Pilgrims ascend plains of Arafat, marking climax of Hajj

Arafat, June 27: Chanting “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik (O God, here I am answering Your call)...,” around two million pilgrims started proceeding on Tuesday morning to Namirah Mosque as well as to their designated tents in Arafat, about 15 km east of Makkah, after spending a night of meditation and supplication in the Tent City of Mina.

Male pilgrims in seamless white clothes - resembling a white sea of humanity and women in their abayas-will start their ritual of standing at Arafat, the most important pillar of Hajj, this afternoon. More than 1.65 million foreign pilgrims have arrived to perform Hajj this year and they were joined by hundreds of thousands of domestic pilgrims.

After spending a whole day and night in Mina in prayers and meditation on the first day of Hajj (Yaum Al Tarwiyah) on Monday, they moved this morning to Arafat on board Mashair Train, buses and other vehicles. All roads to Arafat were packed with worshippers as helicopters buzzed overhead and volunteers handed out bottles of water and collected rubbish in plastic bags.

Saudi authorities have mobilized all their resources and facilities to make the movement of pilgrims from Mina to Arafat a great success since this morning. A large number of pilgrims reached Arafat on board the Mashair Train. The convoys of buses carrying the pilgrims headed to the vast plains of Arafat, and the security forces have been deployed along the roads and pedestrian paths to ensure the smooth flow and safety of pilgrims.

The chanting of talbiya reverberated all around as the pilgrims headed to Mount Arafat in an air of spirituality that marks the climax of their lifetime spiritual journey. Medical teams and volunteers are also accompanying the pilgrims giving them medical aid and water and helping the elderly pilgrims.

The pilgrims gathered at the 110,000-square-meter grand Namirah Mosque and its 8000-square-meter courtyards well before the start of the Arafat Day sermon. Eminent Saudi Islamic Scholar and Member of the Council of Senior Scholars Sheikh Youssef bin Muhammad bin Saeed will deliver the Arafat sermon at the Namirah Mosque. The sermon resembles the famous farewell sermon of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he performed his only Hajj.

After the sermon, Sheikh Youssef will lead the prayers. Retracting the noble tradition of the Prophet (PBUH), he will perform noon (Dhuhr) and evening (Asr) prayers, shortened and joined together, with one adhan and two iqamas. Pilgrims will join the prayers at and around Namirah Mosque, and then started performing the Standing (wuqoof) at Arafat.

Wuqoof Arafat, one of the four pillars of Hajj, will begin after noon prayers. Pilgrims would engage in prayers and supplications until after sunset. They will seek forgiveness and pleasures of Allah. Muslims in most parts of the world are observing fasting on Tuesday in a sign of solidarity with the pilgrims. It is a great Sunnah for those who do not perform Hajj to observe fasting on Arafat Day.