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Limited Hajj is an opportunity for Muslims to show solidarity at a time of hardship

SHAFAQNA| by Leila Yazdani: In normal years, more than 2 million of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims travel to Mecca to perform the Hajj, But with the coronavirus outbreak, Hajj will be severely restricted with only a ‘small and very limited’ number of Muslim making the journey.

Some 2.5 million pilgrims from around the world flock annually to the cities of Mecca and Medina for the week-long rituals. But, within the age of coronavirus managing crowds is normally a challenge during the pilgrimage. So, over the five days prescribed in the Islamic lunar calendar – which fall between July 28 and August 2 in 2020 – at most 10,000 Saudis and nationals from other countries resident in Saudi Arabia will perform the rituals. They must follow physical and social distancing protocols.

The decision to curtail the pilgrimage was aimed at preserving global public health because of the risks associated with large gatherings. This is the first time in Saudi Arabia’s nearly 90-year history that foreign visitors have been barred from performing Hajj, Aljazeera told.

Hajj is seen as a time of self-renewal and symbolizes equality, bringing people together of all races and social statuses for a series or rituals taking place over five or six days. The hajj, both physically and spiritually demanding, is intended to bring about greater humility and unity among Muslims. The communal feeling of more than 2.5 million people from around the world. Shia, Sunni and other Muslims praying together, eating together and repenting together has long been part of what makes Hajj both a challenging and rewarding experience like none other.

But rather than standing and praying shoulder-to-shoulder in a sea of people from different walks of life, pilgrims this year are social distancing standing apart and moving in small groups of 20 to limit exposure and the potential transmission of the coronavirus. Moreover, this year, pilgrims are eating prepackaged meals alone in their hotel rooms and praying at a distance from one another. While the experience will be starkly different, it remains an opportunity for pilgrims to wipe clean past sins, deepen their faith and fulfill one of Islam’s five pillars.

The pilgrimage is a journey that Muslims traditionally experience with relatives. In past years, it was common to see men pushing their elderly parents around on wheelchairs in order to help them complete the hajj, and parents carrying children on their backs. But, this yea, no one over the age of 65 will be allowed to take part.

Furthermore, Pilgrims will be restricted from touching the Kaaba during the Hajj in view of the ongoing pandemic and, they will only be able to drink the water from the Zamzam well in packaged in plastic bottles. Pebbles for casting away evil that are usually picked up by pilgrims along hajj routes will be sterilised and bagged ahead of time. Pilgrims have also been given their own prayer rugs and special attire to wear during the hajj laced with silver nano technology that Saudi authorities say helps kill bacteria and makes clothes water resistant, Financial Express mentioned.

This extraordinary Hajj season, and the limited Eid gatherings that will follow, are an opportunity for Muslims to show solidarity with those less fortunate at a time of hardship. They also offer a chance for Muslim all to seek to help one another more actively. It’s certainly not the first the hajj has been interrupted: Since the first official Hajj was led by the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) in A.D. 632, the pilgrimage has been subjected to “wars, famines, diseases, and political interruptions.

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