Hajj
Umrah diary: Prayers, grief and joy in Mecca
By Dilshad Ali — February 21, 2024
(RNS) — I was disappointed to not experience my children’s reaction to seeing the Kaaba for the first time, but made my peace.
Technology remains at the heart of the hajj
By Andrea Stanton — July 5, 2023
(The Conversation) — The Saudi government is using digital technology to help the hajj run smoothly and safely – the latest updates in a 200-year history of technology and the hajj.
Muslims at Hajj brave intense heat to cast stones at pillars representing the devil
By Riazat Butt — June 29, 2023
MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Temperatures soared past 45 degrees Celsius (113 F) on Tuesday, as Muslims marked the spiritual high point of the pilgrimage by spending the day praying at Mount Arafat, where there was no breeze and almost no shade.
Saudi Arabia’s new Hajj booking process has left many foreign pilgrims frustrated
By Fiona André — June 27, 2023
(RNS) — After postponing their trip for three years, many American Muslims expected a return to normalcy for this year’s Hajj, but a new online platform intended to streamline the process has instead brought complications.
Hajj pilgrims perform final rituals in Mecca before heading to Mina
By Riazat Butt — June 26, 2023
MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia has restored full pilgrim capacity for this year’s Hajj, following three years of dramatically reduced numbers due to the pandemic, with more than 2 million Muslims expected to take part
Ambitious Saudi plans to ramp up Hajj could face challenges from climate change
By Riazat Butt — June 23, 2023
MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — The increased number of pilgrims, with the associated surge in international air travel and infrastructure expansion, also raises sustainability concerns, even as the oil giant pursues the goal of getting half its energy from renewable resources by 2030.
From caravans to markets, the hajj pilgrimage has always included a commercial component
By Noorzehra Zaidi — July 12, 2022
(The Conversation) — The start of the hajj is reigniting debates around its commercialization, but pilgrimages are also a time for seeking business opportunities, writes a scholar of Islam.
Muslim pilgrims pray at Mount Arafat as hajj reaches apex
By Amr Nabil — July 8, 2022
MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — The pilgrims set out for Arafat before dawn, chanting. They remain there until nightfall in deep contemplation and worship.
A hajj closer to normal: 1 million Muslims begin pilgrimage
By Isabel Debre and Amr Nabil — July 7, 2022
MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — 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.
Pilgrimage to Mecca is never easy. Saudi Arabia just made it a lot harder.
By Dilshad Ali — June 17, 2022
(RNS) — Less than a month before the pilgrimage to Mecca was to begin, the Saudis changed the rules.
As COVID-19 shutdown lifts, Mecca’s pilgrims bring Islam’s holiest city back to life
By Rabiya Jaffery — April 19, 2022
MECCA, Saudi Arabia (RNS) — Pandemic closures played havoc with the livelihoods of traders who depended on the pilgrims.
From hajj to Italian Jews: Egypt’s national dish has a mixed heritage
By Joseph Hammond — September 27, 2021
(RNS) — Unlike the national dish of other nations, the origins of Koshari are much disputed, and it may have come to Egypt by way of religious minorities.
With pandemic in mind, pared-back hajj in Mecca for 2nd year
By Aya Batrawy and Amr Nabil — July 19, 2021
MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Tens of thousands of vaccinated Muslim pilgrims circled Islam's holiest site in Mecca on Sunday.
Malcolm X assassin’s deathbed letter the latest in new look at Muslim leader
By Joseph Hammond — February 26, 2021
(RNS) — New leads in Malcolm X's assassination appear just as popular culture and Muslims themselves assess his impact.
COVID hajj restrictions leave streets of Mecca empty, pilgrimage businesses in trouble
By Rabiya Jaffery — July 31, 2020
MECCA, Saudi Arabia (RNS) — As much as a quarter of the economy around Mecca relies on tourism and pilgrimages. Pandemic restrictions — which cut hajj pilgrims from millions to thousands — mean lost income for local businesses and residents.
Page 1 of 4
