Pandemic overshadows hajj, Eid al-Adha celebrations

Ordinarily, thousands of Muslim worshippers flock to Mecca's Ka'bah, Islam's holiest site, during the hajj. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, Saudi authorities have limited the number of worshippers. This year, only 60,000 Saudi Muslims are permitted to undertake the pilgrimage.

Journeying to Mecca is one of several key acts a pious Muslim is expected to perform in life. Islam's most sacred sites are treated with utmost deference. The area surrounding the Ka'bah, in Mecca's Great Mosque, is given a meticulous clean before worshippers arrive.

Strict hygiene measures are in place during the hajj, with mask-wearing now a norm among worshippers. This year, Saudi Arabia is only allowing fully vaccinated Muslims to embark on the hajj. Currently, only 12% of Saudis are inoculated.

Eid al-Adha, or "Feast of Sacrifice," is the most important holiday in the Muslim world. It commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim's (known as Abraham to Christians and Jews) willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael at God's behest. God is said to have suddenly intervened and spared Ishmael's life. In his place, a ram was sacrificed. Here, Nigerian Muslims prepare a ram for sacrifice.

A Bangladeshi vendor colors the horns of his livestock. The red color symbolizes the blood of the sacrificial animals. During this important Muslim holiday, meat from sacrificed livestock is usually donated to the needy.

Animals sacrificed in celebration of this holiday are slaughtered according to traditional halal principles. This archive image from Turkey shows the practice. Halal slaughter involves cutting an animal's throat without stunning it beforehand. Animal rights activists take issue with this method, and Germany mandates that animals must be stunned before undergoing halal slaughter.

Above all, the Feast of Sacrifice brings together old and young, and is typically celebrated together with families. Here, crowds gather to mark the first day of Eid al-Adha festivities next to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City