Muslim pilgrims from across the world arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Around 2 million pilgrims are expected to participate in the holy rituals this year, with the General Directorate of Passports confirming that 1.6 million pilgrims arrived at the land, sea, and air ports in the country. They will spend a day at Mina before heading to Mount Arafat in the early hours of Tuesday.
The Hajj pilgrimage, which had been limited to only a few thousand citizens and local residents in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has returned to full capacity in 2021. This year, 4,951 people will perform the Hajj at the expense of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, including relatives of martyrs from Palestine, Yemen, Syria, and other countries.
The pilgrimage started with the circling of the Kaaba in Makkah, the holiest city in Islam. The pilgrims will then walk between the two hills in a reenactment of Hagar’s search for water for her son, Ismail, inside Makkah’s Grand Mosque, the world’s largest. Afterward, pilgrims head to Mount Arafat, 20 kilometers east of Makkah, where Prophet Mohammed delivered his final sermon. Here, they stand in prayer throughout the day asking for forgiveness of their sins.
When sunset arrives, pilgrims walk or take buses to an area called Muzdalifa, 9 kilometers west of Arafat. They pick up pebbles to use the next day in a symbolic stoning of the devil in the valley of Mina. The pilgrims will stay at Mina for several nights in one of the largest tent camps in the world.
The pilgrimage ends with a final circling of the Kaaba and further casting of stones at Mina. Likewise, men usually shave their heads, and women clip a lock of hair, signaling renewal. The final days of Hajj coincide with Eid al-Adha or the festival of sacrifice, during which Muslims slaughter livestock and distribute meat to the poor.
The Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif and National Guard Minister Prince Abdullah bin Bandar have underscored the readiness of the security forces at the holy sites. The Hajj is a significant event for Muslims, and Saudi Arabian authorities are making significant efforts to ensure pilgrims’ safety and security during the pilgrimage.
