2 million join pilgrimage to Mecca

MECCA, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- More than 2 million Muslims descended on Saudi Arabia during the weekend to perform the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

Devout Muslims regard the journey, also known as the ancient ritual of the hajj, as the spiritual pinnacle of a devout Muslim's life, The Los Angeles Times said.

Controversy erupted this year over the participation of Muslims from the Gaza Strip with thousands of would-be pilgrims unable to travel to Mecca because of the power struggle between rival Palestinian factions over who had the right to distribute visas to visit Saudi Arabia.

The hajj is one of the five "pillars," or basic requirements, of Islam. The others are belief in one God and in Muhammad as his final messenger; prayer five times a day; Zakat, a form of tithing to the needy, and fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, if physically able.