Hajj
In its 10th year, the game ‘Pilgrims at Home’ takes on new meaning for Muslim women
By Aysha Khan — July 30, 2020
(RNS) — From Houston to Nigeria, over 300 teams of Muslim women are participating in this year’s game, hoping to ‘find hajj at home.’
As an isolated hajj begins, Abraham’s trust in God is ours
By Omar Suleiman — July 29, 2020
(RNS) — This year’s disappointments may mean that Muslims will connect in a unique way this year to Abraham’s story as we celebrate Eid al-Adha.
Islamic holiday Eid comes as families grieve virus victims
By Mariam Fam — July 29, 2020
(AP) — Marwa Conelly was looking forward to the upcoming Islamic Eid al-Adha holiday this year — then she lost her father to the coronavirus, and less than 24 hours later her mother.
Pilgrims arrive in Mecca for downsized hajj amid pandemic
By Aya Batrawy — July 28, 2020
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Muslim pilgrims have started arriving in Mecca for a drastically scaled-down hajj, as Saudi authorities balance the kingdom’s oversight of one of Islam’s key pillars and the safety of visitors.
‘I have to find the Mecca of my heart’: Muslims grieve as hajj is drastically limited
By Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil — June 26, 2020
(RNS) — For many American converts, hajj is more than the fulfillment of a sacred ritual: It’s the first chance to experience a completely Muslim environment.
Saudi Arabia to hold ‘very limited’ hajj due to virus
By Associated Press — June 22, 2020
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The kingdom said that only people of various nationalities already residing in the country would be allowed to perform the hajj.
Digital pilgrimages allow the faithful to travel the world from their couches
By Emily McFarlan Miller — April 29, 2020
(RNS) — From hashtagged photos posted on Instagram to immersive apps, digital pilgrimages are making spiritual journeys possible for the faithful, even as they stay home.
Saudi official urges Muslims to delay hajj plans over virus
By Aya Batrawy and Jon Gambrell — April 1, 2020
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A rare quiet has already fallen over the Grand Mosque of Mecca, which normally draws thousands of worshippers throughout the day and night, circling it and praying toward it.
Everything in Mecca gets 5 stars online
By Elif Izberk-Bilgin and Tom van Laer — August 7, 2019
(The Conversation) — Mecca’s sites average 4.96 TripAdvisor stars out of 5, while Europe’s 200 best-rated tourist destinations average 3.96 stars.
Khashoggi’s death is just one reason to boycott hajj. Every Muslim has reasons not to.
By Dilshad Ali — November 13, 2018
(RNS) — Some American Muslims are saying it's time to send a message to Saudi Arabia by boycotting the pilgrimage to Mecca. Why it's important to keep hajj a personal, not a political decision.
Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha as pilgrims conduct hajj rites
By Associated Press — August 21, 2018
MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslims are celebrating Eid al-Adha as over 2 million pilgrims carry out the final rites of the hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Muslim pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat for hajj’s pinnacle
By Omar Akour — August 20, 2018
MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Some 2 million Muslim pilgrims gathered on Monday in the valley of Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia for a day of prayer that marks the pinnacle of the annual hajj.
Saudi Arabia prepares for the annual Muslim hajj pilgrimage
By Yonat Shimron — August 18, 2018
MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Over 2 million Muslims from abroad and inside the kingdom will be taking part in this year's hajj.
What is the Hajj?
By Ken Chitwood — August 17, 2018
(The Conversation) — Nearly 2 million Muslim pilgrims are gathering in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for all Muslims who are able to undertake the five-day pilgrimage.
A down payment on making hajj easier for Muslim women
By Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil — August 11, 2018
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — A new group founded a year ago is helping Muslim women make the pilgrimage to Mecca by providing money, advice and even rewriting the narrative about women and hajj.
