Over 1.8 million people gathered earlier today to pray on Mount Arafat, as part of the obligatory Hajj rituals, under the scorching sun, with temperatures soaring to 109.4 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The Plains of Arafat is significant for Muslims who believe that the land represents the beginning of man’s creation. According to Islamic scriptures, the First Prophet Adam (pbuh) descended onto the Earth where he met Hawwa (Eve) after they were ordered to leave the heavens, where both of them were granted forgiveness from God.

The crowds, amounting to nearly 2 million Muslims, united under the sky, on the plains of Arafat, where they sought to reflect on their lives, asking for forgiveness and thanking the Lord for giving them the opportunity to perform Hajj. 

Arafat is also known as the place from which the Earth was spread. Several Prophets and the revered Imam al-Husyan a.s., grandson of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), were known to spend the day in the land of Arafat, reading supplications and basking in the glory of the Lord’s mercy.

The Hajj, which is one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, takes place in Saudi Arabia (Hijaz) where more than a million pilgrims arrive to the holy lands of Mecca and Madina to perform the pilgrimage which becomes obligatory for Muslims to perform when they have earned a decent income. 

This year’s Hajj comes in the wake of the Israeli regime’s war on Gaza, where Palestinians were forcibly denied from performing the annual pilgrimage. 

Islamic scholar Panahian says that “Hajj is an exercise of power against the Arrogant Powers who are the center of corruption, oppression, killing the weak and looting others.” He adds, “The philosophy of Hajj has been realized when the enemies of Islam are frightened by Hajj and when a step has been taken to weaken them… if carried out correctly, it will bring an end to the Zionist regime.”

Iran’s supreme leader, his eminence Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, delivered his annual Hajj statement in solidarity with Palestine, which was read out to pilgrims at mount Arafat. The pilgrims chanted slogans against the Israeli regime and its allies, while solidifying their support for occupied Palestine. 

“This year’s renunciation of the polytheists must continue beyond the time and place of Hajj to all Muslim countries and cities worldwide. It must extend beyond just the Hajj pilgrims and encompass the general populace,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

“The ironclad resistance of Palestine and the patient, oppressed people of Gaza – whose remarkable patience and resistance have earned them admiration and respect globally – must be fully supported in every way,” the Iranian supreme leader added.