Mount Arafat: Mecca's Spiritual Heart of Hajj Pilgrimage

Mount Arafat or Jabal ‘Arafāt, is in the plain of Arafat east of Mecca. Located 20 kilometers (12 mi) southeast of Mecca is the plain of Arafat. The Mount Arafat which is known as the Mount of Mercy is 70 metre (230 feet) high. Biblical teachings suggests the prophetic act where Muhammad stood on the hill and addressed the Muslims, which formed a principal part of the Farewell Sermon during his last piligrimage to Mecca.

The pilgrims perform their last standing, then on the morning of the 9th Dhu al-Hijjah they move from Mina to Arafat which is the most sacred stage of all in the Hajj. The Hajj Khutbah is recited and Zuhr & Asr prayers are performed. The pilgrims spend their day in the mountain fasting and in a constant state of worship beseeching Allah for forgiveness and might.

The Arafah ritual ended at night; thereafter, worshippers move to Muzdalifah, for shortened Maghrib and Isha prayers and a brief rest.

The level plain around the hill is also called as the plain of Arafat. As for the word ‘Mount Arafah,” Al-Bukhari reports it in a hadith as meaning the whole area and not just the peak. It is important in Islam as those performing the Hajj spend the afternoon there on the ninth of Dhul Hijjah. This form of pilgrimage is considered to be incomplete if the devotee does not turn up at the plain of Arafat on the said day.

This location was served since late 2010 by Mecca Metro. The circumference of the Kaaba would be about 21 kilometers (13.05 miles), this told an average person that a normal Hajj would cover.