The Saudi government is using digital technology to help the hajj run smoothly and safely – the latest updates in a 200-year history of technology and the hajj.
A variety of cultural performances evoking intense emotions occur during the Islamic month of Muharram. A scholar observed the processions on Ashoura in northern Tanzania.
Muslim pilgrims circle round the Kaaba in Mecca in 2019. The numbers will be dramatically reduced in 2020.
EPA
Millions of Muslims will convene in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Aug. 9. The annual five-day pilgrimage, known as the hajj, is required of all Muslims who can physically and financially make the journey.
Women pray at a mosque during the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan on May 6 in Bali, Indonesia.
AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati
Each year, Muslims from all over the world go on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, known as hajj. A scholar explains its spiritual significance.
Senior Research Fellow, Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at IUPUI and Journalist-fellow, USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern California