Muslim pilgrims circled Islam’s holiest site along socially distanced paths Sunday in the final ritual of the hajj, the smallest in modern history as Saudi authorities sought to prevent a coronavirus outbreak. Only up to 10,000 Muslims took part in the hajj, a far cry from the 2.5 million who took part in the five-day … Read more
Strict social distancing measures were in place during the third day of the hajj pilgrimage in Mecca amid the coronavirus pandemic. A limited number of Muslim pilgrims of Saudi Arabia residents gathered at the Great Mosque in Mecca to pray during one of the Islamic rituals of pilgrimage, the Tawaf Al-Ifadah. The symbolic ritual of ‘Stoning … Read more
Muslim pilgrims will today begin a dramatically downsized hajj as the Saudi hosts strive to prevent a coronavirus outbreak during the five-day pilgrimage. Pilgrims will be required to wear masks and worship at a social distance as they complete one of the five pillars of Islam – which is usually one of the world’s largest … Read more
Saudi Arabia sets 1,000-person limit on Hajj pilgrims – down from 2.5million in a normal year – and bans foreigners from Mecca as country battles coronavirus The Hajj pilgrimage is the largest gathering of Muslims in the world It lasts for five or six days as pilgrims travel to the ‘House of Allah’ in Mecca … Read more
Saudi Arabia has banned Muslims from outside the kingdom from performing the annual hajj pilgrimage this year in an attempt to control the spread of coronavirus. The nation has seen 161,005 cases of COVID-19, with 1,307 confirmed deaths, the biggest outbreak in the Gulf region. But the pilgrimage ban marks the first time in Saudi Arabia’s recent … Read more