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All 2,626 Sierra Leonean pilgrims who participated in the 1447H/2026 Hajj have successfully completed the main rites of the annual Islamic pilgrimage, marking a major milestone in their spiritual journey, officials of the Presidential Hajj Taskforce have confirmed.
The completion of the rites followed the performance of Tawaf al-Ifadah, also known as Tawaf az-Ziyarah, one of the key obligations of Hajj. The pilgrims carried out the circumambulation of the Holy Kaaba after completing the stoning of the Jamarat between Wednesday and Friday.
Following the Tawaf, the pilgrims performed two rak’ahs of prayer behind Maqam Ibrahim before proceeding with Sa’i between the hills of Safa and Marwah. The ritual commemorates the search for water by Hajar for her son, Prophet Ismail. With the completion of Sa’i, all four pillars of Hajj were fulfilled by the Sierra Leonean pilgrims.
The only remaining rite is Tawaf al-Wada, the farewell circumambulation of the Kaaba, which pilgrims perform seven times in an anticlockwise direction before departing from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Speaking on the sacrificial rites associated with Hajj, Dr. Chernor Ibrahim Bah, popularly known as Dokal and Head of Rituals for the Presidential Hajj Taskforce, disclosed that the Taskforce paid for 826 lambs through the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Affairs online portal.
He explained that the Islamic Development Bank carried out the slaughter on Thursday, 28 May 2026, on behalf of Sierra Leonean pilgrims performing Hajj Tamattu, a category of pilgrims who undertake Umrah before Hajj and are required to offer a sacrificial animal.
Dr. Bah noted that the sacrifice was an obligatory component of the pilgrimage for those pilgrims.
Meanwhile, Sierra Leonean pilgrims continue to observe daily prayers in Makkah. The majority are accommodated at the Diyar Al Sa’ad Hotel and regularly attend prayers at Masjid al-Haram, Islam’s holiest mosque. Others staying at the Al Olayan Diamond Hotel, located approximately 15 minutes from the Grand Mosque, are worshipping at nearby mosques.
Providing an update on the welfare and movement of the pilgrims, Sheikh Alhaji Dyfan Abass Massaquoi, Head of Operations for the Presidential Hajj Taskforce, confirmed that all 2,626 Sierra Leonean pilgrims in Makkah were safe, healthy and fully accounted for.
He announced that the first batch of home-based pilgrims would depart Jeddah for Sierra Leone on 6 June 2026 aboard Ethiopian Airlines. The second group is scheduled to leave on 7 June, while the final batch will return on 9 June 2026. Sierra Leonean pilgrims residing in the diaspora will depart on separate flight schedules.
According to figures released by the Taskforce, 826 of the pilgrims were registered from Sierra Leone, while 1,800 were Sierra Leoneans living abroad who joined the pilgrimage.
The successful completion of the rites comes amid reports from Saudi authorities that the movement of pilgrims during the Hajj season proceeded smoothly, particularly during the transfer to Arafat, where traffic management systems helped ensure the efficient flow of millions of worshippers.
Data released by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) showed that exactly 1,707,301 pilgrims performed the 1447H/2026 Hajj. Of that number, 1,546,655 were international pilgrims representing 165 nationalities, while 160,646 were citizens and residents of Saudi Arabia. The statistics further indicated that 893,396 men and 823,905 women participated in this year’s pilgrimage.
Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is mandatory for Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey at least once in their lifetime. The 2026 pilgrimage took place from 25 to 30 May, corresponding with 8–12 Dhul-Hijjah 1447H in the Islamic calendar.
