The Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest in the Saudi city of Mecca, received record numbers of worshippers and pilgrims estimated at more than 4 million on a single day during the current Muslim sacred month of Ramadan.
Some 3.4 million worshippers performed prayers in the mosque on Wednesday, marking the 26th day of Ramadan, setting a new record, according to official figures.
Ghazi Al Shahrani, CEO of the General Authority for Care of Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, disclosed that the Grand Mosque set a new record for pilgrims and worshippers on the 26th day of Ramadan and the night of the 27th, with a total of around 800,000 pilgrims and 3.4 million worshippers.
A breakdown showed that the Fajr (dawn) prayer was attended by around 703,000 worshippers, Dhuhr (noon) prayer by 614,300 worshippers, Asr (afternoon) prayer by 643,900 worshippers, Maghreb (sunset) prayer by 740,100, and Isha (night) prayer by 740,100.
The month of Ramadan, expected to end on Saturday, is marked by intense worshipping.
Hundreds of thousands of Muslims from inside and outside Saudi Arabia flock to the Grand Mosque during the lunar month to perform prayers and the Umrah or minor pilgrimage amid stepped-up efforts by Saudi authorities to regulate the inflow and ensure comfort for the faithful.
Authorities have designated certain gates of the mosque for pilgrims’ access.
The influx further swells during the final days of the month.
Source – Gulf News
