The Hajj has begun, and more than 1.5 million Muslim pilgrims have arrived in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
According to Saudi authorities, more than two million pilgrims are expected to perform the Hajj this year.
It’s one of the biggest religious gatherings in the world, it entails a number of multi-day ceremonies in Mecca and the surrounding areas of western Saudi Arabia.
Over two billion Muslims worldwide are brought together by the pilgrimage, which is a powerful spiritual experience for those who think it forgives sins and draws them nearer to God.
Every Muslim who is financially capable of doing so, is required to complete the Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, at least once.
A limited number of licences are granted by Saudi authorities to each country, so some people have been waiting for the opportunity to go for years.
The pilgrims will first do the Tawaf, which involves going around the Kaaba seven times.
After that, they’ll travel a few kilometres outside of Mecca to Mina, a valley encircled by rugged mountains, where they’ll spend the night in air-conditioned tents.
On Saturday, at Mount Arafat, the site of the Prophet Muhammad’s last sermon, there will be daylong prayers that will serve as the climax.
Since the gathering is taking place during the summer, with officials predicting average highs of 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit). So mitigation measures this year includes misting systems and heat-reflective road coverings to avoid heat-related illnesses which occurred last year like heat stroke.
All pilgrims were sent a text message on Thursday instructing them to drink water regularly more than 2 litres daily and to always carry an umbrella, warning that temperatures could climb to 48C (118F).
As TV10 Gano Mazima , we wish a successful hajj to all moslems around the world.
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