President Sheikh Mohamed on Friday sent a message of congratulations to Saudi Arabia's King Salman on the success of Hajj.
Sheikh Mohamed praised King Salman, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and his government for ensuring pilgrims were able to perform their rituals in “tranquility and safety”, state news agency Wam reported.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, also sent messages of congratulations to King Salman.
More than 1.8 million worshippers have taken part in the spiritual journey to Makkah this year – the largest number since the Covid-19 pandemic.
All Muslims able to do so are required to make the Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in their lifetime. Hajj and the other four pillars of Islam form a foundation of life for Muslims.
The annual pilgrimage to the holiest city in Islam takes place during Dhu Al Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar.
The ritual translates as “to attend a journey”, and denotes both the outward act of physically travelling and the inward act of a person's contemplation of their faith.
Hajj 2023 - in pictures
-
The Grand Mosque seen from the Clock Tower in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, during the Hajj pilgrimage. AP -
Pilgrims pray in front of the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AP -
Pilgrims in the Grand Mosque. Photo: Hajj Ministry -
Pilgrims praying in Mina, near Makkah. AFP -
The Grand Mosque in Makkah with its clock tower and the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site, in the centre. AFP -
Pilgrims crowd Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat, also known as the Mount of Mercy, during the Hajj pilgrimage. AFP -
Tents housing pilgrims in Mina for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. SPA -
Pilgrims on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat during the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage. SPA -
Pilgrims pray on the Mount of Mercy on the plain of Arafat. Reuters -
Pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba in Makkah. Reuters -
Doves and pilgrims outside the Grand Mosque in Makkah. Reuters -
Saudi security forces parade in Makkah as Muslim pilgrims from around the world arrive for the Hajj. AFP -
Buses used to transport pilgrims at a station in Makkah during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. SPA -
A pilgrim holds an umbrella as his wife prays, before they cast stones at a pillar in the symbolic stoning of the devil, in Mina, south-east of the holy city of Makkah, during the Hajj. AP
