At night, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, the so-called Hajj, begins. For the first time after Corona, there are no more conditions or restrictions on participation. 2.6 million believers are expected.
This year’s Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca begins at night. For the first time since the Corona pandemic, the pilgrimage, Hajj in Arabic, is taking place again without participation restrictions and conditions.
According to the Saudi Hajj ministry, around 2.6 million Muslims are expected in the birthplace of the Prophet Mohammed (ca. 570-632), Islam’s holiest city. Until Saturday (July 1), they will perform the prescribed rituals at the shrine of the Kaaba and at various locations near Mecca.
The high number of visitors also reflects the economic openness and cautious policy of the arch-conservative Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This year, for the first time, women can also complete the pilgrimage without a male guardian.
The number of participants has been drastically reduced in recent years
Before the corona pandemic, an estimated 2.5 million Muslims from around the world took part in the Hajj in 2019. In the two years that followed, Saudi Arabia drastically reduced the numbers. Only 10,000 faithful were admitted to Hajj 2020; In 2021 there were 60,000.
Also, strict conditions apply. Only believers residing in Saudi Arabia and aged between 18 and 65 were admitted. In 2022, nearly 900,000 pilgrims were allowed to travel to Mecca and the Prophet’s tomb in Medina, including around 780,000 Muslims from abroad – but only if they were under 65, had been vaccinated and had a negative corona test.
“Witness the greatest Hajj pilgrimage in history”
The hajj in Saudi Arabia began early on Sunday with the tawaf – the circumnavigation of the cubic Kaaba, the black-veiled cube in Mecca to which millions of Muslims turn each day to pray.
“This year we are witnessing the biggest Hajj pilgrimage in history,” said a Hajj and Umrah Ministry official on Sunday. “The number will exceed 2.5 million pilgrims.” By the end of Friday night, 1.6 million foreign guests had arrived.
Feast of Sacrifice begins Wednesday
The Islamic Festival of Sacrifice begins on Wednesday, the third day of Hajj. It is the biggest festival in Islam and lasts for four days. Many Muslims around the world kill a sacrificial animal. The ritual recalls the sacrifice of Ibrahim (Abraham) mentioned in the Qur’an and the Bible, who was willing to sacrifice his son at the behest of God.
The pilgrimage to Mecca in the last month of the Islamic calendar follows the example of the Prophet Mohammed in his rituals. It is one of the “five pillars of Islam” and therefore a central obligation of the faith. According to Islamic teachings, every adult believer must complete it once in his lifetime, as long as his health and wealth allow it.