Pilgrims vaccinated with any Russian vaccine other than the two-component Sputnik V will not be admitted to the worship of Islamic holy sites in Mecca.
This follows from a statement by the Saudi authorities, said in an interview Deputy Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation (DUM RF), Mufti of the Moscow Region Rushan Abbyasov.
Earlier, the Russian Direct Investment Fund reported that the authorities of Saudi Arabia have allowed entry into the country from January 1, 2022 for those vaccinated with two doses of Sputnik V — this will make it possible to perform a pilgrimage to the Islamic holy sites in the cities of Mecca and Medina. Pilgrims will have to take a PCR test and undergo a 48-hour quarantine, the fund emphasized.
Upon arrival, the pilgrim must undergo a three-day quarantine at a hotel, take a PCR test, and also download a special application in order to choose the time to visit the Sacred Mosque.
According to the doctrine, every Muslim must perform the hajj at least once in their life — a pilgrimage to the Islamic holy sites in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The hajj can be performed only in the month dedicated to it, Dhu al-Hijjah («the month of pilgrimage») according to the lunar calendar, in 2022 — in July. Believers may also visit Mecca at any other time of the year. Such a «minor» pilgrimage is called umrah, but, from the point of view of Islam, it is not obligatory and is not a replacement for the hajj.