On the second day of Hajj pilgrims left Mina holy sitefrom Thursday morning for Mount Arafat, where they stood in contemplation, praying and asking for forgiveness of sins
Pilgrims then started to head after sunset to Muzdalifah ahead of beginning the rituals of the third day of Hajj on Friday, which marks the start of Eid El-Adha
MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia, 30 July 2020 – Muslim pilgrims in face masks marked on Thursday the second day of Hajj, the peak of the Islamic major pilgrimage which this year is taking place amid unprecedented health precautions due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.
Pilgrims began flocking on Thursday morning to Arafat site, amid precautionary and health measures and observing social distancing to ensure the safety of pilgrims and the cadres serving them. The pilgrims trek from Mina to Arafat was supervised by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, in cooperation with the concerned authorities, so that the pilgrims perform the rituals in a safe and secure manner.
Hajj officially started on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah, or Wednesday July 29th and lasts until the 12th of Dhul Hijjah, or August 2nd, but traditionally some pilgrims still perform Hajj on the 13th of the same Islamic month, or August 3rd. Friday, the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, marks the third day of Hajj as well as the start of Eid Al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
The second day of Hajj is known as Day of Arafat, as pilgrims left the holy site of Mina for Mount Arafat. Once at Mount Arafat – where Prophet Mohammed [PBUH} delivered his last sermon in 632 CE – the pilgrims stood in contemplation, praying and asking God for forgiveness of their sins amid continuous chanting of the Talibyah prayer.
Dr. Hussein Al-Sharif, Undersecretary of Hajj affairs at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, said during the daily Hajj press briefing: “We thank God who conferred favor upon the pilgrims standing in Arafat. We are grateful to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH The Crown Prince for their continuous support for Hajj and pilgrims.”
“All sectors working under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah have retained their full preparedness. Health precautions were thoroughly and meticulously implemented at all stages.”
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pilgrimage this year is limited to citizens and residents of Saudi Arabia, who meet preset conditions and have been subjected to quarantine procedures. Individuals from 160 nationalities residing in the Kingdom have been selected to perform the Hajj. Residents in Saudi Arabia make up to 70% of the total number of pilgrims while citizens make up the remaining 30%. The number of pilgrims for this year’s Hajj has been dramatically reduced to ensure social distancing measures are adhered to, as a preventative measure in the face of the Coronavirus.
‘Hajj is Arafat’
Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is the most important spiritual journey in a Muslim’s life.
The pilgrims recite the Islamic prayer known as Talbiyah, repeatedly invoked during the Hajj, with the pilgrims chanting the in Arabic, reciting over and over: ‘Labbeika Allahumma Labbeik’, ‘Labbeika laa sharika laka labbeik, inna -l-ḥamda wa-n-niʿmata laka wa-l-mulka laa sharika laka’
On Thursday morning, pilgrims reached Arafat, in conformity with the Ministry of Health guidelines. The pilgrims strictly adhered to the new guidelines formulated by the Ministry of Health. The pilgrims, all of whom wore protective face masks, observed social distancing during this year’s Hajj.
Pilgrims headed to Mount Arafat to express their gratitude to God for being able to perform Hajj amid the exceptional circumstances.
The stand of pilgrims on the mount of Arafat is seen as the peak of Hajj ritual.
The pilgrims, in their Ihram white special garments, and with many pilgrims carrying umbrellas to guard against the scorching sun, began as of sunrise on Thursday to move to Arafat to stand there in contemplation before God. This segment of the second day’s ritual is referred to as “Standing before God,” and is one of the most solemn of the pilgrimage.
According to a well-known Hadith of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) “Hajj is Arafat”. This saying underscores the fact that standing in Arafat is key ritual of Hajj, the major Islamic pilgrimage. Muslim scholars have interpreted this saying as meaning ‘Whoever misses the standing (in Arafat) has missed Hajj’.
Leaving for Muzdalifah
After sunset on Thursday, the pilgrims started to leave the Arafat holy site, to complete their journey of faith to the valley of Muzdalifah, another sacred site, amid a strict system of precautionary health measures and services offered by Saudi authorities.
While in Muzdalifah, the third station of Hajj, pilgrims will have to perform Magrib (sunset) and Isha (evening) prayers together, and stay the night there, before heading towards the valley of Mina again, following in the footsteps of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).
The pilgrims’ descent from Arafat to Muzdalifah went smoothly, “thanks to the unprecedented services provided by the host authorities, including the health precautionary and preventive measures,” according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Kehinde Qasim Yusuf, a 40-year-old Australian pilgrim said: “I really had a wonderful time today. I was really impressed by the level of organization and planning. Every activity was well thought through and planned appropriately.”
