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Some 2.5 million Muslims begin the Hajj on Friday.
For pilgrims, this is the trip of a lifetime. Very expensive, to the tune of several thousand euros per person, the great pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, brings together an exponential number of faithful Muslims. This year, they are 2.5 million to go to the Saudi city. One of the five pillars of Islam Every Muslim must perform the hajj (or hajj depending on the spelling) at least once in his life if he can afford it. This pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, that is, the obligations to which Muslims must comply. The Hajj period, which lasts for five days, takes place in the twelfth month of the Muslim calendar. It advances each year by about ten days compared to the Gregorian calendar. This great pilgrimage should not be confused with the “omra”, a small pilgrimage that can be done throughout the year. If this trip takes place in Mecca, it is not without reason. It is the most sacred place of Islam - forbidden to access to non-Muslims - because it is on the outskirts of the city, on Mount Hira, that the prophet Mohammed received his first revelations, around 610 . The believer must go there with a clear conscience, freeing his mind from superfluous thoughts. The purification is also physical: once arrived at the sacred place, the pilgrims shed all the signs of the material world and put on a seamless white tunic. A very codified pilgrimage The pilgrimage to Mecca includes very codified rites. The best-known image is that of pilgrims circling around the Kaaba seven times, the black cubic structure at the center of al-Harâm Mosque, the sacred mosque. This rite, called circumambulation, is the first of the many stages of the pilgrimage. The pilgrims then travel the 400 meters which separate the Safâ and Marwa rocks, before leaving Mecca and joining the plain of Arafat to pray at the foot of the Mount of Mercy. After sunset, they set off again on the way to Mecca and stop at Mouzdalifa, where they collect 49 stones for the next rite. A million animals sacrificed for Eid el-Kebir: The day of Eid el-Kebir (the "great feast") arrives, which falls this Sunday this year. The pilgrims stop in the town of Mîna, where stand three large stelae symbolizing the Devil, which they stone with stones collected the day before. Then animals are sacrificed: this year, more than a million must be killed. Back in Mecca, the pilgrims make a new procession around the Kaaba, then they return to Mîna to stone the stelae with seven stones per day. Finally, the last stage is again in Mecca, for a third and final circumambulation around the Kaaba and a last trip between the Safâ and Marwa rocks. Saudi Arabia's second largest source of income after oil Some Muslims save years to be able to make the great pilgrimage. Administrative procedures for the "Hajj" visa, transport, accommodation ... The price varies between 5,000 and 7,000 euros per person. Despite this cost, there are still more pilgrims. They are 2.5 million this year, compared to 1.86 million in 2016, making the hajj the second largest source of revenue for Saudi Arabia after oil. Faced with this influx of believers, the country has set up authorization quotas that differ from country to country. Those for India and Pakistan have been revised upwards to 200,000 for the 2019 hajj. The updated figures for the other countries affected by these quotas, including France, have not been communicated to us. In 2017, the hexagonal quota was set at 22,000 people. This important attendance is not without risk for the safety of the pilgrims. In 2015, more than 2,000 people were killed in a stampede in Mîna, where the stelae is stoned. This year, tens of thousands of law enforcement personnel are mobilized to avoid such a tragedy. The pilgrimage can also be difficult because of the heat, especially for the elderly. According to AFP figures, some 350,000 air-conditioned tents have been set up to accommodate the pilgrims, while the outside temperature reached 40 degrees on Friday. Travel to Haram : Travel To Haram is a brand name of Polani Travel Ltd, having direct accreditation from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia and ground arrangements in the Kingdom, ATOL & IATA accreditation, Travel to Haram excels in facilitating smooth and convenient Islamic tours to the Land of the Prophets. We are one of the leading names in UK for providing 5 star Hajj Packages and 5 star Umrah Packages, 4 star Hajj and 3 star economy Hajj packages at the most lowest prices. If you are looking for hajj packages 2022 Travel to Haram offers the carefully designed Cheap Hajj Packages 2022 and Umrah Packages 2021 for the pilgrims departing from the United Kingdom. Being a trusted travel agency over 40 years of experience, Travel to Haram proudly commits to provide an exceptional and enriching travelling experience for the most spiritual enchantment “Hajj” & “Umrah“. We pride ourselves in offering cost effective accommodation in the close proximity from Harams in Makkah and from Masjid-e- Nabvi in Madinah depending upon your choices of budgets and needs. Being a trusted and reliable source of Umrah Packages, we take the responsibility of all the arrangements and administrative tasks on our shoulders without any hesitation. You can now visit the most holiest Places in the world’s beautiful cities “Makkah” & “Madinah” with utmost peace of mind.
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