Riyadh6 minutes ago
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Haj pilgrimage will begin in Saudi Arabia from today. For this, by Sunday, 14 lakh registered pilgrims have reached Mecca, while millions of people are yet to come. The journey is between the 12th to 12th date of Jill-Hija (4-9 June in 2025) of the 12th month of the Islamic calendar.
Hajj is a spiritual and compulsory religious duty of Muslims. Every Muslim who is physically, financially and mentally capable and healthy, it is mandatory to perform Haj at least once in his life.
Haj is one of the five basic pillars of the religion of Islam. Every year about 25 lakh Muslims from all over the world are involved in this sacred journey. This year, about 1.75 lakh people from India will reach Mecca.
During the Hajj, Muslims revolve around the Kaaba (Betullah) and spend time in the worship of Allah. Hajj is a chance for Muslims to get rid of sins, spiritual purification and come close to Allah.
The history of Haj starts from Prophet Ibrahim
The beginning of Haj is considered from the time of Prophet Ibrahim. It is believed that Ibrahim and his son Ismail built the Kaaba on the orders of Allah.
Prophet Mohammed started the first Islamic Haj in 628 AD. In 632 AD, he established the modern form of Haj, which is still considered Muslims.
A Muslim can perform Haj no matter how many times in his life. However, Saudi Arabia’s Haj Ministry and the governments of many countries have made rules to control the crowd that a person can perform Haj only once in five years.
The 5 -year rule on people living in Saudi Arabia does not apply as strictly, but they too have to take official permission for Haj.
Know the new rules regarding Haj …
The Saudi government has strictly strictly entered the entry and visa rules in Mecca during Haj. This time only the official Haj visas or employee permits will be allowed to enter Mecca. Tourists, business, or other visas will be stopped from entry into Mecca during the Haj season.
- Edge Limit: Children under 12 years of age will not be allowed to perform Haj. This rule is designed to protect children from crowd hazards.
- Single-entry visa: Citizens of 14 countries including India, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia will get a single-entry visa with a validity of only 30 days. This visa will expire after exiting Saudi Arabia.
- Application process: The application for Haj will be completely online. All documents and photos have to be submitted through the Nusuk portal.
- Priority to those who perform Haj first: The Saudi government has announced that priority will be given to those who perform Haj first, so that more and more Muslims get a chance to perform Haj.
- New payment system: Haj package for Saudi citizens can be paid in three installments. The first installment 20% (within 72 hours of booking), and the remaining two installments up to 40% -40% Ramadan and Shawwal.
2.7 lakh people were stopped from entry in maize
Saudi Arabia stopped around 2.7 lakh people trying to enter Mecca before the Haj started. This step has been taken to control the crowd and protect the pilgrims.
Officials said that this action has been taken strictly on those who performed the Haj without permission after the deaths from last year’s heat.
According to the Saudi government, 1,301 pilgrims died in the scorching heat of 51.8 degrees during the Haj last year, mostly people without permits. Those performing Hajj without permission increases the crowd, causing stampede and death at risk.
Punishment for those who perform permission …
Fine: A fine of up to 20,000 riyal (about 5,000 $ 5,000 or 4.2 lakh) for being caught without Haj permits.
Deport: Foreign pilgrims can be evacuated from the country after punishment and an entry in Saudi Arabia for 10 years can be banned.
Other punishment: More than 23,000 Saudi citizens have been fined for breaking the rules, and the licenses of 400 Haj service companies were canceled.
At a press conference in Mecca, Saudi’s Lieutenant General Mohammad al-Omari said- The pilgrim is in our eyes, and the rules that will break will be in our hands.
Saudi government has taken many measures for security
The Saudi government has already taken several steps for the safety of pilgrims, taking lessons from previous accidents.
Use of drones: For the first time this year, drones will be used to monitor, crowd management and extinguish fire.
Health Facilities: More than 50,000 medical services, 71 medical points and 140 surgery facilities have been prepared.
Smart Technology: Transport and stay for pilgrims have been made easier for pilgrims through Nusuk and Arshidani platforms.
Heat prevention: Pilgrims have been advised to use umbrellas, drink enough water and avoid congested places.
10 major accidents occurred during Haj in the last 40 years
- December 1975: A cooking gas cylinder broke into a pilgrim’s tent in Meena, in which more than 200 pilgrims were killed.
- July 1987: More than 400 Iranian pilgrims were killed in a clash between Iranian protesters and Saudi police.
- July 1990: 1400 pilgrims were crushed and killed in the Al-Mussam tunnel near Mecca due to stampede. The accident happened on the day of Eid-ul-Azha.
- May 1994: 270 pilgrims were killed in a stampede near the Jamrat bridge in Meena, where there is a ritual to stone the devil.
- April 1997: 343 pilgrims were killed due to a fire in a tent in Meena’s Haj camp. After this, the Saudi government created the fire -proof permanent tent city.
- April 1998: During the Hajj, 119 Muslim pilgrims were crushed and killed in the stampede.
- February 2004: 251 pilgrims were killed in a stampede during the ritual of stoning the devil near the Jamrat bridge.
- January 2006: More than 360 pilgrims were killed in a stampede while stoning the devil at Meena’s desert ground. A day before the Haj started, 73 people were killed by an eight -storey hostel collapse near the Grand Mosque in Mecca.
- 11 September 2015: A few weeks before Hajj, 111 people were crushed and killed in the world’s largest mosque, Grand Mosque, falling into a crane.
- 24 September 2015: More than 700 pilgrims were killed in a stampede while going from Meena Camp to Jamrat Bridge. The accident occurred a day before Eid-ul-Azha.