A total of 609 Cameroonian Muslims took off this Thursday afternoon for Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, where they will be participating in the Hajj pilgrimage, an important pillar of Islam.
342 pilgrims took off at the Douala International Airport in the presence of Territorial Administration Minister, Paul Atanga Nji, and members of the National Hajj Commission, while 267 others boarded a flight at the Garoua Airport.
They will join millions of Muslims across the world for the yearly Hajj pilgrimage, the fifth Pilar of Islam and an obligatory exercise for every adult Muslim to undertake at least once in their lifetime.
The pilgrimage rite begins on the 7th day of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, the last month of the Islamic year, and ends on the 12th day depending on the sighting of the moon.
Once the moon is sighted, Muslims begin celebrating the festival of Eid al-Adha, a four-day event.
This year, Hajj is taking place between 14th June to the 19th June 2024.
The pilgrimage is characterized by a series of events and rituals, including a visit to Islam’s holy places outside Mecca,
such as Jabal al-Raḥmah, Muzdalifah, and Minā.
On the 12th day of the month, they slaughter an animal in commemoration of Abraham’s sacrifice.
Meanwhile, male pilgrims shave their heads and female pilgrims remove a lock of hair at the end of the sacrifice.
After the ritual, usually performed at Mina, pilgrims throw seven stones at three walls on three successive days, before returning to Mecca for the farewell ritual.
Before leaving the country, Cameronian pilgrims received financial support from the government amounting to FCFA 1.5 billion meant to aid those who could not afford the cost of the journey.
This money was handed to them through the National Hajj Commission, headed by Minister Atanga Nji.
