More than 1.5 million Muslims will gather to pray on Mount Arafat in soaring temperatures on Saturday, marking the high point of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Worshippers from across the globe will climb the rocky, 70-metre (230-feet) hill, located about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Makkah, where the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) delivered his last sermon.
The desert summer heat is expected to reach 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 degrees Fahrenheit), posing significant challenges, especially for the elderly during this day of prayer.
The Hajj, which takes at least five days to complete and is mostly outdoors, “is not easy because it is very hot,” said Abraman Hawa, 26, from Ghana. “We have sun… but it is not as hot. But I will pray to Allah at Arafat because I need his support,” she added.
Saudi authorities have urged pilgrims to stay hydrated and protect themselves from the sun. Since men are prohibited from wearing hats, many carry umbrellas.
Last year, more than 10,000 heat-related illnesses were recorded, 10 percent of which were heat strokes, a Saudi official told AFP this week.
The Hajj, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, is increasingly affected by climate change. A Saudi study reported that regional temperatures are rising by 0.4°C each decade.
Despite the scorching summer sun, 60-year-old Pakistani pilgrim Mohammed Farouk was undeterred. The Hajj is “very important for me as a Muslim,” he said.
Financial Windfall The vast crowds of worshippers spent the night in a giant tented city in Mina, a valley several kilometers outside Makkah, Islam’s holiest city. Many were tightly packed in air-conditioned tents, lying close together on narrow mattresses. They were grouped by nationality and price, depending on the cost of their Hajj packages, which usually amount to several thousand dollars.
After Arafat, pilgrims will head to Muzdalifah, where they will collect pebbles for the symbolic “stoning of the devil” ritual in Mina on Sunday.
The Hajj is said to follow the path of the Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) final pilgrimage, about 1,400 years ago. It is a significant source of legitimacy for the Al Saud dynasty, whose monarch holds the title “guardian of the two holy mosques,” in Makkah and Madinah.
Last year, the kingdom received more than 1.8 million pilgrims for the Hajj, with around 90 percent coming from abroad. It also welcomed 13.5 million Muslims who performed Umrah, the smaller pilgrimage that can be undertaken year-round, aiming to reach 30 million by 2030.
This year’s Hajj takes place in the shadow of the Gaza war, after eight months of conflict that remains an open wound for many in the Muslim world.
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