In the beginning, they came “on foot and on every lean camel”, according to one Quranic verse. Today, the pilgrims fulfilling their once-in-a-lifetime commitment to undertake the Hajj are more likely to arrive by air.
However the two million believers now embarking on five days of spiritual renewal have travelled, they are becoming as one with a holy tradition that stretches back, unbroken, for centuries as they follow the steps first taken by Prophet Mohammed.
Hajj is a time for introspection as Muslim pilgrims begin their spiritual journey in the company of believers from all around the world. Despite cultural differences and language barriers, they are united by their faith in God and Prophet Mohammed. This year Muslims from more than 150 different nations have passed through King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
Every step of the modern pilgrim's path is smoothed by technology, from the innovative Makkah Route process, which allows travellers to complete immigration checks in their home country, to the battery of sophisticated passport-control and biometric systems that ensure they are welcomed and ushered quickly on their way upon arrival in Saudi Arabia. For the vast majority, this will be their first visit to the holy sites. The official Manasikana app will help pilgrims to navigate through the five stages of Hajj, while universal wifi and 4G coverage ensures they can remain in contact with distant families.
For pilgrims from faraway countries, travelling to Makkah was once an arduous journey by camel train, exposing them for months on end to the hardships and dangers of the desert.
As early as the eighth century, however, a road with rest houses and forts was constructed to ease the 1,400km journey from Iraq to Makkah. In 1908, the Hejaz railway was inaugurated to carry pilgrims the 1,320km from Damascus to Medina. Just after the Second World War, one of the first flights operated by the Kingdom’s fledging national airline carried pilgrims from Palestine to Jeddah.
Technology, in other words, has long been integral to the Hajj. Far from divorcing the experience of the modern pilgrim from that of the generations in whose footsteps they tread, the innovations of today serve only to reinforce a continuity of devotion and progress that spans the ages.
Today, those who have undertaken to make the great journey of a lifetime are as one with their predecessors as they are with each other, the highest and lowest levelled and united in pursuit of the same purpose. As they renew their commitment to the higher ideals of their faith, Muslims around the world will be wishing them well on their timeless spiritual journey.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Fixtures
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
