Muslims gather in Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage
(NewsNation) — More than 1.5 million Muslims from around the world gathered in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the Hajj, an Islamic pilgrimage to Islam's holiest city.
The religious trip is a once-in-a-lifetime duty for every Muslim who is financially and physically capable.
This year's pilgrimage attracted 1,673,230 Muslims, the majority of them from outside Saudi Arabia, according to an X post from Saudi Arabia's Hajj Ministry. It's the lowest number of pilgrims in 30 years, excluding during the COVID pandemic.
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Muslims gather in Saudi Arabia to take part in religious rituals and acts of worship to fulfil one of the Five Pillars of Islam, a religious obligation. It's a chance to seek God's forgiveness and repent for one's sins.
Mount Arafat, a rocky hill southeast of Mecca, is of great significance in Islam. Arafat is where the Prophet Muhammad is said to have given his last sermon on his final Hajj.
A visit to Arafat marks the spiritual climax of the pilgrimage when Muslims pray, fast and ask God to forgive their sins.
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Muslim pilgrims perform 'tawaf,' which entails circling the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure in Mecca, counterclockwise seven times. The Kaaba is the focal point toward which Muslims face during their daily prayers from anywhere in the world.
Pilgrims also retrace the path of Hagar, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim, Abraham to Jews and Christians, who Muslims believe ran between two hills seven times searching for water for her son.
Muhammad was a religious and political leader born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in the sixth century who Muslims believe was the last of the prophets. His teachings, along with the Quran, form the basis of Islamic religious belief.
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The core Islamic practice of praying five times a day, known as salah in Arabic, serves as a reminder of one's relationship with God and a way to purify the soul.
According to Pew Research Center, there are around 2.5 billion Muslims in the world, making Islam the second-largest religion after Christianity.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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