MINA: Mina was alive in recent days with the footsteps of millions, yet every pilgrim’s pace told a different story, from those who waited decades for the moment to those capturing it in real time.
In the tent city of Mina, two pilgrims rested side by side: one catching his breath, the other capturing a selfie. One scrolled through prayer times on his smartphone; the other adjusted the strap of his orthopedic sandal. One leaned on a walking stick; the other scrolled through digital navigation. But both wore the same white ihram and followed the same steps.
This was the paradox of Hajj 2025, where generations decades apart walked the same sacred path in remarkably different ways. They shared no common language except the unspoken one of faith.
For 73-year-old Moinuddin from Pakistan, the pilgrimage was a long-awaited dream, one that had been etched over decades of supplication.
He said: “I have the desire and I ask help from God to give me courage and power to perform this Hajj for the Isaal-e-Sawaab (gifting of spiritual rewards) for my mother.”
