The pilgrims began their ascension today, Saturday, to Mash’ar Arafat, in preparation for standing on its pure level to perform the greatest pillar of Hajj. The escalation process to Mash’ar Arafat will be via the Mashaer train, which accommodates 72,000 passengers per hour, in addition to 12,000 buses operating on a frequency system to transport pilgrims via organized routes and a well-studied plan.
Today, Saturday, which corresponds to the ninth of Dhu al-Hijjah, is the “Day of the Great Pause,” when pilgrims will perform the noon and afternoon prayers, shortened and combined, then they begin the departure, heading to Muzdalifah to spend the night there, then moving from there to Mina to complete the Hajj rituals.
The pilgrims left Mecca by bus or on foot, heading to the site a few kilometers from the Grand Mosque. On the eve of standing at the level of Arafa, the greatest corner of the Hajj, the “guests of the Most Merciful” arriving from the four corners of the world chanted “God is Great” and “Here you are, O God, here you are,” amid intense heat expected to reach 44 degrees Celsius.
The area of Arafat is approximately 33 square kilometers, where more than two million pilgrims gather.
The authorities sent a text message to pilgrims on Thursday, asking them to “drink more than two liters of water daily and regularly, and to always carry sun umbrellas,” warning that the temperature could rise to 48 degrees Celsius.
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