In a remarkable display of faith and devotion, around 1.5 million Pakistanis joined 25 million Muslims from across the globe at the vast expanse of the Arafat field to fulfill the most important pillar of Hajj, the “Wuquf of Arafat.”
The tent city of Mina, spanning an area of 2.192 million square meters, hosted the pilgrims during the Hajj rituals. On the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah, the pilgrims spent the entire day in the temporary tent settlement of Mina, offering all five prayers together and raising their voices with the resounding chants of “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik” (Here I am, O Allah, here I am) before converging at the Arafat field on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah.
In Arafat, the pilgrims listened to a special sermon delivered from Masjid Namrah and combined the Dhuhr and Asr prayers. They spent the day in supplication, seeking forgiveness for themselves and the entire Muslim ummah. As the sun set, they have proceeded to Muzdalifah, where they will perform Maghrib and Isha prayers combined, followed by spending the night under the open sky.
In Muzdalifah, pebbles will be collected for the symbolic stoning of the devil (Ramy) on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah after Fajr prayer. After completing this ritual, the pilgrims will return to Mina to perform the sacrificial slaughter (Hajj Qurbani), followed by the removal of the Ihram and performing Tawaf al-Ziyarah (circumambulation around the Kaaba). They will then return to Mina to observe the days of Tashreeq.
The Saudi government has made arrangements for 24,000 buses to facilitate the transportation of pilgrims to and from the sacred sites.