All Praise to Allah Almighty, the Ummah has been blessed to receive the news/announcement of the lift of ban on Umrah Pilgrimage for Muslims all over the world, and from fourth October onwards, most Muslims, apart from those traveling from certain specified countries shall be able to visit the Holy Land of Mecca and perform Umrah.
Umrah refers to the pilgrimage to Mecca undertaken around the year, by Muslims from across the world. It attracts millions of visitors every year. This is not to be confused with the Hajj pilgrimage, which takes place once a year.
Saudi Arabia held a heavily downsized hajj pilgrimage in July this year, over concerns of the spread of Covid-19 amongst the people. Instead of the more than 2 million hajj visitors, only thousands were able to participate this year sadly.
Thousands instead of millions of pilgrims arrive for Hajj.
Faithful Muslims are obliged to make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lives, as long as they are healthy and of age and “if they find a possibility to do so,” according to the Quran (surah 3, verse 97). The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam.
In past, tens of thousands of faithful have thronged to Mecca. This year, however, crowds were lesser— only 10,000 people were allowed to attend. Participants were chosen in an online process. Their temperature was checked upon arrival in Mecca, and they were quarantined for two weeks.
Quba Trust is a non-profit organisation working mainly in UK and abroad to strengthen humanity in the face of poverty, social injustice and natural disaster. Through the provision of immediate relief and establishment of self sustaining development programmes, we aim to invest in real and effective solutions.
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