Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims arrived at the Mina site, a few kilometers from the Grand Mosque in Mecca, on Monday to perform one of the main rites of hajj, the great Muslim pilgrimage in western Saudi Arabia. .
Under a scorching sun, worshipers made the journey on foot or in air-conditioned buses to Mina, where they will spend the night before Tuesday’s ascent of Mount Arafat, the highest point of one of the largest religious gatherings. in the world.
“It’s a worthwhile experience,” said 39-year-old Nigerian Salim Ibrahim, ignoring temperatures that hovered around 45 degrees Celsius.
“Even if the heat gets stronger, I will do the hajj again,” he said.
After performing the rite of “tawaf”, or circumambulation, of circling around the Kaaba, a giant black cubic structure to which Muslims around the world turn to pray, on Sunday, worshipers will sleep in air-conditioned white tents in Mina .
This place is located in a valley overlooked by rocky mountains, seven kilometers from the Grand Mosque of Mecca, the holiest city in Islam.
Most pilgrims chose to come there by bus, while a few pedestrians walked slowly in the searing heat, carrying umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun.
It’s “a dream come true”, says Jamila Hamoudi, a 62-year-old Moroccan teacher, wearing a cap in the colors of her country.
The hajj, which consists of a series of codified rites taking place over several days in the heart of Mecca and its surroundings, is one of the five pillars of Islam.
It must be undertaken by every Muslim at least once in his life if he can afford it.
Those who perform it will be granted the honorary title of “hajj”, which induces respect.
This year, the pilgrimage is expected to be the largest in history, according to Saudi authorities who hope to exceed the number of 2.5 million visitors reached in 2019.
In 2020 and 2021, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, only a few thousand worshipers were welcomed into the kingdom, before the quota was raised to 926,000 last year.
The hajj takes place under tight security to avoid a repeat of the tragedies that have marked its history.
A stampede had notably caused 2,300 deaths in 2015, but no major incident has been reported since.
Helicopters as well as drones equipped with artificial intelligence have been deployed to monitor the flow of pilgrims to Mina, authorities said.
Autonomous buses, using the same technology and able to carry up to 11 passengers, have been put into service.
Visitors who fail to obtain the necessary permit to perform the hajj face up to six months in prison and a fine of 50,000 riyals ($13,300).
One of the main risks for pilgrims is the high temperatures in one of the hottest regions in the world.
The Saudi Ministry of Health called on at-risk people to stay indoors at midday and set up four hospitals and 26 health centers in Mina.
Before leaving Mecca, Habiba, a Moroccan who was performing the hajj with her husband, felt unwell due to the heat.
“The climate is very hot here compared to Morocco, and we feel exhausted,” said her husband, Rahim Abdennacer, a 62-year-old businessman, as he poured water on his head near the Grande Mosque.
In the giant Mina encampment, many fire trucks were deployed.
After the night in Mina, pilgrims will spend several hours on Tuesday praying and reciting the Koran on Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad is said to have delivered his last sermon, the flagship stage of the hajj.
“I feel indescribable happiness. I feel that I will be reborn,” said Fawaz Abdallah, a 48-year-old Syrian engineer, while looking for a tent to spend the night with his wife.
On Wednesday, the faithful will carry out the symbolic stoning of Satan, by throwing stones at places symbolizing the devil, before returning to Mecca for a final circumambulation of the Kaaba.
06/26/2023 16:43:05 – Mina (Arabie saaudite) (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
