After spending a night of meditation and introspection in the tent city of Mina, the pilgrims will head out to Mount Arafat, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Makkah as Hajj 2021 begins.
The pilgrims will proceed to Arafat today, to perform the main ritual of “Waqoof-e-Arafat” in order to mark Hajj 2021.
The pilgrims will spend time in Arafat with prayers for approval of their pilgrimage and recitation of Quranic verses until sunset.
Now|| Hujjaj started arriving at Arafat…#Hajj2021 pic.twitter.com/24AywYwt05
— Inside the Haramain (@insharifain) July 19, 2021
They will listen to the sermon to be delivered at Nimra Mosque and perform Zohr and Asr prayers together.
After sunset, they will head to Muzdalifah, where they will stay until midnight, engaged in prayers after performing combined Maghreb and Isha prayers.
Preparations at Arafat
The Saudi Health Ministry completed its preparations to provide medical care for pilgrims who will gather on Mount Arafat.
Medical facilities in Arafat have been equipped with general clinics staffed by family doctors, internal consultants and nurses specialized in intensive care, as well as facilities equipped to deal with sunstroke and heat stress.
There will also be a mobile hospital in Arafat and mobile clinics in Muzdalifah throughout the Day of Arafat to serve the pilgrims until their departure.
The Ministry of Hajj has also prepared an integrated camp in the Arafat area to isolate suspected cases of the novel coronavirus and to apply preventive measures.
Security Measures
The Civil Defense forces have increased their readiness in Mina and have taken all measures to preserve pilgrims’ safety throughout their stay.
On the first day of Eid Al-Adha, the pilgrims will return to Mina and after throwing stones at the devil, the men will perform Tawaf after shaving their hair.
It may be recalled that last year the authorities had announced that only one thousand people would be allowed to perform Hajj but later local media reported that 10 pilgrims performed Hajj.
Due to the strict measures taken by the Saudi authorities regarding health, no infection was reported during the Hajj last year.
