One of many largest spiritual gatherings of the 12 months has began.
Muslims are gathering in Mecca (Picture: Getty)
Greater than 1.5 million Muslims have travelled to Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Yearly, thousands and thousands of worshippers journey to the Saudi holy metropolis of Mecca to participate in one of many largest spiritual gatherings on the planet.
Over a number of days, pilgrims perform a sequence of vital rituals, together with circling across the holy Kaaba – a cube-shaped stone constructing draped in a black fabric on the centre of Mecca’s Grand Mosque – and gathering at Mount Arafat for prayers and reflection. Hajj comes simply days after the beginning date of the ultimate month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hujjah, was introduced. Whereas Hajj started on Monday, Might 26 sees Muslims celebrating the Day of Arafah.
week in the past14:49 Lauran O’Toole
Arafat Day marks the ultimate step of the Hajj
Arafat Day marks the ultimate step of the Hajj, Eid al-Adha begins the next morning.
week in the past14:06 Lauran O’Toole
Astonishing aerial footage exhibits thousands and thousands of gathered pilgrims
The next astonishing aerial footage exhibits the thousands and thousands of gathered pilgrims who’ve come collectively within the Mecca area to carry out the Hajj rituals.
Aerial footage exhibits Muslim pilgrims gathered within the Mecca area to carry out the Hajj rituals. pic.twitter.com/Vt1JYL45Xb
u2014 Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) Might 26, 2026
week in the past13:03 Lauran O’Toole
Pilgrims collect within the sweltering warmth
Regardless of the boiling warmth, 1000’s of pilgrims have assembled on the rocky hill and throughout the encompassing plains, participating in prayers that usually symbolize a profound non secular excessive level.
When worshipping it is not uncommon for pilgrims to boost their fingers, with tears streaming down their faces, on the slopes of the rocky hill and within the surrounding space.
As a reminder the Day of Arafah is essentially the most sacred within the Islamic calendar.
1000’s of pilgrims have gathered (Picture: Getty) week in the past11:40 Lauran O’Toole
1.8 million Muslim pilgrims head to Mount Arafat
1.8 million Muslim pilgrims have made the journey to Mount Arafat.
Gathering at Mount Arafat, generally known as Hill of Mercy, is considered the head of the annual Muslim ritual.
1.8 million Muslim pilgrims head to Mount Arafat in western Saudi Arabia to carry out Hajj pilgrimage
u25aa u2060Gathering at Mount Arafat, generally known as Hill of Mercy, is considered the head of the annual Muslim ritual
u25aa u2060Six-day Hajj season formally started Monday with pilgrimsu2026 pic.twitter.com/nv3O2dcn3b
u2014 Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) Might 26, 2026
Safety forces had been deployed to intently monitor the pilgrim convoys and to handle the crowds heading to Mount Arafat, in line with the Saudi Press Company.
week in the past10:04 Lauran O’Toole
Arafah sermon happening at noon
The annual Arafah sermon might be happening at noon at the moment.
The sermon delivers non secular steering, unity, and remind worshippers of the important thing virtues.
Arafah can be the day the place the Prophet Muhammad made his farewell sermon throughout his closing pilgrimage.
week in the past09:22 Lauran O’Toole
A more in-depth take a look at what might be occurring in Arafat at the moment
In Arafat, the pilgrims will conduct noon and afternoon prayers in at Namirah Mosque.
This mosque is believed to be the place the Islamic prophet Muhammad stayed earlier than delivering his sermon.
At sundown, they may make their technique to Muzdalifah, the place they may carry out the sundown and night time prayers, then stay in a single day till daybreak of the following day.
Pilgrims who’ve arrived in Mina have described emotions of peace and gratitude as they put together for one among Islam’s holiest rituals.
Pilgrims have began arriving in Mina (Picture: Getty) week in the past08:01 Lauran O’Toole
What does the Day of Arafah contain
The Day of Arafah includes standing and praying on the plains of Mount Arafat for pilgrims.
Pilgrims make their manner from Mina to a close-by hillside and a plain known as Mount Arafat and the Plain of Arafat in Saudi Arabia.
