Generalized tests, quarantine, social distancing, disinfected robes and small crowds. Like many other things this year, hajj, the ancient Islamic pilgrimage in Mecca, has been drastically changed by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Of course it will be different because this year there is a social distancing,” pilgrim Zineb el Farissi, 37, told NBC News by Zoom on Monday. “We feel safe and, of course, blessed to be chosen because, as you know, many people want to do hajj … and they haven’t had a chance yet.”
Hajj, which started on Tuesday, is one of the most important requirements of Islam to be performed once in a lifetime, attracting 2.5 million people to Saudi Arabia each year for about six days.
But this year, for the first time in Saudi Arabia’s history, the government banned Muslims from entering the kingdom. Only 1,000 people already residing in the country were selected to participate to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
The Farissi was among the chosen few. Her husband Yasser el Farissi, 39, said she was eager at first to participate in light of the pandemic. However, the director of business development said he is now comfortable with all the precautions being taken.
The couple were briefed on how to maintain their health and safety, they were tested for the coronavirus and individually quarantined after their journey from their home in the capital, Riyadh, as required for all pilgrims.
Instead of praying shoulder to shoulder in a sea of people, they will keep separate and move in small groups of 20.
“Even ihram, which is the formal dress for Hajj, was disinfected,” said Yasser el Farissi.
The pilgrimage follows a route that the prophet Muhammad traveled nearly 1,400 years ago and is believed to follow in the footsteps of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, or Abraham and Ismael, as they are named in the Bible.
The challenging journey is traditionally experienced with family members of all ages and abilities. But this year, the selected pilgrims are between 20 and 50 years old without terminal illnesses and without symptoms of the virus.
They gave them bracelets that connect to their phones and monitor their movement.
The Saudi government is covering all the travel, accommodation, meals and medical care for the pilgrims.
The rites performed on the trip have also been altered. Rather than sharing meals, pilgrims eat prepackaged food alone in their hotel rooms.
They must drink water from plastic bottles directly from a well that has religious significance. Pebbles typically collected along the route to dispose of evil have been sterilized and bagged beforehand.
Although the experience is very different, it is still an opportunity for pilgrims to cleanse past sins and deepen their faith.
Live images of the Grand Mosque broadcast by the Saudi government on Wednesday showed a small number of pilgrims, several feet apart, performing the first rituals.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
Matt Bradley and Susan Archer contributed
