Today 2.5 million Muslim pilgrims are expected to gather in the Saudi city of Mecca to perform the initial rites of the annual haj or holy pilgrimage. Security forces have set up seven road blocks around the city to prevent the entry of those not holding haj permits. Thousands have already been turned back.
More than 1.5 million hajis have arrived from abroad. Their numbers are swelled by 0.5-1 million Saudis and foreign residents of the kingdom. Amongst the latecomers were 11,000 Afghans flown in by Saudi, Emirate, Indian, Pakistani and British planes because Afghanistan's fleet was destroyed during the bombing campaign.
The majority of the 15,000 Afghan pilgrims are guests of King Fahd and the government.
Amongst the pilgrims are 200,000 Indonesians, 130,000 Pakistanis, 116,000 Indians, 103,000 Turks, 91,000 Iranians and 88,000 Egyptians. Each country is granted a quota of "haj visas" based on the size of its population.
Dressed in simple white clothing, the pilgrims will convey their respects to the city of Mecca by circumambulating the Kaaba, the cube-shaped building regarded as the "House of God". It is located at the centre of the grand mosque. They will then journey eastwards though a 20-km long valley on foot or by bus or car. Their first stop is at the tent city at Mina where they will spend the night in contemplation and prayer.
At dawn on Thursday they will move en masse to another vast tent city on the Plain of Arafat for the central observance of the pilgrimage, the "Standing". This simple rite recalls the throng which stood to hear the last sermon delivered by the Prophet Mohommed.
Pilgrims will also climb the low hill called the "Mount of Mercy" where he stood. They believe they leave Arafat forgiven their past sins.
A cannon at sunset tomorrow will shift the entire congregation to the plain of Muzdalifa where pilgrims will sleep the night in the open and gather pebbles. These are for the stoning over the next three days of three masonry pillars in a ritual symbolising the repudia- tion of temptation.
On Friday, the pilgrims will begin the stoning and celebrate the feast of sacrifice, commemorating the Patriarch Abraham's willingness to kill his son at God's command.
While religious festivals in the Indian subcontinent may attract greater numbers of people, the haj is unique in that it brings together Muslims from 70 countries in an essentially egalitarian community where all Muslims are brothers and sisters.
