[22:27–8] And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men: they will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways;

That they may witness the benefits (provided) for them, and celebrate the name of Allah, through the Days appointed, over the cattle which He has provided for them (for sacrifice): then eat ye thereof and feed the distressed ones in want.”

The pilgrims are arriving in Saudi Arabia and the kingdom is gearing up in preparation. The official start of the month, Zilhajj (or Dul Hujjah) was yesterday according to both astronomical and calendrical reckoning, meaning that Yawm ul Arafat (the Day of Arafat) will be next Thursday (a week from today) and Eid ul Adha will be next Friday, November 27th.

Arab News has been running a series of fascinating “countdown to Hajj” articles that cover the preparations, including the tent city at Mina (which is visible from orbit) and replacing the kiswa (covering) for the Holy Kaaba. Their last entry in the series is a paean to how pilgrims’ safety is the foremost concern of the Haj authorities:

The changes that have taken place around Mina and the Jamrat area in the past few years are astounding. Anyone who performed Haj 30 years ago or more can remember how calm and serene it was. The increase in the number of pilgrims in the intervening period changed everything. The area turned into one of the most congested parts of the pilgrimage, with the most accidents and the most deaths. Not so now.

(…) Points of entry into Mina are now controlled. No longer can private cars and taxis drive there; only registered buses have access. The massive five-level complex surrounding the Jamrat area for the stoning has been organized so that pedestrians can keep moving slowly but securely in a one-way system. At no point today will there be congestion or dangers. The development of the facilities – others include the provision of emergency medical services and volunteer guides to help pilgrims – is a remarkable improvement.

One of the big concerns this year is the swine flu – it’s of course impossible to screen millions of pilgrims for swine flu and refuse them entry, so instead they will simply monitor pilgrims’ health after arrival using infrared cameras to detect unusually high body temperature:

RIYADH: Assistant Deputy Minister of Health for Preventative Medicine Dr. Ziad Al-Memish said on Tuesday the Kingdom has implemented “comprehensive” programs to combat swine flu based on recommendations made during this past summer’s summit of health ministers from the region held in Cairo.

(…) The measures include thermal-camera screening at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, Madinah’s Prince Muhammad bin Abdulaziz Airport and the seaports in Jeddah and Yanbu, and 91 health officials working around the clock at the Haj Terminal in Jeddah.

Health officials in the Kingdom have been saying for weeks that they are implementing the recommendations made by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control.

“We have worked out a mechanism with WHO to monitor swine flu among Haj pilgrims this year, Memish said.

“Pilgrims with high body temperatures will be quarantined for testing to “treat them accordingly,” he added.

King Saud Hospital in Jeddah, the hospital closest to the Haj Terminal, will receive any suspected swine flu cases of pilgrims arriving in Jeddah by commercial flights.

The Kingdom is taking swine flu very seriously – otherwise Hajj would literally be an incubator for the pandemic as millions of pilgrims from every corner of the earth will congregate. It should be noted that in light of the pandemic, pilgrims who are old, young, infirm, or pregnant are discouraged from performing the Hajj this year.

I had pretty extensive coverage of hajj last year here at City of Brass, and also there’s ongoing Hajj coverage at Talk Islam. Mubarak to all those who are making the pilgrimage this year!