| WORLD NEWS NST - 1/3/01 |
 Reverence … Ten of thousands of Muslim pilgrims moving around the Kaaba inside the Grand mosque, Islam's holiest shrine, in Mecca. - AP picture. |
Almost 1.3 million pilgrims in Saudi Arabia for Haj |
JEDDAH, Wed. - Close to 1.3 million foreigners have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the annual haj pilgrimage to Islam's holiest sites in Mecca that starts next week, the official news agency SPA reported yesterday.
The Saudi immigration department, quoted by SPA, said a total of 1,273,825 pilgrims had entered the kingdom by Monday night and more arrivals were due later today. An estimated two million Muslims from around the world, including Saudi Arabia, are expected to perform the haj this year. A total of 1.73 million Muslims, including 1.27 million non-Saudis, made the pilgrimage in 2000. The pilgrimage begins in earnest Saturday with an all-night vigil in the Mina valley near Mecca, the cradle of Islam, and the next day the faithful will scale Mount Arafat, 12km away, to stone the devil. On Monday, the last day of the haj and the start of the Al-Adha (sacrifice) feast, the faithful will sacrifice a sheep and they will also stone three pillars symbolising Satan. The stoning will continue for three successive days, with each pilgrim having to throw seven stones against the pillars. According to tradition Satan appeared three times to Abraham, his wife Hajar and their son, Ismael, who took turns stoning him seven times to indicate their contempt of the devil. Saudi King Fahd, who holds the title of "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques" in reference to mosques in Mecca and the holy city of Medina, asked pilgrims on Monday to co-operate with the Saudi authorities during the haj. - AFP 
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