*ISLAMABAD – A top Saudi scholar has urged pilgrims to stay away from anyacts that would politicize the annual pilgrimage.*

As many as 835,487 pilgrims have arrived from abroad for the upcoming Hajas of Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported quoting the Departmentof Passports.

A total of 803,753 pilgrims arrived through King Abdulaziz InternationalAirport (KAIA) in Jeddah and Prince Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz InternationalAirport in Madinah while 22,352 have came through various land crossingsand 9,382 by sea, Saudi Gazette reported.

Head of the Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques Sheikh AbdulRahman Al-Sudais described the Haj as a “message of peace” and asked theguests of God to stay away from behaviors that would politicize thepilgrimage.

“You should perform your Haj rites in peace, ease and comfort away frompolitical slogans and behaviors that are against the noble values ofIslam,” he told the pilgrims.

Sudais said, “Islam is against all forms of extremism, terrorism anddestruction and asked the pilgrims to spend their time in getting to knoweach other and cooperate for the good and welfare of all.