina, one of the largest tent camps in the world outside Mecca, where pilgrims will spend much of the Hajj.
“Tears will fall from my eyes with joy and happiness,” he said, overwhelmed by the emotions surrounding his pilgrimage. “I don’t sleep. I haven’t slept in 15 days, only an hour a day.”
The pilgrimage is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and all Muslims are required to make the five-day hajj at least once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able to do it.
For pilgrims, it is a deeply moving spiritual experience that forgives sins, brings them closer to God and unites the world’s more than 1.8 billion Muslims. Some spend years saving money and waiting for a permit to begin the journey.
The rituals during the Hajj largely commemorate the Quranic accounts of Abrahim, his son Ishmael, and Ishmael’s mother Hajar.
Pilgrims have completed the ritual circuit around the Kaaba since arriving in Mecca in recent days. While the latter performed it on Monday, the pilgrims went to Mina on foot or by bus.
In Mina, soldiers sprayed pilgrims with water to cool them in the heat of the desert plain, where the scorching sun offers little respite. The faithful pitched their tents, rested in the rows of booths, and prayed together to prepare for the upcoming rituals.
On Tuesday, pilgrims head to Mount Arafat, a desert hill where the prophet Mohammed is said to have delivered his last sermon. Then they collect pebbles from a place known as Muzdalifah to be used in the symbolic stoning of pillars representing the devil in Mina.
The last three days of Hajj coincide with the festive Eid al-Adha holiday, when Muslims around the world slaughter cattle and distribute meat to the poor.
In 2019, more than 2.4 million pilgrims took part in Hajj. In 2020, amid global coronavirus lockdowns, Saudi Arabia limited pilgrimage to a few thousand citizens and residents. Last year, just under 900,000 attended as Saudi Arabia allowed a limited number of pilgrims from abroad.