Potential Muslim pilgrims at Arafat in Mecca (Picture: Getty) week in the past07:13 Lauran O’Toole
Right this moment is essentially the most sacred day within the Islamic calendar
Right this moment, which is the Day of Arafah, is is essentially the most sacred day within the Islamic calendar.
It’s noticed because the climax of Hajj with thousands and thousands of pilgrims gathering on the plains and Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia to hunt forgiveness and pray.
week in the past07:07 Alice Scarsi
Muslims mark Day of Arafah
Muslims are marking the Day of Arafah at the moment, which can see pilgrims make their manner from Mina to a close-by hillside and plain known as Mount Arafat and the Plain of Arafat in Saudi Arabia.
Pilgrims collect at Mount Arafat in Arafat forward of Hajj (Picture: Getty) week in the past06:40 Rachel VickersPrice
Fashionable Hajj: A journey by means of time
The Saudi Period & The Jet Age (1925 – Fifties)
Security and Safety: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia took management of the area and put a cease to tribal raiding on pilgrim caravans, making the journey safe.The Flight Increase: Business aeroplanes changed gradual camel treks and steamships. This allowed pilgrim numbers to skyrocket from tens of 1000’s to tons of of 1000’s.Mass Expansions (Fifties – Eighties)Larger Mosques: To maintain up with the group, the Grand Mosque was expanded to suit 300,000 worshippers, and the strolling path between Safa and Marwah was roofed over for the primary time.The Tent Metropolis: The valley of Mina was formally organised to create an enormous, structured tent metropolis to host pilgrims in a single day.
Modernisation & Security Overhauls (Nineteen Nineties – 2010s)
Excessive-Tech Crowd Management: With thousands and thousands now attending, the Jamarat Bridge (for the stoning ritual) was rebuilt right into a multi-level pedestrian advanced to forestall harmful stampedes.Fireproof Tents (1997): After a devastating fireplace, the previous fabric tents in Mina had been changed with everlasting, air-conditioned, fireproof buildings.The Hajj Metro (2010): A specialised elevated mild rail prepare was opened to shortly shuttle tons of of 1000’s of pilgrims between the holy websites, beating the freeway gridlock.
The Digital & Sustainable Period (2020s – Current)
Good Hajj: Know-how took centre stage with the “Nusuk” app, digital visas, sensible ID bracelets, AI crowd-monitoring, and even robots dealing with sanitisation and distributing Zamzam water.Imaginative and prescient 2030: Huge upgrades now enable the Grand Mosque to host over 2.5 million folks without delay, specializing in eco-friendly transport and clean logistics.Timeless Rituals: Regardless of the fashionable tech, trains, and air-conditioning, the core non secular rituals—like carrying the white Ihram fabric and circling the Kaaba—stay precisely the identical as they had been in 632 CE.
week in the past05:38 Rachel VickersPrice
Medieval and Colonial Hajj: A journey by means of time
The Medieval Period: Caravan Routes (seventh – fifteenth Century)
Security in Numbers: As Islam unfold, pilgrims stopped travelling alone. They fashioned large strolling and camel caravans consisting of tens of 1000’s of individuals.
Main Hubs: Probably the most well-known routes departed from Baghdad, Damascus, and Cairo.
The “Amir al-Hajj”: Empires appointed a particular navy commander (the “Commander of the Hajj”) to guard these caravans from desert bandits and harsh climate.
Imperial Sponsorship (sixteenth – Early twentieth Century)
Royal Funding: Highly effective Muslim empires—particularly the Abbasids and the Ottomans—took over the accountability of paying for and securing the pilgrimage.
Upgrading the Holy Websites: The empires used their wealth to keep up, restore, and rebuild the Kaaba and the Grand Mosque, defending them from floods and wear-and-tear.
The Hejaz Railway (1908): The Ottomans constructed a prepare line from Damascus to Medina, slicing a harmful 40-day desert trek down to only 5 days.
The Colonial Period (nineteenth – Early twentieth Century)
European Intervention: European empires (just like the British and Dutch) conquered areas with massive Muslim populations (like India and Indonesia). They stepped in to manage the Hajj for his or her topics.
