Over 1.6 million pilgrims perform the Hajj each year
Once-in-a-lifetime for every able Muslim, the Hajj draws millions to Mecca to circle the Kaaba seven times.
The Hajj is the fifth of the Five Pillars of Islam, an obligation every adult Muslim who is physically and financially able must fulfil at least once in a lifetime. It unfolds over several days in Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic lunar year.
At its heart is the Kaaba, the cube-shaped shrine in Mecca’s Grand Mosque, around which pilgrims walk seven times in a circuit called the tawaf. The rites also include standing at Mount Arafat and a symbolic stoning at Mina.
The scale is staggering. Saudi Arabia’s official statistics authority counted 1,673,230 pilgrims in 2025, of whom 1,506,576 arrived from outside the kingdom. Because the lunar calendar drifts earlier each year, the Hajj migrates through the seasons.
The Hajj serves as a unifying force in Islam, bringing followers of diverse backgrounds together.
Sources & references
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