THE HAJ PILGRIMAGE BEGINS
More than 1.75m Muslims from 168 countries are in Mecca
HUNDREDS of thousands of Muslims began the annual haj pilgrimage on Wednesday, donning traditional white garments and heading to a tent camp outside the holy city of Mecca in an itinerary retracing the route Prophet Mohammad took 14 centuries ago.
More than 1.75 million worshippers from 168 countries arrived in Saudi Arabia this week for the five-day ritual, which is a once-ina-lifetime religious duty for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it.
Some prayed at the Grand Mosque before heading to the Mina area or towards Mount Arafat, where the Prophet is believed to have delivered his final sermon to followers.
They walked or took buses, with traffic police using loudspeakers to try to direct crowds speaking a medley of languages. They were dressed in simple white robes, marking a state of ihram or ritual purity.
Moroccan pilgrim Rida al-Belaqili, waiting to board a bus to Arafat, struggled to find words to describe his feelings.
“We are meeting people from every country and every nationality. There is a sort of unity. I hope this will recharge Muslims’ faith and spirituality. I ask God to grant me and all Muslims forgiveness,” he said.
The pilgrims arrived at Mount Arafat, about 15km east of Mecca, yesterday morning for a daylong vigil to atone for their sins and seek God’s mercy.
The Eid al-Adha, or feast of the sacrifice, starts today, when pilgrims begin three days of casting stones at walls in a symbolic renunciation of the devil.
Demba Ba, a Senegalese footballer who played for Chelsea, said for him performing haj was “the most important thing”.
“I wish for peace and tolerance from everybody and love. Because out of peace and tolerance and love we can achieve great things. I hope to go back home with the forgiveness of Allah the almighty. That’s what we are here for,” he said.
Nearly 90,000 Iranian pilgrims and more than 1,500 Qatari pilgrims are expected to attend.
Violence in the Middle East, including wars in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, and other parts of the world are likely to be on the minds of many, though Saudi authorities have asked worshippers to put aside politics during the haj.
Albanian pilgrim Baqi Mostafa, 28, who was boarding a bus as the outdoor temperature approached 40° Celcius, said: “I ask God to improve the conditions of Muslims everywhere, especially Syria and Myanmar. I ask God to relieve their troubles.”