More than 1.5 million pilgrims begin Hajj amid regional tensions | Religious Matters

The annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, has begun in Saudi Arabia as more than 1.5 million pilgrims arrive from abroad amid the crisis over Iran’s war and the global energy crisis.

Saleh bin Saad al-Murabba, head of the Hajj army, said more than 1.5 million pilgrims had entered the kingdom by Friday, with more expected.

For many, reaching Mecca is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Egyptian pilgrim Samya Abdul Moneim said he felt very grateful to have made the once-in-a-lifetime journey for every able-bodied Muslim.

“I am in a state of blessing and happiness,” he said in Mecca on Sunday. I feel very sad. I thank God because I am blessed.

Before heading to the huge tent city of Mina, pilgrims have been circling the cube-shaped Kaaba in the Grand Mosque in the sweltering heat, some shielding themselves with umbrellas and hand fans. Volunteers provide water and heating fans to help people cope with the extreme heat.

For many, Hajj is both physically and spiritually important.

“This Hajj is difficult for me,” said Youssef Chouhoud, a political scientist in the United States, speaking from Mina. For many pilgrims it is the most difficult thing they will do in their lives.

He said he was encouraged to see fellow pilgrims “competing with each other in giving charity and helping each other on the way”.

The visit comes as the United States, Iran and their allies are discussing a “memorandum of understanding” that Washington says could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease the energy crisis caused by the US-Israeli attack on Iran and Tehran’s closure of the waterway.

Although it is doubtful, many pilgrims say that they rely on their faith.

On Tuesday, pilgrims will gather at Arafat Valley, the spiritual climax of the Hajj, where they will stand to pray, ask for forgiveness and remember their loved ones.