HAJJ: Pilgrims Get Ready to Ascend Mount Arafat on Second Day of Hajj

Tuesday, June 27th, marks the day when pilgrims wake up in the tented city of Mina to prepare for one of the main rituals, Hajj.

Overnight, the pilgrims stayed in the Mina Valley, where accommodation with more than 100,000 air-conditioned tents spread over an extensive area of 2.5 million square meters is provided. This year, the pilgrimage is set to witness a significant turnout, with an estimated two million individuals from 160 countries participating. It marks the highest attendance since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

On the ninth day of Dhu Al Hijjah, which is the second day of Hajj, many pilgrims will engage in the Fajr, or dawn prayers, in Mina. Following this, they will proceed toward Mount Arafat, located approximately 21 kilometers away.

Historically, pilgrims would have made the journey on foot, but today buses shuttle thousands of people back and forth.

During the afternoon, a large number of individuals, including both men and women, will climb up the mountain where Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his last sermon. Many pilgrims will carry umbrellas to protect themselves from the high temperatures that can reach up to 44ºC. This sacred location is also recognized as the site where Adam and Eve were reunited on Earth after falling from heaven.

Dhuhr (past midday) and Asr (late afternoon) prayers are performed communally in the Arafat valley after the Hajj sermon is read. This year, Sheikh Yousef bin Mohammed, a prominent member of the Council of Senior Scholars and an experienced preacher for nearly two decades during Eid will deliver the sermon. The sermon will take place at the Nimrah Mosque in Arafat, which holds significance as the site where Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon.

Inside the mosque, Saudi officials have covered the area with high-quality carpets, spanning an area of over 125,000 square meters. The sermon will be available and translated into 20 languages, with an expectation of around 300 million listeners will listen to it.

After sunset, pilgrims make their way to Muzdalifah, south of Mina, for shortened Maghrib and Isha prayers. There, they must collect pebbles to perform the last steps of Hajj. Worshippers are recommended to collect 70 pebbles so they may participate in Jamarat, the stoning of the devil ceremony when pilgrims cast stones at three pillars where the devil is said to have appeared to Prophet Ibrahim after midnight.