Sun will be in direct alignment with Holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque of Makkah today at 12:18 local time and 2:18 PM PST.
Hence, at this given time, Muslims can determine the direction of the Holy Kaaba simply by facing the sun. Holy Kaaba in the Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah is the most revered place for Muslims. It is the center point of Islam. Muslims all over the world pray in the direction of the Holy Kaabah.
Today, the sun will be directly crossing over the Holy Kaabah in a perfect alignment. The information was shared by Engineer Majid Abu Zahra, president of the Astronomical Society in Jeddah. “For a brief period, there will be no shadow of the Kaaba,” he said.
This phenomenon is called ‘zero shadow’ that happens twice a year due to the Holy Ka’aba being close to the Equator and Tropic of Cancer.
Sun to align with holy Kaaba today, at 14:18 Pakistan timehttps://t.co/hzHWAPKblX
— Science & Nature (@Amazingnature22) May 27, 2021
Abu Zahra said people can determine the exact direction of Holy Kaaba by placing a wooden stick vertically in the ground at the given time. The direction of the Kaaba will be the exact opposite of the shadow of the stick. The celestial phenomenon happens twice a year- on May 27th and July 15th.
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Meanwhile, Saudi authorities have restricted the number of pilgrims visiting the Holy Kaaba due to pandemic COVID-19. The Saudi authorities have been following strict COVID-19 protocols to keep the pilgrims and staff safe from coronavirus. Extreme measures are taken to sterilize the mosque with advanced techniques.
Uncertainty surrounds the allowance of foreign pilgrims to travel to Grand Mosque for pilgrimage (Hajj) this year by Saudi authorities. Saudi Arabia is yet to make any decision on allowing Pakistani pilgrims to travel to Saudi Arabia this year for Hajj.
Read more: In Pictures: First Female Saudi Umrah, Hajj guards serve at Grand Mosque
A spokesman for the Saudi embassy in Pakistan said last week, “no decision has been taken yet regarding the Hajj. All that is said in this regard are proposals that are still under study.”