The annual Hajj pilgrimage 1444 AH, has begun in the Saudi Arabian holy city of Mecca, attracting millions of Muslim believers from around the world. The rituals last for several days and end with the Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) holiday, popularly known as ‘Big Sallah’ in Nigeria.
On Sunday, the first day of the rituals, pilgrims circumambulate the Holy Ka’aba, a cube-shaped shrine that Muslims face when they pray. They perform a number of rituals over the course of four days in Mecca and its surroundings.
Since pilgrims must travel between various sites and can walk anywhere between 5 and 15 kilometers per day on average, the journey can be physically taxing. The journey is a spiritual, emotional, and physical test of the pilgrims’ fortitude. It might necessitate some planning and is frequently a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The worshippers will spend Monday night in tents in Mina and Tuesday at Mount Arafat, the site of the Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) last sermon.
The pilgrims return to Mecca to perform a farewell “tawaf”—circling the Holy Ka’aba seven times—after tossing stones in the “stoning of the devil” ceremony on Wednesday, which inaugurates the Eid al-Adha holiday.
More than two million people from more than 160 nations are rumored to have participated in the yearly religious gathering, according to Saudi authorities, making it the biggest Hajj pilgrimage in years.
The event occurs as Saudi authorities abolish the requirement that women be accompanied by male guardians in 2021.
Since there is no longer an upper age limit, thousands of senior citizens will be among those enduring Saudi Arabia’s oppressive heat, which is expected to reach 44 degrees Celsius this year.
Muslims who are financially independent are obligated to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in their lifetimes as it is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Some countries that were deprived of performing Hajj pilgrims, for many years have been given access to fulfill their religious rites this year, such as Yamen and Iran.
According to press tv, On May 24, the first convoys of Hajj pilgrims headed out of Iran for Saudi Arabia.
This year’s Hajj reportedly attracted 87,550 Iranian pilgrims from 21 airports across the nation.
The number of Iranians performing the Hajj pilgrimage is expected to double this year, according to Mohammad Mohammadi-Bakhsh, Iran’s deputy minister of roads and urban development. He also stated that Iran Air, the nation’s flag carrier, would do everything in its power to ensure the Iranian pilgrims’ enjoyment of their journey.
Iran Air is said to have operated 800 flights to transport the pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
39,635 Islamic Republic pilgrims made the yearly Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in 2022, according to official statistics.
