Makkah - Saba:
Pilgrims began heading to Mina at dawn on Wednesday to perform the first stage of the Hajj pilgrimage on the Day of Tarwiyah.
This marks the beginning of the greatest journey of faith for Muslims worldwide, one that throngs of pilgrims will embark on with longing, tears, hope, and glorification.
Pilgrims will spend the Day of Tarwiyah, the eighth of Dhu al-Hijjah, in Mina, where they will perform the Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr prayers, shortening them to four rak'ahs without combining them.
They will then spend the night there before heading out at dawn on the ninth of Dhu al-Hijjah to the sacred plain of Arafat, 12 kilometers from Makkah, to witness the Great Standing and perform the greatest pillar of Hajj. They will then depart at sunset for Muzdalifah.
On the night of the tenth of Dhul-Hijjah, pilgrims spend the night in Mina and collect pebbles before leaving Muzdalifah to use in the stoning of the Great Jamarat on the tenth of Dhul-Hijjah, the first day of Eid al-Adha.
After stoning the Jamarat and offering sacrifices, pilgrims head to Mecca to perform the Tawaf al-Ifadah around the Kaaba. They then return to Mina to spend the Days of Tashreeq and stone the three Jamarat al-Sughra, the Small, Middle, and Large Jamarat.
After the three Days of Tashreeq have concluded, or after two days, pilgrims head to Mecca to perform the Farewell Tawaf, marking the end of the Hajj rituals.
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