Muslim pilgrims in Mecca in Saudi Arabia are circling the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, as they prepare for the official start of the Hajj. The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Pilgrims leave after offering prayers outside at the Grand Mosque, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca , Saudi Arabia , Thursday, June 13, 2024. Hajj is the annual Islam ic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to make it. Some Muslims make the journey more than once.
The area around the Grand Mosque in Mecca was overcrowded by midday, with the faithful going back and forth to the holy site to pray and make the circumambulation, or Tawaf in Arabic., according to Saudi authorities. More are expected, and hundreds of thousands of Saudis and others living in Saudi Arabia will also join them when the pilgrimage officially begins on Friday.
Since their arrival in Mecca, the pilgrims have performed the circumambulation. The large crowds circling the Kaaba will last into Friday, the Hajj’s first day, when pilgrims move to Mina, a desert plain outside the city. They will then head to the Mountain of Arafat for a daylong worship. Afterwards, they will move to Muzdalifah, a rocky plain area a few miles away. There, pilgrims collect pebbles to be used back in Mina, in the symbolic stoning of pillars representing the devil.US reporter Evan Gershkovich, jailed in Russia on espionage charges, to stand trial, officials sayOne of the world’s largest religious gatherings, the Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Those in the Hajj view the pilgrimage as an opportunity to strengthen their faith, wipe out old sins and start anew.
General News World News I Religion Mecca Saudi Arabia World News
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Over 1.5 million arrive in Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimageSaudi officials have said they expect the number of pilgrims this year to exceed 2023, when more than 1.8 million people performed Hajj, approaching pre-pandemi...
Read more »
First Syrian jet in over a decade transports Muslim worshippers to Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimageFor the first time in over a decade, 270 Syrians have traveled on a direct flight from Damascus to Saudi Arabia for the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage, according to the Syrian Transportation Ministry.
Read more »
First Syrian jet in over a decade transports Muslim worshippers to Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimageFor the first time in over a decade, 270 Syrians have traveled on a direct flight from Damascus to Saudi Arabia for the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage, according to the Syrian Transportation Ministry.
Read more »
First Syrian jet in over a decade transports Muslim worshippers to Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimageFor the first time in over a decade, 270 Syrians have traveled on a direct flight from Damascus to Saudi Arabia for the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage, according to the Syrian Transportation Ministry
Read more »
First Syrian jet in over a decade transports Muslim worshippers to Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimageFor the first time in over a decade, 270 Syrians have traveled on a direct flight from Damascus to Saudi Arabia for the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage, according to the Syrian Transportation Ministry.
Read more »
World Cup bidder Saudi Arabia accused of abusing migrant workers ahead of FIFA decisionFIFA and the Saudi bidding team for the World Cup have declined to comment on human rights questions ahead of a July filing of the official bid book.
Read more »