Two million pilgrims arrive in Mecca for Hajj ritual

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Two million Muslims from all over the world have arrived in Mecca for the Hajj ritual.

Statistics from the higher committee for Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said that, up until Sunday, over 1.5 million Hajj pilgrims have arrived from outside the country and a further half million came from inside the kingdom.

Undersecretary of the Hajj and Omra in Saudi Arabia, Issa Rawas said that the number is expected to reach 2.7 million.

The Hajj season starts on Thursday with a day known to Muslims as "Tarwiya". The pilgrims drink water, before they head to Mount Arafat on Friday. The Saudi authorities have taken many steps to facilitate the ease of movement for the pilgrims, and have widened the areas where the pilgrims gather for throwing the stones.

Islam’s holiest city was pulsating yesterday with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world as the faithful prepared for the five-day pilgrimage that begins tomorrow with the trek to the nearby tent city of Mina.

The Grand Mosque, which has a capacity of roughly one million pilgrims, overflowed with worshippers at each of the five daily prayers yesterday. All streets leading to the Haram were packed with praying pilgrims.

As the day wore on, the orb of the setting sun reddened and slipped silently lower through the cool and dusty air over Makkah casting its glow over the seething streets of the mountainous city.

In the Holy Mosque’s majestic courtyard, an old woman sat almost immobile telling a well-worn string of prayer beads with her hands gnarled from a life of labor. Her ancient lined features were softened by the last blush of the evening, eyes bright with the tangible tension from the conflict between anxiety at her first Haj and the anticipation of completing the religious high point of her life.

“Allah-o-Akbar,” she said. “God is the Greatest. We are in the safest place on earth and in God’s hands. This is a centuries-old religious observance, one that draws all Muslims closer to their spiritual roots,” she said in a voice quivering with emotion before gathering her small bundle and melting into the shuffling stream moving to the Holy Mosque.

Amid the crowds of pilgrims and the noise and confusion of traffic, there were thousands of pigeons flying about in the Holy Mosque’s courtyard, eating seeds being handed out or thrown to them by pilgrims, reflecting the peaceful atmosphere of the holy city.

Makkah is an ancient arid mountainous city where buildings for pilgrims’ accommodation have been built on the mountains and on narrow, crooked streets and alleys. As far as the eye can see, the city’s skyline is dotted with many new high-rise buildings under construction. Along both sides of the streets yesterday, there were shops selling items ranging from light meals, sandwiches, soft drinks and chilled water to toys, watches, fake jewelry, clothing and prayer rugs.

Inside the mosque, tens of thousands of pilgrims were seen circumambulating the Holy Kaaba. Many were in tears.

“All our lives we have been turning in the direction of the Holy Kaaba” — a cubic stone building that was built by Prophet Abraham and his son, Ismail — “and now we are praying right in front of it,” said Sabir Shakir, barely controlling his emotions. “These are the tears of joy.”

Shakir, an employee of a popular Pakistani TV channel, is one of 155,000 Pakistanis who are performing Haj this year. “It has always been a dream to come here and renew my faith,” he said.

“We have read so much about Makkah and Madinah and heard so many things from those who have visited the holy cities and have seen so many pictures of Makkah and Madinah but nothing really prepares you for the experience when you first cast a glance at the Holy Kaaba; you are transported into a different world,” said Mushtaq Ahmed from India.

Both Shakir’s and Ahmed’s wives are accompanying their husbands on the pilgrimage. “We are overwhelmed by the air of spirituality that surrounds this place. Our feelings cannot be described in words. It is heavenly. There are so many people here. We are told there are more than two million pilgrims here in Makkah but what is amazing is that each one is busy reflecting on his/her own life while seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness,” they said.

With just 24 hours to go before the pilgrims start the trek to Mina, one could hardly miss the string of Jumbo Jets landing at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah. They fly so low that Jeddah residents can even read the names of the airlines and see the colorful logos on their tails. For expatriates living and working in Jeddah, the insignias of their national airlines on the jets overhead are a special sight.

Most of the foreign pilgrims arrive at the massive Haj Terminal — the world’s largest fabric-tent structure — and are transported directly to Makkah.

This past week, pilgrims were busy exploring the holy city and its Islamic history. “Early this week, I visited the cave where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) received his first Qur’anic verse,” said Jameel Aksoy from Turkey. “This place is steeped in history...Every stone tells its own story, has its own relevance.” His close friend, Dr. Mustafa Muhammad Kamal, who works in a clinic in Makkah, is playing host to him. “It is a great honor to serve the pilgrims,” said Kamal. “They are the guests of Allah. I am with them to keep them in good cheer. I just want to let them know that they are not alone. That they have somebody in this holy land.”

Many pilgrims are also pleasantly surprised by the weather. “We’ve always been told that Saudi Arabia is a desert and the climate is constantly hot, hotter or hottest, but what we’ve been experiencing now is something we cannot believe. Can you imagine a place where days are pleasant and nights are cold?” asked Waheed Kakar from Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan.

Other myths about Saudi Arabia are also dispelled as visitors find a nation of people proud to share a rich heritage with their visiting Muslim brethren.

“There is much to see here, and we’re all delighted,” said Mamode Hassan from Mauritius.

There were at least five checkpoints on the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway yesterday to stop people without Haj permits. The authorities have been turning away domestic pilgrims who believe they can circumvent the bureaucracy necessary to mitigate the complications of organizing the world’s largest annual gathering of humanity.