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All 2,626 Sierra Leonean pilgrims performing the 1447H/2026 Hajj have completed ‘Tawaf al-Ifadah’, also known as ‘Tawaf az-Ziyarah’, marking the end of the main Hajj rites.
The pilgrims carried out the circumambulation of the Kaaba after completing the stoning of the Jamarat between Wednesday and Friday. They then performed two rak’ahs behind Maqam Ibrahim and ‘Sa’i’ between Safa and Marwah, commemorating Hajar’s search for water for her son, Prophet Ismail. With ‘Sa’i’ complete, the four pillars of Hajj have been fulfilled. The final rite remaining is ‘Tawaf al-Wada’, the farewell circumambulation of the Kaaba performed anticlockwise seven times before departure.
Dr Chernor Ibrahim Bah, known as Dokal and Head of Rituals for the Presidential Hajj Taskforce, said the Taskforce paid for 826 lambs through the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Affairs portal. The Islamic Development Bank carried out the slaughter on Thursday, 28 May 2026 on behalf of Sierra Leonean pilgrims performing ‘Tamattu’ – those who performed Umrah before Hajj. The sacrifice is obligatory for that category of pilgrim.
Most pilgrims are staying at Diyar Al Sa’ad Hotel and praying at Masjid al-Haram. Others at Al Olayan Diamond Hotel, about 15 minutes’ drive from the Grand Mosque, are praying at nearby mosques.
Sheikh Alhaji Dyfan Abass Massaquoi, Head of Operations for the Presidential Taskforce, confirmed all 2,626 pilgrims are well and accounted for in Makkah. He said the first batch of home-based pilgrims will leave Jeddah for Sierra Leone on 6 June 2026 via Ethiopian Airlines, the second batch on 7 June, and the final batch on 9 June 2026. Diaspora pilgrims will depart on separate flight dates.
Of the 2,626 pilgrims, 826 are home-based and registered from Sierra Leone, while 1,800 are Sierra Leoneans based abroad.
Saudi authorities said the movement of pilgrims to Arafat proceeded smoothly with traffic flowing efficiently. According to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), exactly 1,707,301 pilgrims performed the 1447H/2026 Hajj in Makkah.
Of that number, 1,546,655 were international pilgrims from 165 nationalities, and 160,646 were citizens and residents of Saudi Arabia. Male pilgrims numbered 893,396, and female pilgrims 823,905.
Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is obligatory for Muslims who are physically and financially able. This year’s pilgrimage ran from 25 to 30 May 2026, corresponding to 8–12 Dhul-Hijjah 1447H.
