2 million Muslims begin Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia after COVID restrictions lifted.

The annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam, has returned to its full capacity for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with over 1.8 million pilgrims from around the world expected to participate. The pilgrimage is a deeply spiritual experience that absolves sins, brings Muslims closer to God, and unites the world's more than 1.8 billion Muslims. The rituals during the Hajj largely commemorate the Quran's accounts of Ibrahim, his son Ismail, and Ismail's mother Hajar.