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Avoid new shoes and look after your mental health. How to be well at the Hajj
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Muslim pilgrims offer prayers at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, June 5, 2025. - photo by AP Photo/Amr Nabil
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to do it. It is a spiritual highlight for those fortunate enough to go, but it is also grueling and stressful. Pilgrims conduct their rituals outdoors, among huge crowds, walking up to 25 kilometers (15 miles) a day.