The Muslim hajj pilgrimage by the numbers

The Islamic hajj pilgrimage draws people from around the world to Saudi Arabia each year. The crowds, squeezed shoulder to shoulder in prayer five times a day, fill Mecca and surrounding areas to perform a number of physically demanding and intricate rites.The five-day-long hajj is required of all Muslims with the means to perform it once in a lifetime. Through intense worship and repentance, its goal is remission of past sins and drawing Muslims closer to God.As Muslims around the world celebra