Hajj 2026 LIVE: Muslims undertake annual pilgrimage to Mecca ahead of Day of Arafah

Ihram: Before starting, pilgrims enter a state of spiritual purity called Ihram. Men wear two simple, seamless white cloths, and women wear modest, identical clothing to strip away markers of wealth and status, symbolising total equality before God.

Tawaf: Pilgrims circle the Kaaba – the black cube-shaped structure at the centre of the Grand Mosque in Mecca – counter-clockwise seven times.

Sa’i: Pilgrims walk back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwa to honour Hajar’s desperate search for water for her son, Ishmael.

Day of Arafat: Considered the spiritual peak of the Hajj. Pilgrims spend the day on the plains of Mount Arafat to pray, reflect, and seek God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Stoning of the Devil: Pilgrims gather pebbles in Muzdalifah and throw them at three pillars in the city of Mina. This ritual symbolises the rejection of temptation and evil, commemorating Prophet Abraham’s faith.

Eid al-Adha & Qurbani: After the stoning, pilgrims perform an animal sacrifice (or purchase a sacrifice voucher) to commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, distributing the meat to the poor.

Final Tawaf: Pilgrims perform a final farewell walk of the Kaaba before concluding the pilgrimage.