On Thursday, it will be the last set day by the government of Saudi Arabia for millions of pilgrims to arrive in the country to attend the Hajj. On Wednesday, a plane had left during the evening with 379 people. It was after a previous flight wasn’t given a proper landing slot when it got to Jeddah.
According to BBC, the group after spending 10 days at the Dar es Salaam airport in Tanzania do not look to be angry. Instead, the group sees this as a test of faith.
“Anyone who gets angry because of flight delays at this time of year does not know Islam,” according to one of the pilgrims.
While most of the pilgrims come from Tanzania, hundreds more come from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Comoros Islands. The pilgrims were supposed to leave on Monday, December 3. But the plane broke down.
They had to rely on local Muslims for food and water during the ten-day wait. But the pilgrims from DR Congo and Comoros were put in hotels at Dar es Salaam. It’s estimated that a trip from Tanzania to Saudi Arabia lasts at least eight hours.
About two-million Muslims converge on Mecca to attend Hajj.
For every adult Muslim, they are to take the Hajj at least once in their life. As long as they can afford it and they are physically able.