Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims crowded Saudi Arabia’s Mount Arafat on Tuesday, the climax of a potentially record-breaking Haj pilgrimage held in the fierce summer heat.
As dawn broke, groups of worshippers recited Quranic verses on the rocky rise, where the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is believed to have given his final sermon.
Pilgrims pray on the Mount of Mercy at the plain of Arafat during the annual Haj pilgrimage, outside the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 27, 2023.— Reuters
The ritual is the high point of the annual pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, that officials say could be the biggest on record after three years of Covid restrictions.
More than 2.5 million pilgrims were expected to join the Haj, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings and a source of legitimacy for the oil-rich country’s royal rulers.
Temperatures soared to 46 degrees celsius on Monday as robed worshippers shielded by umbrellas journeyed from Makkah to Mina, where they slept in a giant tented city before the rites at Mount Arafat.
Pilgrims gather on the Mount of Mercy at the plain of Arafat as water mist is sprayed due to high temperature during the annual Haj pilgrimage, outside the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 27, 2023.— Reuters
Egyptian schoolteacher Tasneem Gamal said she was emotionally overwhelmed to arrive at Arafat, whose rituals are a compulsory part of the pilgrimage.
“I cannot describe my feelings, I am living a great joy,” the 35-year-old woman said.
Gamal is performing the Haj without a male guardian, a requirement that was shelved by Saudi authorities in 2021.
This year, a maximum age limit has also been removed, giving thousands of elderly the chance to attend.
A Muslim pilgrim prays on the Mount of Mercy at the plain of Arafat during the annual Haj pilgrimage, outside the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 27, 2023. — Reuters
Tuesday provides the biggest physical challenge, as pilgrims will spend hours praying and reciting the Quran on Mount Arafat and in the surrounding area amid high temperatures.
Unlike Makkah, dotted with hotels and malls, and the tents of Mina, air-conditioned shelter is scarce.
