Haj pilgrimage to begin on June 4, says Saudi state media
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Afghan haj pilgrims boarding a plane to Saudi Arabia, at Kandahar airport on May 12.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
RIYADH – Saudi Arabia announced on May 27 that the annual Muslim haj pilgrimage to Mecca would begin on June 4 after astronomical observatories spotted the crescent moon, marking the start of the lunar month.
The date was announced by the Supreme Court in a statement carried by the official Saudi press agency.
At a press conference on May 26, Mr Tawfiq al-Rabiah, Saudi Arabia’s haj minister, said that just over a million pilgrims from across the world had already arrived in the country. In 2024, 1.8 million Muslims took part in the haj, according to official figures.
The haj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken at least once by all Muslims who are able to. The date of the pilgrimage is governed by the Islamic lunar calendar, meaning that it shifts each year. In recent years, it has taken place during Saudi Arabia’s scorching summer months.
In 2024, temperatures peaked at 51.8 deg C and more than 1,300 people died
Worshippers take part in four days of ceremonies, with the high point coming on the second day with mass outdoor prayers on Mount Arafat, the hill where Prophet Muhammad is believed to have given his last sermon.
This year, the event will fall on June 5, while Eid al-Adha will fall on the following day, the Saudi press agency said. The festival, also known as Hari Raya Haji, falls on June 7 in Singapore. AFP