Fatin Anis Athirah binti Daud, a pilgrim from Malaysia, said:“The government has taken crucial measures to ensure the safety of all the pilgrims. I really appreciate the opportunity given to all of us to experience a unique Hajj and people from our respective home country are praying that we are all safe and that’s evident in how the government have taken care of us.”
Hajj sermon
On Thursday, the pilgrims also performed prayers and listened to a sermon at Arafat’s 110,000-square-meter Masjid Namirah (Namirah Mosque) and the surrounding areas, which marks the location where Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) set camp before he delivered his final sermon.
The Arafat sermon was delivered by Sheikh Abdullah bin Suleiman Al-Manea, Member of the Council of Senior Scholars and Advisor at the Royal Court. He addressed health and wellbeing in relation to Islam’s teachings, during the Arafat sermon. Sheikh Al-Manea also discussed directives that God has prescribed for dealing with economic and financial adversities.
The sermon of Day of Arafat, was broadcast in 10 languages — English, Malay, Urdu, Persian, Bengali, French, Chinese, Turkish, Hausa and Russian – according to the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque.
No COVID-19 cases
During Thursday’s Hajj roundup, Dr. Muhammad Al-Abd Al-Aali, Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, said that no COVID-19 infections, nor any cases of diseases affecting public health, were reported on the Day of Arafat.
“The situation on the Day of Arafat is very reassuring, with no coronavirus infections reported,” he said.
Dr. Al-Abd Al-Aali reassured the public that strict precautionary measures are being maintained to ensure the safety of the pilgrims for the remainder of their Hajj experience.
The exceptional coronavirus-related precautionary measures are ongoing, with healthcare teams accompanying the pilgrims to continue their regular journey during the upcoming days, he said.
“The preventive measures that coincide with the exceptional global conditions as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic are continuing, and our colleagues always provide health services, and health leaders and health teams will always, God willing, stay with pilgrims to ensure their health and safety,” he said.
Six hospitals have been earmarked in the holy sites for serving the pilgrims during Hajj, along with 51 clinics, 200 ambulances and 62 field teams, while 8,000 health cadres were also serving the pilgrims, according to Al-Aali. The total clinical capacity at the holy sites was 1,456 beds, including 272 ICU beds, 331 isolation beds and 200 emergency beds, he said.
Busting the violators
During the daily Hajj roundup, Lieutenant Colonel Talal Al-Shalhoub, Security Spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior, affirmed that the remainder of the pilgrims’ Hajj journey will proceed as planned.
“Pilgrims have successfully scaled Mount Arafat before making their way seamlessly to Mina. The ‘Stoning of the Devil’ and Tawaf al-Ifadah ceremonies will proceed according to the general plan,” he said.
Lt. Col. Al-Shalhoub said that the pilgrims will be split into groups for the ‘Stoning of the Devil’ symbolic ceremony to ensure their safety and security.
“Security services continue their work, insuring all precautions are respected; a number of violators have been already caught and sanctioned.”
Key regulations during every Hajj include the strict forbiddance of the transport of pilgrims without a permit. Any one transporting pilgrims without permits will face severe penalties for violating the law, including fines, jail, and confiscation of vehicle used, but this year, with the COVID-19 outbreak, the measures include extra penalties for breaking the rules and endangering the health of the community.
The spokesman called on all citizens and residents to abide by the Hajj instructions, stressing that the security men impose a tight security cordon on the holy feelings to implement the instructions and to control the violators.
One of the most beloved events of Hajj started on Wednesday night when the Kiswa, the finely embroidered black cloth that covers the Kaaba at the center of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, was replaced, as it is customary, every year on the eve of second day of Hajj when most worshipers have made the trek to Arafat. The process is administered by the staff of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet Mosque.
The Kiswa consumes about 670 kilograms of raw silk and 120kg of gold thread and 100kg of silver thread, said Deputy Head of the General Presidency for the Grand Mosque Affairs Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Mansouri.
The Kiswa is replaced once a year during Hajj after the pilgrims go to Mount Arafat, in preparation for receiving worshippers the next morning, which coincides with Eid Al-Adha.
The Kiswa is replaced on the ninth of Dhul Hijjah follows in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] and his companions. It was reported that after the conquest of Makkah in the ninth Hijri year, the Prophet covered the Kaaba in Yemeni clothes as he performed his farewell pilgrimage.
As many as 200 Saudi craftsmen are engaged in producing the black curtain at the King Abdul Aziz Complex for Holy Kaaba Kiswa,
Hani Haider, Official Spokesperson, General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, has said: “The General Presidency recruited about 3,500 workers working 24/7 to sterilize Al-Masjid Al-Haram, applying oud and fragrances.”
