Mount Arafat
The mountain where Hajj reaches its peak.
Story
Mount Arafat is not really one tall mountain β it is a wide, dusty plain with a small rocky hill in the middle. But on one special day every year, it becomes the most important place on Earth for Muslims. That day is called the Day of Arafat.
On the 9th day of the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah, more than two million pilgrims wearing simple white clothes gather here from sunrise to sunset. Kings stand next to farmers, doctors stand next to taxi drivers β and nobody can tell who is rich and who is poor, because everyone is dressed the same. That is one of the most beautiful lessons of Hajj.
The pilgrims spend the whole day raising their hands, crying, and asking Allah to forgive their mistakes. The Prophet ο·Ί told us that Allah forgives so many people on this day that even the angels in the sky are amazed.
It was on this very plain that the Prophet ο·Ί gave his famous Farewell Sermon. He stood on his camel in front of more than 100,000 Muslims and reminded them: 'All people are equal, like the teeth of a comb. No Arab is better than a non-Arab, and no white person is better than a black person β except by good deeds.' These words still light up Muslim hearts today.
Mount Arafat is also called Jabal ar-Rahmah β the Mount of Mercy β because it is bursting with Allah's mercy on that day. The Prophet ο·Ί even said, 'Hajj IS Arafat,' meaning if you miss this day, you miss the whole Hajj. That is how important this peaceful, dusty plain is.
Fun facts
- β¨'Hajj is Arafat,' the Prophet said.
- β¨It is also called the Mount of Mercy.