What is the Hajj pilgrimage and what does it mean for Muslims?

[phkrause]

MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Over 2 million Muslims will take part in this week’s Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, as one of the world’s largest religious gatherings returns to full capacity following years of coronavirus restrictions.

https://apnews.com/article/islam-hajj-muslim-pilgrimage-explainer-7e9773bfaa4f3f91b1947688d0983188?

[phkrause]

What’s the Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage, and why is it significant for Muslims?

Once a year, Muslim pilgrims flowing into Saudi Arabia unite in a series of religious rituals and acts of worship as they perform the Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam. As they fulfill a religious obligation, they immerse themselves in what can be a spiritual experience of a lifetime for them and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins.

https://apnews.com/article/islam-muslim-what-is-hajj-b7fef33d791a15a21193e696c0fe8cc1?

[phkrause]

⛰️ Pic du jour: Hajj reaches peak

Photo: Issam Rimawi/Anadolu via Getty Images Muslim pilgrims gather to pray at Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia this morning. The ritual at Arafat, known as the hill of mercy, is considered the peak of the Hajj pilgrimage, AP reports. The big picture: Hajj is one of the largest religious gatherings on earth. Saudi authorities expect the number of pilgrims this year to exceed 2 million, approaching pre-pandemic levels. This year, the pilgrimage came against the backdrop of the devastation of the Israel-Hamas war. Palestinians in Gaza were not able to travel to Mecca for Hajj this year because of the closure of the Rafah crossing. Palestinian officials said 4,200 pilgrims from the occupied West Bank went to the Hajj. Saudi authorities said 1,000 more from the families of Palestinians killed or wounded in Gaza also arrived, at the invitation of Saudi King Salman. The invitees were outside Gaza — mostly in Egypt — before the border crossing was closed.

[phkrause]

Muslim pilgrims resume symbolic stoning of the devil as they wrap up Hajj pilgrimage in deadly heat

MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslim pilgrims used the early morning hours Monday to perform the second day of the symbolic stoning of the devil, hoping to escape the noontime summer heat that caused heatstroke and sunburns among thousands wrapping up the Hajj pilgrimage.

https://apnews.com/article/hajj-mecca-saudi-arabia-muslim-pilgrimage-c10672b0c2d4e18ef368f14fa19ca71e?