At the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) in Mecca, the holiest site in the Islamic world, worshipers can be observed circling the Kaaba and engaging in prayers.
Expressing her gratitude, Amina Shehab, a pilgrim from Morocco, shared, "It's an indescribable feeling, praise be to God. Since 2019, I have desired to perform Hajj, but Corona (COVID-19) came upon us, so we were unable to go. And today, we are here, thanks be to God."
Tayseer Al-Atawneh, a worshiper from Palestine, highlighted the sense of despair and frustration experienced due to consecutive years without the Hajj pilgrimage, resulting in a surge of people when the pilgrimage resumed. This year, around 6,600 individuals from Gaza and the West Bank embarked on their journey to Mecca to partake in the sacred Hajj rituals.
On Sunday evening, Saudi Arabia officially confirmed that the annual Hajj pilgrimage will commence on June 26, with Eid al-Adha following two days later. This announcement followed the sighting of the crescent moon, which marks the beginning of Dhul Hijjah, the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar.
Consequently, Dhul Hijjah will begin on Monday, enabling the determination of the start dates for both the Hajj pilgrimage, which occurs on the eighth day of the month, and Eid al-Adha, which commences on the tenth day.