Mecca (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) - greater than two million Muslims from around the globe commenced the hajj pilgrimage on Sunday in Saudi Arabia, one of the international's biggest annual gatherings in a rustic undergoing unprecedented alternate.
The extremely-conservative country -- in which faith remains a guiding force amid dramatic social and financial reforms -- has mobilised substantial assets for the six-day journey, a pillar of Islam.
"it's the dream of each Muslim to come back here to Mecca," said Frenchman Soliman Ben Mohri.
"it is the final adventure. What worries me is the return to my regular existence. For the instant, i'm in a dream," the fifty three-yr old told AFP.
every Muslim is needed to complete the hajj adventure to Islam's holiest web sites at least once of their lifetime if they're healthful sufficient and feature the manner to do so.
Tens of hundreds of protection personnel have been deployed for the pilgrimage, which changed into struck with the aid of its worst ever disaster three years ago when around 2,300 worshippers had been crushed to death in a stampede.
This year, the Saudis have launched a "clever hajj" initiative, with apps to help pilgrims with the whole lot from travel plans to medical care.
The indoors ministry said on Saturday that the number of pilgrims arriving in Mecca had already passed the two million mark, on the whole from abroad inclusive of big contingents from Egypt, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
wearing the simple white apparel of the pilgrim, most of the devoted started out moving on Sunday from Mecca to the close by Mina valley.
they'll spend the night time there in hearth-resistant tents within the wasteland, wherein temperatures pinnacle forty degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
lots of buses and cars wearing the pilgrims covered the 8 kilometre (five-mile) avenue from Mecca to Mina.
Many pilgrims made the adventure on foot beneath the sizzling solar, some sporting white or blue umbrellas.
For the Muslim faithful, hajj retraces the ultimate steps of the Prophet Mohammed and additionally honours the prophets Abraham and Ishmael.
It ends with the Eid al-Adha dinner party, that is marked by the slaughter of sheep, a tribute to Abraham's sacrifice of a lamb after God spared Ishmael, his son.
- Political weather -
in advance in Mecca pilgrims accomplished a ritual walk seven times across the Kaaba, a black masonry cube wrapped in a silk cloth embroidered in gold with Koranic verses on the centre of the Grand Mosque.
The shrine is the point in the direction of which Muslims round the world pray.
"I feel so fortunate to be here," said Nazia Nour, 36, who came to Saudi Arabia from Auckland.
Pushing her father on a wheelchair, she introduced: "I cannot consider he (God) chose me."
On Monday, pilgrims will climb Mount Arafat for the climax of the hajj, praying and studying the Koran.
The prophet Mohammed added his final sermon from the rocky hill to Muslims who had accompanied him on his very last hajj, according to Islam.
After sundown, pilgrims head to Muzdalifah, halfway among Arafat and Mina, in which they stay at the least till midnight.
They accumulate pebbles to perform the symbolic stoning of the satan at the eve of the Eid al-Adha feast.
despite the fact that the kingdom's young de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has spearheaded trade inside the nation, faith stays a key force in Saudi Arabia.
The oil-flush kingdom ended its ban on ladies driving in June and has boosted girl employment in a male-dominated society.
but the reforms had been followed by using a widening crackdown on dissent, with greater than a dozen women's rights campaigners detained in current weeks. a few were launched.
The hajj also comes extra than a 12 months into the worst political crisis to grip the Gulf, pitting Saudi Arabia against Qatar.
Saudi Arabia -- the sector's biggest exporter of oil -- and its allies accuse Qatar of cosying up to both Sunni Islamist extremists and Shiite Iran, Riyadh's predominant rival.
they have got cut all ties with Qatar -- which denies the expenses -- and banned all flights to and from Doha.
Qatar said Sunday that its residents had been not able to participate inside the hajj due to the diplomatic dispute.
Saudi authorities have said Qatari pilgrims are still allowed into the kingdom for the hajj.
The extremely-conservative country -- in which faith remains a guiding force amid dramatic social and financial reforms -- has mobilised substantial assets for the six-day journey, a pillar of Islam.
"it's the dream of each Muslim to come back here to Mecca," said Frenchman Soliman Ben Mohri.
"it is the final adventure. What worries me is the return to my regular existence. For the instant, i'm in a dream," the fifty three-yr old told AFP.
every Muslim is needed to complete the hajj adventure to Islam's holiest web sites at least once of their lifetime if they're healthful sufficient and feature the manner to do so.
Tens of hundreds of protection personnel have been deployed for the pilgrimage, which changed into struck with the aid of its worst ever disaster three years ago when around 2,300 worshippers had been crushed to death in a stampede.
This year, the Saudis have launched a "clever hajj" initiative, with apps to help pilgrims with the whole lot from travel plans to medical care.
The indoors ministry said on Saturday that the number of pilgrims arriving in Mecca had already passed the two million mark, on the whole from abroad inclusive of big contingents from Egypt, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
wearing the simple white apparel of the pilgrim, most of the devoted started out moving on Sunday from Mecca to the close by Mina valley.
they'll spend the night time there in hearth-resistant tents within the wasteland, wherein temperatures pinnacle forty degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
lots of buses and cars wearing the pilgrims covered the 8 kilometre (five-mile) avenue from Mecca to Mina.
Many pilgrims made the adventure on foot beneath the sizzling solar, some sporting white or blue umbrellas.
For the Muslim faithful, hajj retraces the ultimate steps of the Prophet Mohammed and additionally honours the prophets Abraham and Ishmael.
It ends with the Eid al-Adha dinner party, that is marked by the slaughter of sheep, a tribute to Abraham's sacrifice of a lamb after God spared Ishmael, his son.
- Political weather -
in advance in Mecca pilgrims accomplished a ritual walk seven times across the Kaaba, a black masonry cube wrapped in a silk cloth embroidered in gold with Koranic verses on the centre of the Grand Mosque.
The shrine is the point in the direction of which Muslims round the world pray.
"I feel so fortunate to be here," said Nazia Nour, 36, who came to Saudi Arabia from Auckland.
Pushing her father on a wheelchair, she introduced: "I cannot consider he (God) chose me."
On Monday, pilgrims will climb Mount Arafat for the climax of the hajj, praying and studying the Koran.
The prophet Mohammed added his final sermon from the rocky hill to Muslims who had accompanied him on his very last hajj, according to Islam.
After sundown, pilgrims head to Muzdalifah, halfway among Arafat and Mina, in which they stay at the least till midnight.
They accumulate pebbles to perform the symbolic stoning of the satan at the eve of the Eid al-Adha feast.
despite the fact that the kingdom's young de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has spearheaded trade inside the nation, faith stays a key force in Saudi Arabia.
The oil-flush kingdom ended its ban on ladies driving in June and has boosted girl employment in a male-dominated society.
but the reforms had been followed by using a widening crackdown on dissent, with greater than a dozen women's rights campaigners detained in current weeks. a few were launched.
The hajj also comes extra than a 12 months into the worst political crisis to grip the Gulf, pitting Saudi Arabia against Qatar.
Saudi Arabia -- the sector's biggest exporter of oil -- and its allies accuse Qatar of cosying up to both Sunni Islamist extremists and Shiite Iran, Riyadh's predominant rival.
they have got cut all ties with Qatar -- which denies the expenses -- and banned all flights to and from Doha.
Qatar said Sunday that its residents had been not able to participate inside the hajj due to the diplomatic dispute.
Saudi authorities have said Qatari pilgrims are still allowed into the kingdom for the hajj.
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