- Akhtar leaves for Hajj as a state guest.
- Hajj comprises a series of religious rites.
- Only 1 million Muslims in total will be allowed to perform Hajj.
Cricket star Shoaib Akhtar departed for Saudi Arabia on Saturday as a state guest to undertake Hajj.
The Rawalpindi Express shared his photos in an Ahram and announced the development on his official Instagram account.
“Alhamdolillah going for honorary Hajj as state guest of Saudi Arabia. I will also be addressing the Hajj Conference attended by leaders of the Muslim world in Makkah.
My gratitude to Saudi Embassy in Pakistan & His Excellency Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, honorable Ambassador to Pakistan,” the speedster said in his post.
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The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all Muslims with the means must perform it at least once in their lifetime.
It comprises a series of religious rites performed over the course of five days in the holiest city in Islam, Makkah, and the surrounding areas in western Saudi Arabia.
Typically one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, around 2.5 million people participated in 2019.
But after the pandemic began in 2020, Saudi authorities stated that only 1,000 pilgrims would be permitted to participate.
The next year, the number was doubled to 60,000 fully immunized Saudi nationals and residents selected by random.
However, in April, the monarchy stated that one million Muslims from inside and outside the nation will be permitted to perform Hajj this year.
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