2012 Hajj and Eid Dates Announced

The dates for this year's Islamic Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca) have been known for some time, but now the High Court of Saudi Arabia has made it official. The Islamic hajj pilgrimage will begin on Thursday, October the 25th. It is expected that three million Muslims from around the world will take part in the pilgrimage that is one of the five pillars of Islam and is required to be undertaken by all able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime.


The kingdom’s High Court, comprised of religious scholars who serve as judges, also announced yesterday that Eid al-Adha celebrations coinciding with the pilgrimage will start a day later, on October the 26th.

News reports from Saudi Arabia suggest that some 1.4 million people from 160 countries have already arrived in Mecca. According to Islamic belief, the Hajj retraces the steps of prophets such as Muhammad, Abraham and Ishmael.

Many Moroccans have already left for Saudi Arabia and at airports around the country red carpets have been rolled out for pilgrims.

For Muslims Hajj is a spiritual experience aimed at fostering closeness to God, the cleansing of sins and a sense of unity and equality.

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