Well being and Quarantine: Steamships introduced an enormous inflow of world travellers, but in addition ailments like cholera. European powers arrange strict quarantine camps and medical islands to display screen pilgrims earlier than they reached Mecca.
Paperwork: They created Hajj Bureaus, issued particular passports, and monitored travellers to maintain tabs on political actions inside their colonies.
The Hajj is an historic pilgrimage with roots that Muslims imagine date again 1000’s of years to the Prophet Ibrahim, or Abraham. Nevertheless, the particular structured traditions and rituals carried out at the moment had been established by the Prophet Muhammad within the seventh century CE.
Here’s a chronological timeline of how the Hajj traditions developed, from their historic origins to what we all know in trendy occasions.
The Abrahamic Basis (c. 2000 BCE)
The Desert Check: In response to Islamic custom, Allah commanded the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to go away his spouse Hajar and toddler son Ismail within the barren valley of Mecca.
The Nicely of Zamzam: Determined for water, Hajar ran between the hills of Safa and Marwah seven occasions. The angel Jibril (Gabriel) scraped the bottom, inflicting the miraculous Zamzam spring to gush forth.
Constructing the Kaaba: Years later, Ibrahim and Ismail rebuilt the Kaaba as the primary home of monotheistic worship on Earth, and Ibrahim known as humanity to make the pilgrimage.
Pre-Islamic Distortion (The Age of Ignorance)
Pagan Shifts: Over 1000’s of years, the unique monotheistic pilgrimage grew to become distorted. Polytheistic tribes crammed the Kaaba with tons of of idols, turning the Hajj into a mixture of pagan rituals, poetry contests, and commerce gala’s.
The Islamic Blueprint (632 CE)
Purifying the Sanctuary: In 630 CE, the Prophet Muhammad cleared the idols from the Kaaba, rededication it strictly to at least one God.
The Farewell Pilgrimage: Simply months earlier than his loss of life, the Prophet led his single, definitive pilgrimage with tens of 1000’s of followers.
The Closing Steps: He personally demonstrated the precise steps of Hajj—akin to Tawaf (circling the Kaaba), Sa’i (strolling between Safa and Marwah), and standing at Arafat—and delivered his well-known sermon on equality and unity, locking within the everlasting blueprint used to at the present time.
week in the past02:31 Rachel VickersPrice
Why Muslims contact the holy Kaaba
Touching the holy Kaaba is a deeply symbolic act of devotion for Muslims.
Whereas they don’t worship the construction itself, many contact the floor to observe the custom of Prophet Muhammad and honour the historic legacy of the prophets.
Touching the Kaaba is believed to convey non secular blessings and the forgiveness of sins.
The Kabaa, a stone constructing on the middle of Islam’s most vital mosque and holiest website, the (Picture: Getty) week in the past01:13 Rachel VickersPrice
Pilgrims courageous intense warmth
Saudi Arabia’s Nationwide Middle for Meteorology stated daytime temperatures in Mecca throughout the Hajj this week are anticipated to vary between 42C and 47C.
Muslim pilgrims go to the holy websites forward of the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca (Picture: Getty)
Mohammed Chahada, an Egyptian man in his 50s, spoke of his hope that the Iran conflict would finish as he walked by means of a crowd exiting the Grand Mosque.
He advised AFP: “The conflict in Iran has affected all the world. No one needs wars or hurt to nations and peoples.”
week in the past22:17 Rebecca Robinson
When is Hajj 2027?
Hajj 2027 is anticipated to happen between Might 14 and Might 19. The precise dates of the pilgrimage are decided by the sighting of the moon in Saudi Arabia and are topic to a possible variation of 1 or two days.
week in the past21:46 Rebecca Robinson
Photographs from Hajj
Roughly two million Muslims are anticipated to make the pilgrimage.
The pilgrimage is among the pillars of Islam. (Picture: Getty)
The pilgrimage is among the pillars of Islam. (Picture: Getty) week in the past20:42 Rebecca Robinson
Warning over faux journey packages
Any journey packages to Hajj provided exterior of the official platform could also be fraudulent and carry important monetary threat.
