In the evening, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, the so-called Hajj, begins. For the first time after Corona, there are no longer any conditions or restrictions on participation. 2.6 million believers are expected.
This year’s Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca begins in the evening. For the first time since the Corona pandemic, the pilgrimage, Hajj in Arabic, is taking place again without restrictions on participation 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 sanctuary of the Kaaba and at various locations near Mecca.
The high number of visitors also reflects the economic and cautious political opening of the arch-conservative Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This year, for the first time, women are also allowed to complete the pilgrimage without a male guardian.
number of participants drastically reduced in recent years
Before the corona pandemic, around 2.5 million Muslims from all over the world took part in the Hajj in 2019. In the two years that followed, Saudi Arabia then drastically reduced the numbers. Only 10,000 worshipers were admitted to Hajj 2020; In 2021 it was 60,000.
In addition, strict conditions applied. Only believers residing in Saudi Arabia and between the ages of 18 and 65 were admitted. In 2022, almost 900,000 pilgrims were then allowed to travel to Mecca and the tomb of the Prophet in Medina, including around 780,000 Muslims from abroad – but only if they were under 65 years old, vaccinated and could show a negative corona test.
“Witness the Greatest Hajj Pilgrimage in History”
The hajj in Saudi Arabia began early Sunday with tawaf — the circumnavigation of the cubic Kaaba, the black-veiled cube in Mecca toward which millions of Muslims turn each day to pray.
“This year we are witnessing the largest Hajj pilgrimage in history,” a Hajj and Umrah Ministry official said on Sunday. “The number will exceed 2.5 million pilgrims.” By late Friday evening, 1.6 million foreign guests had arrived.
Feast of Sacrifice begins Wednesday
The Islamic Festival of Sacrifice begins on Wednesday, the third day of the Hajj. It is the highest festival in Islam and lasts four days. Many Muslims around the world slaughter a sacrificial animal. The ritual is reminiscent of the sacrifice of Ibrahim (Abraham) mentioned in the Koran 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 its rituals. It is one of the “five pillars of Islam” and thus a central obligation of the faith. According to Islamic teachings, every adult believer should complete it once in their lifetime, provided their health and wealth allow it.