(1) He is a haji , one who has made the required pilgrimage to Mecca, and a former colleague from Pas recalls that he prayed regularly.(2) Once in Mecca, hajjis immediately proceed to the Grand Mosque, a massive coliseum that contains the Kaaba, the cube-shaped granite shrine toward which Muslims all over the world direct their daily prayers.(3) The allocation of resources is essentially related to the growth of the Muslim population, the increase in the number of hajis , the higher cost of air and sea travel for Haj and the related expansion of airport networks over the 10-15 years.(4) At this point, many hajjis take a multi-day side trip to Medina, the oasis city where Muhammad established his first community of followers.(5) The hajis were going directly to Medina, and not to Jeddah this year.
