More than a million Muslim pilgrims converged on Mecca on Friday, marking the beginning of the hajj pilgrimage. This year’s event is set against the grim backdrop of the ongoing Gaza war and is taking place under the sweltering summer sun.
Dressed in traditional white robes, worshippers will circle the Kaaba, the black cubic structure at Mecca’s Grand Mosque. Many expressed their sorrow as the conflict between Israel and Hamas stretches into its eighth month.
“Our brothers are dying, and we can see it with our own eyes,” said a tearful Zahra Benizahra, 75, from Morocco. Belinda Elham from Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, stated her intentions clearly: “I will pray every day so that what’s happening in Palestine ends.”
The conflict in Gaza was ignited by an unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in 1,194 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Hamas militants also took 251 hostages, of which 116 remain in Gaza, although the Israeli army reports that 41 of these hostages are dead.
In response, Israel has launched a military offensive in Gaza that has claimed at least 37,232 lives, predominantly civilians, as reported by the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory.
Saudi King Salman has decreed that 1,000 pilgrims from the families of martyrs and the wounded from Gaza will be hosted for this year’s hajj, doubling the number of Palestinian pilgrims receiving this special honor, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.
However, Tawfiq al-Rabiah, the Saudi minister overseeing religious pilgrimages, warned last week that “no political activity” would be tolerated, leaving the extent to which pilgrims can express solidarity with Palestinians uncertain.
Heat and Health Precautions
The hajj, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, involves a series of rituals in Mecca and its surroundings in western Saudi Arabia over several days. As one of the five pillars of Islam, it is a religious duty for all Muslims who are able to undertake it at least once in their lifetime.
After arriving in Islam’s holiest city, pilgrims will begin with the “tawaf” – circling the Kaaba seven times. They will then proceed to Mina, a valley surrounded by rugged mountains outside Mecca, where they will spend the night in air-conditioned tents.
The pilgrimage will climax on Saturday with day-long prayers on Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed delivered his final sermon. Pilgrims have already been seen circling the Kaaba in large numbers for several days.
For many, this pilgrimage is a long-awaited opportunity. Nonaartina Hajipaoli, 50, from Brunei, expressed her gratitude: “I’m speechless, I can’t describe what I feel.”
Last year’s hajj saw over 1.8 million participants after pandemic restrictions were lifted and age limits scrapped. By late Monday, around 1.5 million pilgrims had arrived for this year’s pilgrimage, according to official media.
With temperatures soaring, health officials have warned of severe heat risks. Last year, over 10,000 cases of heat-related illnesses were documented, with 10 percent being heat stroke, according to Saudi health ministry spokesperson Mohammed al-Abdulali. This year, mitigation measures include misting systems and heat-reflective road coverings.
Pilgrims received text messages on Thursday advising them to “drink water regularly, more than 2 litres daily” and to “always carry an umbrella,” as temperatures could reach up to 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit).
