The fifth pillar of Islam is Hajj, a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia that every able-bodied and financially capable Muslim should complete at least once in their lifetime.

While the sacred sites that pilgrims visit during the pilgrimage are open to Muslims throughout the year, the official rituals of Hajj are only performed once annually, over a five-day period that marks the official Hajj. The end of Hajj is celebrated around the world by Muslims whether they made the pilgrimage or not, a four-day celebration is known as Eid al-Adha that includes prayer, sacrifice and giving gifts.

Muslim athletes from a variety of sports and places on the globe shared their well-wishes for Eid on social media:

***** *****

Paul Pogba – Soccer (Premier League) – France

Qais Ashfaq – Boxing – Great Britain

Arda Turan – Soccer (La Liga) – Turkey

Raisa Aribatul – Basketball – Indonesia

Marouane Fellaini – Soccer (Premier League) – Belgium

Azhar Mahmood – Cricket – Great Britain

Farah Ann Abdul Hadi – Gymnastics – Malaysia

Kurt Zouma – Soccer (Premier League) – France

Sania Mirza – Tennis – India

Moeen Ali – Cricket – Great Britain

Ruqsana Begum – Mixed Martial Arts – Great Britain

Xherdan Shaqiri – Soccer (Premier League) – Switzerland

Sonny Bill Williams – Rugby/Boxing – New Zealand

Mohamed El Neny – Soccer (Premier League) – Egypt

Husain Abdullah – Football (retired NFL) – United States

Edin Dzeko – Soccer (Serie A) – Bosnia & Herzegovina

Demba Ba – Soccer (Chinese Super League) – Senegal

Hashim Amla – Cricket – South Africa

Ahmed Hossam Hussein Abdelhamid, a.k.a. “Mido” – Soccer (retired) – Egypt

Khabib Nurmagomedov – Mixed Martial Arts – Russia

Dwayne Frampton – Football – United States

Ibtihaj Muhammad – Fencing – United States

Mesut Ozil – Soccer (Premier League) – Germany