Riyadh: As the sun rose, more than two million million pilgrims flocked to Mount Arafat on Tuesday, the ninth Dhul-Hijjah to perform the greatest pillar of the Haj, after spending the day at Mina in Makkah, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Chanting “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik (Here I am, O Allah, here I am)..,” pilgrims started ascending plains of Arafat.
The Day of Arafat marks the second day of the Haj when believers make their way to the mountain where the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have given his final sermon.
At noon, pilgrims will make their way to the Namira Mosque to listen to the sermon of Arafat and perform the Zuhr and Asr prayers, both together and short, following the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad.
Pilgrims will then head to Muzdalifah after sunset, and then return to Mina on the morning of Saturday, July 9 or tenth Dhul-Hijjah (the day of sacrifice, the first day of Eid Al Adha) to stone Jamrat al-Aqabah and sacrifice, then shave or shorten and their hair to Makkah to perform the tawaf al-ifaadah.
Pilgrims spend in Mina the three days of Tashreeq (11th, 12th and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah) to stone the three Jamarat, starting with the small, middle and then Jamarat Al-Aqaba (the Great).
About Arafat Day
The Arafat Day marks the climax of the annual pilgrimage of Haj, which began on Thursday, July 26.
The standing at Arafat, one of the four pillars of Haj and the most important ritual of the annual pilgrimage, will start after the Arafat sermon.
Arafat’s sermon is usually broadcast live around the world. This year, sermon will be translated into 20 languages.
The Haj is a once-in-a-lifetime duty for all Muslims who are physically and financially able to make the journey, which takes believers along the path traveled by the Prophet Muhammad some 1,400 years ago. Pilgrims spend five days performing a set of rituals aimed at bringing them closer to Allah.
More than 2.5 million pilgrims are expected to participate in the current Haj season, as restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020 have been fully relaxed.
In 2020, only 10,000 people were allowed to participate; 59,000 in 2021; And in 2022 there was a cap of one million people.
This year’s Haj pilgrimage is challenging, as it is taking place at nearly 46 degrees Celsius.
Eid Al Adha celebrated on June 28. The Saudi authorities launched a large-scale operation to ensure the health and safety of pilgrims
