Over 1.5 million pilgrims descend on Mina, marking official beginning of Hajj

MINA — More than 1.5 million pilgrims descended on the tent city of Mina on Monday, the Day of Tarwiyah, marking the beginning of the annual pilgrimage of Hajj. Chanting “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik” (“Here I am, O God, here I am answering your call”), pilgrims, who came from all around the world, began flocking to Mina in the state of Ihram, since the early hours of Monday, Dhul Hijjah 8. They will spend the Day of Tarwiyah immersed in supplications to God in the tent city for their forgiveness and salvation. The 5-6 day Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.The Mina holy site is located between Makkah and Muzdalifah, seven kilometers northeast of the Grand Mosque. It is surrounded by mountains on its northern and southern sides and is inhabited only during the Hajj season. Saudi Arabia has mobilized all security, medical, catering, and transportation services to ensure pilgrims perform their rituals in ease and comfort. Retracing the noble tradition of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the pilgrims will spend throughout the day and night on the Tarwiyah Day, in Mina. On the first day of Hajj rituals, they will engage in supplications and make final preparations for the Standing (wuqoof) at Arafat, the most important pillar of Hajj, marking the pinnacle of the annual pilgrimage, on Tuesday.All pilgrims would remain in Mina until sunrise on Tuesday, Dhul Hijjah 9 before heading to the vast plains of Arafat to perform the ritual of standing at Arafat. The pilgrims are recommended to perform the Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr prayers in Mina, shortening the four-unit prayers without combining them.As the night wore on Sunday, all roads and highways leading into the vast plains of Mina, located seven km northeast of the Grand Mosque, were filled with pilgrims, who made their way by vehicles or by foot to the holy site where they will camp in one of the largest tent cities in the world on Monday. The chanting of talbiyah reverberated the entire valley of Mina and roads and streets leading to the tent city as pilgrims streamed to the valley, praising and glorifying God, in an atmosphere of spirituality and faith. Hundreds of thousands of domestic pilgrims joined more than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims in performing Hajj this year. Those pilgrims who arrived in Makkah on Sunday performed Tawaf Al-Qudum (Tawaf of Arrival), one of the obligatory rituals of Hajj, before heading for the vast sprawling tent city of Mina. The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced on Sunday that all field and operational preparations for transporting pilgrims to the tent city of Mina have been completed. The ministry has implemented an integrated system dedicated to organizing the movement of pilgrims to their camps and monitoring the quality of services provided at the holy sites, in coordination with various relevant authorities. The ministry’s efforts include overseeing the movement of pilgrims from their accommodations and hospitality centers to Mina, ensuring smooth access to the camps, providing guidance and awareness services, and assisting pilgrims in reaching their designated locations in accordance with the approved operational plans for the 2026 Hajj season. In coordination with the relevant authorities, the ministry has also completed the operational readiness of accommodation, catering, and transportation services within Mina, while enhancing field monitoring measures to promptly identify and address any issues. These efforts contribute to improving the quality of services during the initial stages of pilgrims’ stay at the holy sites.