Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gathered in Mecca to fulfill their hajj obligation, flocking to the Kaaba for the Friday prayer. With temperatures soaring to 45 degrees Celsius at noon, nearly 2 million Muslims lined up in and around the Kaaba.
As pilgrims prepare to leave for Arafat early next Friday for ‘Tarwiya’, the streets around the Kaaba were densely packed today. After the Friday prayer, the congregation raised their hands in unison, praying for their oppressed brothers and shedding tears for Palestine, hoping for an end to the ongoing violence.