MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Straw hats, shoulder bags and folding chairs: These are just some of the essential items that Muslims bring with them on the Hajj pilgrimage.
Spiritually, the five-day hajj is powerful for believers, an experience they say brings them closer to God and the entire Muslim world.
It’s physically exhausting. Pilgrims wander for hours outdoors in the scorching heat around holy sites in Mecca and the surrounding desert. You are trapped in unimaginable and overwhelming crowds all trying to get to the same place. Barriers directing traffic mean that if it’s not your turn, you may have to walk for hours to get to your destination.
In this way, the more than 2 million pilgrims not only learn the complicated rules for the proper performance of the rituals that began on Monday. They will also learn helpful tips and tricks for the profession, learned from other hajjis – as those who have completed the pilgrimage are called.
Here’s a look at what they consider essential gear.
WHAT TO WEAR
Dress for the heat, as daytime temperatures regularly soar above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Most of the rituals take place out in the desert, including climbing the Mount of Mercy and stoning the Jamarat, a series of pillars representing the devil.
Sun hats are key. Pilgrims often opt for wide-brimmed straw hats or even cowboy hats. Umbrellas of all colors are everywhere. Some balance their prayer rugs on their heads or the canopies of umbrellas.
All men are required to wear plain white robes without seams, a rule aimed at uniting rich and poor. Women must forgo beauty products and cover their hair, but have more leeway to wear fabrics from their home countries, resulting in a colorful display of Islam’s multiculturalism.
When it comes to shoes, it is best to wear something that will be durable for long walks but also easy to put on and take off, as pilgrims must remove their shoes before entering the Grand Mosque in Mecca.
Sandals make sense, but some pilgrims say it’s best to also wear socks, as the mosque’s marble floor can be surprisingly cold as they circle the Kaaba seven times.
WHAT TO WEAR
A daypack is essential for carrying groceries, water, sunscreen and other small items. But backpacks can be a nuisance when you’re stuffed shoulder to shoulder.
Far more popular are shoulder bags that can be accessed without having to turn around.
Many pilgrims also carry a separate bag or drawstring pouch for their shoes. Usually, mosques allow you to leave your shoes with a attendant at the entrance, but with hundreds of thousands in the Grand Mosque, it’s a surefire way of losing your shoes, or at best wasting a long time trying to get them back. It would also mean that you have to exit the exit the same way you entered, which isn’t always possible if the crowd is leading you in a different direction.
Umaima Hafez, a five-time Hajah from Egypt, packs like a pro.
Sitting on her portable plastic stool, she reaches into her large backpack and pulls out a blanket, homemade granola and crackers, a travel towel that she wets and puts on her head when it gets hot, and an extra-thick prayer rug — for her knees – and some medicines. The stool also fits in the bag. She carries it with her during Hajj and then leaves it for someone else to use.
She insists her bag isn’t heavy. “With God everything is beautiful and simple. … And people distribute a lot of water and food here.”
Hassan Hussain, a 24-year-old first-time pilgrim from Britain, also opted for a maximum approach. In his bag are his phone, charging cable, power bank, sunglasses, water bottle, British and Saudi currency, bank cards, shoe bag, prayer rug and a moisturizing facial spray.
He said his sister, who did the hajj last year, told him what to bring. His advice to other pilgrims is to pack too much.
“You don’t know when you need things,” he said. “The person next to you might need things. Just take everything and work it out little by little.”
In contrast, Ali Ibn Mousa, a 30-year-old Russian father of seven, values maneuverability and speed, so he stays light.
Only his phone and pilgrim ID are in his drawstring bag. He is more interested in what he will bring back from the Hajj and says that besides his spiritual journey he is also looking for a second wife.
“If I had a heavy bag, I wouldn’t be able to do some things I want,” he said. “So I take a small bag that is easy to carry so I can walk in” as I walk around the Kaaba.
CAMPOUT CHECKLIST
The huge streams of pilgrims move back and forth between holy sites stretching more than 16 kilometers, from the Grand Mosque to the Mount of Mercy or Mount Arafat in the desert. Even within a single ritual site, walking from end to end can take much of the day, as at Mina, where pilgrims sleep in one of the world’s largest tented camps and stone the pillars depicting the devil.
A pilgrim must be prepared to be stuck outside in one place forever, waiting for transport to arrive or for a crowd to disperse, sometimes in the middle of the night.
Ikram Mohammed’s supermarket in Mecca sells camping essentials such as lightweight tents, sleeping mats and collapsible water bags.
“They buy dried fruit and nuts, biscuits, chips. Anything they can easily consume on the go and don’t need refrigeration or utensils,” said Mohammed. In accordance with the perfume ban, a separate department specializes in perfume-free care products.
Mohammed also sells souvenirs for pilgrims to take home, from chocolates and sweets to water from the sacred Zamzam well near the Kaaba.
Another popular item: Pain Relieving Cream for Sore Joints.
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