Saudi Arabia prepares for annual hajj pilgrimage
MECCA, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the annual hajj pilgrimage beginning Sunday, as over 2 million Muslim faithful are ready to take part in the ultraconservative kingdom.
The pilgrimage represents one of the five pillars of Islam and is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life. In recent weeks, the faithful have arrived in Mecca from across the world, all chanting “Labayk Allahuma Labayk,” or “Here I am, God, answering your call. Here I am.”
The hajj offers pilgrims an opportunity to feel closer to God amid the Muslim world’s many challenges, including the threat of extremists in the Mideast after the Islamic State group was beaten back in Iraq and Syria and the plight of Myanmar’s Muslim Rohingya minority.
“My feeling is indescribable to perform the hajj,” said Imad Abdel-Raheem, an Egyptian pilgrim. “I also want to pray for all Muslim countries, for them to live free in all places, in Palestine and in Burma, in all places, in Afghanistan and in India.”
Maj. Gen. Mansour alTurki, the spokesman of the Saudi Interior Ministry, told journalists Saturday that over 2 million Muslims from abroad and inside the kingdom would be taking part in this year’s hajj.
Since arriving, many have circled the cubeshaped Kaaba in Mecca — Islam’s holiest site. The Kaaba represents the metaphorical house of God and the oneness of God in Islam. Observant Muslims around the world face toward the Kaaba during their five daily prayers.
The hajj is by no means an easy journey. The temperature in Mecca and Mina will be around 107 degrees. Pilgrims walk 3 to 9 miles a day. Long lines and even longer waits can strain the most patient as they weave through the throngs of people.
For Saudi Arabia, the hajj is the biggest logistical challenge the kingdom faces. Its ruling Al Saud family stakes its legitimacy in part on its management of the holiest sites in Islam.
The kingdom has spent billions of dollars of its vast oil revenues on security and safety measures.
Saudi Arabia faces threats from al-Qaida militants and a local faction of the Islamic State group. The Interior Ministry acknowledged arresting a Saudi wearing an explosive vest in the kingdom’s central al-Qassim region who shot at security forces.
Politics often intrude into the holy pilgrimage. Saudi Arabia under King Salman and his son, the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have had strained ties with Iran, which boycotted the 2016 hajj. They will be there this year, as will Qataris, who is being boycotted by Saudi Arabia and three other Arab nations.
Those on the hajj said they hoped for better relations across the Muslim world.
“I hope this year would be a good one for the Islamic nations,” said Ahmad Mohammad, an Egyptian pilgrim. “I hope the situation will be better, and I ask Allah to accept my pilgrimage.”