All articles tagged with #mount arafat
Thousands of pilgrims gathered on Mecca’s Mount Arafat under near-44C heat for the Hajj’s central wuquf ritual, with more than 1.5 million worshippers praying on the rocky hill before moving to Muzdalifah and Mina for the upcoming rites; volunteers handed out water and shade as regional tensions cast a shadow over the pilgrimage.
The Hajj pilgrimage's most significant moment for Muslims is the Day of Arafat, where believers pray for forgiveness and closeness to God. The hill is where the Prophet Muhammad gave his last sermon, and it is mentioned in the Quran. Despite the heat and difficulties, 1.8 million pilgrims gathered at Mount Arafat this year, significantly lower than the pre-pandemic 2019 numbers. After praying, pilgrims head to Muzdalifa to collect pebbles for the next day's ritual of symbolically stoning the devil at Mina.