Saudi authorities have said that some 1.86 million Muslims from around the world are performing the pilgrimage at Islam’s holiest city, one of the main pillars of Islam which every able-bodied Muslim is required to undertake at least once. “I feel happy to be conducting the haj rituals”, he added. Women forgo makeup and perfume and wear loose-fitting clothing and a head covering, while men dress in seamless, white terry cloth garments.
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Almost 2 million Muslims on Sunday headed to Mount Arafat near the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to mark the peak of the annual hajj pilgrimage.
“It’s handsome to see the Muslims of the world pray together here”, said Indian pilgrim Mohammed Arafan, 40.
“It’s an indescribable feeling”, said an Egyptian pilgrim who gave her name only as Louza, 45, as a helicopter monitored the throng.
He was also briefed on preparations for the safe movement of pilgrims between Muzdalifah and Mina.
During last year’s stoning ritual in Mina a stampede killed roughly 2,300 people who were on their way to the Jamarat Bridge to perform the rite.
Saudi Arabia issued a death toll of 769 but figures compiled from foreign officials in more than 30 countries gave a tally nearly three times higher.
According to one account, on the Arafat day, which falls on the 9th day of Dhul Hijj, Imam Hussein was forced to leave his hajj unfinished as the tyrannical forces of his time were trying to make him obey them.
Numerous pilgrims taking part in this year’s hajj climbed a hill called Jabal al-Rahma, or mountain of mercy, in the plain of Arafat to spend time there in supplication.
The stoning ritual coincided with Eid ul-Adha, Islam’s feast of sacrifice which is celebrated by more than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide.
Saudi authorities have previously suggested that pilgrims failing to follow crowd control rules bore some blame for the disaster, but have not released any further details.
Among these is the distribution of a bracelet which stores pilgrims’ personal data. “We are truly at ease here”, Youssef al-Mehri, 24, from Oman said with a prayer rug slung over his shoulder. Patience is the most important thing that someone learns from hajj.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranian faithful held an alternative pilgrimage to the Shiite holy city of Karbala in Iraq on Saturday.
Last week he joined an escalating war of words with Saudi Arabia’s main regional rival Iran over the pilgrimage, when he said Iran’s leaders were not Muslims in response to criticism by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over how it runs the haj after last year’s crush.
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He says that Iran’s assertions that Saudi Arabia was not able to secure the pilgrimage and then did not properly care for the victims is meant to put pressure on the Kingdom.
