About 2,5-million Muslims from around the world began the second day of the hajj pilgrimage gathering on Monday on the Arafat Plain near Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform the most important ritual in the five-day event.
Pilgrims began moving from Mina to Arafat at sunrise in buses or on foot after spending the night in tents.
Monday is expected to witness the performing of prayers at Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed delivered his last sermon, before pilgrims leave the area in the evening to head for Muzdalifa, where they are expected to spend the night in tents.
The ritual, also known as the standing at Arafat or waqoof, is considered the most important part of the hajj.
In Muzdalifa, the pilgrims plan to collect pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina on Tuesday, after which they head to Mecca at the start of the Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) holiday, the most important on the Islamic calendar.
As pilgrims perform their religious duties, Saudi authorities have set up five civil defence centres, 26 rescue teams and 1 124 fire rescue networks, and deployed many security and safety personnel.
The cloth of the Kaaba, the large cubic stone structure in Mecca towards which Muslims orient themselves in prayer, was replaced with a new one on Monday under the supervision of the president of the Grand Mosque and prophetic mosque affairs Sheikh Saleh al-Haseen and the Kaaba’s head custodian, Sheikh Abdul-Aziz al-Shaibi.
Every year, the Kaaba’s cloth is replaced with a new one the day before Eid Al-Adha, and the Kaaba itself is washed twice a year.
With a total cost of $4,5-million, the 14m-high and 47m-long five-piece cloth was made of 450kg of natural, black-died silk that contains verses from the Muslim holy book, the Qur’an, embroidered with golden threads.
In 1998, the Saudi government established a factory to handle manufacturing the cloth and souvenirs given to senior officials.
The outset of the five-day ritual started on Sunday in Mina, where the Saudi government set up 50 000 fireproof tents to host the pilgrims who spent the day and night in prayer and meditation.
The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, and is obligatory for those whose health and financial situation permit them to perform it.
The annual event is a complex logistical feat requiring the feeding, sheltering and movement of vast numbers of pilgrims.
Extensive safety and security measures have been taken to protect pilgrims from tragedies that in the past have included the collapse of a tunnel connecting holy sites and stampedes and fires.
A total of 1 557 447 pilgrims from outside Saudi Arabia are participating in this year’s hajj, according to official figures. — Sapa-DPA