Mecca Madinah Haram mosques were packed with worshipers on the first Friday after the withdrawal of Kovid restrictions in Saudi Arabia.
The congestion increased as people were allowed to enter the harem without being vaccinated or getting a permit. With the start of Ramadan next month, the rush will increase even more.
In the wake of the Kovid expansion, most of the restrictions were lifted in both harems, which had imposed strict restrictions. The harem and its surroundings have returned to their former glory, with the withdrawal of the requirement to specify the status of immunity through the Tawakkalna app to enter the harem.
From the first Friday morning prayers after the restrictions were lifted, believers flocked to the Haram mosques. Tawaf, Sa’i and prayers were performed without keeping social distance. The inner courtyards of the Haram mosques in Makkah and Madinah were filled with believers as the first unrestricted Friday prayers arrived. After a gap of two years, for the first time today, believers lined up shoulder to shoulder in Haram mosques for Friday prayers. In Makkah, after the Safa and Merva hills, a large number of believers flocked to the Haram courtyard, which was a sight to behold.
This will enable the believers to concentrate more and more on the night and day in the Haram mosques during the coming Ramadan. The new decision will help more believers reach the harem for prayers, including Taraweeh and Qiyamullail. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s announcement that pilgrims from foreign countries will not need a Kovid check, injection or quarantine will further attract believers around the world to harams.
In addition to the natural increase in the number of believers during the holy month of Ramadan, the two harams and the surrounding areas will be more crowded during this Umrah season, as the situation will allow for unrestricted worship after a long hiatus. All preparations have been completed in both Haram with state-of-the-art facilities to perform the rituals effortlessly and provide better services to the believers.