Amidst Brutal War In Gaza, More Than 1.5 Million Muslims Start Hajj Pilgrimage (image@insharifain)

In scorching heat, Muslims gathered in a vast camp in Mecca indulging themselves in the annual Hajj. The pilgrimage officially opened on Friday by circling the holy Kaaba, the cube-shaped pilgrim site in Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia. More than 1.5 million devotees from across the globe amassed around Mecca. The number was increasing as more pilgrims from Saudi Arabia joined. The Saudi authority expects the figure to cross 2 million this year.

This year’s Hajj came amidst the brutal war in Gaza, which pushed the entire Middle East to the brink of great regional war, predominantly between Iran-backed militants, and Israel and its allies.

The Palestinians in Gaza were not able to travel to Mecca for Hajj this year, as they were trapped in the battleground, being chased around for their life by the Israeli occupation force. The only opened border for the coastal enclave, Rafah crossing, has been blocked by Israel, extending their barbaric offensive against the civilians in the name of targeting the Hamas resistance group, the political power of the region.

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Over 4,200 Palestinians from West Bank reached Mecca for Hajj this year, said Palestinian authority. Saudi said over 1,000 from the families of Palestinians killed or wounded in the war in Gaza has also arrived to perform Hajj at the invitation of King Salman of Saudi Arabia. The 1,000 were already outside Gaza, mostly in Egypt, before the border was closed.

This year’s Hajj also witnessed Syrian pilgrims traveling to Mecca on direct flight from Damascus, which is for the first time in more than a decade. The move was part of an ongoing crisis in relations between Saudi Arabia and conflict-stricken Syria. Earlier, the Syrians in conflict-stricken areas had to cross border into Turkey, the neighbouring country to reach Mecca for the pilgrimage.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is mandatory for all Muslims to perform Hajj at least once in their life if they are physically and financially fit to do it.

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The Grand Mosque in Mecca is the holiest site for Muslims. Hajj is a moving spiritual experience for pilgrims. Hajj absolves all the sins committed by the worshippers purifying them of the faults and sins.

For many Muslims, Hajj is the only major journey they make in their life. Some save up money for years to perform the ritual. Hajj largely commemorate the Quran’s accounts of Prophet Ibrahim, his son Prophet Ismail and Ismail’s mother Hajar — or Abraham and Ismael as they are named in the Bible.

The Saudi authorities has bolstered security restrictions in and around the region, with checkpoints set up on roads leading to the city to prevent those who don’t have Hajj permits from reaching the holy sites.