The annual Hajj pilgrimage was resuming to its full capacity for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic as Muslim pilgrims in Mecca circled the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, and then gathered at a massive tent camp in the nearby desert.
Ayedh al-Ghweinim, a spokesman for the Saudi Hajj Ministry, stated that more than 1.8 million pilgrims from all over the world have already gathered in and around Mecca for the Hajj, and the number was still rising as more pilgrims from within Saudi Arabia joined.
Authorities predict that this year’s numbers will be close to pre-COVID levels of more than two million.
Yehya Al-Ghanam, an Egyptian businessman, said he was speechless when he arrived at Mina, one of the largest tent cities outside of Mecca, where pilgrims will stay for much of the Hajj.
He was overcome with emotion as he spoke, “Tears will fall from my eyes out of joy and happiness. I do not sleep. I have not slept for 15 days, only an hour a day.”
One of Islam’s five pillars, pilgrimage, requires every Muslim to perform the five-day Hajj at least once in their lifetime, provided they have the physical and financial means to do so.
For pilgrims, it is a profoundly moving spiritual encounter that atones for sins, draws them nearer to God, and unites the more than 1.8 billion Muslims around the world. Some people save money for years and wait for a permit before starting their journey.
The Hajj rituals primarily serve to remember Abrahim, his son Ishmael, and Ishmael’s mother Hajar as they are described in the Quran.
Soldiers in Mina sprayed water on pilgrims to help them cool off in the sweltering desert plain where there is little relief from the scorching sun.
The faithful pitched their tents, taking refuge in the rows of cubicles, and joining in communal prayer in anticipation of the rituals to come.
The festive Eid al-Adha holiday, during which Muslims worldwide butcher livestock and give meat to the needy, falls on the final three days of the Hajj.
Source-Aljazeera
