This week, more than 2 million people will go to Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, Islam’s holiest event on the calendar. What draws so many to go through what is not an easy journey, one that is often marred in media coverage that seldom highlights the significance the pilgrimage has with every practicing Muslim. We speak to Islamic scholar who works for Awqaf in the UAE, Yusuf Jha, who explains the spirituality of Hajj, often overlooked in Western media. Our reporter Haneen Al Dajani, who performed Hajj in 2012, provides a unique insight into what it means for to have performed Hajj. Finally, we talk to one of our former writers, Ayesha Al Mazroui, who is now in Hajj performing the pilgrimage for the first time.

Beyond the Headlines is The National's weekly current-affairs podcast. #news #islam #mecca #hajj #foreign #world