Millions of Muslim pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat, a rocky hill roughly 20 kilometres east of Mecca in western Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday for the spiritual climax of the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage. Dressed in white robes, worshippers stood side by side in prayer and reflection from daybreak, reciting Quranic verses under a harsh desert sun as temperatures approached 40°C. The site holds profound significance in Islamic tradition as the place where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his farewell sermon approximately 1,400 years ago, and the day of Arafat is considered the most sacred day of the Hajj calendar.
The central sermon of the pilgrimage was delivered by Sheikh Ali Al-Hudhaifi, Imam of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, at Masjid-i-Namirah — a landmark mosque situated on the northern edge of Arafat, about 22 kilometres from the Grand Mosque in Mecca. In an address broadcast to pilgrims and audiences around the world, Sheikh Al-Hudhaifi emphasised Hajj as a fundamental pillar of Islam rooted in monotheism and submission to God. He called on Muslims to abandon division, falsehood, and hatred, and urged them instead toward brotherhood, patience, and righteousness. His sermon concluded with an emotional prayer seeking unity among Muslims globally and the safe return of pilgrims to their homes. Following the sermon, pilgrims performed the combined Zuhr and Asr prayers in line with prophetic tradition, attended by senior Saudi officials including the Grand Mufti and the Deputy Governor of Mecca.
Saudi authorities reported that the movement of pilgrims to Arafat was completed by 7:56am — two hours earlier than the previous year — using a combination of shuttle buses, traditional transport, and the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro rail system. Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in transport networks, cooling infrastructure, and crowd management systems in recent years to accommodate the growing annual influx of pilgrims, with this year's figure reaching approximately 1.5 million visitors. Extensive security and medical services were also deployed across the holy sites. In Mecca itself, aerial images captured dense crowds continuously circling the Kaaba — Islam's holiest shrine — inside the Grand Mosque in the ritual known as Tawaf.
After spending the day at Arafat, pilgrims departed Tuesday evening for Muzdalifah, an open plain between Arafat and Mina, where they will spend the night before collecting pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual in Mina. The pilgrimage will conclude with the festival of Eid al-Adha, commemorating the Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. This year's gathering also attracted significant digital attention, with thousands of pilgrims documenting their experience on smartphones, generating millions of views on social media platforms and turning the pilgrimage into a global online trend — raising questions among some observers about the balance between spiritual reflection and content creation.
The day resonated beyond the holy sites, with leaders including Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issuing messages marking the occasion and calling for global peace, justice, and Muslim unity. The Hajj, which Muslims who are physically and financially able are required to undertake at least once in their lifetime, stands as one of the largest annual human gatherings on earth, drawing worshippers from virtually every country in the world.