Fraudsters could take cost and disappear or present faux bookings.
week in the past19:47 Rebecca Robinson
How is the date of Hajj labored out?
Hajj happens yearly from the eighth to the twelfth (or thirteenth) day of Dhul Hijjah, the ultimate month of the lunar Islamic calendar.
As a result of it follows the lunar cycle, the dates shift ahead on the Gregorian calendar by about 11–12 days every year.
week in the past19:21 Rebecca Robinson
The that means behind Hajj
The time period Hajj comes from Arabic, actually that means “to mean a journey” or “to set out for a definitive goal”.
Traditionally and religiously, its origins date again over 4,000 years to the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim), who Muslims imagine was commanded by God to construct the Kaaba in Mecca.
Thousands and thousands of Muslims make the pilgrimage. (Picture: Getty)
Earlier than beginning, pilgrims enter a sacred state of non secular purity known as Ihram.
Males put on two seamless white cloths, and girls put on easy, modest apparel.
This observe strips away markers of wealth and standing to symbolise common equality earlier than God.
week in the past18:25 Rebecca Robinson
Why do pilgrims contact the Kaaba?
Many Muslims contact the holy Kaaba to observe the custom of the Prophet Muhammad and honour the legacy of the prophets.
Touching the Kaaba is believed to convey non secular blessings and the forgiveness of sins.
Touching the Kaaba is believed to convey blessings. (Picture: Getty) week in the past17:51 Rebecca Robinson
What was the primary ever Hajj like?
The primary official Islamic Hajj was led by the Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE (10 AH), an occasion generally known as the Farewell Pilgrimage.
Whereas Muhammad established the present rituals, the non secular origins and rites of the pilgrimage date again to 2000 BCE, originating with the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail.
The Hajj pilgrimage sometimes lasts 5 to 6 days. It formally begins on the eighth day of Dhu al-Hijjah and concludes on the twelfth or thirteenth day of the Islamic lunar month.
week in the past16:41 Rebecca Robinson
Photographs from Hajj
Photographs from the location of the pilgrimage present the immense scale of the event, with 1.5 million Muslims already attending the holy website at the moment.
The pilgrimage is among the 5 pillars of Islam. (Picture: Getty)
The pilgrimage is among the 5 pillars of Islam. (Picture: Getty) week in the past16:20 Rebecca Robinson
‘It is an indescribable feeling’
Samya Abdul Moneim, from Egypt, stated she’s grateful to God for having made it to the Hajj.
She advised AFP: “I’m in a state of blessing and happiness. It is an indescribable feeling, actually. I imply, thank God, I’m in a blessing.”
week in the past16:00 Rebecca Robinson
Temperature hits 44C
Mecca is experiencing a very popular and principally sunny day at the moment, with temperatures peaking round 44C and lows of 29C anticipated in a single day.
There isn’t any probability of rain, and UV ranges will stay very excessive, in line with AccuWeather.
week in the past15:40 Rebecca Robinson
‘I’ve waited for 50 years’
Jreish Mohammed, from Morocco, stated he is been eager to do the pilgrimage for so long as 50 years.
The 68-year-old advised AFP: “I’ve wished to carry out the pilgrimage my whole life, for 40 or 50 years.”
week in the past15:22 Rebecca Robinson
The important thing rituals of Hajj
Ihram: Earlier than beginning, pilgrims enter a state of non secular purity known as Ihram. Males put on two easy, seamless white cloths, and girls put on modest, similar clothes to strip away markers of wealth and standing, symbolising complete equality earlier than God.
Tawaf: Pilgrims circle the Kaaba – the black cube-shaped construction on the centre of the Grand Mosque in Mecca – counter-clockwise seven occasions.
Sa’i: Pilgrims stroll backwards and forwards between the hills of Safa and Marwa to honour Hajar’s determined seek for water for her son, Ishmael.
Day of Arafat: Thought of the non secular peak of the Hajj. Pilgrims spend the day on the plains of Mount Arafat to wish, mirror, and search God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Stoning of the Satan: Pilgrims collect pebbles in Muzdalifah and throw them at three pillars within the metropolis of Mina. This ritual symbolises the rejection of temptation and evil, commemorating Prophet Abraham’s religion.
