Millions of pilgrims head to Makkah ahead of Hajj on Monday

Millions of pilgrims streamed into Makkah’s Grand Mosque in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Saturday to perform their final rituals before the annual Hajj begins on Monday.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, in cooperation with all relevant government and private agencies, began preparations for Hajj 2023 several months ago.

The ministry has been working to ensure the health and safety of pilgrims, in accordance with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“As the Hajj draws near, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia prepares… for the largest Islamic gathering in history,” Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said in a video published by the ministry this week.

Hajj numbers

More than two million people from more than 160 countries will attend, Rabiah said – a dramatic increase on the 926,000 from 2022, when numbers were capped at one million following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Saudi Arabia General Directorate of Passports announced that 1,626,500 pilgrims arrived through all the Kingdom’s air, land, and seaports to take part in this year’s Hajj season up to Friday.

In 2019, about 2.5 million people took part. Only 10,000 were allowed in 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, rising to nearly 59,000 a year later.

About 3 500 South Africans will also be performing Hajj this year after South Africa was granted an additional one thousand pilgrims to the base quota of 2 500.

ALSO READ: SA Hajj quota increased, but waiting list balloons

Hajj rituals

Late on Sunday pilgrims will start moving to the city of Mina, about five kilometres from the Grand Mosque and sleep in tents on Monday night ahead of the Hajj’s climax at Mount Arafat, where Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) delivered his final sermon.

After sunset, they will journey the short distance to Muzdalifah, where they will sleep under the stars before returning to Mina and perform the symbolic “stoning of the devil” ceremony on Wednesday.

After casting pebbles in the “stoning of the devil” for three days, marking the start of the Eid al-Adha religious holiday, pilgrims return to Makkah to perform a farewell “tawaf” – circling seven times around the holy Ka’ba.

The Hajj, usually one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings, is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken by all Muslims with the means at least once in their lives.

Eid al-Adha will be celebrated on Thursday in South Africa.

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