Muslim performing Hajj Getty Images
By Agency Report
The Saudi Arabia government said it would only allow a limited number of Muslims already resident to perform the Hajj, a major pillar in Islam just as it has banned Muslims from Nigeria and other countries from performing this year’s Hajj.
In a statement on Monday, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said the pilgrimage will take place “this year with a very limited number of those who want to perform the Hajj from all nationalities residing in Saudi Arabia only,’’
The decision aims at ensuring preventive measures and social distancing protocols are observed to limit the spread of COVID-19.
It is also “in accordance with the teachings of Islam in preserving the lives of human beings,’’ the ministry added.
Saudi Arabia said Tuesday it will allow a drastically scaled-back hajj pilgrimage for around 1,000 pilgrims already present in the kingdom, as it battles a coronavirus surge.
The decision to exclude pilgrims arriving from outside Saudi Arabia, a first in the kingdom’s modern history, sparked disappointment among Muslims worldwide even as many accepted it was necessary due to the health risks involved.
The reduced number is a far cry from the 2.5 million who attended the five-day ritual last year, and it remains unclear what the selection process will be for this year’s hajj, scheduled for the end of July.
“The number of pilgrims will be around 1,000, maybe less, maybe a little more,” Hajj Minister Mohammad Benten told reporters in Riyadh.
“The number won’t be in tens or hundreds of thousands” this year, he added.
The pilgrimage will be limited this year to those below 65 years of age and with no chronic illnesses, Health Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah said.
The pilgrims will be tested for coronavirus before arriving in the holy city of Mecca and required to quarantine at home after the ritual, Rabiah added.
The hajj — a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime — could be a major source of contagion, as it packs millions of pilgrims into congested religious sites.
The decision comes as Saudi Arabia grapples with a major spike in infections, which have now risen to more than 164,000 cases — the highest in the Gulf — with nearly 1,350 deaths.
Over 2.5 million people perform the annual pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca every year, including many travelling from abroad.
One of the five pillars of Islam, the Hajj is a mandatory duty for all Muslims to make at least once in their lifetime if they have the financial and physical means to do so.
It usually takes place over five days, from the eighth to the 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
Since late February, the kingdom, the birthplace of Islam, has suspended the Umrah (minor pilgrimage) to Mecca due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Gulf monarchy has the Arab world’s largest number of coronavirus infections with more than 160,000 cases, including 1,307 deaths.
On Sunday, authorities lifted a nationwide curfew that was imposed to contain the spread of the virus, allowing gatherings up to 50 people.
However, international flights to and from Saudi Arabia remain suspended.
