Saudi Arabia Limits Hajj to 'Thousands'

A Saudi official has said only a few thousand pilgrims¹ can attend the Muslim religious observance known as the hajj next month. Concerns over the spread of the coronavirus mean that fewer people can come to the Muslim holy city of Mecca. The hajj usually brings up to 2.5 million Muslims to the Saudi city from all over the world. The pilgrimage begins in late July.

Saudi's Hajj Minister Muhammad Benten said a "small and very limited" number of people can come to perform the pilgrimage, possibly only 1,000 from the Saudi kingdom.

"The number, God willing, may be in the thousands. We are in the process of reviewing so it could be 1,000 or less, or a little more," Benten said in an online news conference.

The decision to cut the number of people for this year's hajj was expected although it has never happened before in Saudi Arabia's nearly 90-year history. It bars nearly all Muslims from outside the kingdom from traveling there.

The Saudi government waited until five weeks before the hajj to announce its decision. The timing² shows the sensitivity³ around major decisions concerning the hajj, which affect Muslims around the world.

"This is a very sensitive operation and we are working with experts at the Health Ministry," Benten said. He said protecting the lives and health of pilgrims is important.

Saudi officials said that no one over the age of 65 will be permitted to perform the hajj. They also said everyone involved in the hajj this year will be quarantined before and after the pilgrimage.

Saudi Arabia first announced late on Monday that only a few Muslims could come to Mecca. It said they would be chosen from among people of many nationalities already inside the kingdom.

It is disappointing for Muslims who have saved money for years to pay for the trip. Making the hajj at least once is a requirement for all Muslims. It is also a chance to remove sins and to form relationships with Muslims from all over the world.

"It is a wish of every Muslim to perform hajj, but because of COVID-19, it will not be possible this year," Chairman of the Islamic Centre of India Maulana Khalid Rashid said.

Rashid is one of India's most influential⁴ Muslim clerics. He said that a group of Indian Muslims should be permitted to go and perform the hajj.

"The tradition should not be broken," he said.

Usually, each country is given a set number of hajj visas that are decided⁵ by the size of its Muslim population. Indonesia, the largest Muslim country, gets 221,000.

Pakistan usually sends around 180,000 pilgrims. Pakistan said Saudi officials already told them about the decision to limit this year's hajj. Pakistani diplomats⁶ already in Saudi Arabia will represent the country this year at the hajj.

Saudi Arabia's borders have been shut to foreigners since late February in attempts to slow down the spread of the virus.

Still, the kingdom has one of the highest infection rates in the Middle East, with more than 161,000 confirmed cases so far, including more than 1,307 deaths.

Saudi Arabia said the decision to limit the hajj agrees with the teachings of Islam, which require the preservation⁷ of human life.

I'm Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

pilgrim–n. one who undertakes a religious journey

review–n. to look over

quarantine–n. the isolation⁸ of someone who has a contagious⁹ disease

sin–n. to commit a bad act that is condemned¹⁰ by one's faith

cleric–n. a religious man or woman

1 pilgrims   

香客，朝圣者( pilgrim的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Muslim pilgrims on their way to Mecca 前往麦加的穆斯林朝圣者
• Many pilgrims knelt piously at the shrine. 许多朝圣者心虔意诚地在神殿跪拜。

2 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

3 sensitivity   

n.敏感（性），灵敏（度）

参考例句：

• Hearing sensitivity declines with age.听觉因年老而衰退。
• Such is the sensitivity of the information that only two people are allowed to know it.这信息极为敏感，只允许两个人知道。

4 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

8 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

9 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

10 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。