MECCA, Saudi Arabia. More than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims have already arrived in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, according to Saudi officials. This influx marks the return of the pilgrimage to its monumental scale.
By Tuesday, most of the pilgrims had arrived by air from around the world. The number is expected to grow as hundreds of thousands of Saudis and residents of Saudi Arabia join them for the official start of Hajj on Friday. Saudi authorities predict this year’s pilgrimage will surpass the 1.8 million participants of 2023, approaching the pre-pandemic figure of 2.4 million in 2019. The kingdom regulates pilgrim numbers through quotas, allowing one pilgrim per thousand Muslim citizens from each country.
Among the early arrivals were 4,200 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank. However, Palestinians from the Gaza Strip were unable to travel due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“We are praying for Palestine to be free and for Palestinians to liberate their land and live in peace,” said Ibrahim al-Hadhari, an Algerian pilgrim, as he awaited evening prayers in the Grand Mosque courtyard.
On Tuesday, the Grand Mosque was crowded with pilgrims performing Tawaf, the ritual of walking seven times around the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site. Many were seen sweating heavily in the intense heat, with temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday and 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday. Some carried umbrellas for shade.
“I was relieved when I arrived at the Al-Masjid Al-Haram and saw the Kaaba,” said Rabeia al-Raghi, a Moroccan pilgrim who traveled with her husband and daughter. “I am very happy.”
Mohammad Abdel-Baset, an Iraqi pilgrim, expressed his joy at participating in Hajj. “We congratulate the great crowd and thank God for gathering us from all regions, globally and not just from the Arab world,” he said.
At night, the marble court around the Kaaba was packed with worshippers walking shoulder to shoulder, often navigating around security barricades directing the massive flow of people.
The Tawaf ritual is performed upon arrival in Mecca and continues into the first day of Hajj. On Friday, pilgrims will journey to the Mountain of Arafat for a daylong vigil, followed by a move to Muzdalifah, where they will collect pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina.
Hajj, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, is a pillar of Islam, obligatory for all Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake it. Pilgrims view the journey as an opportunity to strengthen their faith, atone for past sins, and begin anew.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
