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RIYADH: Every year, many celebrities join millions of Muslims worldwide traveling to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah to perform Hajj — a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual journey for affluent Muslims. This year is no different.

Among those performing Hajj this year are Zimbabwean motivational speaker and Islamic scholar Ismail ibn Musa Menk, known as Mufti Menk; internationally famed South African chef Hamzah Saeed; Egyptian singer and composer Ahmed Saad; and Pakistani actor Malik Aqeel.

Menk posted on X: “As I embark on my journey for the Hajj after 24 years, I seek the forgiveness of Allah for my shortcomings and ask you to forgive me too. Hajj is meant to purify us and wipe away our sins. May Allah make me a better person, closer to Him and worthy of His Mercy! Aameen.”

In another post, he said: “Almighty. Grant us the strength to give up something for Your sake. Help us understand the true meaning of sacrifice. May we achieve the benefits of these ten days & may You accept the sincere efforts of those making Hajj.”

Saeed also expressed his anticipation on Instagram, seeking forgiveness and hoping Allah accepts his prayers and guides him on this blessed journey, one of Islam’s five pillars.

Quoting Qur’an 2:158, he wrote: “Surely, Al-Safa and Al-Marwah are symbols of Allah. Whoever performs Hajj or Umrah will find no sin in walking between the two. May Allah accept and bring everyone to His House, the Kaaba.”

Shaykh Sulaimaan M. Ravat, a distinguished South African scholar, shared Hajj snapshots on X, including an emotional conversation with Saeed during his first visit to the holy cities.

“I am the first person from my family to visit Haramain,” Saeed said.

On Instagram, he celebrity chef posted a video from Madinah: “Words can’t describe having experienced and seeing all historical places and to learn stories about them with learned scholars one on one, stay tuned as will be taking you on Mount Uhud journey.”

In an emotional post on X, Egyptian singer Saad shared a video from the Grand Mosque reciting the Qur’an.

Pakistani Cinema, a popular TikTok page, shared a clip of Aqeel in ������Ƶ performing Hajj, reciting a beautiful na’at — poetry praising Prophet Muhammad.

RIYADH: During Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Makkah, Muslim men wear Ihram — simple attire representing purity and equality.

Ihram is made of two white unstitched pieces of fabric. One, the Izar, is wrapped around the waist while the other, the Rida’, covers the shoulders.

“Ihram is worn by men during Hajj and Umrah, and it is always unstitched and white,” Abdullah Al-Ahmad, who owns a menswear store in Riyadh, said.

“(It) usually consists of two pieces, a lower piece and an upper piece, and the most popular types of Ihram in the market are those made of elastic, and those tied around the belt. People usually prefer cotton, especially Egyptian cotton, for its high quality; also because cotton is softer on the skin and does not absorb heat.”

Hamad Al-Yami, a Saudi inventor in nanotechnology and member of the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations, talked to Arab News about his nano-silver technology Ihram.

“The idea originated while I was working at the Saudi Ministry of Health, where I noticed the need for antibacterial medical clothing,” he explained.

“The concept later evolved to include Ihram clothing after studying the challenges pilgrims face, such as the spread of infection in crowded conditions, wearing Ihram for a long period of time, sometimes for days at a time, and the limited effectiveness of traditional fabrics.”

He added he was inspired by the historical use of silver for sterilization and developed a technique using silver nanoparticles, each about one-millionth of a millimeter, to sterilize cotton fabric. The primary purpose of his invention was to reduce infection, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with his antibacterial clothing, he has future plans to work on recycled Ihrams and turn them into eco-friendly products like bags or pillows that could be used in mosques.

While men wear Ihram, women have more flexibility when it comes to clothing choices during Hajj, although modesty is still a requirement when choosing fabric and colors.

Due to the hot weather in the Makkah region, most women prefer lightweight, breathable materials such as cotton and linen.

“There are no specific clothes for women. Any texture, any color, as long as it is not decorated and is socially appropriate for Hajj. It should be modest and mostly white or beige,” said pilgrim Afnan Al-Harbi.

“I used to wear white because it was hot and sunny in Makkah and the color is cooler a little bit. We also don’t wear perfumes, we don’t cover our faces, and we don’t wear gloves. Still, a lot of pilgrims at the time were wearing black abayas.”

Wearing the Ihram is not a fashion choice. It indicates a state of spiritual readiness to submit to God and clear the mind and body of all negativity, so that Hajj can be begun with a positive mindset.