MAKKAH: Hundreds of Muslim pilgrims proceeded to Arafah to perform the pinnacle of the Hajj pilgrimage after the sunrise of the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah while uttering takbir (which is saying: Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest), tahlil, (which is saying: la ilaha ila-Allah (there is no God but Allah)) and talbiyah (which is saying: labbayka Allahumma labbayk)).
The pilgrims in white seamless garments and women in loose dresses will listen to the Hajj sermon at Namirah mosque and perform Zohr and Asr prayers together.
The pilgrims stay till Maghrib to continue their Hajj rituals and leave Arafah quietly and peacefully after sunset, according to Sunnah.
O people, walk calmly; rushing or making hast is not a virtue… (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
The four Manasik of Hajj are: Mina, Muzdalifah, Aljamarat and Arafat. These are essential stops for pilgrims and Holy sites where they perform prayers and rituals.
Arafat day
Arafat Day is the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage a before the first day of Eid ul-Adha.
At dawn on Arafat Day, pilgrims make their way from Mina and gathered on the plains of sacred Mount Arafat, the rocky outcrop where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) delivered his final sermon about 1,400 years ago.
Worshipers seeks for one’s well-being, mercy, blessings and good health in this life and in the Hereafter.
Kiswa changing ceremony
Earlier, the annual ceremony to change Ghilaf-e-Kaaba was held at Masjid-e-Al-Haram where mask-clad pilgrims have gathered to perform the Hajj.
The Kaa’ba dons it’s new Kiswa under the rain showers and lighting.
The covering cloth of the Kaaba is changed on 9th Zilhaj (i.e) the Day of Arafat every year. It is prepared from pure silk fiber, embellished by gold and silver-plated thread and motifs illustrating verses from the Holy Quran.
World’s largest annual gatherings
Chosen few pilgrims performed the annual hajj that normally draws more than two million of faithfuls from around the globe.
Rather than shoulder to shoulder prayers, a tiny fraction of pilgrims from different walks of life across the globe participated in the ritual at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, the holiest site in Islam so as to limit exposure and the potential transmission of the coronavirus pandemic.