Hajj 2024 begins today: Millions of pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia to join annual Islamic pilgrimage | See images here

A large number of Muslim pilgrims have arrived in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as the pious annual Islamic pilgrimage, Hajj, begins today, Friday. Several Muslim pilgrims visit the city every year during the Hajj pilgrimage to begin their journey of faith and spirituality along a route taken by the Prophet Muhammad.Nearly, 1.5 million pilgrims came to the city on Tuesday to join Hajj pilgrimmage, set to begin on Friday, reported AP citing Saudi authorities. The number of pilgrims is likely to grow in the coming months as hundreds of thousands of Saudis and others living in Saudi Arabia will also join them after Hajj officially begins on Friday.Since their arrival, pilgrims have performed the circumambulation with a large number of crowds circling the Kaaba. It will last into Friday, the Haj’s first day, when pilgrims move to Mina, a desert plain outside the city.Later, Muslim pilgrims who arrived Saudi Arabia, will also perform daylong worship on the Mountain of Arafat followed by a transition to Muzdalifah, a rocky plain nearby. Here, pilgrims gather pebbles for the symbolic stoning of pillars representing evil upon their return to Mina.The Hajj is one of the largest religious congregations globally and is revered as one of Islam’s five pillars. It is obligatory for all financially and physically capable Muslims to undertake Hajj at least once in their lifetime.For those participating, the Hajj is not only a demonstration of religious duty but also an opportunity for spiritual rejuvenation, the cleansing of past transgressions, and the embrace of a fresh start.The pilgrimage includes a series of prescribed acts and rituals that symbolise various aspects of faith, devotion and unity. What is Hajj ?Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim. The pilgrimage is considered as pious and mandatory for those who can afford it and are physically able to make it. Some Muslim pilgrims also make journey more than once. Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, in addition to the profession of faith, prayer, alms giving and fasting.