On Tuesday, pilgrims headed to Mount Arafat, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Mecca, where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon. No matter where they are in the world, Muslims face toward the Kaaba during their daily prayers.Īll of this takes place inside Mecca’s Grand Mosque - the world’s largest - which encompasses the Kaaba and the two hills. Muslims do not worship the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure covered in a black, gold-embroidered cloth, but view it as their most sacred place and a powerful symbol of unity and monotheism. The Kaaba was a center for polytheistic worship among pagan Arabs until the arrival of Islam in the 7th century, when the Prophet Muhammad consecrated the site and inaugurated the Hajj. In the Christian and Jewish traditions, Abraham nearly sacrifices his other son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah, which is associated with a major holy site in Jerusalem.

Ibrahim and Ismail later are said to have built the Kaaba together. The pilgrimage draws Muslims from around the world to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, where they walk in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad and retrace the journey of Ibrahim and Ismail, or Abraham and Ishmael as they are known in the Christian and Jewish traditions.Īs related in the Quran, Ibrahim is called upon to sacrifice his son Ismail as a test of faith, but God stays his hand at the last moment. WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE HAJJ PILGRIMAGE IN ISLAM? Here’s a look at the pilgrimage and its meaning.

The cost of the pilgrimage, combined with widespread economic woes, may have been a factor.

Saudi authorities had expected some 2 million pilgrims, but official figures released Tuesday put attendance at around 1.8 million, considerably fewer than the nearly 2.5 million who came in 2019. Authorities have invested billions of dollars in modern infrastructure, but the Hajj has occasionally been marred by tragedy, as in 2015, when over 2,400 pilgrims died in a stampede. Pilgrims this week braved temperatures in excess of 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) to perform their rituals in the open air.įor the Saudi royal family, which captured Mecca in the 1920s, organizing the pilgrimage is a major source of pride and legitimacy.

For the pilgrims, it is a profound spiritual experience that wipes away sins, brings them closer to God and highlights Muslim unity. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all Muslims are required to undertake it at least once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to do so. MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Over 1.8 million Muslims are taking part in this week’s Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, as one of the world’s largest religious gatherings returns to capacity following years of coronavirus restrictions.

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