Nearly two million Muslim pilgrims began the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia yesterday and will gather on the plains of Arafat for the most important day of the Hajj today.
Yesterday, the pilgrims circled the Kaaba in the heart of the holy city of Makkah and began moving to Mina, marking the first step of the Hajj rituals.
The pilgrims spent the night in Mina in prayers and supplication, in preparation for ascending Mount Arafat, the peak of the Hajj, today.
The Day of Arafah, observed on the 9th day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, is the pinnacle of the Hajj, where pilgrims gather at the plains of Arafat, near Makkah, to stand in prayer and supplication from noon until sunset.
This standing, known as Wuquf, is a core ritual of Hajj, symbolising unity, humility and devotion to Allah.
For Muslims not performing Hajj, the Day of Arafah is still highly important, as fasting on this day is recommended and believed to expiate sins of the past and coming year, based on a saying of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It’s a day of intense worship, reflection and seeking forgiveness.
According to official figures released by Saudi authorities, more than 1.47 million Muslims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage. The total number is expected to increase with local pilgrims to reach two million.
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Last year, over 1.8 million Muslim pilgrims from 200 countries around the world performed the ritual.
The Hajj pilgrimage is the fifth pillar of the Islamic faith – a ritual that must be performed by all Muslims, if financially viable, at least once in their lives.
The ritual includes several rituals meant to symbolise the essential concepts of the Islamic faith and to commemorate the trials of the Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) and his family.
