DM Monitoring
Makkah: The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has issued a comprehensive “Hajj Guide” for hundreds of thousands of pilgrims arriving from across the globe, including Pakistan, to facilitate their spiritual journey. The primary objective of the newly released guide is to educate pilgrims on the accurate performance of Hajj rituals, streamlined transport logistics between the holy sites (Mashair), and essential administrative regulations to ensure a smooth, secure, and hassle-free pilgrimage.
According to the official timeline, the core rituals of Hajj will commence on Dhul-Hijjah 8 (Yoom-ut-Tarwiyah), marking the first transit of pilgrims to the tent city of Mina. Pilgrims will offer shortened (Qasr) prayers from Dhuhr until the subsequent dawn (Fajr) prayer and spend the night in Mina. On the following day, Dhul-Hijjah 9 (Yoom-e-Arafat), which constitutes the climate of Hajj, pilgrims will proceed to the plains of Arafat after dawn prayers to observe the pivotal ritual of “Waqoof-e-Arafat,” spending their time in prayers and supplications near Masjid-e-Nimra and Jabal-e-Rahmah. The ministry has issued strict instructions to pilgrims to remain within the defined boundaries of Arafat strictly until sunset.
Immediately following sunset, the pilgrims will move toward Muzdalifah, where they will perform the combined Maghrib and Isha prayers and spend the night under the open sky. This site also serves as the location for collecting pebbles for the ritual of Jamarat (Rami). On the morning of Dhul-Hijjah 10 (Yoom-an-Nahr), pilgrims will head back to Mina to perform the initial stoning at Jamarat al-Aqaba (the big Satan), followed by the animal sacrifice (Qurbani), and shaving or shortening of hair (Halq/Qasr) to formally exit the state of Ihram. During the subsequent Ayyam-ut-Tashreeq (Dhul-Hijjah 11, 12, and 13), pilgrims will stay in Mina and perform the daily stoning ritual at all three Jamarat after midday (Zawal) in a designated sequence.
Alongside ritual performance, the ministry has mandated the downloading of the “Nusuk App” and physical possession of the official “Nusuk Card,” emphasizing that entry into the holy sites and Masjid al-Haram will be strictly prohibited without this electronic permit. Furthermore, a dedicated group-based scheduling system has been enforced for train and bus transport networks across the holy sites. Pilgrims have been strictly directed to coordinate their movements with their respective group leaders to avoid overcrowding and ensure crowd safety.
Amid projections of extreme summer weather and heatstroke vulnerabilities, the advisory highly cautions pilgrims against walking outdoors between the peak heat hours of 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. They are urged to carry umbrellas at all times and consume a high volume of water and Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS). Upon completing all major rituals, performing the Farewell Tawaf (Tawaf-al-Wadaa) remains mandatory before exiting Makkah Mukarramah. For the return flights, the guidelines state that Zamzam water bottles will only be permitted inside aircraft if bought through authorized, airport-approved commercial packaging. The Saudi government’s emergency helplines, including 1966 and 911, will remain operational round-the-clock to assist pilgrims or handle cases of lost belongings and emergency tracking.
