Mecca on standby as more than 1.7 million Muslims gather for Hajj

MORE THAN 1.7 million pilgrims are descending on Mecca in Saudi Arabia to mark the start of the Hajj pilgrimage.

Many begin by circling the cube-shaped Kaaba – Islam’s holiest site – and performing a series of rites that trace the footsteps of the Prophet Mohammed.

Muslims believe the rites also trace the footsteps of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail – Abraham and Ishmael in the Bible.

The Kaaba represents the metaphorical house of God and the oneness of God in Islam.

The Hajj is required of all Muslims once in a lifetime. The physically demanding journey tests pilgrims’ patience as they withstand long waits and thick crowds on their path to achieving spiritual purification and repentance.

Egyptian pilgrim Ahmed Ali, on his first Hajj, said he was grateful to be in Mecca. “It’s an indescribable feeling, a spiritual feeling. Thanks to God, I feel great,” he said.

A 104-year-old Indonesian woman is among those performing the Hajj this year, according to Saudi authorities. Ibu Mariah Marghani Mohammed is joining more than 220,000 pilgrims from Indonesia.

After prayers in Mecca, pilgrims will head to an area called Mount Arafat where the Prophet Mohammed delivered his final sermon. From there, they go to an area called Muzdalifa, picking up pebbles along the way for a symbolic stoning of the devil in the Mina valley.

Over the years, the Saudi government has spent billions of dollars to improve the safety of the pilgrimage, particularly in Mina where some of the deadliest incidents have occurred, including a stampede in 2015 that killed more than 2,400 people.

Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Mansour al-Turki said a more than 100,000-strong security force was on the ground in and around Mecca to secure the Hajj and assist pilgrims.

“Everything is prepared,” he said. “We have our plans, we have people trained to enforce those plans, but this cannot be done only by infrastructure and by what we do. Pilgrims have their own responsibility, and we hope they comply with the schedule plans and the flow of direction.”