The 2024 Hajj pilgrimage kicked off on Friday (June 14, 2024) as pilgrims in Saudi Arabia journeyed on foot and by bus to Mina, where they will stay at one of the world’s largest tent cities. Mina valley, located about 5km east of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, covers a 250-hectare open space with over 100,000 air-conditioned tents capable of housing more than 2.6 million people. The eighth day of Dhul Al Hijjah is known as Yawm Al Tarwiyah, or the day of irrigation, as pilgrims start arriving in Mina. This day involves a tradition of carrying water in preparation for the Day of Arafat, when pilgrims ascend Mount Arafat.
Throughout the day, pilgrims complete the welcoming tawaf by walking seven times around the Kaaba and kissing the black stone. In the afternoon, they head to the Safa and Marwah hills near the Kaaba, symbolically emulating the run of Prophet Ismael’s mother Hajjar by running or walking seven times between the hills in search of water for her son. Pilgrims then spend the entire day in Mina, preparing for the Day of Arafat, the most significant day of the Hajj pilgrimage.
According to Saudi officials, over 1.5 million foreign pilgrims had arrived in the country by Tuesday, with the majority arriving by plane. The Hajj is a sacred pilgrimage and one of the five pillars of Islam, drawing millions of Muslims worldwide to Makkah, modern-day Saudi Arabia each year.
Unauthorized vehicles denied entry to holy sites
In preparation for Hajj 2024, Saudi Arabia has implemented strict measures to ensure the safety and security of all pilgrims. Unauthorized vehicles will not be permitted to enter the holy sites from midnight on the fifth of Dhu Al-Hijjah until the 13th day. Those found transporting pilgrims without valid Hajj 2024 permits will face imprisonment for up to 6 months and a fine of up to SAR50,000 for each unauthorized pilgrim. Additionally, court rulings may include confiscation of the vehicle and deportation of the transporter, accompanied by a subsequent entry ban if a resident. Pilgrims without valid permits will be fined SAR10,000 and residents will face deportation and a temporary entry ban. These strict regulations have been put in place to ensure a secure, safe, and comfortable environment for all pilgrims, emphasizing the importance of compliance with the rules and instructions.
Smart robot service launched to assist pilgrims
Earlier, a smart robot service was launched in Madinah to assist pilgrims visiting the Prophet’s Mosque.
The robot, a project from the Ministry of Health branch in Madinah province, is positioned in the courtyard next to the Prophet’s Mosque.
The service aims to display and broadcast educational messages, guidance, and health instructions for the safety and awareness of pilgrims in over 96 languages from around the world.
Millions start Hajj in shadow of Israel’s war on Gaza
More than 1.5 million Muslim pilgrims have gathered in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca for the start of Hajj, taking place this year against the harrowing backdrop of Israel’s continued onslaught on the Gaza Strip.
The annual pilgrimage began on Friday with crowds of robed worshippers circling the Kaaba, the black cubic structure at Mecca’s Grand Mosque, many expressing sadness eight months into Israel’s war on Gaza.
“Our brothers are dying, and we can see it with our own eyes,” said 75-year-old Zahra Benizahra from Morocco.
Palestinians in Gaza were not able to travel to Mecca this year because of the closure of the Rafah crossing in May when Israel extended its ground offensive into the strip’s southern city of Rafah on the border with Egypt.
“We were deprived of Hajj because of the closure of the crossing and because of the war and destruction,” Amna Abu Mutlaq, 75, told Al Jazeera. “We are unable to leave and every time we try to leave, they tell us that the crossing is closed and we cannot leave. They deprived us of everything.”
Palestinian authorities said 4,200 people from the occupied West Bank had arrived in Mecca for the pilgrimage. One thousand more pilgrims, from the families of Palestinians killed or wounded in the war, who were already outside Gaza before Rafah was closed, were invited by King Salman of Saudi Arabia.
Hajj, one of the largest annual Muslim gatherings, occurs in Mecca from the eighth to the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar.
