Muslim pilgrims converge on Mount Arafat as Hajj reaches its peak

Muslim pilgrims from around the world have congregated on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on the second official day of the annual Islamic pilgrimage, considered the pinnacle of the Hajj.

Despite sweltering heat, pilgrims gathered on the rocky hill and surrounding plain for intense prayers and worship that often mark a spiritual peak for many.

They fervently murmured prayers and poured their hearts out in supplications, with many raising their hands in worship. It is common for pilgrims on that day, some with tears streaming down their faces, to ask God for forgiveness, mercy, blessings and good health.

The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is required once in a lifetime for every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to perform it.

For pilgrims, the Hajj, performed over several days, can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins.

As they brave the intense heat to perform religious rituals, many pilgrims have been using umbrellas for shade.

A Saudi official said on Friday that more than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in the country from abroad.

This year, Muslims have been pouring into Saudi Arabia for the Hajj against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related uncertainty in the region.

The US military said on Monday that it carried out “self-defence” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats used to lay mines, even as US president Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations with Tehran were “proceeding nicely”.

On Tuesday, Iran denounced the most recent US strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations pressed on toward a possible deal to end the war.

For many, performing the Hajj can be a realisation of a lifelong dream as they spend years hoping and praying to one day be able to undertake the pilgrimage or saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the trip.

“This happens once in a lifetime,” said Mohammad Asal, an Egyptian pilgrim.

“People here have prepared their prayers, hoping that God will respond to them, because we know that … the most important ritual of the Hajj is being in Arafat.”

The Hajj brings together large numbers of Muslims of diverse races, ethnicities, languages and socioeconomic classes, creating a sense of unity for many.

It is a mass, communal experience, with Muslims performing rituals together. But it is also deeply personal, as every pilgrim brings their own yearnings and experiences.

“It was incredible,” Ahmed Sufyan, a pilgrim from the United States, said on Tuesday. “The unity and peace that we feel is something I’ve never experienced before.”

“Our wishes are many,” Mohammad Obaid, a Sudanese pilgrim, said, adding he was praying for Sudan and Muslims everywhere.