Muslim pilgrims converge on Arafat for prayers and worship as Hajj reaches its peak
More than 1.5 million pilgrims are expected to stand in prayer as Saudi authorities deploy security and medical teams amid regional tensions.
- Hassan Qadiri and his family are staying near the Grand Mosque under Saudi security protection that actively prevents others from approaching the pilgrims, offering refuge after intense Israeli and American bombing raids targeted Isfahan in central Iran until an April ceasefire began.
- A US and Israeli attack on Iran in late February upended regional detente, prompting Iranian retaliation that targeted energy infrastructure and choked Gulf oil exports, just weeks before this year's hajj.
- Just over 30,000 Iranian pilgrims out of an expected 86,700 completed the journey to Saudi Arabia due to the "wartime situation," yet those who arrived expressed profound relief—Qadiri told AFP, "We hear the call to prayer every day, not explosions here."
- Posters in Iranian pilgrim hotels warn that "Raising flags and saying religious or political slogans is prohibited," reflecting Saudi Arabia's strategy to de-politicise the pilgrimage, according to foreign policy expert Umer Karim at the University of Birmingham in Britain.
- The hajj has historically been an uneasy flashpoint between Riyadh and Tehran, particularly after the 2015 stampede killed 464 Iranians among 2,300 pilgrims, yet their 2023 China-brokered reconciliation enabled this year's fragile coexistence, with Qadiri's wife saying "Being here makes the war easier for us to bear.
138 Articles
138 Articles
The Batesville Daily Guard
Muslim pilgrims converge on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia as the Hajj reaches its peak
Muslim pilgrims have gathered on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia for the second day of the Hajj, considered the pinnacle of the annual pilgrimage. On Tuesday, despite the sweltering heat, they engaged in intense prayers, seeking forgiveness, mercy, and blessings.…
The Tribune-Democrat
Egyptian GazetteMuslim pilgrims converge on Arafat for prayers, worship as Hajj reaches its peak
Muslim pilgrims have gathered on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia for the second day of Hajj, considered the pinnacle of the annual pilgrimage. On Tuesday, despite the sweltering heat, they engaged in intense prayers, seeking forgiveness, mercy, and blessings.
On Tuesday, Muslim pilgrims climbed Mount Arafat near Mecca in Saudi Arabia to pray silently on the most important day of the annual Hajj. Pilgrimage is considered the largest religious gathering in the world.
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