Clarion India
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has announced that due to the coronavirus pandemic, only a “very limited number” of people will be allowed to take part in this year’s Haj pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah.
The decision comes after weeks of speculation over whether Saudi Arabia would cancel the pilgrimage altogether or allow the Haj to be held in symbolic numbers.
The haj is one of the biggest gatherings on earth, with pilgrims staying in close confines and walking and praying shoulder-to-shoulder.
“In light of the persistence of this pandemic, the severity of the outbreak of infection by gatherings… It was decided to establish a pilgrimage this year 2020 with very limited numbers for those of different nationalities within the Kingdom,” the Saudi Ministry of Haj said in a statement on Monday.
The Ministry of Haj said only people of various nationalities already residing in the country would be allowed to perform the large pilgrimage, which is set to begin this year at the end of July.
Authorities said their aim was making the “ritual safe” and “complying with preventive measures and social distancing”, given the lack of a vaccine.
Limiting the number of pilgrims making the journey to Makkah in late July is in harmony with the imperative in Islamic Law to “preserve the human soul”.
A Saudi official said on Tuesday that the haj pilgrimage, which usually draws up to 2.5 million Muslims from all over the world, will only see at the most a few thousand pilgrims due to concerns over the spread of the Coronavirus, reports AP.
Saudi Arabia reported a total of 161,005 COVID-19 cases, while the death toll reportedly stands at 1,307.
Muslim-majority nations, notably Malaysia, had been calling on the Saudi government to clarify its position on the Haj.
Until now, Riyadh’s only public statement on the matter was a statement in March urging Muslims abroad to delay making reservations for the journey to Mecca.
Some 1,500 mosques in Makkah reopened on Sunday after being closed for three months and worshippers are required to wear masks while offering prayers.
(With agency inputs)