Published on
06/06/2025 – 1:18 GMT+2
More than 1.5 million overseas pilgrims are in Saudi Arabia for this yr’s Hajj, consistent with a Saudi executive spokesperson.
Hajj is without doubt one of the Five Pillars of Islam, a non secular legal responsibility involving rituals and acts of worship that each and every Muslim will have to fulfil once or more of their lifetime, if they have got the cash and are bodily in a position to do it.
Hajj Ministry spokesperson Ghassan Al-Nuwaimi equipped an approximate quantity for foreigners at this yr’s pilgrimage. He didn’t say what number of home pilgrims had been collaborating. Last yr, there have been 1,611,310 pilgrims from outdoor the rustic.
It’s nearly 160,000 fewer pilgrims than closing yr and a some distance cry from the pre-pandemic growth, when attendance would continuously push previous 2 million. There used to be a record-breaking Hajj in 2012, when greater than 3.16 million Muslims took phase.
On Wednesday, pilgrims streamed into Arafat, some making the adventure on foot, wearing their baggage thru temperatures exceeding 40 levels Celsius (104 levels Fahrenheit).
People paused to sit down at the flooring to relaxation or consume sooner than heading to their camps.
Mount Arafat, a rocky hill southeast of Mecca, holds immense importance in Islam. Arafat is discussed within the Quran and it’s the place the Prophet Muhammad – Peace be upon him – is alleged to have given his closing sermon on his ultimate Hajj.
According to standard sayings of the prophet, the Day of Arafat is essentially the most sacred day of the yr, when God attracts as regards to the devoted and forgives their sins.
Pilgrims stay in Arafat, in prayer and mirrored image, from after nighttime till after sundown. After solar down on Thursday, pilgrims headed to the wilderness simple of Muzdalifah to assemble pebbles, which they’ll use in a ritual.
Saudi Arabia has spent billions of greenbacks on crowd keep watch over and protection measures, however the mass of contributors makes making sure their protection tough. One of the best demanding situations on the Hajj lately has been the warmth.
Earlier within the week, Health Minister Fahad bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel printed that 10,000 bushes were planted to offer extra colour as a governmental initiative to give protection to other folks from warmth similar clinical emergencies.
He additionally added that mattress capacities at hospitals had been very much greater, and the collection of paramedics and clinical pros has tripled.
Additional resources • AP
