During the peak of the yearly Hajj pilgrimage, Muslim pilgrims prayed atop Mount Arafat on Thursday. Saudi officials urged pilgrims to avoid being outside during the warmest parts of the day. Around the hill and the surrounding plain, where the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is said to have delivered his last speech, thousands of pilgrims started to assemble before sunrise.
In the most taxing part of the Hajj, many pilgrims would stay until the evening for hours of prayers and Quran recitals. In contrast, others come early to take advantage of the comparatively chilly morning with colourful umbrellas.
Every year during the Hajj, I would watch this on the TV screen, and I would always think, ‘I wish I could be here.'” Ali, 33, from Pakistan, one of the 1.5 million pilgrims who had travelled to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage, said.
His eyes were fixed on the mount. “I’ve been trying to get here… for the past 3 years,” he said. “I consider myself really fortunate. The mount itself was peppered with hundreds of pilgrims in white, and many more were at its base praying or taking photos.
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