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Mount Arafat, Saudi Arabia: Marking the climax of the Haj, more than two million spiritually charged but physically drained pilgrims converged yesterday on Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) preached his last sermon. A white sea of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims joined in chanting Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik (Here I am O God, answering your call). Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Shaikh Abdul Aziz Al Shaikh called on the pilgrims to fear Allah and fulfil Haj rituals in the Prophet's tradition. Delivering the sermon in the majestic Al Namira Mosque, the mufti urged the faithful to hold fast to the religion of Islam by strictly obeying the commands of Allah and following the tradition of the Prophet.
Describing Islam as a religion of mercy and benevolence, the mufti called on Muslims to do good unto others. Earlier, pilgrims concluded the combined-shortened Dhuhr and Asr prayers in Al Namirah Mosque and at their tents erected on the vast plain of Arafat. The mosque and its surrounding areas were packed with worshippers who had gathered to pray and listen to the sermon of the grand mufti. The pilgrims, with tears in their eyes, spent the afternoon at Mount Arafat, praying for guidance and forgiveness. They beseeched Allah, the Almighty, for deliverance from the grief that has beset the Islamic Ummah. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz arrived in Mina to supervise the final stages of the Haj. King Abdullah is scheduled to receive Muslim heads of state and leaders of foreign Haj delegations. Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed Bin Abdul Aziz, who is also chairman of the Central Haj Committee, said the movement of pilgrims from Mina to Mount Arafat was completed before noon in record time. "All government agencies concerned with Haj affairs have implemented their plans very well. Security and health conditions of pilgrims are excellent and no untoward incident has so far been reported," the Saudi Press Agency quoted Prince Abdul Majeed as saying. Saudi authorities have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure a smooth and peaceful Haj. As many as 60,000 security officers have been deployed at the holy sites to ensure the welfare and safety of the pilgrims.
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