TBM Staff - Mumbai
Saudi Arabia has announced that the hajj will commence on June 14, following the sighting of the crescent moon by astronomical observatories on Thursday evening. This marks the beginning of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar, as determined by the Supreme Court.
The hajj is a series of rituals completed over at least four days in Mecca and its surroundings in western Saudi Arabia. It is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken at least once by all Muslims with the means.
The high point of the hajj comes on the second day, when pilgrims gather for prayers on Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed delivered his final sermon. This year, this event will take place on June 15, followed by the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha on June 16.
Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest shrines in Islam at Mecca and Medina, and the Gulf kingdom generates billions of dollars each year from the hajj and umrah pilgrimages. The pilgrimages are also a source of prestige for the Saudi monarch, whose official title includes “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques” in Mecca and Medina.
According to official figures, more than 1.8 million Muslims participated in the hajj last year. This year, approximately 1.2 million pilgrims from around the world have already arrived in Saudi Arabia for the hajj, as announced by Tawfiq al-Rabiah, the Saudi hajj and umrah minister, at a press conference on Thursday.
