New trousers promise hajj chafing relief

Help is being offered to Muslims afflicted by chafed thighs during the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Gazette reported on Saturday.

Worshippers at the annual event are to be offered “seamless trousers” for the first time to guard against chafing, the English-language daily said.

The trousers are designed to be worn under the ihram, the loose-fitting white robe worn by Muslims undertaking the pilgrimage.

“Pilgrims often complain of sore thighs because of friction as a result of long walks. The trouser will protect the thighs,” the paper said.

The pilgrimage, which is expected to next take place in December, is one of the five pillars of Islam that all able-bodied Muslims must undertake once in a lifetime if they have the means.

Nearly 2,4-million people flocked to holy sites in Saudi Arabia earlier this year to perform the hajj, including more than 1,6-million from outside the kingdom.

In January 2006, 364 pilgrims were killed in a crush during the pilgrimage’s stoning ritual.—Sapa-AFP