Hajj 2026 LIVE: Muslims undertake annual pilgrimage to Mecca ahead of Day of Arafah | World | News

Ihram: Before setting out, pilgrims enter a state of spiritual purity called ihram. Men wear two simple, unstitched pieces of white cloth, and women wear modest, identical clothes to eliminate signs of wealth and status, symbolizing complete equality before God.

Tawaf: Pilgrims circle the Kaaba, the black cube-shaped structure at the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, seven times counterclockwise.

Sa’i: Pilgrims walk back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwa to honor Hagar’s desperate search for water for her son Ishmael.

Arafat Day: It is considered the spiritual pinnacle of the Hajj. Pilgrims spend the day on the plains of Mount Arafat to pray, reflect, and ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Stoning the Devil: Pilgrims throw the pebbles they collected in Muzdalifah onto the three pillars in Mina. This ritual, Hz. It commemorates Abraham’s faith and symbolizes opposition to sin and evil.

Eid al-Adha and Sacrifice: After the stoning, pilgrims perform an animal sacrifice (or purchase a sacrifice voucher) to commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son and distribute his flesh to the poor.

Last Tawaf: Pilgrims take a final farewell walk around the Kaaba before completing the pilgrimage.