Millions of pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat for Hajj

World
Europe

Muslim pilgrims from around the world gathered before dawn Thursday in the valley of Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia for a day of prayer that marks the pinnacle of the annual hajj pilgrimage.

Some two million pilgrims packed shoulder to shoulder for an emotional day of repentance and supplication.

Many wept as they raised their hands toward the sky, asking for forgiveness and praying for loved ones.

It was on this day some 1,400 years ago that Islam's Prophet Mohammed is said to have delivered his final sermon from Mount Arafat during the hajj, calling for equality and for Muslims to unite.

Muslim pilgrims pray near Mount Arafat. / AFP Photo

Throughout the day, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims scale the hill and prayed facing the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure in Mecca that observant Muslims around the world face in prayer five times a day.

Muslims believe prayer on this day at Mount Arafat, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Mecca, is their best chance to erase past sins and start anew.

Islam requires that all able-bodied Muslims perform the hajj once in their lives.

While following a route the Prophet Mohammed once walked, the rites are believed to ultimately trace the footsteps of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, or Abraham and Ishmael as they are named in the Bible.

Muslim pilgrims pray near Mount Arafat. / AFP Photo

The five-day hajj began Wednesday with the shedding of symbols of materialism – men donned white terry-cloth garments meant to symbolize humility and equality while women give up makeup and perfume, covering their heads and wearing loose-fitting clothing.

As every year, for many pilgrims it is their first time to travel outside their country, having spent years saving for what for most is an expensive pilgrimage.

Once back home, they will be referred to in their communities with the respectful title of "hajji" for having completed the pilgrimage.

The hajj is the largest gathering of Muslims worldwide, drawing people from different social classes and religious sects, with Sunnis and Shiites praying side by side.

Source(s): AP