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Scaled down Hajj takes place in Mecca

Hajj - Level 4

The annual Hajj pilgrimage is taking place in the sacred city of Mecca. It is the most important event in the Muslim calendar. It is a mandatory religious duty for adult Muslims, who should attend once in their lifetime. They must be physically and financially capable of going on the journey and must be able to support their family. This year's Hajj has been scaled down because of coronavirus. The pandemic has postponed numerous events.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj is limiting the number of pilgrims allowed into Mecca this year. It wants to avoid any outbreaks and lower the risk of infection. Many countries have cancelled their pilgrimages. This means Mecca will get a tiny fraction of the two million Hajj pilgrims it usually gets. Just a few thousand Saudi Arabian citizens can attend. A twenty-two-time pilgrim said: "There are plenty of other ways to take advantage of this precious spiritual time."

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Hajj - Level 5

The annual Hajj is taking place in the sacred city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The pilgrimage is the most important event in the Muslim calendar. It can last six days and is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims. All adult Muslims should attend Hajj once in their lifetime. They must be physically and financially capable of going on the journey and must be able to support their family during their absence. This year's Hajj has been scaled down because of measures for coronavirus. The pandemic has postponed numerous events. This has caused disappointment for pilgrims.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj announced it was greatly limiting the number of pilgrims allowed to enter the holy site this year. Officials said they wanted to avoid any outbreaks of COVID-19 and lower the risk of infection. Many Muslim-majority countries have cancelled pilgrimages to Mecca. This means Mecca will get a tiny fraction of the two million Hajj pilgrims it usually receives. This year, just a few thousand Saudi Arabian citizens can attend. The news did not upset twenty-two-time pilgrim Wafa Shaheen. She said: "I know there are plenty of ways to take advantage of this precious spiritual time."

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Hajj - Level 6

The annual Hajj is set to take place in the sacred city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The pilgrimage is one of the most important events in the Muslim calendar. It lasts approximately 5 to 6 days and is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims. Hajj must be carried out at least once in the lifetime of all adult Muslims. However, they must be physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey and must be able to support their family during their absence. This year's Hajj has been greatly scaled down because precautionary measures for coronavirus have been put in place. The pandemic has meant the postponement of numerous events, causing considerable disappointment for pilgrims.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced last month that it was severely limiting the number of pilgrims allowed to enter the holy site this year. Officials said the measures were to avoid any further outbreaks of COVID-19 and contain the risks of infection. Many Muslim-majority countries around the world have cancelled pilgrimages to Mecca. The result is that Mecca will see only a tiny fraction of the two million pilgrims it usually receives during Hajj. This year, places will be restricted to a few thousand Saudi Arabian citizens. Twenty-two-time pilgrim Wafa Shaheen said: "I was not upset by the Hajj news this year as I know there are plenty of ways to take advantage of this precious spiritual time."

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson