PILGRIMS POUR INTO MAKKAH FOR HAJJ WITH A DIFFERENCE

Numbers reduced by pandemic, but spiritual journey remains a deeply personal experience

Pilgrims clad in white robes poured into Makkah to perform the first ritual of Hajj early yesterday.

They were welcomed with white roses and a bag of essentials that included prayer mats and umbrellas to shield them from the sun.

About 60,000 pilgrims were assembling in Mina yesterday, preparing to journey to Mount Arafat today.

Pilgrims should spend the day in Mina on Al Tarwiyah – the day of quenching thirst – which is the eighth day of Dhu Al Hijja.

The pilgrimage to Makkah is required once in a lifetime for every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to go. In a normal year it drew two million people. But for a second straight year, numbers have been reduced because of the coronavirus, with only vaccinated people in Saudi Arabia able to participate.

One pilgrim described how robots distributed Zamzam water.

“It made it easier for us to access water, especially as we have designated paths for circumambulation. I also saw female officers in their uniforms taking charge, an empowering move,” said Faryal from Pakistan.

“I had seen them on TV. I am excited to see more Saudi female security personnel here.”

Female officers will play a vital role in ensuring that this year’s Hajj is as safe and as secure as possible, Fahad Nazer, spokesman for the Saudi embassy in Washington, said.

Samira Abbas was among thousands of pilgrims who travelled from all over the kingdom to join the allotted groups for this year’s Hajj.

“All the personal suffering, the exhaustion of long hours of travel and hunger, just disappeared when I saw the Kaaba. Nothing else matters,” she said.

“Many of us travelled in our Ihram, drove for hours and then waited for hours before we could board the bus. It’s been a long journey, but this is just the beginning.”

The pilgrims rest after finishing the circumambulation in Makkah and returning to their residential camps in Mina.

Social-distancing measures have been put in place to control the movement of pilgrims. About 500 employees have been positioned at the Grand Mosque in Makkah to organise crowds.

About 20,000 pilgrims performed circumambulation at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Saturday, according to Saudi Press Agency.

“It feels different already to Hajj I performed 15 years ago. It used to be more social, but it’s good to ensure safety of others by following social distancing,” said Ayesha, a Pakistani national.

All the personal suffering, the exhaustion of long hours of travel and hunger, just disappeared when I saw the Kaaba SAMIRA ABBAS

Pilgrim

Hajj authorities have been sterilising and disinfecting the Grand Mosque around the clock to ensure pilgrims’ safety.

While many pilgrims have commented on the measures put in place to guard against Covid-19, for many the pilgrimage remains a deeply personal experience.

Ayman Abdulaljalil, 53, an Egyptian who lives in Makkah, is undertaking the pilgrimage for his late mother.

“My mother passed away a year ago and she really wanted to do Hajj for a second time before she died but she couldn’t, so I decided to do it on her behalf,” he said.

Dina Salem, also an Egyptian resident of Makkah, said she was performing Hajj for her younger sister.

“I’m doing Hajj for my sister who died suddenly. She was only 55 and healthy. She always wanted to come to Hajj,” Ms Salem, 58, said.

A person can perform Hajj on behalf of someone who has died or is unable to come to Makkah, but only if they have already performed the pilgrimage for themselves.

Each year, colossal effort is made to ensure Hajj goes ahead safely, but the last two years of unique pandemic adjustments are proving useful to authorities, who have used far more technological advancements.

“We were allocated groups, given exact Google locations for our camps in case we got lost in the crowd and were escorted by well-trained team leaders to Mina,” Ahmed, a Pakistani citizen and resident of Saudi Arabia, told The National.

Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Abdul Fattah Mashat said Hajj and Umrah, a shorter pilgrimage that can be performed at any time of the year, are major components of Saudi Vision 2030.

The plan aims to boost the religious tourism sector and host 30 million Umrah pilgrims annually by 2030.