Hajj pilgrims pray on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat
Pilgrims prayed on Mount Arafat on Thursday during the high point of the annual hajj pilgrimage, as officials called on devotees to refrain from being outside during the hottest hours of the day. Thousands of pilgrims began to gather before dawn around the hill and the surrounding plain where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his last sermon. While some arrived early to take advantage of the relatively cool morning, carrying colourful umbrellas, many pilgrims will remain for prayers and Quran recitals until the evening in the most arduous portion of the hajj. After sunset they will head to Muzdalifah, where they will gather pebbles so they can perform the symbolic "stoning of the devil". Follow more Hajj 2025 here.
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Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Inside Saudi's Hajj-only barbershop, shaving thousands of heads in a day
Near the holy city of Makkah, men in white robes stand quietly in a long queue, waiting for the next important act of their Hajj pilgrimage: a haircut. Shaving or cutting the hair comes near the end of the Hajj, and marks the moment when pilgrims can change out of the Ihram clothing that signifies purity and devotion. The barbershop, strategically positioned by the Jamarat complex in Mina, where the "stoning of the devil" ritual took place on Friday, opens exclusively for the annual Hajj and does a roaring trade. On the pilgrimage's last day, which coincides with the major festival of Eid Al Adha, its barbers typically handle 6,000 customers, said manager Imad Fawzi, an official employed by the Hajj organisation. Inside, men in plastic aprons wield electric clippers and cut-throat razors, shearing scalps on an industrial scale for 60 riyals ($13) a time. Despite the rush — there are so many customers that an usher is required — Ahmed, a 28-year-old barber from Egypt, is happy in his work. "This is a very simple thing to do, but it brings us so much joy," he says. Fawzi, who grew up in Makkah, called himself a "child of the Hajj". "I've been working in Hajj since I was seven," he says. 'This outfit is exhausting' The once-a-year hairdresser's is not the only place for a cut: parts of Makkah and the plain of Mina, on its outskirts, turn into an open-air barbershop at this stage of the Hajj. Leaving the Jamarat, a Southeast Asian man took out a razor and started scraping the back of his head as he walked. Further down the street, a group of African men were shaving each other with clippers. In Mecca, entire streets are lined with barbershops doing brisk business. While men shave their hair, women trim theirs by a fingertip-length. About 1.6 million pilgrims have gathered in and around Mecca, Islam's holiest city, for this year's Hajj, which all Muslims with the means must complete at least once. Outside the Jamarat hairdresser's, Hani Abdel Samih is looking forward to changing out of the wrap-around skirt and shawl he has been wearing for the past three days. "The stoning of the devil at Jamarat requires great effort and we've been wearing these clothes all day," he said. "We wanted to wear our everyday clothes and be comfortable, so we went to the nearest barbershop we could find after the Jamarat," said the Egyptian. Yet his face is beaming with joy. He said he does not mind the wait for a haircut that bears a special place in his spiritual journey. "I'm excited, of course! Because this is Sunnah from the Prophet, peace be upon him," he said, referring to the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. "We like (this ritual) and we cannot break it," he said. The Hajj retraces the Prophet's last pilgrimage, with rites at Makkah's Grand Mosque and Mount Arafat before "stoning the devil" — throwing pebbles at three giant walls at Jamarat.
The National
6 hours ago
- The National
Pilgrims 'stone the devil' to mark end of Hajj and start of Eid
Muslims performed the last ritual of Hajj on Friday known as the 'stoning of the devil' in Makkah, as millions around the globe celebrated the beginning of the Eid Al Adha break. Saudi Arabia has this year hosted more than 1.6 million Muslim pilgrims. They threw stones at three concrete walls symbolising the devil in the Mina valley, on the outskirts of the holy city of Makkah. Droves of pilgrims had already set out from their accommodation in the sprawling tent city in Mina before dawn, taking advantage of the cool temperatures. The ritual commemorates Abraham's stoning of the devil at the three spots where it is said Satan tried to dissuade him from obeying God's order to sacrifice his son. On Thursday, pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat, praying and reciting the Quran at the 70-metre rocky rise near Makkah, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his last sermon. Many climbed despite searing heat, though numbers had thinned by midday, following official warnings for pilgrims to stay inside between 10am and 4pm. At this year's Hajj authorities implemented a range of heat-mitigation efforts alongside a wide-ranging crackdown on illicit pilgrims- resulting in noticeably thinner crowds and a heavy security presence at holy sites in Makkah and surrounding areas. This year's statistics, by the General Authority for Statistics (Gastat), showed a total of 1,673, 230 pilgrims performed Hajj. Of these, 1,506,576 were international pilgrims and 166,654 were domestic pilgrims, including both citizens and residents. According to Gastat, 877,841 were men and 795,389 were women. Every year at the Hajj, Muslims gather in Saudi Arabia to unite in religious rituals and acts of worship as they fulfil one of the Five Pillars of Islam, a religious obligation. It can be the spiritual experience of a lifetime for them and a chance to seek God's forgiveness and the erasure of past sins.
Khaleej Times
9 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Hajj pilgrim turnout lowest in 3 decades, excluding Covid years
More than 1.6 million Muslims are performing the sacred Hajj pilgrimage this year - with majority of them from outside Saudi Arabia, according to the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. The figures mark the lowest number of pilgrims in over three decades, according to AFP. They do not, however, include the years of Covid restrictions from 2020-2022, when only a limited number of attendees were allowed out of concern for the health and safety of the pilgrims. Prior to the pandemic, Hajj attendance would regularly exceed 2 million. Official figures noted 1.8 million Muslims took part in the Hajj last year. Meanwhile, the record for the highest turnout was set in 2012 when 3.16 million pilgrims took part. A total of 1,673,230 male and female pilgrims from all around the world stood on the sacred plains of Arafat and performed the rituals of Hajj 1446 AH with #Ease_And_Tranquility. — Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (@MoHU_En) June 5, 2025 Stricter rules Hajj permits are allocated to countries on a quota basis and distributed to individuals by a lottery system. Authorities in Saudi have been working to ensure the highest standards of health and safety for those who undertake the pilgrimage, considered one of the five pillars of Islam. Higher penalties have been imposed this year for anyone attempting to perform Hajj without a permit, including fines of up to 20,000 Saudi Riyals, arrest, and deportation. The kingdom also suspended short-term visas for 14 countries earlier this year, and security personnel can be seen across holy sites like Makkah. Despite these stringent measures, the high costs of Hajj packages see many continue to attempt to enter the country illegally. More than 50 expats were arrested on June 4 for trying to sneak into Makkah on foot. Climate impact This year's Hajj saw authorities also implementing a range of heat mitigation efforts, from expanding shaded areas to deploying over 400 cooling units. The measures are aimed at preventing a repeat of last year's Hajj that saw 1,301 people die in temperatures that hit 51.8°C. Saudi authorities said a majority of those deaths were among pilgrims who slipped into Makkah illegally and lacked access to accommodation and other services aimed to keep pilgrims safe and protected from the searing desert heat. This year's turnout underscores the ongoing efforts to balance the spiritual significance of the pilgrimage with necessary health, safety, and regulatory measures. Pilgrims continue to embrace this sacred journey, and authorities remain committed to ensuring a safe and meaningful experience for all who participate.
