The first day of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca is today, August 30th, and will go until Monday, September 4th (CLICK HERE for a 101 on hajj).
For Muslims, the Hajj re-enacts the actions of the Prophet Muhammad in his ‘farewell pilgrimage’ in 632 AD. It is a central pillar of the Islamic faith meant to cleanse followers of sin and bring them closer to God. The annual pilgrimage is a spiritual event for Muslims to carry out at least once in their lifetime. This year almost two million Muslims are expected to take part of the pilgrimage.
Al Jazeera takes a look at the step-by-step process of the six-day journey in this handy Hajj At A Glance guide —
