The annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, has commenced in Saudi Arabia as more than 1.5 million pilgrims from abroad have arrived, set against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire in the Iran conflict and a global energy crisis.
Saleh bin Saad al-Murabba, commander of the Hajj passport forces, confirmed that over 1.5 million pilgrims had entered the kingdom by Friday, with additional arrivals expected.
For many, reaching Mecca is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Egyptian pilgrim Samya Abdul Moneim expressed overwhelming gratitude for undertaking the journey required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able.
“I am in a state of blessing and happiness,” she said in Mecca on Sunday. “It’s an indescribable feeling, truly. Thank God, I am in a blessing.”
Ahead of the move to the vast tent city of Mina, pilgrims have been circling the cube-shaped Kaaba in the Grand Mosque in sweltering heat, some shielding themselves with umbrellas and handheld fans. Volunteers distribute water and misting fans to help people cope with the intense temperatures.
For many, Hajj is both physically demanding and spiritually transformative. “This Hajj is, in effect, a hard reset for me,” said Youssef Chouhoud, a political scientist from the United States, speaking from Mina. “It is for many pilgrims the most difficult thing they will ever do in their lives. But nothing this meaningful is ever going to be easy.”
He said he drew inspiration from seeing fellow pilgrims “compete with one another in giving charity and helping each other along the way.”
The pilgrimage unfolds as the United States, Iran and regional allies discuss a “memorandum of understanding” that Washington claims could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease an energy crisis allegedly triggered by US and Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran’s closure of the waterway.
Despite the uncertainty, many pilgrims say they are leaning on their faith. On Tuesday, pilgrims will gather on the plain of Arafat, the spiritual climax of Hajj, where they will stand in prayer, ask for forgiveness and remember loved ones back home.
Source: www.aljazeera.com