Hajj today: Pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat chanting ‘Labaik Allahuma Labaik’

The hajj, a once-in-a-lifetime duty for all Muslims, begins today as one million pilgrims from across the globe amassed on Thursday in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform the initial rites.

This is going to be the largest Islamic pilgrimage since the coronavirus pandemic upended the annual event — a key pillar of Islam.

The hajj takes the faithful along a path traversed by the Prophet Muhammad some 1,400 years ago. Pilgrims spend five days carrying out a set of rituals intended to bring them closer to God.

That includes praying around the cube-shaped Kaaba, the holiest shrine in Islam. At the center of the Grand Mosque’s courtyard on Thursday, thousands of unmasked pilgrims circled the Kaaba.

The crowds, visibly thinner than usual, moved counter-clockwise around the granite building in a blur, their hearts tilting toward the structure meant to symbolize the oneness of God in Islam. Wherever they are in the world, observant Muslims face the Kaaba to pray daily.

Pilgrims appeared to throw Covid-19 caution to the wind as they thronged the Grand Mosque — in sharp contrast to the social distancing and mask requirements of the past two years. This time, there were signs of lingering vigilance.

Typically, worshippers would fight the crowds for a chance to touch and kiss the black stone on the Kaaba’s eastern corner, but the government has banned this practice.

Saudi authorities also distributed bottles of water from the holy Zamzam well instead of allowing pilgrims to drink from cups at the mosque. Thousands of medical workers were on hand to assist those in need.

This year, the hajj is open to just 1 million foreign and domestic pilgrims who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, tested negative for Covid-19 and are between 18 and 65 years old. Authorities estimate 85% have arrived from abroad.

While this year’s attendance is far below the pre-pandemic influx of 2.5 million pilgrims, it represents a significant step closer to normal after the kingdom restricted the event to a small number of Muslim residents for the past two years.