Pilgrims from around the world raised their hands to heaven and offered prayers of repentance on the sacred hill of Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Friday, an intense day of worship considered to be the climax of the annual hajj.
The pilgrims set out for Arafat before dawn. They remain there until nightfall in deep contemplation and worship.
Pilgrims will then move to Muzdalifa plain where they will gather pebbles to throw at stone columns symbolizing the devil. The ritual stoning, known as Jamarat, marks the first day of Eid al-Adha, or the feast of sacrifice, which will be celebrated by Muslims across the globe on Saturday.
Saudi Arabia has said up to one million pilgrims, mostly from abroad, will attend the hajj season this year after two years of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic during which the authorities allowed only Saudi residents to perform hajj.
