Rich and poor alike come dressed in the same white garments.
From Asia, Africa and points in between, nearly 1.5 million Muslims begin the annual hajj in western Saudi Arabia Saturday, undeterred by a stampede which last year killed around 2,300.- In one of several safety measures implemented after the stampede, access to the Kaaba is suspended during prayers, and the walk around it is stopped to avoid overcrowding.
- Rich and poor alike come dressed in the same white garments.
- The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which capable Muslims must perform at least once, marking the spiritual peak of their lives.
- Chechens pray atop of Noor Mountain, where Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation from God to preach Islam, as Egyptians at right watch the view, on the outskirts of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
- Then they proceed to Mount Arafat, several kilometres away, for the peak of hajj on Sunday.
- They are following in the footsteps of their Prophet Mohammed who performed the same rituals about 1,400 years ago. The first day of hajj was traditionally the chance for pilgrims to water their animals and stock up on water.
- After preliminary rituals this week in Mecca at the Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, the pilgrims will move on Saturday in buses, by train or even on foot in debilitating temperatures exceeding 40 C (100 F) to Mina, about five kilometres (three miles) east.
From Asia, Africa and points in between, nearly 1.5 million Muslims begin the annual hajj in western Saudi Arabia Saturday, undeterred by a stampede which last year killed around 2,300.
Rich and poor alike come dressed in the same white garments.
Next Story
