Mecca and things you don't know

(Baonghean.vn) - Millions of Muslims around the world are flocking to Mecca in Saudi Arabia to attend the Hajj pilgrimage from August 30 to September 4. So, what is Mecca like and what happened there?

1. Only Muslims are allowed to go to Mecca

Mecca, full name Makkah al-Mukarramah, in Saudi Arabia, located on the Shadad mountain range, about 70km from the port of Jeddah on the Red Sea, the ancient city of Mecca is the spiritual capital of the Muslim world. This city is the first place on Earth to be worshiped, because it is here that Ibrahim and his son Ismail built the Kaba, a center of the Muslim church, a place that attracts pilgrims every year.

According to the rules of Islam, every believer must make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life at their own expense. Before going, they must prepare enough food and drink for their relatives at home during the time they go to worship. The pilgrimage to Mecca of Muslims is called Hajj, held annually and takes place after the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Only Muslims are allowed to visit Mecca. After making the pilgrimage here during the Hajj, they are given the title “Haj” or “Haji”. During the Hajj, millions of people from different races and nationalities flock to Mecca.

Every Muslim must at least once in their lifetime visit Mecca to pray at Masjid al-Haram, one of the largest mosques in the world. They usually perform Umrah (small pilgrimages) on their way to Masjid al-Haram. Islam teaches that if one performs Umrah or Hajj according to the rituals and with a sincere intention (to ask Allah), all their sins will be forgiven.

Every Hajj season is a headache for local authorities because despite their best efforts, they still cannot predict what will happen when millions of people flock to this holy land.

2. Mecca - A place that witnessed many disasters

1987, a clash in Mecca between Saudi Arabian officials and Iranians staging illegal anti-American protests left 402 people dead, most of them Iranians. Another 649 were injured.

In 1989,Two bombs exploded at the world’s holiest Muslim site, killing one pilgrim and injuring 16 others. Saudi Arabian officials later blamed Iranian extremists, despite Iranian officials denying any involvement.

In 1990,The biggest disaster in the history of the Muslim pilgrimage took place in Mecca, injuring 1,426 people. The victims were of different nationalities, most of them Malaysian, Indonesian and Pakistani citizens. The stampede took place in a road tunnel leading from Mecca to Mina.

Pilgrims flock to Mecca.

1994A stampede at the stoning of Satan ceremony killed 270 people, most of them Indonesians.

1997A fire in a pilgrim tent killed more than 340 people and injured 1,500 others in Mina, just 5km from Mecca.

In 2004,251 pilgrims were killed and 244 injured in a stampede at the stoning festival in Mina.

2006A stampede of pilgrims rushing to complete the final important part of the Hajj pilgrimage has left 356 people dead and nearly 300 others injured.

The stampede in Mecca on September 24, 2015 left 717 people dead and 863 injured.

September 11, 2015,A giant crane collapsed on the Masjid al Haram in Mecca – one of the largest mosques in Islam, killing at least 107 people and injuring 230 others during worship.

September 24, 2015, the most horrific stampede that has occurred since 1990 (killing more than 1,400 people), Mecca witnessed 717 deaths and 863 others injured due to two groups of pilgrims going in opposite directions.

2. Why are thousands of people willing to "die for their faith"?

During the Hajj, believers must perform many rituals, including: Walking counterclockwise 7 times around the Kaaba in the middle of the Masjid al-Haram Mosque; Running back and forth between the Al-Safa and Al-Marwah hills; Drinking water from the Zamzam well; Participating in the stoning of Satan to exorcise evil spirits.

Muslims risk their lives to perform the Hajj pilgrimage.

For Muslims, the Hajj is not only a religious duty to fulfill, it is a demonstration of unity and submission to Allah. They risk their lives and even decades of savings just to visit this holy land.

In addition, millions of Muslims flock to Mecca every year because they believe that the Hajj can bring about the rebirth of the soul. The Koran states that on the Day of Judgment, God (Allah) will weigh the evil and good deeds of people in their lives to decide whether they will go to heaven or hell after death. And the Hajj is considered one of the opportunities for Muslims to cleanse their sins and go to heaven after death.

Peace

(Synthetic)