More than 2M Muslims begin annual hajj in Saudi Arabia

Associated Press

MECCA, Saudi Arabia

More than 2 million Muslims on Tuesday started the first rites of the annual hajj in Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s largest pilgrimages that draws the faithful to the holy city of Mecca for rituals and prayers to erase their sins.

Newly arrived pilgrims circled the Kaaba, the black cubic structure in Mecca’s Grand Mosque. In a sign of humility and equality before God, the pilgrims shed symbols of materialism, entering a state of “ihram.” Women forgo makeup and perfume and wear loose-fitting clothing and a head covering, while men are dressed in seamless, white terry cloth garments.

Islam requires all able-bodied Muslims to perform the hajj at least once. The pilgrimage is among the five main pillars of Islam, which also include belief in the oneness of God and the Prophet Muhammad as his final messenger, five daily prayers facing toward the Kaaba, annual charity and fasting during the month of Ramadan.

For Muslims, the hajj traces the paths of the Prophets Abraham, Ishmael and Muhammad. Pilgrims start in Mecca before heading to the nearby tent city of Mina, 3 miles away.