Millions barred from 2020 hajj pilgrimage to Mecca due to pandemic
The hajj is one of the world’s greatest yearly gatherings, but coronavirus isn’t the first disruption this event has seen over the centuries.
One of the largest annual gatherings on Earth, the pilgrimage, or hajj, to Mecca, will be off-limits to most the world’s Muslims this year due to the threat of the coronavirus pandemic. After weeks of speculation—and just before the official pilgrimage is scheduled to begin in late July—Saudi Arabia announced that it will not cancel the hajj but rather severely limit attendance to the sacred gathering only to some Muslims currently residing in the country.
In normal years, more than 2 million of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims travel to Mecca to perform the hajj, which is considered the fifth and final Pillar of Islam. Every Muslim adult who is financially and physically capable must complete at least one
