Moving! A Sea of People Fills the Kaaba Ahead of the Hajj Peak

Millions of Hajj pilgrims are beginning to crowd the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca ahead of the peak of the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage. On Tuesday (19 May 2026), pilgrims were seen performing Tawaf around the Kaaba as more worshippers continued to arrive from various countries. A solemn atmosphere enveloped the area around Masjid al-Haram as worshippers carried out a series of rites while awaiting the start of the main annual Hajj procession, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has stepped up its support for the management of dam ahead of the peak Hajj at Arafat, Muzdalifah, and Mina. To date, 100,268 pilgrims have completed dam through various official schemes, while the government has urged pilgrims to be cautious of dam payments offered outside official channels.

Hajj is the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca to perform rites taught by the Prophet Muhammad to his followers about 14 centuries ago. Each year, millions of Muslims from around the world gather in the holy city. Saudi Arabia implements a hajj quota system agreed with the member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) since 1987. The rule limits the number of pilgrims from each country to 0.1 percent of that country’s total population. The peak of this year’s Hajj is expected to coincide with Eid al-Adha, which falls in the middle of next week, one of the biggest holidays in the Islamic calendar.