MECCA — Nearly 2 million Muslims are preparing to begin the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca on May 25, 2026, following the sighting of the crescent moon in Saudi Arabia. The pilgrimage will run through May 27.
The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and the largest annual gathering of Muslims from around the world. It is obligatory once in a lifetime for all adult Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake the journey. The word comes from the Arabic root "h-j-j," meaning "intending a journey" or "to set out for a definitive purpose."
The pilgrimage is performed between the 8th and 12th, or 13th, of Dhul-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar. Its timing falls roughly 70 days after the end of Ramadan, though the date varies with the lunar cycle. Because the Islamic calendar follows a lunar cycle with months lasting 29 or 30 days, the Hajj shifts 10 to 12 days earlier each year in the Gregorian calendar.
Muslims believe the Hajj is a direct commandment from God as outlined in the Quran, where it is mentioned nearly a dozen times. Prophet Muhammad's farewell pilgrimage in 632 AD affirmed the steps of the Hajj in the 10th year of the Islamic calendar.
Before entering Mecca, pilgrims enter a sacred state known as ihram, during which men change into two white garments and women wear modest attire. After arriving, pilgrims circle the Kaaba seven times counterclockwise. The Kaaba is a cubic building at the Masjid al-Haram that serves as the qibla, the direction Muslims face during prayer. Pilgrims then perform the sa'i, walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah, retracing Hagar's search for water for her son Ishmael before the Zamzam well emerged. The well has supplied water in the arid desert for more than 4,000 years.
Pilgrims then proceed to Mina, about 8 kilometers east of the Kaaba, where they spend the night in prayer and reflection. Mina is known as the city of tents due to the vast expanse of 100,000 white tents housing millions of pilgrims.
On the second day, pilgrims arrive early at the plains of Mount Arafat, about 15 kilometers from Mina, and spend the afternoon in wuquf from midday to sunset praying and repenting. Arafat symbolizes a preview of the Day of Judgment, and Muslims worldwide are encouraged to fast on the day of Arafat. After sunset, pilgrims travel to Muzdalifah, about 9 kilometers away, perform maghrib and isha prayers, and collect pebbles for the next day's ritual.
The first day of Eid al-Adha coincides with the third day of Hajj rituals, when pilgrims walk back to Mina to begin the stoning ritual, throwing seven pebbles at the largest of three stone pillars to symbolize the rejection of Satan's temptations. Pilgrims or their agents offer an animal sacrifice in remembrance of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. Men then shave or trim their heads and women cut a small portion of their hair to symbolize spiritual renewal. Pilgrims return to Mecca to perform the main tawaf and sa'i again. On the fourth and fifth days, pilgrims return to Mina and perform the stoning ritual at all three stone pillars each day.