mecca muslims will on wednesday embark on the annual haj pilgrimage one of the five pillars of islam which this year takes place on a greatly reduced scale due to the coronavirus pandemicthe holy city of mecca where more than two million believers usually converge for several days of rituals to retrace prophet mohammeds last pilgrimage will be open to no more than 10000 peoplethe government has tightened access to mecca and put in place strict health restrictions to prevent the spread of the disease saudi arabia has recorded more than 260000 cases of the novel coronavirus with more than 2700 deathsall muslims who are able to are expected to complete the pilgrimage to mecca at least once in their liveshere is a rundown on the rituals of the haj which is usually one of the largest gatherings in the world and is closed to nonmuslimspilgrims must first enter a state of purity called ihram which requires special dress and behaviourmen wear a seamless shroudlike white garment that emphasises unity regardless of social status or nationalitywomen must wear loose dresses also often white exposing only their faces and handspilgrims are prohibited from wearing perfume cutting their nails trimming their hair or beards or arguingthe first ritual requires walking seven times around the kaaba a large black cubic structure at the centre of meccas grand mosquemade from granite and draped in cloth the kaaba stands nearly 15 metres 50 feet tallbelieved to have first been erected by adam and then rebuilt by abraham 4000 years ago it is towards the kaaba that muslims turn to pray wherever they are in the worldpilgrims next walk seven times between two stone spots in the mosquethey then move on to mina around five kilometres three miles away ahead of the main rite of the pilgrimage at mount arafatthe climax of the haj is the gathering on mount arafat about 10 kilometres from mina where it is believed that prophet mohammed delivered his final sermonpilgrims assemble on the 70metrehigh hill and its surrounding plain for hours of prayers and koran recitals remaining there until eveningafter sunset they head to muzdalifah halfway between arafat and mina where they gather several dozen pebbles to perform the symbolic stoning of the devilthe last major ritual of the haj is back at mina where pilgrims throw seven stones at each of three huge concrete walls representing satanthe ritual is an emulation of abrahams stoning of the devil at the three spots where it is said satan tried to dissuade him from obeying gods order to sacrifice his son ishmaelafter the first stoning the eid aladha feast of sacrifice begins marking the end of the hajsheep are slaughtered in reference to gods provision of a lamb for sacrifice instead of ishmael in a ceremony held at the same time around the worldmen then shave their heads or trim their hair while women cut a fingertiplength off their locksthe pilgrims can change back into normal clothing returning to circumambulate the kaaba