MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th July, 2020) The Hajj, the most important annual Islamic pilgrimage, started on Wednesday in Saudia Arabia's Mecca, and Muslims from abroad have been barred from attending it for the first time in history due to coronavirus-related restrictions which limit the number of pilgrims to 1,000, as announced by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
The week-long ritual is a mandatory religious duty for practicing Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime, and concessions are allowed only for those who are incapable of making the journey due to health or financial reasons.
The pilgrimage is one of the five main pillars of islam, together with the shahada, � the Muslim declaration of faith, � prayers, making donations, � also known as zakat, � and fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.
Muslims across the world save up for decades for a chance to participate in the Hajj which symbolizes the story of the Prophet Ibrahim, known as Abraham in Christianity and Judaism. According to Islam, Ibrahim built the Kaaba, believed to be God's home on Earth and now located at the center of the Mecca-based Masjid al-Haram mosque, and was willing to sacrifice his own son on God's command.
COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS DURING HAJJ
Saudi Arabian health authorities have introduced various restrictions for the pilgrims, in coordination with the religious leaders, the Hajj ministry has said.
"We are keen to keep Hajj pilgrims safe. We conducted exceptional plans to implement #Hajj2020 rituals in coordination with the Ministry of Health, starting with quarantining pilgrims before and after Hajj," the ministry said several days before the Hajj started.
Usually, over two million Muslims travel to Saudi Arabia during the Hajj, with most arriving from Pakistan, Indonesia, India, Malaysia and Turkey. The ministry specified that 1,000 pilgrims will represent 160 different nationalities residing in Saudi Arabia, adding that 70 percent of worshippers were chosen randomly via electronic applications, while 30 percent of people on the Hajj would be made up of doctors and law enforcement officers who already recovered from COVID-19.
In 2019, some 2.5 million international travelers arrived in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj.
QUARANTINE FOR PILGRIMS, OTHER RESTRICTIONS
The Hajj ministry has said that the Saudi authorities have taken all precautions to eliminate health risks during the pilgrimage.
In addition to a week-long quarantine for pilgrims before the start of the Hajj, worshippers will also have to spend another week in isolation after August 2, when the ritual will be over.
The authorities will also carefully monitor if pilgrims adhere to social distancing measures, while stones, used during the ritual "stoning of the devil" when pilgrims throw stones at three walls, will be disinfected.
The pilgrims will also not be allowed to kiss or touch the Kaaba for the first time ever. Moreover, all worshippers will have to wear face masks during a salat al-jama'ah, a congregational prayer, when Muslims pray while standing in rows behind an imam.
In addition, Saudi Health Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah said that people over the age of 65 or with underlying chronic illnesses would be not allowed to perform the Hajj. In addition, all pilgrims will be tested for COVID-19 before arriving in Mecca.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom also announced fines of up to 10,000 Saudi rials ($3,000) for people, unregistered for the Hajj, who would try to illegally enter holy sites in Mecca during the pilgrimage. The amount of the fine will double if the violation will be repeated.
The country also limited transport movement around the holy sites and established additional security checkpoints to maintain security during the ritual.
Hajj has been canceled several times throughout history due to epidemics or wars, but this is the first time when foreign visitors have been banned since the establishment of the Saudi Arabian Kingdom in 1932.
Before Riyadh announced the decision, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Senegal have already barred their citizens from visiting Saudi Arabia during this year's Hajj due to the ongoing health crisis.
Meanwhile, Pakistan said that only diplomats would represent the country during the 2020 Hajj, while Indian authorities announced a refund for almost 20,000 people who applied to go on the pilgrimage.