Eid al-Adha & Qurbani: After the stoning, pilgrims carry out an animal sacrifice (or buy a sacrifice voucher) to commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, distributing the meat to the poor.
Closing Tawaf: Pilgrims carry out a closing farewell stroll of the Kaaba earlier than concluding the pilgrimage.
The hajj pilgrimage includes sure rituals. (Picture: Getty)
Saudi authorities have deployed in depth cooling methods throughout Mecca to restrict the influence of the warmth.
Big followers, mist sprayers and cooled flooring have been put in across the Grand Mosque, whereas vehicles distribute free bottles of ice-cold water to worshippers all through the day.
Cooling methods put in throughout Mecca (Picture: Getty) week in the past14:54 Astha Saxena
‘It is essentially the most tough factor they may do of their lives’
Youssef Chouhoud, a political scientist at Christopher Newport College in Virginia, stated from the tent metropolis of Mina that this Hajj “is, in impact, a tough reset for me”.
He advised AP: “I pray that I emerge on the opposite aspect of this journey with a brand new sense of goal and the self-discipline to see it by means of.
“It’s for a lot of pilgrims essentially the most tough factor they may ever do of their lives,” he added. “However nothing this significant is ever going to be simple”.
week in the past14:38 Astha Saxena
‘Feast of sacrifice’ at finish of Hajj
Most Muslims will have a good time Eid al‑Adha on Might 27, marking one of many two main festivals in Islam. Referred to as the “Feast of Sacrifice,” it takes place after the completion of the Hajj pilgrimage and commemorates the devotion of Prophet Ibrahim.
Following the Eid prayer, Muslims world wide take part in Qurbani, the ritual sacrifice of livestock akin to a sheep, goat, cow or camel.
This act honours the second when Prophet Ibrahim was keen to sacrifice his son Ismail in obedience to Allah’s command. By performing Qurbani, Muslims symbolically mirror Ibrahim’s unwavering religion and attempt to embody the identical spirit of submission and devotion.
Hanging photographs from Mecca present huge crowds of worshippers wearing white as this 12 months’s Hajj pilgrimage begins in Saudi Arabia.
Scenes from Mecca (Picture: Getty)
Scenes from Mecca (Picture: Getty) week in the past14:00 Astha Saxena
How do Muslims have a good time Hajj?
As Muslims collect in Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, they carry out tawāf, the central ritual during which pilgrims stroll seven occasions across the Kaaba—a black, dice‑formed construction draped in an ornate, gold‑embroidered fabric.
This fabric, generally known as the kiswah, is ceremonially positioned over the Kaaba every year and serves as a symbolic protecting for Islam’s holiest website.
week in the past13:50 Astha Saxena
How many individuals attend Hajj?
Hajj is among the largest spiritual gatherings on the planet, drawing thousands and thousands of Muslims to Saudi Arabia every year to carry out the pilgrimage.
This 12 months, as many as two million pilgrims are anticipated to reach within the holy metropolis of Mecca, reflecting each the dimensions and the worldwide significance of the occasion.
week in the past13:38 Astha Saxena
What’s Hajj?
Hajj is the yearly Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia and is taken into account one of many 5 Pillars of Islam, making it a compulsory act of worship for all grownup Muslims who’re bodily and financially in a position to full it at the least as soon as of their lives.
It takes place throughout Dhul Hijjah, the ultimate month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and spans a number of days of sacred rituals.
These embrace getting into the state of ihram, performing tawaf by circling the Kaaba, finishing sa’i by strolling between Safa and Marwa, standing in prayer at Arafat, and visiting key websites akin to Mina and Muzdalifah.
Every step carries deep non secular significance, reflecting devotion, humility, equality, and the reenactment of occasions linked to the Prophet Abraham, Hajar, and their son Ishmael.
week in the past13:33 Alice Scarsi
Welcome to our reside weblog
Welcome to our reside weblog. We’ll convey you the newest on the Hajj pilgrimage.
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