The first day of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in 2017 will be on Wednesday, August 30 as announced by Saudi Arabia's High Judicial Court.
For Muslims, the Hajj re-enacts the actions of the Prophet Muhammad in his "farewell pilgrimage" in 632 AD. It is a central pillar of the Islamic faith meant to cleanse followers of sin and bring them closer to God.
The pilgrimage is obligatory once in a lifetime for all Muslims with the means to afford it.
Al Jazeera takes a look at the step-by-step process of the six-day journey, which almost two million Muslims will take part in.
Every year, Muslims around the world make the sacred journey to Saudi Arabia to complete one of the pillars of Islam.
Over the years the numbers have steadily increased.
Al Jazeera breaks down the nations where most pilgrims are journeying from.
