Muslims perform scaled-back hajj

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Muslim pilgrims, donning masks and moving in small groups after days in isolation, began arriving at Islam's holiest site in Mecca on Wednesday for the start of a historically unique and scaled-down hajj experience reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic.

The hajj is one of Islam's most important requirements, performed once in a lifetime. It follows a route the Prophet Muhammad walked nearly 1,400 years ago and is believed to ultimately trace the footsteps of the prophets Abraham and Ishmael.

The hajj, which is physically and spiritually demanding, is intended to bring about greater humility and unity among Muslims.

Rather than standing and praying shoulder-to-shoulder in a sea of people from different walks of life, pilgrims this year are social distancing -- standing apart and moving in small groups of 20 to limit exposure and the potential transmission of the coronavirus.

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The pilgrimage is a journey that Muslims traditionally experience with relatives. In past years, it was common to see men pushing their elderly parents around on wheelchairs in order to help them complete the hajj, and parents carrying children on their backs.

The communal feeling of more than 2.5 million people from around the world -- Shiite, Sunni and other Muslim sects -- praying together, eating together and repenting together has long been part of what makes hajj a challenging and rewarding experience like no other.

This year, however, pilgrims are eating prepackaged meals alone in their hotel rooms and praying at a distance from one another.

The Saudi government is covering all the pilgrims' expenses of travel, accommodation, meals and health care.

While the experience is starkly different, Muslims believe it remains an opportunity for pilgrims to wipe clean past sins and deepen their faith.

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For the first time in Saudi history, the government barred Muslims from entering the kingdom from abroad to perform the hajj as a way to limit exposure of the coronavirus.

Instead, as few as 1,000 people already living in Saudi Arabia were selected to take part in the hajj this year. Two-thirds are foreign residents from among the 160 different nationalities that would have normally been represented at the hajj. One-third are Saudi security personnel and medical staff members.

The pilgrims, who were selected after applying through an online portal, were required to be between ages 20 and 50, with no terminal illnesses and showing no symptoms of the virus. Preference was given to those who have not performed the hajj before.

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Pilgrims were tested for the coronavirus, given wristbands that connect to their phones and monitor their movement, and were required to quarantine at home and in their hotel rooms in Mecca ahead of Wednesday's start of the hajj. They will also be required to quarantine for a week after the hajj concludes Sunday.