Mecca

Due to concerns over the global spread of the coronavirus – especially in nearby Iran – Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended travel to its holy sites. Millions of Muslims visit the Saudi kingdom around the year for pilgrimage. The current travel restrictions prevent the entry of both overseas pilgrims and…

Umrah pilgrims pray near the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. AP Photo/Amr Nabil, FileDue to concerns over the global spread of the coronavirus – especially in nearby Iran – Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended travel to its holy sites. Millions of Muslims visit the Saudi kingdom around the year for…

Epidem­ic has wreake­d havoc on intern­ationa­l busine­ss, touris­m, sports events and school­s Medical staff distribute information sheets to Iraqi passengers returning from Iran at Najaf International Airport: PHOTO: AFP BEIJING: World health officials have warned that countries are not taking the coronavirus crisis seriously enough, as outbreaks surged across Europe and…

Colora­do-based space techno­logy firm Maxar, show normal­ly bustli­ng spots from Mecca to Beijin­g thinne­d of people­ This handout image taken on February 22, 2020 and released on March 5, 2020 by Maxar Technologies shows Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, China. PHOTO: AFP BEIJING: Empty public squares, a ghostly train station and…

Kingdo­m declar­es three new corona­virus cases, bringi­ng total number of report­ed infect­ions to five Kingdom declares three new coronavirus cases, bringing total number of reported infections to five. SCREEN GRAB MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia on Thursday emptied Makkah’s Grand Mosque for sterilisation over fears of the novel coronavirus, an unprecedented move after the…

The coronavirus outbreak disrupted Islamic worship in the Middle East as Saudi Arabia on Wednesday banned its citizens and other residents of the kingdom from performing the pilgrimage in Mecca, while Iran cancelled on Friday prayers in major cities. The decisions in Riyadh and Tehran affected both Sunni and Shiite…

Written by Geeta Chaudhary | Updated: March 2, 2020 9:42:18 am Since ancient times, Sanskrit has been an important language in India.Languages never belong to a particular religion. But members of various religious communities do speak different languages to foster understanding among themselves. It is a cultural bond that unites…

Year of the ElephantThe Year of the Elephant (Arabic: عام الفيل‎, ˤĀmu l-Fīl) is the name in Islamic history for the year approximately equating to 570 AD. According to Islamic tradition, it was in this year that Muhammad was born. The name is derived from an event said to have…

HajjSaudi Arabia’s unprecedented decision to halt the umrah pilgrimage amid the global outbreak of a new virus could prevent millions of Muslims from undertaking a major religious rite that many spend years saving up for. Unlike the hajj pilgrimage, which takes place once a year and is required for all…

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia on Thursday closed off the holiest sites in Islam to foreign pilgrims over the coronavirus, disrupting travel for thousands of Muslims already headed to the kingdom and potentially affecting plans later this year for millions more ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan…