Russian Muslims begin Hajj

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Russian Muslims begin the annual pilgrimage to the Islamic holy place in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.  This year, 20,500 Russians will take part in the hajj, most of them from Dagestan, head of the Russian consumer rights watchdog (Rospotrebnadzor) and chief sanitary doctor Gennady Onischenko told Interfax earlier. The pilgrims will be departing between September 28 and November 1 and are due to return between November 10 and December 25. About 9,000 Russian pilgrims will travel by air, and some 11,500 by car. Traditionally, the Saudi Health Ministry requires pilgrims to be accompanied by doctors. The Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca, is one of the pillars of Islam and is carried out at the beginning of the 12th month of the Muslim lunar calendar (Zilhajj). The Quran prescribes every Muslim to carry out a hajj once in life and allows to repeat it on behalf of his relatives.End item/175